Thelove system is a game mechanic that appeared inFire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War which is similar to thesupport system as it is featured in games starting fromThe Binding Blade.

Mechanics

In both generations ofGenealogy of the Holy War, most playable characters can fall in love with another character of the opposite gender. There are certain exceptions:

• Sigurd andDeirdre will automatically fall for each other upon Deirdre's recruitment, and thus have no love growths with any other characters.
• Quan andEthlyn start as lovers and cannot fall in love with anyone else.
• Finn,Hannibal, andAltena cannot fall in love during the second generation.

Characters will fall in love when they accumulate a total of 500 love points with each other. Certain pairs have a base number of love points. Love points are retained upon death and are not lost if revived withValkyrie, but do not accumulate with units who are dead or have not been recruited. Love points can be earned by the following methods:

• Most characters will gain a certain amount of love points with each other at the end of each turn, regardless of their positioning. This ends after the fiftieth turn of each chapter.
• The love point gain will increase by 5 points if the characters end their turns adjacent to each other. Thejealousy bug also affects this type of love growth. This ends after the fiftieth turn of each chapter.
• Certain conversations during chapters may grant the characters love points, e.g. havingAzelle talk toEdain inChapter 1 will give them 100 love points.

A character can visit any alliedcastle and speak to the fortune teller there, who will judge the character's feelings for another character. His message will change depending on how many love points that character has accumulated with another character (<character> will refer to whomever that character has the most love points with):

• 0–199: "You've yet to find one to capture your heart."
• 200–299: "You've had <character> dwelling on your mind as of late."
• 300–399: "<character> has taken your fancy as of late."
• 400–499: "You're well and truly in love with <character>."
• 500: "You and <character> are bound in holy matrimony!"

Once a couple reaches 500 love points, they receive the ability to give all of theirgold to their lover, and also receive acombination bonus if they enter battle while standing next to each other. Couples in the first generation who fall in love will have two children, who will become playable in the second generation,inheriting certain attributes from their parents. If the female characters (other thanDeirdre andEthlyn) do not fall in love before the end ofChapter 5, or are killed, their children will be replaced bysubstitute characters.

References