Ahhh, okay! It's not so bad if you still get to choose who gets to max out their relationship first. I like that some characters don't even get to have A-rank relationships, given that context. I just need to step back from the way the mobile Fire Emblems have been doing things and think about it differently. The mobile games approach it from the context of: "three random interactions of each available relationship, however unpleasant those interactions might be, all of which can end in spontaneous marriage if the orientations are correct, again however unpleasant the interactions may have been." If this one is more like: "you might have interactions if these characters have a potential connection, and the relationship only develops if they have the potential to become close, and the nature of those relationships may be different depending on the characters involved," then... holy crap, I'm okay with that.

I am stunned by the idea that pairings might develop... over... time?!?? Instead of significant life decisions being made based on a handful of chats during wartime. I like that they're not afraid to go, "A few years after the end of the game, they fall in love," but I also like that the endings aren't necessarily pairing-related. That you can say, "This relationship is the most important one in this character's life," but that doesn't mean they want to fuck. Other kinds of relationships can also be meaningful and worthwhile!!

Obviously I am also 100% on board with the idea that relationships that are depicted in the story and might even be relevant to the story are inherently superior to relationships that play out over the course of the supports........... but I still like supports. And it's nice that I don't have to consider how my pairing decisions will lead to good skills and hair colors for their instant baby.