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[Silvergun-Blue]

Swinging by to say thanks for the CSH code,that was damn decent of you guys. I don't have a Steam account so I'll make sure it gets a good home. I'll pick it up on PS4 when I've bit of gaming time free.

 

[kswiston]

If someone would like to give a quick overview of Skies of Arcadia's character customization system, and comment in the linearity of the story, I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Thud]

Oh but going back to Falcom for a bit:

I've been sitting on the last dungeon of TitS for a bit now; probably going to look to finishing that soon and buy the second TitS game. Might not play that for a while either too as I want to try Phantasy Star while I'm at my computer and now I've got CSH thanks to the generosity going on in here.

The point is, this is for long term planning.

Okay, I like TitS. It grew on me over time. The characterization is a bit cloying, imo, and it took a while for the characters to grow on me but I like the road-trip through faux early 20th century Europe premise and how well each location is realized. The ending act just sort of crept on me and I was suddenly more into the plot.

I also like the battle system and skill/equipment system.

I think, if it continues in this sort of vein, I'll probably like the rest of the TitS subseries.

The thing is: I'm unsure where in the further future to explore the series more. Everything I read about Cold Steel has me thinking it is not quite the same sort of deal. I like Persona but that's not going to generalize to all school/dating simulation games. It also seems the main character isn't charming and the pacing is really slow.

Do people think this is a correct read on general word of mouth about Cold Steel? Is it worth trying for someone who liked TitS 1 anyways? What are people's thoughts on this?

Also, it seems people talk about games existing between TitS and Cold Steel, Ao and Zero iirc? Is there anyway to try those in English and would those be a better place to go next?

Again far future planning, but it is something I'm thinking about.

If you're already into TitS, continue with Second Chapter and the 3rd.

Second Chapter finishes Estelle and Joshua's arc. The 3rd focusses on Kevin, who you'll see in SC. Beside a different story the 3rd also acts as a bridge to the Crossbell (Zero, Ao) and Erebonian (Cold Steel I&II) arcs.

There's a fantranslation of Zero coming out next year. A few series veterans got together after the last project got abandoned and they wanted fans to get the best experience so they've been busy translating it and editing it. The last milestone was them hitting 40% completion.

Zerker has expressed his wish to continue working on Ao after Zero is done.

As of now there's a patch of Zero from 2 years back and a spreadsheet translation for Ao.

Now the release order is TitS FC > SC > 3rd > Zero > CS > CSII > Sen III.

However the Crossbell games and the Erebonia games have. Events that take place in Crossbell happen at the same time in Erebonia.

That means no matter what sequence you'll follow you'll know about certain things in advance. I found Ao spoiling more stuff about Cold Steel I&II than the other way.

So I would recommend going through Cold Steel I&II first. Cold Steel is a good place for newcomers to join. Sen III or CSIII is only recommended if you played through all previous games.

Now there's a shift in focus and writing. Tits appealed more to their older fans. Falcom started making games for a younger audience. So modern anime tropes got used like Persona did with 3. There's plently more to enjoy than that as the whole franchise is excellent on worldbuilding and giving characters room to develop. Battles got a bit simpeler, but also more atttactive. Cold Steel has a lot of things going on.

It will not appeal to every one of the older fans of course, but it had enough to pull me further in.

 

[decoyplatypus]

If someone would like to give a quick overview of Skies of Arcadia's character customization system, and comment in the linearity of the story, I would very much appreciate it.

It's been such a long time, I can't even remember SoA's character customization system. I think there were, like, berries or something, and when you found enough you could buy a new ability? But there was definitely magic too. Maybe characters learned spells at specific levels?

I realize this is unhelpful. I'm mostly amusing myself with how little I remember of a game I played multiple times in the early 2000s.

 

[MoonFrog]

Thanks for the responses people. As to Skies, never played it, so can't be of help there.

 

[Thud]

Thanks for the responses people. As to Skies, never played it, so can't be of help there.

I have to add: while I'm not part of the intended audience of Cold Steel I&II, I can appreciate how it was handled. For that type of anime game the writing was done really well.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Skies of Arcadia's main source of customisation is in the magic, where based on what elements you assign to each character's weapon you get different amount of magic exp at the end of battle toward the different elements. So you can customize which spells which characters learn. You also need to spend moonberries to teach characters their special attacks but they are the attacks they can learn are set by character.

The story is completely linear but there is a ton of optional side content.

 

[Opa-Pa]

These things gauge the perceived quality of games people have played but popularity obviously plays big part too... So I honestly don't see anything surprising about DQ ranking so low. Not enough DQ fans participated, I guess.

 

[MoonFrog]

GAF doesn't like DQ much period. I think it likes it more than DQ thread participation suggests but that isn't saying much .

But still, it is sad to be see one of the few entries that does soar a bit higher do poorly.

 

[Fou-Lu]

I love Dragon Quest, there are just too many RPGs I love.

 

[MoonFrog]

I love Dragon Quest, there are just too many RPGs I love.

Also this. Had so many games I wanted to give something to but couldn't fit. Just went on a couple pages ago about TMS#FE and how great it is for example. Don't think that's on my list.

 

[Xbro]

I actually ran out of games to give an honorable mention to. If I had finished DQ8 I probably would have dropped one for it. As it stands I haven't completed any DQ games.

 

[Opa-Pa]

Oh man, for my underrated game I simply used something already in my top 5 that I considered less popular, but it just hit me I could have put Digimon World there

DW1 is one of my favorite games of all time and is also pretty obscure/misunderstood.

Recently I've played a lot of new RPGs that I've enjoyed immensely too, but I'd rather wait a few months before claiming they're among the best. Currently I'm playing Monster Hunter Stories and it's genuinely bizarre how well designed and deep all the systems are... Story is whatever as it's clearly aimed at kids, but everything else is so well done, it even resembles SMT in places, which I didn't expect at all.

 

[kswiston]

I threw a point towards Dragon Quest V, so it's not my fault


With the exception of XBX (which was propped up by all of the underrated votes), every game in the Top 50 had at least 20 people voting for it. DQ5 had 18 votes (10 full point, 7 HMs, and 1 highlight).

 

[Luminaire]

Oh man, for my underrated game I simply used something already in my top 5 that I considered less popular, but it just hit me I could have put Digimon World there

DW1 is one of my favorite games of all time and is also pretty obscure/misunderstood.

I used my underrated for one of my top 2 ever. I don’t think many games on my list were ever top 50...

I also think I will be the lone vote for Koudelka (((((

 

[decoyplatypus]

I guess in future threads I can strategically throw my DQ vote to 8 or 5 as the most popular among series entries I consider basically equal. This is already what I do with FE and Path of Radiance.

 

[kswiston]

I used my underrated for one of my top 2 ever. I don't think many games on my list were ever top 50...

I also think I will be the lone vote for Koudelka (((((

If you combine your Full point and HM votes, 9 of your 20 will be in the final list.

That's probably typical to be honest. We had over 500 titles nominated.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Was my post on Skies of Arcadia at all useful? It was from my phone so a bit rushed. I am home now so can elaborate further if needed.

 

[kswiston]

Was my post on Skies of Arcadia at all useful? It was from my phone so a bit rushed. I am home now so can elaborate further if needed.

Yes, it helped, thanks!

Spoiler: Skies of Arcadia was #50.


I am hoping to have the first batch of banners up tonight, but it will depend on whether or not I can write all of the supporting material (explaining the banners) by then. If not tonight, then tomorrow.

I think that 4 of you replied to my question about starting from #50 vs starting from #1. It was 3 to 1 in favour of the reverse start, so that's what I will do. Sorry Morrigan Stark! You'll just have to wait a bit for a Souls game to show up.

 

[Weebos]

I meant to put together a ballot for this but never got around to it.

How close were the runner ups? A few of them would have been on my list, and Etrian Odyssey IV would have been my underrated pick.

 

[Surfside]

Yes, it helped, thanks!

I think that 4 of you replied to my question about starting from #50 vs starting from #1. It was 3 to 1 in favour of the reverse start, so that's what I will do. Sorry Morrigan Stark! You'll just have to wait a bit for a Souls game to show up.

I think counting up is better than down. Keeps the people interested, who only care for the placing.

I meant down

 

[kswiston]

I meant to put together a ballot for this but never got around to it.

How close were the runner ups? A few of them would have been on my list, and Etrian Odyssey IV would have been my underrated pick.

#50 was 35 points. #60 was 30 points.

Pokemon R/B/G/Y actually had 35 points as well, but Skies of Arcadia had two highlight votes, while Pokemon had none.

 

[Iva Demilcol]

If it means something to you guys and gals: DQ VIII is in my top 10 and it's one of the best ps2 games ever made.

V, VII and Builders are very high on my priority list but I don't have enough time to play these days.

 

[Aters]

If two games have the same credit, the one with more highlight votes has fewer total votes. Why should the ranking favor the one with fewer votes? I thought the purpose of highlight vote is to differentiate two games with the same number of votes.

 

[Axass]

I'm glad my vote mattered to bring Skies of Arcadia inside the top 50. A timeless gem.

BTW, thanks for the Cosmic Star Heroine key Robert!

 

[Dragon1893]

Didn't get a key, was sure I would qualify. Shame.

 

[FiveSide]

DQ as a series didn't do all that well as a whole, but even setting that aside, it's a series that's massively prone to split votes due to the general consistency.

For instance I voted for DQ3 and would've been fine voting DQ4 or DQ5 instead. They're all literally neck-and-neck for me.

Didn't get a key, was sure I would qualify. Shame.

I have a spare, PM if you want.

 

[Luminaire]

If two games have the same credit, the one with more highlight votes has fewer total votes. Why should the ranking favor the one with fewer votes? I thought the purpose of highlight vote is to differentiate two games with the same number of votes.

I would think putting a game as a highlight means there are people who are more passionate about it to highlight it over their other games. We don’t know (without looking into it) where the games ranked for the people who didn’t highlight it, but we do know a highlight makes it the #1 game for the two who highlighted it.

At least that’s my understanding of it.

 

[MoonFrog]

DQIV, V, and VII got full points from me, and VIII an HM. III is probably the most popular one I didn't support.

DQIV through VI and Chrono Trigger are very central to how I understand SNES JRPG (even though IV is late NES ).

Very curious about playing FFIV, SMT1&2, and Phantasy Star IV before the next vote. Also hope I finally get back on the SNES FE train.

 

[Fou-Lu]

If I could have had ten more games then they probably would have been all Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Falcom titles.

I really like seeing people declare that they want to play games other people voted for though, very cool. I would like to play Dragon Quest VIII, Etrian Odyssey, Fire Emblem, more SMT games, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions before the next thread comes around.

 

[Dad]

Huge thanks to kswiston and everyone that donated prizes. These are some of my favorite threads on GAF, even if my own lackluster vote this year doesn't really reflect that. I'm pretty fickle when it comes to long games and tend to drop them easy, but I'm going to make it a goal to finish all of the top ten that I haven't beaten before the next vote. Unless something insane like Panzer Dragoon Saga gets voted in and I'd have to sell a kidney to own a copy

 

[tiebreaker]

Ys VIII would have been on my list if I had finished the game earlier, such a great game.

Anyway, hope to finish the shadow hearts series and some DQ games before the next vote.
I've only finished DQ VII and was quite far in DQ VIII. I bought DQ IV to VI for DS, but then I started to lose interest in portable gaming and such that I haven't started them yet. I also find DQ IX to be kinda bad which didn't help to get me motivated to try the DS games.

DQ XI looks ace though.

 

[djtiesto]

Don't even try to engage Van Bur3n about Japanese things, he wears his disdain on his sleeve at all times.

Basically. The guy is my foil, right down to also having a username of a dutch former-trance DJ

 

[Antiwhippy]

By the way, might be answered already, but for people whose under rated vote didn't qualify are they discarded entirely or just downgraded to 2 point votes?

 

[kswiston]

By the way, might be answered already, but for people whose under rated vote didn't qualify are they discarded entirely or just downgraded to 2 point votes?

Downgraded to 2 points. I assume that they would have still made the list of the person using that tag wrong.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Alright, cool.

 

[Thud]

DQIV, V, and VII got full points from me, and VIII an HM. III is probably the most popular one I didn't support.

DQIV through VI and Chrono Trigger are very central to how I understand SNES JRPG (even though IV is late NES ).

Very curious about playing FFIV, SMT1&2, and Phantasy Star IV before the next vote. Also hope I finally get back on the SNES FE train.

I have all but thracia, but still haven't played them lol.

 

[Wazzy]

While I would have liked DQ V to be in top 50, I'm not that upset it isn't as long as VIII makes it in. I don't consider DQ V top 10 material which is why It's not in my list over VIII but V is a great game and it's still ranked within the essentials. I'm a major DQ fan and I'm completely fine with the ranking.

I also don't understand criticizing the list if you didn't contribute your own. There's going to be controversial ratings but I think having the same list over and over get's a little dull and the purpose of this thread is to encourage people to try out new RPG's. The people that have put effort into explaining why should people play a particular title have done a lot more to encourage new games to be played than people jumping in to shit on positions.

 

[MoonFrog]

I have all but thracia, but still haven't played them lol.

I've played Genealogy all the way through.

I made an awful escape mistake in the Seti prison level of Thracia, killing my entire party. Not that far, but that game lol. Haven't been back since before the last thread like this now . I redid some of the earliest levels around that time.

I'm a good chunk through the first book of MoE, but that's been slow-going over a couple years now.

I haven't been as dedicated to FE as I once was with how much I used to replay games and what not. But MoE and 776 are games I want to play some day.

 

[kswiston]

Didn't get a key, was sure I would qualify. Shame.

It looks like you edited your list in several days after posting.

Because the CSH giveaway was theoretically first come first serve, I was checking new posts in blocks to see if they qualified for free games. As I mentioned in my frequent update posts, I wasn't going back and checking old posts for updates. That would have taken too long to do (the giveaway already took several hours to organize cumulatively, from inception to the point that I handed everything off to Stump). Instead, people had the option of PMing me if they edited their post to qualify after the fact.

That said, Robert sent a couple of extra keys. If you haven't been hooked up with someone's spare key, PM me. The same goes for anyone else who should have qualified, but wasn't on the reserve list for similar reasons.

I would think putting a game as a highlight means there are people who are more passionate about it to highlight it over their other games. We don't know (without looking into it) where the games ranked for the people who didn't highlight it, but we do know a highlight makes it the #1 game for the two who highlighted it.

At least that's my understanding of it.

Pretty much. People only got two special votes, which ideally went to games that they really wanted others to try. Since the voting is mostly unranked, I am going to favor the special votes over regular/HM votes, which are often list fillers for the less diehard genre fans particating.

 

[Thores]

I really like seeing people declare that they want to play games other people voted for though, very cool. I would like to play Dragon Quest VIII, Etrian Odyssey, Fire Emblem, more SMT games, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions before the next thread comes around.

This is the one of the reasons I love this thread as well!

My Play By Next Time List:
Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2
Suikoden I and II
The Banner Saga
Planscape Torment
Trails series
Alpha Protocol
The Spirit Engine 2
Witcher series
Sunless Sea
Shadowrun Dragonfall

Mainly I really want to broaden my experience with Western titles so I can feel more versed in the genre on a general level. Honestly you guys have already given me a LOT of hours of video games to play, not to mention the new RPGs I'll probably be grabbing before the next Essentials voting phase, so I'd honestly be surprised if I finished even half of these by that time. But I'd like to play as many of them as possible, and actually already own most of them, so maybe I should like not waste my money and play them.

Also thank you Robert for the Cosmic Star Heroine key! This is another game that I want to play before next time, and I'm putting it at a higher priority on my list. Really looking forward to checking it out!

 

[decoyplatypus]

I think the next three on my LttP playlist are Gothic 2, Trails in the Sky (first attempt faltered a few years ago), and Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer.

 

[Luminaire]

I like seeing peoples lists and finding what we share in common, seeing where they diverge/differ and checking out their reasons for adding in a game I may have not played or otherwise would have ignored. Kinda nice to go "well they like these 5 games that are in my own top 10...maybe I'll give that one a shot."

 

[StereoVsn]

The real crime here is DQ5 at 60, below games like Xenoblade X.

Frankly, Xenoblade X shouldn't even be in the top 50, its simply not good enough. DQ5, DQ6 and DQ8 though should definitely be in there. Probably DQ3 as well simply because of the history but it's not quite as good judging from more modern standards unlike say Phantasy Star 1.

 

[boybrushdRED]

Received my Cosmic Star Heroine key. Thanks kswiston for your effort in this thread, and Robert for the Cosmic Star Heroine giveaway.

BTW, has there ever been a GAF community voting thread like this for FPS or other genres?

 

[Fou-Lu]

I think other genres have been tried but had a hard time getting enough votes.

 

[Thores]

Received my Cosmic Star Heroine key. Thanks kswiston for your effort in this thread, and Robert for the Cosmic Star Heroine giveaway.

BTW, has there ever been a GAF community voting thread like this for FPS or other genres?

There was an Essential Fighting Games thread a year or two ago but practically nobody participated and thus the results weren't really exciting. I'm pretty sure there've been other genres tackled in the past that went pretty much the same way. Which is definitely disappointing, I'd like to see more threads like these with a full range of participants.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

This is the one of the reasons I love this thread as well!

My Play By Next Time List:
Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2
Suikoden I and II
The Banner Saga
Planscape Torment
Trails series
Alpha Protocol
The Spirit Engine 2
Witcher series
Sunless Sea
Shadowrun Dragonfall

Mainly I really want to broaden my experience with Western titles so I can feel more versed in the genre on a general level. Honestly you guys have already given me a LOT of hours of video games to play, not to mention the new RPGs I'll probably be grabbing before the next Essentials voting phase, so I'd honestly be surprised if I finished even half of these by that time. But I'd like to play as many of them as possible, and actually already own most of them, so maybe I should like not waste my money and play them.

Also thank you Robert for the Cosmic Star Heroine key! This is another game that I want to play before next time, and I'm putting it at a higher priority on my list. Really looking forward to checking it out!

Good luck!

Fair warning on alot of those, some are VERY crpg. They will require a dedicated emotional and time investment to get the proper mindset to enjoy them to their full extent. Lots of reading. For Trails, Sunless, Witcher, Planescape, and Divinity series you'll have to give yourself over to them, as it were.

 

[gngf123]

There was an Essential Fighting Games thread a year or two ago but practically nobody participated and thus the results weren't really exciting. I'm pretty sure there've been other genres tackled in the past that went pretty much the same way. Which is definitely disappointing, I'd like to see more threads like these with a full range of participants.

I remember the essential shmup thread getting a fair number of votes, but nothing like this.

Actually, I'm quite surprised I haven't seen a recent FPS one. The last one that I can find was 2013: http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=527037

 

[kswiston]

It's hard to get people to participate in threads that require more than listing out a handful of titles and pressing submit reply.

I have also sort of built these up over several years. If you look at the first three versions, they weren't all that popular (400-550ish posts, even including the discussion of the results).

Actual discussion didn't really start to happen until the 2013 thread. It's probably not a coincidence that the level of effort on my part (and the part of some collaborators) went way up for that iteration.

I think that the level of effort in the nominations has also gone up over the years.