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[Nyoro SF]

I've only learned of this after I was already too far in <.<
But then again, putting it on easy and going full turbo would make a New Game+ only a couple hours, so I'll probably do that then, lol.

That said, I've just read up on how New Game+ works here and that point system sounds like utter idiocy, along with the bonding points. What the hell was Falcom thinking.
The last thing an 80+ hours game needs is 'locking' content behind New Game+ and not have everything automatically carry over.

Does Cold Steel 2 have a similar system? If yes I'll certainly start that one with unlimited bonding points and whatever other fancy stuff there is.

The unlimited bonding points is actually an extremely easy Cheat Engine code. You can apply it at any time during your playthrough. I found it on the CE forums. Cold Steel 2 does have a similar system and you bet your butt I will be using a code there too.

For my playthrough of this game I am trying to do an aggressively low level run of bosses on Normal and it's quite tense. Fighting the chapter 2 bosses that can do AoE highly damaging debuff screams that reach across the whole field is not an easy thing, especially when you only have two s-crafts unlocked. Was wiped once and had to restart.

However since saving in CS PC is instantaneous like Sky, restarts from a save are no problem.

 

[Ascheroth]

Hot take: Cold Steel girls and women are actually well written characters with agency around a protag with some personality and not just damsels in distress fawning over a self-insert MC, of course they don't make good waifu material

Spoiler

I may or may not be joking.

The unlimited bonding points is actually an extremely easy Cheat Engine code. You can apply it at any time during your playthrough. I found it on the CE forums. Cold Steel 2 does have a similar system and you bet your butt I will be using a code there too.

For my playthrough of this game I am trying to do an aggressively low level run of bosses on Normal and it's quite tense. Fighting the chapter 2 bosses that can do AoE highly damaging debuff screams that reach across the whole field is not an easy thing, especially when you only have two s-crafts unlocked. Was wiped once and had to restart.

However since saving in CS PC is instantaneous like Sky, restarts from a save are no problem.

Ah well, I thought I heard something about using a clear save where you applied some cheat to get unlimited points, but I guess those were the early early days.

I'm playing on Hard and outside of 2 fucking bullshit bosses that still me annoy me just thinking about them in Chapter 5 I've been having a great time.

 

[Taruranto]

There is no canon pairing. If there was, this discussion wouldn't exist.

Crow/Rean is canon.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

The unlimited bonding points is actually an extremely easy Cheat Engine code. You can apply it at any time during your playthrough. I found it on the CE forums. Cold Steel 2 does have a similar system and you bet your butt I will be using a code there too.

For my playthrough of this game I am trying to do an aggressively low level run of bosses on Normal and it's quite tense. Fighting the chapter 2 bosses that can do AoE highly damaging debuff screams that reach across the whole field is not an easy thing, especially when you only have two s-crafts unlocked. Was wiped once and had to restart.

However since saving in CS PC is instantaneous like Sky, restarts from a save are no problem.

Best version reconfirmed; fixin' what needed fixin'.

 

[jb1234]

It's weird that I'm finding 3rd's boss battles easier than SC's so far (I'm in Chapter 6). I haven't had to rely on retry dumbing down the fights yet!

(I think it's because I finally figured out how to use buffs.)

 

[Erheller]

Cold Steel characters don't rely on Rean the same way Persona characters rely on the MC.

Spoiler

The chess teams still have their competition regardless of whether Rean is there or not, and everybody who participates grows from that experience (as you can see from Machias and the club members' dialogue afterwards).

In Persona, it's quite possible for characters to literally never change because you didn't give them a chance to fellate over the main character.

There's also the issue of inconsistency, which has been brought up a lot of times on gaf. For example, in P4 Yosuke is a dick to everyone throughout the main story, but totally fine in his social links. It's a structural problem the game has when writing characters: the writers can't tell how far the player has progressed certain relationships during the story, so they have to create dialogue that is divorced from the social links. Where's in cold Steel it's much more consistent since all of the characters have their bonding events at specific times in their story (whether or not Rean is there).

 

[Thud]

Crow/Rean is canon.

Everyone knows Olivert got dips on all the sexy characters.

 

[Jiraiza]

The unlimited bonding points is actually an extremely easy Cheat Engine code. You can apply it at any time during your playthrough. I found it on the CE forums. Cold Steel 2 does have a similar system and you bet your butt I will be using a code there too.

For my playthrough of this game I am trying to do an aggressively low level run of bosses on Normal and it's quite tense. Fighting the chapter 2 bosses that can do AoE highly damaging debuff screams that reach across the whole field is not an easy thing, especially when you only have two s-crafts unlocked. Was wiped once and had to restart.

However since saving in CS PC is instantaneous like Sky, restarts from a save are no problem.

I don't know, Cold Steel already has the issue with Rean being somewhere close to the center of the universe (not Persona levels of bad, of course), and shoving in unlimited bonding points means the guy is literally everywhere and has enough free time to hang out with almost all of his classmates and also people not part of the class. The bonding points really is a broken mechanic, since it doesn't make sense either way. Unlimited means the MC is even more of a busybody than when the points are limited. What a conundrum.

 

[Loz246789]

Everyone knows Olivert got dips on all the sexy characters.

Not to mention, we all KNOW Angelica had the entire female cast join her harem. There's official art and everything. Is there even anyone left to romance?

 

[Thud]

Not to mention, we all KNOW Angelica had the entire female cast join her harem. There's official art and everything. Is there even anyone left to romance?

Chancellor Osborne.

Spoiler

Would be wrong on so many levels, but he needs that headpat.

 

[Nyoro SF]

I don't know, Cold Steel already has the issue with Rean being somewhere close to the center of the universe (not Persona levels of bad, of course), and shoving in unlimited bonding points means the guy is literally everywhere and has enough free time to hang out with almost all of his classmates and also people not part of the class. The bonding points really is a broken mechanic, since it doesn't make sense either way. Unlimited means the MC is even more of a busybody than when the points are limited. What a conundrum.

The unlimited bonding points doesn't improve Rean or his situation. In fact, the events tend to cement him even more as a dull character. But it does help greatly with getting to know Class VII and the people related to them, and I think Class VII is more entertaining and interesting now.

I don't really interpret the unlimited bonding points as "busybody" though, I interpret is a "return to the status quo" of past Kiseki games. Over time Falcom has gotten more restrictive, for lack of a better word, with their Ys and Trails games. They keep adding unnecessary limiters to try to prevent players from just playing the game and enjoying it on their own terms. And I think that's a mistake.

 

[vkrili]

Rean is a smart, clever, multilingual boy.

https://clips.twitch.tv/SillyObliqueTubersDBstyle

 

[DXLelouch153]

im playing Ao using that english patch and the spreadsheet when i cant understand what someones saying
so far so good, at the tail end of ch2

 

[Rhapsody]

im playing Ao using that english patch and the spreadsheet when i cant understand what someones saying
so far so good, at the tail end of ch2

After you beat the game (and I recommend only after), definitely check out the Kiseki wiki just to reference some of the terminology. There were some parts in the spreadsheet translation that's a pretty direct translation, so I didn't really understand parts.

(Major Ao spoilers, not where you're at yet, so don't click)

Spoiler

I had no idea when the translation went on about Master of Mirage and Master of Zero. Since I didn't get far in my Sky Evo playthrough, I didn't realize &#38646;&#12398;&#33267;&#23453; last two kanji was referring to Sept-Terrion. That portion of the game was a pretty big info dump too which didn't help. lol

 

[ThatChairMan]

im playing Ao using that english patch and the spreadsheet when i cant understand what someones saying
so far so good, at the tail end of ch2

Yeah, I kept my expectations pretty low for the Ao patch, and it's been pretty passable so far for me as well. Will definitely end up replaying it once a completed patch is out, but this is enough to sate myself for now. Just started Chapter 4, and everything just keeps escalating so much.

 

[DXLelouch153]

Oh and i reccomend the voice patch for Ao, it makes the scenes with voices much better

 

[Sinh_Magnus]

Crow/Rean is canon.

This.

 

[hans_castorp]

(Major Ao spoilers, not where you're at yet, so don't click)

Spoiler

I had no idea when the translation went on about Master of Mirage and Master of Zero. Since I didn't get far in my Sky Evo playthrough, I didn't realize &#38646;&#12398;&#33267;&#23453; last two kanji was referring to Sept-Terrion. That portion of the game was a pretty big info dump too which didn't help. lol

Yeah that part is really rough, the updated spreadsheet makes some corrections to that part.
The first translation changes completely the meaning of what they explain lol.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I finally went and got Zero no Kiseki. Evo version. Been studying up on my Japanese like crazy, it's way better than it was (living here helps) but I was still not at the level where I can read it well enough to enjoy such a text heavy game like Kiseki.

Then, as if the sky parted and revealed a hidden treasure in all its glory in a time when I needed it most, the spreadsheet translation appeared.

I'm playing it and understanding it very well. I can even talk to NPCs and get the general gist of things most of the time.

I feel like I've unlocked the keys to the kingdom. Crossbell is everything I thought it would be. The vibe of this game is exactly how I imagined it from a distance. I'm just about to finish the prologue, and I already love the SSS, Crossbell, music and presentation. The game seems to have a "modern" feel to it as opposed to Liberl's rustic setting or Erebonia's stuffy imperial society. Finally, finally I can play this game.

Favorite areas so far: Lakefront and backstreets. The backstreets remind me of Koorong from SaGa Frontier, and I always loved the vibe there (which is likely inspired by Kowloon, even if Zero's backstreets aren't - I still love the neon signs and shady glitz and glamour).

 

[Drpunch]

The unlimited bonding points is actually an extremely easy Cheat Engine code. You can apply it at any time during your playthrough. I found it on the CE forums. Cold Steel 2 does have a similar system and you bet your butt I will be using a code there too.

For my playthrough of this game I am trying to do an aggressively low level run of bosses on Normal and it's quite tense. Fighting the chapter 2 bosses that can do AoE highly damaging debuff screams that reach across the whole field is not an easy thing, especially when you only have two s-crafts unlocked. Was wiped once and had to restart.

However since saving in CS PC is instantaneous like Sky, restarts from a save are no problem.

Mind linking where you found how to apply the cheat during a current play through? Can't find anything but the new game one.

 

[DXLelouch153]

Ao No Kiseki, after playing Cold Steel and waiting for

Spoiler

the imperial liberation front

to show up, feels nice to see the other side of

Spoiler

the terrorist attack

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

Mind linking where you found how to apply the cheat during a current play through? Can't find anything but the new game one.

look up any tutorial on changing a value via cheat engine and I'm sure itd be the same.

its basically

1) Search for value
2) Change value
3) redo search to show only ones that changed to new value
4) repeat until only one option remains

So basically search for bonding point value (if you have 7 bonding points available search for 7), then view a bonding scene and search for 6. If there is only one option remaining then you are good, otherwise view another bonding even and search for 5. Once one remains you can either freeze the value, or alter it.

 

[Aters]

Honestly, this just comes off to me as "Persona has better waifu."

True, but what's the difference? Can you name a good waifu materiel that is actually a dull character? In fact, in Trails of Ao,

Spoiler

Elie, the canon waifu like Alisa, is so boring that Falcom had to swap her out in CS2.

Clearly the waifu meter is directly related to the character development itself. Also, due to Persona and CS's structure, interesting characters HAVE to be waifu materiel because only the protagonist can have any meaningful interaction with them and it always ends up in romance relationship, except Duvalie, which is why she's the best. This is what sets CS and Trails in the Sky apart: In TitS, female characters can be interesting without being waifu.

 

[Thud]

But if Rean would join the society that means Duvalie is dateable right?

Setting my priorities straight.

 

[Erheller]

Can you name a good waifu materiel that is actually a dull character?

I'm tempted to make a Fire Emblem Fates shitpost

 

[DXLelouch153]

But if Rean would join the society that means Duvalie is dateable right?

Setting my priorities straight.

Isnt Duvalie

Spoiler

Arianhrod sexual

tho?

 

[PK Gaming]

Waifu material is such a nebulous and pointless term I honestly have no idea what you're coming at Aters.

If we're talking character quality, it's pretty debatable. Like Chie and Makoto are indeed great characters (and I guess "waifu" material), but so are Emma and Sara. Maybe CS has lower highs than Persona, but it's lows are MUCH better than Persona's as well. It really comes down to preferences.

 

[ResourcefulStar]

Also, due to Persona and CS's structure, interesting characters HAVE to be waifu materiel because only the protagonist can have any meaningful interaction with them and it always ends up in romance relationship, except Duvalie, which is why she's the best. This is what sets CS and Trails in the Sky apart: In TitS, female characters can be interesting without being waifu.

This isn't really true, though. I recently completed my first playthrough of ToCS. I haven't seen any of Fie's bonding events, and she still developed substantially over the course of the game thanks to the influence of Emma and Laura and to her own involvement in the gardening club. It's not just Fie, either. Every member of Class VII develops friendships or rivalries with other students that don't involve Rean.

 

[Aters]

This isn't really true, though. I recently completed my first playthrough of ToCS. I haven't seen any of Fie's bonding events, and she still developed substantially over the course of the game thanks to the influence of Emma and Laura and to her own involvement in the gardening club. It's not just Fie, either. Every member of Class VII develops friendships or rivalries with other students that don't involve Rean.

Go play CS2.

Waifu material is such a nebulous and pointless term I honestly have no idea what you're coming at Aters.

If we're talking character quality, it's pretty debatable. Like Chie and Makoto are indeed great characters (and I guess "waifu" material), but so are Emma and Sara. Maybe CS has lower highs than Persona, but it's lows are MUCH better than Persona's as well. It really comes down to preferences.

? I'm not the one mentioned waifu first though. I too think it's not a very helpful term, hence I argue we don't have a distinct line between good waifu and good character. As for Sara and Emma, I'd say they have good potential that will hopefully be realized in CS3, but currently they are just familiar archetypes to me, especially Sara, strict and caring young instructor/mentor who likes to drink, dates back to at least EVA.

 

[ThatChairMan]

Ao No Kiseki, after playing Cold Steel and waiting for

Spoiler

the imperial liberation front

to show up, feels nice to see the other side of

Spoiler

the terrorist attack

Seeing the other side of a lot of stuff that was mentioned in Cold Steel was really nice in Ao. It was a bit disappointing that

Spoiler

Gideon was only a nameless, faceless mook during the attack though, instead of the character from CS

.

 

[Thud]

Go play CS2.

Then again they do develop without Rean, because of the time lapse between CS2 and CS3.

 

[Neoweee]

Got to the Final Chapter of Trails in the Sky. I was using Cheat Engine before, but the new implementation of Turbo Mode is quite a bit of an improvement, even if there's something fucked about the party slinky-ing across the entire screen during map movement.

They should just make the battle mode default to something like 1.5x, and present the default speed as a super slow-motion option. Easy Allies did a video for the game recently and I imagine the battle footage turned off a fair number of potential fans.

The plot has really picked up in interesting ways. The Final Chapter is the longest chapter by far, right?

 

[ResourcefulStar]

Go play CS2.

I will do just that the second the PC version is released. However, I do not really understand how this recommendation is meant to refute my point. ToCS II is ToCS II. ToCS is ToCS. I do not yet know if your assertion that Rean is the only one allowed to engage in meaningful interactions with other characters holds true for the sequel, but it most certainly does not for the first game. Characters can and do grow independently from Rean in ToCS, even if Rean is right next to them. Chapter 4 spoiler:

Spoiler

Laura and Fie overcome the barrier between them on their own. They acknowledge that they have a problem, they tell Rean that they can handle it by themselves, and they proceed to do just that.

 

[Squire]

Go play CS2.



? I'm not the one mentioned waifu first though. I too think it's not a very helpful term, hence I argue we don't have a distinct line between good waifu and good character. As for Sara and Emma, I'd say they have good potential that will hopefully be realized in CS3, but currently they are just familiar archetypes to me, especially Sara, strict and caring young instructor/mentor who likes to drink, dates back to at least EVA.

This is a pretty silly point to float since:

1) You know EVAs not that old as far as talking about the establishment of archetypes, right? You mention it here like it's enlightenment era literature and not just a pretty good anime from the 90s.

2) Being a familiar archetype applies to everyone in the series. Estelle is Goku in a skirt. See how easy it is to be completely reductive?

If you're trying to say nothing has been done with Sara in particular to try and distinguish her from the other "female Bracers that like to drink", than I think you're making that comparison in bad faith. You just mentioned playing CS2, so you and I both know her history isn't exactly a copy-paste of Schera's or Aina's and her current trajectory as a character doesn't seem to be headed in that direction anytime soon either.

 

[Thud]

I wonder who's the biggest player.

In my mind it's Cassius.

 

[Squire]

I wonder who's the biggest player.

In my mind it's Cassius.

Second iggest strikeout, maybe :b

Biggest player must be

Spoiler

Angelica.

Do you guys know the best way to get my hands on the PC port of Zero?

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

3rd answers who the biggest player is

Its

Spoiler

Bleublanc

 

[hans_castorp]

I wonder who's the biggest player.

In my mind it's

Spoiler

Anton

.

FTFY

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

But if Rean would join the society that means Duvalie is dateable right?

Setting my priorities straight.

.

 

[DXLelouch153]

Finished Intermission of Ao No Kiseki, this is when shits about to get real isn't it?

 

[PK Gaming]

Kevin's skillset in SC:

Kevin's skillset in 3rd:

Crossbow rage actually has a purpose now! And the game describes him as kind of defensive guy, but he's just incredibly versatile.

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

I still dont really like using Kevin. Ries though

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

True, but what's the difference? Can you name a good waifu materiel that is actually a dull character? In fact, in Trails of Ao,

Spoiler

Elie, the canon waifu like Alisa, is so boring that Falcom had to swap her out in CS2.

Clearly the waifu meter is directly related to the character development itself. Also, due to Persona and CS's structure, interesting characters HAVE to be waifu materiel because only the protagonist can have any meaningful interaction with them and it always ends up in romance relationship, except Duvalie, which is why she's the best. This is what sets CS and Trails in the Sky apart: In TitS, female characters can be interesting without being waifu.

I don't make a distinction, really. Different people and have different preferences and one might like a character for many different reasons. Like, in choosing Chie over Yukiko, maybe they like Chie's design more. Maybe they think Yukiko is dull. Maybe Chie's development in her social link speaks to them. The so-called "waifu war" is reviled not because people have these preferences; it's because it's generally a back-and-forth of statements like "Chie is the best" with no reasoning that sometimes even grow heated.

Basically saying "Cold Steel has no Makoto or Chie" is such a vague statement that I was just pointing out the drollery of responding to "we don't have waifu war" with waifu war language.

 

[kagamin]

Do you guys know the best way to get my hands on the PC port of Zero?

Is getting it through the JP side of DLsite an option? I don't actually know but that might be the way to go if so.

 

[Ascheroth]

I finished Cold Steel 1 yesterday and I'm still in the process of processing everything (that ending sequence was hype af) and while doing that I just made some connections that have me legit shook

Spoiler

Toval -> nicknamed Toby -> Micht wrote a book about him -> Carnelia -> Toval is Toby from Carnelia -> Toval knows the First Dominion :O

 

[Gu4n]

Is getting it through the JP side of DLsite an option? I don't actually know but that might be the way to go if so.

Yep, that's the cheapest, quickest and easiest way.

I finished Cold Steel 1 yesterday and I'm still in the process of processing everything (that ending sequence was hype af) and while doing that I just made some connections that have me legit shook

Spoiler

Toval -> nicknamed Toby -> Micht wrote a book about him -> Carnelia -> Toval is Toby from Carnelia -> Toval knows the First Dominion :O

Would you say this is literally you?

(Read the whole thing here)

...Aaand back to reading Ring of Judgment. Again.

 

[hans_castorp]

I still dont really like using Kevin. Ries though

But Kevin is amazing After FastCraftsMan he is the most broken character. Give him some CP accessory and enjoy unlimiteds "I HOLD IN MY HANDS THE CHALICE OF HEAVEN"
Spear of Ur hits like a truck too.

Damn, now I want to replay The 3rd. I miss having him in the party.

 

[Ascheroth]

Would you say this is literally you?

(Read the whole thing here)

...Aaand back to reading Ring of Judgment. Again.

Looks accurate.

If you want a one-sentence summary of my experience with Cold Steel, here's what I posted in the Steam thread:
God damn if Falcom aren't masters in build-up and set-up that slowly escalates and escalates until it culminates into an explosion of awesomeness that blasts your jaw to the ground while you scream internally (and externally) like a little child and then it's over and GIVE ME THAT SECOND GAME NOW.

Spoiler

In terms of bonding stuff I went with Laura, with Crow coming in as a close second

Still need to write some more extensive thoughts.

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

Spoiler

In terms of bonding stuff I went with Laura

I made that mistake too, will be fixing it when I play the PC version...

Sara's scenes in CS2 are the best

 

[Ascheroth]

I made that mistake too, will be fixing it when I play the PC version...

Sara's scenes in CS2 are the best

How does the save import work for CS2 if you do New Game+? Will only the last 'run' count?