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[Xenoflare]

The more I play CS, the more I feel like they intentionally went with the character archetypes right off the bat to lure in the modern crowd - you know, the ones who will buy a game because they saw a character archetype in it (like a tsundere or whatever) and then did a bait and switch and actually gave them the personalities of normal people once you spend more time with them, there are way less MISUNDERSTANDINGS than you'd think since generally things get resolved pretty quickly except for a few conflicts, et cetera.

I feel like Falcom is acutely aware that they needed to appeal to the crowd that buys games these days in Japan, but at the same time wanted to show them a damn good RPG as well as a well-written story to back it up, as well as surprise them with multi-faceted in-depth characters instead of what they probably expected, which was 'generic tsundere' and 'apathetic loli' and 'class president.'

I'm in Chapter 4 and essentially this feels a hell of a lot like the Trails I know and love. There are a couple rough spots but so far I have been convinced that this takes place in the same world as FC/SC. Hell, there were less-developed character archetypes in FC/SC too that got way less character background than the people in Cold Steel.

That's nice to hear.

 

[Dio]

That's nice to hear.

Interestingly enough, playing this game gave me the population numbers of the previous games: the population of the capital, Grancel, in Trails in the Sky's Liberl is 300,000 people, Crossbell from Zero and Azure is 500,000 and Heimdallr in Cold Steel's Erebonia is 800,000 people.

There was another thread on this forum which tried to judge Grancel/etc as being really tiny for a nation of its size based on the ingame models/maps, but I guess with Cold Steel those "appearances" are retconned with the move into full 3D - Heimdallr LOOKS like a real city with a huge layout.

 

[Nightengale]

Interestingly enough, playing this game gave me the population numbers of the previous games: the population of the capital, Grancel, in Trails in the Sky's Liberl is 300,000 people, Crossbell from Zero and Azure is 500,000 and Heimdallr in Cold Steel's Erebonia is 800,000 people.

There was another thread on this forum which tried to judge Grancel/etc as being really tiny for a nation of its size based on the ingame models/maps, but I guess with Cold Steel those "appearances" are retconned with the move into full 3D - Heimdallr LOOKS like a real city with a huge layout.

Sky/Zero/Ao are very abstracted versions of what the scale needs to really be in proper 3D anyway.

I mean, in Sky, you literally go through the ENTIRE Liberl Kingdom, and you can make that round in like 30 minutes.

 

[Xenoflare]

Sky/Zero/Ao are very abstracted versions of what the scale needs to really be in proper 3D anyway.

I mean, in Sky, you literally go through the ENTIRE Liberl Kingdom, and you can make that round in like 30 minutes.

The cities are connected in a way that the kingdom is almost like a doughnut in Sky.

Ahh I need to find my old PC and try to salvage the sky trilogy and Ys6/F/O on there. I literally only played Falcom games between 2006-2009. That reminded me, it's kinda sad that Ys Origins never got a portable release. That game was the natural evolution from 6 and F

 

[Dio]

Also, it's funny how in this game I feel exactly the same was as I did playing FC/SC in one particular aspect - I keep feeling like I'm being manipulated by my elders who knew things were going to play out a certain way. This was a big theme in the earlier titles too.

 

[Gu4n]

Well said, Dio. They lure in (new) people with a Persona-esque appeal at face value before it reveals itself as a Japanese Games of Thrones.

 

[aravuus]

Well said, Dio. They lure in (new) people with a Persona-esque appeal at face value before it reveals itself as a Japanese Games of Thrones.

Shame it's never gonna be as dark as GoT is.

A JRPG story that ends with a lot of the main cast dead, incapacitated, in coma, whatever they can come up with by the end of the story could be pretty refreshing.

Also just realized that if the game didn't arrive on Wednesday, I gotta wait till next week.

Spoiler

I was planning on hanging out with the gf the whole weekend but we broke up

so I really really wish the game's arrived already. Guess I'll find out tonight/early tomorrow morning.

 

[Nightengale]

Also, it's funny how in this game I feel exactly the same was as I did playing FC/SC in one particular aspect - I keep feeling like I'm being manipulated by my elders who knew things were going to play out a certain way. This was a big theme in the earlier titles too.

Trails series in general does a really good job in portraying adult figures.

Sure. the main cast gets involved in things that are always stretching the limits of what they should be doing, (which is why there's drama), but the adults are always portrayed with measured competence and at the forefront of different challenges at all times.

 

[Xenoflare]

Well said, Dio. They lure in (new) people with a Persona-esque appeal at face value before it reveals itself as a Japanese Games of Thrones.

I don't remember Persona characters this insufferable at face value. Oh wait all of those P4 spin offs

 

[Nightengale]

Shame it's never gonna be as dark as GoT is.

A JRPG story that ends with a lot of the main cast dead, incapacitated, in coma, whatever they can come up with by the end of the story could be pretty refreshing.

Part of what you're asking for is a very difficult thing for Trails to do, because that would mean expecting Falcom to invest 50+ hours into a story thread that doesn't tie back to the overall Ouroboros/Sept-Terion lore, but ends where they are just for the sake of having a grimdark standalone story to highlight that bad shit happens in Trails as well.

A prequel with North Ambria could be a nice take though.

 

[aravuus]

Part of what you're asking for is a very difficult thing for Trails to do, because that would mean expecting Falcom to invest 50+ hours into a story thread that doesn't tie back to the overall Ouroboros/Sept-Terion lore, but ends where they are just for the sake of having a grimdark standalone story to highlight that bad shit happens in Trails as well.

A prequel with North Ambria could be a nice take though.

Oh I'm not particularly asking or wishing Trails to do anything like that, just playing around with the idea of a GoT-level dark JRPG

 

[Nightengale]

Oh I'm not particularly asking or wishing Trails to do anything like that, just playing around with the idea of a GoT-level dark JRPG

Praise be our saviour, Yoko Taro.

 

[Dio]

Oh I'm not particularly asking or wishing Trails to do anything like that, just playing around with the idea of a GoT-level dark JRPG

There's always (massive spoilers, Trails in the Sky The 3rd related)

Spoiler

Renne. Although I think possibly Falcom retconned that by removing that "door" scene from subsequent releases.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

Oh I'm not particularly asking or wishing Trails to do anything like that, just playing around with the idea of a GoT-level dark JRPG

It's not exactly GoT, but there's always Dark Half for Super Famicom, where you play as the resurrected evil lord, going around and slaughtering every human you find.

 

[Xenoflare]

There's always (massive spoilers, Trails in the Sky The 3rd related)

Spoiler

Renne. Although I think possibly Falcom retconned that by removing that "door" scene from subsequent releases.

Yeah.... that

Spoiler

door is dark, I recall there were two interpretations for it and either way it's horrible. IIRC in the OG PSP release it already got retconned

 

[Gu4n]

There's always (massive spoilers, Trails in the Sky The 3rd related)

Spoiler

Renne. Although I think possibly Falcom retconned that by removing that "door" scene from subsequent releases.

はい、よろこんで。I wonder whether it'll be included in The 3rd Evo. Chara-Ani is totally with CERO C.

That being said, the main story hit me like a truck as well. I was trembling so hard I had to stop because I couldn't look up kanji anymore.

 

[Dio]

It's not exactly GoT, but there's always Dark Half for Super Famicom, where you play as the resurrected evil lord, going around and slaughtering every human you find.

Actually, if you want a good 'dark JRPG,' there's always the venerable Soul Nomad from NIS, which has an 'evil route' that many consider to be the 'real' route of the game.

 

[Nightengale]

Shouta said this in another thread, but I don't think we should be talking about SD#15 in this thread, even without context and with black bars. It's probably better off for the other Kiseki General thread.

>_>

はい、よろこんで。I wonder whether it'll be included in The 3rd Evo. Chara-Ani is totally with CERO C.

The voice acting that needs to be done for that... D:

 

[Dio]

Shouta said this in another thread, but I don't think we should be talking about SD#15 in this thread, even without context and with black bars. It's probably better off for the other Kiseki General thread.

>_>

Fair enough.

Right now I'm in Heimdallr and there's this tiny little whistle noise in the town theme track that is driving me crazy for some reason - I'm wearing earbuds and keep looking up from my Vita because it kind of sounds like something that's not actually in the game.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Does the game always give you a warning once you advance the story such as entering the old schoolhouse or returning to your dorm? Or does that only happen because there is something you miss?

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Praise be our saviour, Yoko Taro.

You can tell reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal quick those who ain't played the above, Megaten, and Matsuno games.

 

[Dio]

Does the game always give you a warning once you advance the story such as entering the old schoolhouse or returning to your dorm? Or does that only happen because there is something you miss?

It always warns you.

 

[omgfloofy]

There's always (massive spoilers, Trails in the Sky The 3rd related)

Spoiler

Renne. Although I think possibly Falcom retconned that by removing that "door" scene from subsequent releases.

Vague spoilers in response:

Spoiler

I don't think it was retconned because it gets referenced again in Zero no Kiseki. You get more info on it, even.

That's basically all I'll say since it'soff topic.

 

[Bladenic]

It's more about how the cast is introduced, not played

About mystic artes, I'm pretty sure that Falcom did "Persona eyes" before persona with those S-crafts in TiTs. P3 is a 2006 game while FC released in 2004

And Tales did them years before that but it's no big deal and hardly necessary that they copied it.

 

[Sitrus]

Vague spoilers in response:

Spoiler

I don't think it was retconned because it gets referenced again in Zero no Kiseki. You get more info on it, even.

That's basically all I'll say since it'soff topic.

It gets mentioned, but the details are a lot more vague. But let's move this topic to the Kiseki-spoiler board

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Holy shit, an in medias res opening. I'm hooked already!

 

[Nightengale]

Chapter 1 done~

I guess it never struck on me the first time, but damn does these kids have their conflict points bottled up for a long while.

 

[Busaiku]

Why the heck is Rean not voiced when everyone else is.
This is super distracting.

 

[Dio]

Why the heck is Rean not voiced when everyone else is.
This is super distracting.

He is. He also has the most voiced lines in the game. It's just that the game isn't fully voiced and seemingly picks points at random to turn voiced again. You'll hear his voice again soon.

 

[Bladenic]

Chapter 2 has been pretty aces so far. Also my current Emma build makes her a spell casting death machine, she's amazing. Fie's S-craft has also helped me a ton against large groups or some of the tough enemies. Be careful when you fly those flying enemies!!

Between Machias and Jusis in battle, I think currently I prefer Machias.

 

[Shouta]

So yeah, it's Bracers > SSS > Class VII in absolute terms, but that's mainly because I love the hell out of Estelle/Joshua/Olivier.

Personally, I'd go SSS > Class VII > Bracers as a whole, with SSS inching ahead a little bit because of the core group.

Class VII is pretty underrated in the grand scheme of things. The group dynamic as a whole works much better than the SSS and Bracers. It's partially because of the setting but also because they share a common experience that allows the player to view the characters in the more mundane aspects of life. This really gives them a more well-rounded look because you're not always viewing them through the lens of an event. There's a bit more nuance to them and their relationships with each other as a result.

It's why I was much more warm to the campus aspect of CS1 than a lot of folks. I find character building through non-events to be very interesting and underutilized. In that respect, I find CS1 to be probably the best of the Trails games in building its characters, ahead of its counterparts in FC and Zero.

That said, it is a really big cast overall. So it's a bit unwieldy unless you're willing to slow yourself down and look at them thoroughly.

Why the heck is Rean not voiced when everyone else is.
This is super distracting.

Been awhile but as I recall, the way they did it de-emphasized Rean in group situations but they made sure to give him voice for ones where he's the main point of the conversation. But I'm going on memory on this. It's been 2 years since I touched CS1. I'm not going through the English release yet either, lol.

Edit: It might be the reverse though. They don't have his voice for moments that have the player really getting into the moment like one on one time and etc Fuzzzzy memory.

 

[Aeana]

Eh. You can come up with many different explanations for the lack of voice, but it comes down to budget in the end. They would do full voice if they could.

 

[Gu4n]

Eh. You can come up with many different explanations for the lack of voice, but it comes down to budget in the end. They would do full voice if they could.

Yeah. Scenes that feel awkward with Rean the only one not speaking in CS1 also get addressed in CS2. Bottom-line is that it's a decision Falcom made and not something XSEED could do about.

 

[A.E Suggs]

I have played FC and SC this year. Neither is this bad, they are hugely better characters from the get go.

That they did, but I like what dio said above in that they do get better in chp 1. Also the settings itself kinda stops them from being like how characters were written in FC.

I pretty much only hate one particular character still. Shame too cause I like guns.

 

[Busaiku]

I would've been more ok with nobody being voiced outside of the more crucial times or something.
As is, it's just super distracting and really takes me out of it.

 

[Bladenic]

So I'm gonna guess the answer is yes, but are there

Spoiler

more playable characters in the game beyond Class 7? I'm guessing yes because Sara is obviously playable in the opening

 

[BassForever]

So I'm gonna guess the answer is yes, but are there

Spoiler

more playable characters in the game beyond Class 7? I'm guessing yes because Sara is obviously playable in the opening

Totally spoiled myself on this because I always like seeing how many are playable the total is

Spoiler

14 characters with 3 of them being guests like Anelace in second chapter

 

[Gu4n]

Totally spoiled myself on this because I always like seeing how many are playable the total is

Spoiler

14 characters with 3 of them being guests like Anelace in second chapter

And in addition to that, Cold Steel II throws in another

Spoiler

06

bringing the grand total to

Spoiler

20

, the largest in the series so far. (The 3rd held that record with

Spoiler

16

).

 

[Shouta]

Eh. You can come up with many different explanations for the lack of voice, but it comes down to budget in the end. They would do full voice if they could.

Yeah. Scenes that feel awkward with Rean the only one not speaking in CS1 also get addressed in CS2. Bottom-line is that it's a decision Falcom made and not something XSEED could do about.

Sure. I was just trying to point out the methodology though, lol

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Laura is a goddamn beast.

Rean buff + 200cp Break + Critical boost = 2/3 of a quest monsters HP.

 

[BassForever]

How do you access your PS3 save on vita? I uploaded it on the PS3 side but can't see it on vita. Do I have to do the tutorial again?

 

[Gu4n]

How do you access your PS3 save on vita? I uploaded it on the PS3 side but can't see it on vita. Do I have to do the tutorial again?

You access it from the Camp Menu (System > Cross-save > Download). Just boot up a new game, hold O and load it.

 

[BassForever]

You access it from the Camp Menu (System > Cross-save > Download). Just boot up a new game, hold O and load it.

So you do have to start the game, okay

Edit: "this save can not be downloaded as it contains dlc that has not been installed"

Godzillarage.gif

I can't even find the dumb free dlc on the vita shop

Edit 2: oh I need to install the update okay that fixes it

 

[omgfloofy]

Laura is a goddamn beast.

Rean buff + 200cp Break + Critical boost = 2/3 of a quest monsters HP.

Laura was critical in breaking the game for me in Cold Steel II for this reason, minus one particular quartz you'll get later.

It's been so long since I've played the first game that I don't remember if THAT TERRIBLY BROKEN QUARTZ is in CS. I think it is, though. I seem to recall relying on it in Nightmare.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Quick question- is there any point in stacking Quartz? Like for example Rean's master Quartz already allows him to use fire bolt, would there be any benefit to adding another fire bolt Quartz?

 

[Gu4n]

Quick question- is there any point in stacking Quartz? Like for example Rean's master Quartz already allows him to use fire bolt, would there be any benefit to adding another fire bolt Quartz?

Nope, not that I'm aware of. Attack 1, Attack 2 and Attack 3, for example, do stack.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I'm in love with the character encyclopedia. Everyone gets their own portrait. On that same note, the 3D graphics look fine, but I definitely miss ye olde 2D character portraits.

 

[elitewillie1]

Having lots of fun with the game. Thanks for recommending. Started the 1st chapter a little while ago.

 

[max_505]

I'm in love with the character encyclopedia. Everyone gets their own portrait. On that same note, the 3D graphics look fine, but I definitely miss ye olde 2D character portraits.

Yeah, I love how diverse the 2D character portraits were in expressing different emotions on FC/SC. Estelle's smug face and Olivier's "jaw drop" face are my favorite ones of the bunch.

On another note: Is it possible to finish the game on Nightmare mode on your first playthrough?

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

WOW, I thought they would give me time to finish the side quests, or at least give me a warning that it's a point of no return like in the earlier main mission, but I guess the training wheels are off...