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[DrROBschiz]

What is it with this game and money? D: I can hardly afford a single new weapon & armor when getting to a new field study area. And I'm not even spending my money on items, accessories or ingredients, just some of the collectables. And it's not like I'm evading combat all that much either... Not that I'm finding it difficult to advance in the game without the newest armor & weapons, but it's kind of weird how little money you get in this game that one can't necessarily even afford essentials to a couple of characters, let alone some extra healing items, not to even mention if someone wanted to have multiple ailment protection accessories just to have protection of super harmful & annoying status ailments like petrify & killblow on more than one or two characters that you can have for free from treasure chests & quest rewards.

Also, how useful is upgrading your weapons? Should I save these U-thingies until later on in the game or should I just throw everything at the weapons I have at any given time?

Sepith is the best source of extra income. And I typically sell all my Zeram powders and Capsules

 

[A.E Suggs]

One thing that irks me in this game, and equally in the Persona games, is that the games are focused on interpersonal relationships, but the MCs are written to be a little too neutral/blank slate. I get that they want the player to feel free to envision the character's relationships how they want, but take something like Witcher 3 where you can pursue Triss or Yen, and the game is written to make it seem like Geralt is actually interested in whichever depending on your choices.

It's the one thing I really preferred in TitS, Estelle has consistent and believable motivations.

Rean started off this way I thought, but got a little too Protean as the game progressed.

But I'm just not in to blank slate characters, and I realize lots of folks are, so whatever. They're clearly trying to walk a line with Rean, very curious how he develops in the sequel.

I'm not either but its either way with me so long as the overall experience is good. I also hate silent protags with a passionm even in dragon quest and I love that series.

 

[Bladenic]

Man I'm right before the final boss at the final dungeon, but I really feel like grinding my current master Quartz to level 5. Although it's so slow. Even when I get 1000+ experience from a battle the Quartz only gains about 150 tops. And I still need about 5k experience for most. Ugh.

 

[Basileus777]

Also, how useful is upgrading your weapons? Should I save these U-thingies until later on in the game or should I just throw everything at the weapons I have at any given time?

You won't have enough u-materials to upgrade everything all the time. I just selectively pick weapons on my best physical attackers to upgrade. And spend some of the materials at the pawn shop.

Man I'm right before the final boss at the final dungeon, but I really feel like grinding my current master Quartz to level 5. Although it's so slow. Even when I get 1000+ experience from a battle the Quartz only gains about 150 tops. And I still need about 5k experience for most. Ugh.

It's really easy to grind with a domination quartz and the master quartz that regenerates CP outside of battle. You can just open every battle with a wide ranging S-Craft that wipes most enemies and gives you a bunch of bonus XP.

 

[Bladenic]

You won't have enough u-materials to upgrade everything all the time. I just selectively pick weapons on my best physical attackers to upgrade. And spend some of the materials at the pawn shop.


It's really easy to grind with a domination quartz and the master quartz that regenerates CP outside of battle. You can just open every battle with a wide ranging S-Craft that wipes most enemies and gives you a bunch of bonus XP.

That's what I'm doing currently. Still not ideal when you get a cheaply enemy selection like only one dragon.

 

[ColossalLazy]

Finished the game yesterday. Need Cold Steel 2 right now. So many questions lol.

Loved the cast and the world building. The NPCs were awesome too, very cool seeing how their stories develop, some in surprising ways. Normal difficulty is a cakewalk with some exceptions.

Ending spoilers

Spoiler

Kinda expected the mech to appear and Crow to be C because I was spoiled by some promo material that I stumbled. Nevertheless, it didnt diminish the impact of the moment for me, it was very awesome.

Very surprised at the Vita Clotilde and Sharon reveals at end. Expected Sharon to be an jaeger.

Also I find very surprising that everyone in the Imperial family to like Olivier, I wonder what the deal with his mother was.

Ending and Trails SC spoilers

Spoiler

Found very interesting that the 7th floor boss was called Loa Erebonius, I suspect that whatever the Great Power is called something Erebonius and is what gave Erebonia its name, similar to how the Liber Ark gave Liberl its name.

Love that again an Anguis is just nearby you all the time and you dont notice it

 

[Nyoro SF]

Note though, I haven't had to go out of my way to grind at ALL in this game. I'm short on money all the time, which I've noted a few times, but I've never felt like I had to upgrade my weapons except for maybe one character per chapter (usually Laura out of a morbid curiousity to see how hard she can split an enemy's skull open, or Emma to see how quickly she can reduce someone to nothing but sepith dust). I think this is mostly because of the way the game helps you out, when characters that were away from your party come back they're decked out in the latest gear, so there's lots of opportunities to save money.

Plus with the Sceptre Master Quartz and Septium Vein and Dragon's Vein the sepith amount I get is high enough to the point where I have unlocked almost everyone's slots already, and I've just started chapter 4. I'm fairly certain I have every quartz possible to get so far too from a combination of chests and cheap quartz costs.

 

[YankeeDonB]

I'm not either but its either way with me so long as the overall experience is good. I also hate silent protags with a passionm even in dragon quest and I love that series.

I normally loathe them too, it's like having a big negative space in the middle of the game. But Suikoden 2 and 5 are the big exceptions for me. They're both grounded so well in family relationships they don't bother me (although I probably would've liked them even better if they'd spoken).

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Snip at poster's request

Spoiler

wait I thought Sharon was a Ouroboros enforcer or whatever it was.

 

[ColossalLazy]

Spoiler

wait I thought Sharon was a Ouroboros enforcer or whatever it was.

Spoiler

She is. I said that I expected her to be a jaeger.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Spoiler

She is. I said that I expected her to be a jaeger.

Whoops misread

 

[YankeeDonB]

Spoiler

She is. I said that I expected her to be a jaeger.

Huh, I was definitely guessing she was

Spoiler

ouroboros -- just had that creepy stealthy secret assassin vibe. Seems like jaegers are usually really forthright and soldierly. But I totally whiffed on C -- I was sure he'd be an older, more established character.

 

[Varion]

That's what I'm doing currently. Still not ideal when you get a cheaply enemy selection like only one dragon.

End-game EXP grinding stuff:

Spoiler

Honestly, I found the Ghost Souls on floor 6 to be more efficient for EXP grinding than any of the enemies in the final dungeon. Triple advantage the one at the end of area 1 (just by the entrance to area 2), kill them with S-Crafts, run into area 2 to make it respawn, repeat. You'll always get 6-8 of them, and they'll run from you making triple advantages easy to get.

JP Wiki recommends using Rean (with Force L5 for the CP regen per kill) and Millium (with Megalith L5 for the passive CP regen on the field) for this so you can get more bonuses (Vanquisher x2, Vanquisher + Double Kill/Triple Kill), although others will probably work if they have the damage/range.

 

[Nyoro SF]

EDIT: I just realized, in Chapter 4, despite

Spoiler

Crow and Patrick witnessing Rean's transformation, they don't disseminate the information to anyone else. Is that uh... intentional? Does Crow already know that Rean could do that? Is Patrick just going to forget that it happened?

From the subject earlier... found that "after-school grounds theme".

https://youtu.be/qVP_nCK0tXU

That is such a stylish tune. It feels like it blends an RPG town and a campus theme together. Honestly one of the best I've heard in years for towns.

 

[Bladenic]

End-game EXP grinding stuff:

Spoiler

Honestly, I found the Ghost Souls on floor 6 to be more efficient for EXP grinding than any of the enemies in the final dungeon. Triple advantage the one at the end of area 1 (just by the entrance to area 2), kill them with S-Crafts, run into area 2 to make it respawn, repeat. You'll always get 6-8 of them, and they'll run from you making triple advantages easy to get.

JP Wiki recommends using Rean (with Force L5 for the CP regen per kill) and Millium (with Megalith L5 for the passive CP regen on the field) for this so you can get more bonuses (Vanquisher x2, Vanquisher + Double Kill/Triple Kill), although others will probably work if they have the damage/range.

Thanks! Although I already finished up, only took about 45 minutes. Although I'm gonna finish the game with 3 master Quartz at level 4 cuz I didn't feel like grinding anymore nor did those Quartz seem THAT useful (Iron is trash, Pandora, and Mistral).

Also fun act I think (final dungeon spoilers)

Spoiler

when using Lord Alberion in the final dungeon, Celine sits beside Emma at the end of animation.

Pretty cool.

 

[Augemitbutter]

What is it with this game and money? D: I can hardly afford a single new weapon & armor when getting to a new field study area. And I'm not even spending my money on items, accessories or ingredients, just some of the collectables. And it's not like I'm evading combat all that much either... Not that I'm finding it difficult to advance in the game without the newest armor & weapons, but it's kind of weird how little money you get in this game that one can't necessarily even afford essentials to a couple of characters, let alone some extra healing items, not to even mention if someone wanted to have multiple ailment protection accessories just to have protection of super harmful & annoying status ailments like petrify & killblow on more than one or two characters that you can have for free from treasure chests & quest rewards.

Also, how useful is upgrading your weapons? Should I save these U-thingies until later on in the game or should I just throw everything at the weapons I have at any given time?

that was my first impression too. i get enough money by clearing all quest. i can't buy everything right away, but over time i can get everything i want. i don't sell anything important, just old gear and mass. i think it's pretty well balanced. i'm currently on chapter 4.

 

[Gu4n]

Also fun act I think (final dungeon spoilers)

Spoiler

when using Lord Alberion in the final dungeon, Celine sits beside Emma at the end of animation.

Pretty cool.

Same happens only in the middle section of Chapter 5. I love these details.

 

[A.E Suggs]

I normally loathe them too, it's like having a big negative space in the middle of the game. But Suikoden 2 and 5 are the big exceptions for me. They're both grounded so well in family relationships they don't bother me (although I probably would've liked them even better if they'd spoken).

Forgot about suikoden, like one of the only exceptions for me. Makes me remember how glad I am the 3rd game wasn't like that lol.

 

[Bladenic]

Some of the trophy names are so good. Bad Crowmance LMAO

 

[Nyoro SF]

Uh... I know this is a very stupid question, but after reading the folklore section in the campus library... (Chapter 4)

Spoiler

Is Rean a god damn honest to goodness vampire? But I forget if vampires in the Trails universe can go out in sunlight and I dare not google vampires in Trails now lest I get hit with potential massive spoilers. Just clicked in my head when I was thinking about Red Moon Rose, Emma being a witch (proving the existence of folklore in current day), and his transformation with the red eyes and white hair (Dalles lol) and super strength characteristic of classic vampires. I wonder then, is anyone else in his class of the supernatural variety?

I don't think I even want an answer to that question because this might be the biggest WTF surprise of the year. I need to reread that folklore book in the library when I get home.

 

[Dio]

etc

Spoiler

I think it's interesting that every single demonic or 'devil trigger' or anything character in every Falcom game has 'red text' when they begin to speak or talk. I love seeing it every time. They do that in Ys, too.

 

[omgfloofy]

Spoiler

is anyone else in his class of the supernatural variety?

Related to your spoiler, but not an answer, since you said you didn't want one... I can, however, clarify on the statement you made above:

Spoiler

There are other characters with supernatural abilities that aren't like Rean's that have been involved in the games from 3rd to Ao.

Spoiler

I think it's interesting that every single demonic or 'devil trigger' or anything character in every Falcom game has 'red text' when they begin to speak or talk. I love seeing it every time. They do that in Ys, too.

Spoiler

I think that's very much on purpose here, for reasons I won't delve further into.

 

[Nyoro SF]

Spoiler

I think it's interesting that every single demonic or 'devil trigger' or anything character in every Falcom game has 'red text' when they begin to speak or talk. I love seeing it every time. They do that in Ys, too.

Yes.

Spoiler

In Ys Origin it was a little hard to read on the transparent background. But great just the same for adding that menacing, stylish touch.

BTW floofy I highlighted the first three words of your spoiler and that was good enough for me. Falcom, you crazy punks!

 

[Bladenic]

I KNEW IT

That's all I can say

 

[SolVanderlyn]

My theory was actually stated by someone a few pages back, that

Spoiler

the awakeners have silver hair and Crow, also being an awakener, is consistently in his awakened state

.

Spoiler

I'm assuming Rean and Crow have lineage that ties back to the very founding of Erebonia, and that their mechs are directly related to the giant statues in the Highlands and on the island. It also seems a guarantee that the mechs are ancient Zemurian technology and will likely fill in a good portion of its history once we learn more about them, along with the mysterious Loa Erebonius that, as someone else stated, likely gave the nation its name.

Those are just my ruminations. I can't believe we went from the super low key Sky FC to what we have on the plate by the end of Cold Steel. SC ramped it up to 11 with the

Spoiler

Liber Ark and the Sept-Terrion stuff

and Cold Steel is

Spoiler

already trumping that in its first half

.

 

[omgfloofy]

I can't believe we went from the super low key Sky FC to what we have on the plate by the end of Cold Steel. SC ramped it up to 11 with the

Spoiler

Liber Ark and the Sept-Terrion stuff

and Cold Steel is

Spoiler

already trumping that in its first half

.

This is one of the reasons why I'm sad about skipping 3rd, Zero, and Ao. They manage to keep that intensity up through their games, I think.

The reason why many of the long-time fans ended up being disappointed with Sen/Cold Steel, I believe, is it had the misfortune of being the game that followed up Ao no Kiseki, which was like.... way beyond SC's '11' by the endgame events.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

This is one of the reasons why I'm sad about skipping 3rd, Zero, and Ao. They manage to keep that intensity up through their games, I think.

The reason why many of the long-time fans ended up being disappointed with Sen/Cold Steel, I believe, is it had the misfortune of being the game that followed up Ao no Kiseki, which was like.... way beyond SC's '11' by the endgame events.

If The Azure Arbitrator is any indication to what's going down in Ao, I can fully believe this. That track is One-winged Angel level of "really important, world shattering stuff is happening"

And hey, if we do get the Crossbell games, we'll have a steady incline of intensity throughout each western release.

 

[Bladenic]

Maybe this wasn't a great post, sorry.

 

[Basileus777]

There really should have been a separate spoiler thread as people continue to be terrible with labeling spoilers. One can't even safely read a discussion about chapter 4 spoilers because someone decides to join in and post end-game spoilers without warning.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

End game spoilers btw

I knew

Spoiler

something was up with her, but being an enforcer was a little bit more extreme than expected, haha.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

SNIP

End game spoilers btw

=))))

 

[bryt]

Just started playing and I had to put my Vita down for a bit after

Spoiler

that stupid scene where Rean accidently falls onto a girl and she slaps him

. Should I continue with this game if I don't enjoy these kinds of anime tropes?

 

[Dio]

Just started playing and I had to put my Vita down for a bit after

Spoiler

that stupid scene where Rean accidently falls onto a girl and she slaps him

. Should I continue with this game if I don't enjoy these kinds of anime tropes?

I finished the game and that's the most overt one in the entire game except for one other thing similar to it later on. It's not common, for the most part everyone ends up acting like reasonable people. Most of the time, the game gets busy with political intrigue and bigger stuff than that. Hell, Alisa, the one you're talking about, ends up being a reasonable person too.

 

[bryt]

I finished the game and that's the most overt one in the entire game except for one other thing similar to it later on. It's not common, for the most part everyone ends up acting like reasonable people. Most of the time, the game gets busy with political intrigue and bigger stuff than that. Hell, Alisa, the one you're talking about, ends up being a reasonable person too.

Alright, that's good to hear!

 

[Nyoro SF]

Continuing off of my Chapter 4 speculation above; don't need answers, just thinking out loud.

Spoiler

If my theory about Rean is correct and including that small shred of floofy's info... then who knows about this? Obviously all of the board of directors know, as do the second-years; note the Crow moment where he has a largely unflappable reaction at Rean going full old-school Dracula on a headless knight. I'm sure it's an everyday occurrence when your first year buddy ramps up full vampire saiyan to save his sister.

Rean's father obviously knows. The seclusion is not a coincidence. The scar, I can't think of a reason why he has it unless he was attacked by another vampire of course. He may have been adopted by his father to protect him from being killed as a newly found vampire. Rean's guilt at being a burden to his family is now more clear and why he wrote that letter out of the open. Obviously his sister does not know.

Does that mean that Sara is perhaps a vampire hunter / anti-supernatural fighter and that's why she keeps her background secret? Would make sense that she has the data to pull together all the super dudes and dudettes into Class VII with the help of the Principal. Sharon, then, may be a competing vampire hunter. There's more to learn about these characters as I still don't know how Sara and Sharon move around the way they do; transforming beasts maybe?

Alisa has the Angel quartz, is that just a coincidence? Doubtful but we'll see.

The school is trying to assemble a team of supernatural or supernaturally related beings for the purpose of... um... no idea. Miss witch Emma appears to be operating independently on her own objective with Celine so I have no idea wtf she is doing with the old schoolhouse.

Hope you enjoy my ruminations and I'll be continuing Chapter 4 tonight.

 

[Dio]

Alright, that's good to hear!

Note: I'm not really saying the game's free from anime tropes. Hell, most Falcom games have had them over the last 30 years.

It's just that Cold Steel kind of has a bit of a bad first impression to anyone sensitive to that kind of thing by dropping that scene on you near the beginning. It was one of only two things in the game that I can think of that were 'that kind of thing' and on that level.

 

[Bladenic]

Finished. Amazing game. One of the best JRPGs in years (with SC). And the wait for CS2 will certainly be painful.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Finished. Amazing game. One of the best JRPGs in years (with SC). And the wait for CS2 will certainly be painful.

I played FC, SC and CS pretty much back to back. Waiting is going to be so, so hard.

Have this in the meantime

 

[Dio]

I played FC, SC and CS pretty much back to back. Waiting is going to be so, so hard.

You should have been with us when Trails in the Sky FC hit PSP in 2011 and we had to wait four years for SC. It was much harder than the several-month CS2 wait, I'll guarantee it.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

You should have been with us when Trails in the Sky FC hit PSP in 2011 and we had to wait four years for SC.

I avoided FC for years specifically for this reason.

 

[Bladenic]

You should have been with us when Trails in the Sky FC hit PSP in 2011 and we had to wait four years for SC. It was much harder than the several-month CS2 wait, I'll guarantee it.

I played it around Christmas 2011. Until 2015 I had mostly given up hope on the series, at least past SC. So thankful for Falcom insisting on Xseed doing the CS series.

 

[Abdiel]

My theory was actually stated by someone a few pages back, that

Spoiler

the awakeners have silver hair and Crow, also being an awakener, is consistently in his awakened state

.

Spoiler

I'm assuming Rean and Crow have lineage that ties back to the very founding of Erebonia, and that their mechs are directly related to the giant statues in the Highlands and on the island. It also seems a guarantee that the mechs are ancient Zemurian technology and will likely fill in a good portion of its history once we learn more about them, along with the mysterious Loa Erebonius that, as someone else stated, likely gave the nation its name.

Those are just my ruminations. I can't believe we went from the super low key Sky FC to what we have on the plate by the end of Cold Steel. SC ramped it up to 11 with the

Spoiler

Liber Ark and the Sept-Terrion stuff

and Cold Steel is

Spoiler

already trumping that in its first half

.

Yeah, that was my speculation,

Spoiler

that Crow is just perma-awakened, which is why he and Rean share those physical traits for the hair/eyes, solely when Rean is in his awakener/rage state.

Man. I really, really want CSII. I keep complaining, but now that I platinumed Cold Steel, I'm suffering from Persona 4 status issues, I want more of the world, characters, etc. And because the story isn't complete, I don't even have that to lean on like I did with P4G. Argh. But I already put 100 hours in, Friggin "Trails in the Couch", hah. I have other games to play. But I want the sequel to THIS GAME. SIGH.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Continuing off of my Chapter 4 speculation above; don't need answers, just thinking out loud.

Spoiler

If my theory about Rean is correct and including that small shred of floofy's info... then who knows about this? Obviously all of the board of directors know, as do the second-years; note the Crow moment where he has a largely unflappable reaction at Rean going full old-school Dracula on a headless knight. I'm sure it's an everyday occurrence when your first year buddy ramps up full vampire saiyan to save his sister.

Rean's father obviously knows. The seclusion is not a coincidence. The scar, I can't think of a reason why he has it unless he was attacked by another vampire of course. He may have been adopted by his father to protect him from being killed as a newly found vampire. Rean's guilt at being a burden to his family is now more clear and why he wrote that letter out of the open. Obviously his sister does not know.

Does that mean that Sara is perhaps a vampire hunter / anti-supernatural fighter and that's why she keeps her background secret? Would make sense that she has the data to pull together all the super dudes and dudettes into Class VII with the help of the Principal. Sharon, then, may be a competing vampire hunter. There's more to learn about these characters as I still don't know how Sara and Sharon move around the way they do; transforming beasts maybe?

Alisa has the Angel quartz, is that just a coincidence? Doubtful but we'll see.

The school is trying to assemble a team of supernatural or supernaturally related beings for the purpose of... um... no idea. Miss witch Emma appears to be operating independently on her own objective with Celine so I have no idea wtf she is doing with the old schoolhouse.

Hope you enjoy my ruminations and I'll be continuing Chapter 4 tonight.

This entire post is beautiful. Just full-on VLR shit here and its so beautiful.

 

[bomblord1]

So I equipped Rein with an orbment that doubles the power of your first attack.

I use gale on the first turn and I'm literally just steamrolling everything in 1 turn now.

 

[Novel Mike]

Yeah, that was my speculation,

Spoiler

that Crow is just perma-awakened, which is why he and Rean share those physical traits for the hair/eyes, solely when Rean is in his awakener/rage state.

Man. I really, really want CSII. I keep complaining, but now that I platinumed Cold Steel, I'm suffering from Persona 4 status issues, I want more of the world, characters, etc. And because the story isn't complete, I don't even have that to lean on like I did with P4G. Argh. But I already put 100 hours in, Friggin "Trails in the Couch", hah. I have other games to play. But I want the sequel to THIS GAME. SIGH.

I found a playthrough of youtube and skimmed many of the first 5-10 hours seeing at least what happens in the beginning. It helped a lot.

 

[OniBarubary]

Sara is the best teacher.

...she will be mine. O_____O

 

[Hcoregamer00]

Agreed. If anything I consider Alisa "canon" since she is plaster in front with Rean in promotional art. Nonetheless I feel like there is a chance falcom will let the player pick whomever. I rather have a story/plot related romance. But thats just me.

Harems

Alisa is the female lead for all intents and purposes, whether she will be in a romance with the lead character is something we don't know. But for all the promo material for this game and the second one, she is the one standing with the main character, and I imagine that she gets a more central role in Cold Steel 2 and 3.

She gets the most screentime with Rean and she gets the most character development with him, and she is billed as the main female character.

 

[R_thanatos]

Just finished Chapter 4..

I didn't dislike chapter 3 but chapter 4 destroyed the previous chapter in term of simple fun/challenges/location/dialogs/reveals

I'm so hype for the rest of this game.

That chapter had :

Spoiler

Rean and his sister

Spoiler

The red door in the old schoolhouse and DAT BATTLE

Spoiler

Fie and laura battle + friendship get

Spoiler

Machias reason for disliking noble

Spoiler

The C battle

Spoiler

Chancellor osbourne appearance

Spoiler

Olivert

Flawless victory..
I can't get more hyped .i'm 44 hours in and it has been such a great experience... This game

" We could call them the Fabulous fifteens !" <- Best Quote

 

[Bladenic]

Chapter 4 is the sort of turning point of the game I think. Enjoy the rest! Think I'll go ahead and start my nightmare run and get the Platinun.

 

[Busaiku]

Hurray, a 3.0.