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[Thud]

Forget to post this one

Personally, I've played all of the games available on PC entirely with the mouse.

No, I'm not joking.

I just played with keyboard.

Although I also tried the steam controller on previous games.

 

[R_thanatos]

That capua shooting mini-game.....

IS MUCH HARDER than i expected...

I feel like i'm doing something wrong ... Well i completed it on easy

Spoiler

My face when gilbert fell without a parachute

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Laughing pretty hard at the empty chest that tries to confess to Kevin.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Should I play all three?

 

[Famassu]

Should I play all three?

Yes, you should

 

[Jolkien]

Should I play all three?

Do you like exceptionally well built world ? A long game series, more akin to a fantasy novel series rather than a bombastic adventure ?

If yes, you owe it to yourself, it's better than pretty much any jrpg in my book.

 

[Ascheroth]

Should I play all three?

Yes. Fantastic series. And in case you meant if you can start with this and skip the others: no, you can't. (But you can still buy it!)

New recommendation added to OP:



The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd = Se7enSword & Ascheroth


Se7enSword
Following up on the events after the end of Trails in the sky SC, Estelle and Joshua's role as protagonists of the story ends and the spotlight now shifts to Kevin Graham, a member of the Gralsritter. The story this time delves into the lore and background of the Trails world and paves the way for future sequels.

Even now, people continue to unearth more information from this game about future sequels. Truly a timeless masterpiece.


Ascheroth
As the name might imply, this is the 3rd game in the Trails in the Sky trilogy. Half a year after the events of Trails in the Sky SC, Father Kevin Graham takes on a routine mission on behalf of the Septian Church. He and his partner are then plunged into a realm that follows an unnaturally strict set of rules and is as intent to open old wounds as it is to keep them behind closed doors...

Now, if you've already played the first two games, you're going to buy this anyway so I doubt much more needs to be said here.
If you, however, have not played them, let me first ask: What is wrong with you?
And secondly tell you why you should fix this mistake asap!

The Trails in the Sky series is known for its

• amazing worldbuilding
• great characters (even the random town NPCs!) and story
• Estelle Bright, one of the all-time best female JRPG protagonists
• Olivier
• Falcom soundtrack goodness
• lots of text
• length (we're talking 40-60 hours for the first game and 1.5 - 2 times that for the second game).
• NPC dialog that changes after every little main story progress, telling you about their lives, problems, relations and the world itself. Their little sidestories can even span multiple games!
• and Olivier

While these games don't throw you into an epic adventure right off the bat, their slow build- and set-up deliver huge pay-offs if you're willing to stick with it.
Combat is turn-based with slight positional elements and an intricate 'magic' system (Orbments and Quartz) that allow you to greatly customise the abilities of your party.
The games also run on a toaster and can be played entirely with mouse alone.
And did I mention Olivier already?

 

[kswiston]

Should I play all three?

Yes, you should

It seems like a gigantic missed opportunity to A) not have the first two games on sale, and B) not have a bundle for at least FC and SC.

Get on it XSEED!

 

[Jolkien]

It seems like a gigantic missed opportunity to A) not have the first two games on sale, and B) not have a bundle for at least FC and SC.

Get on it XSEED!

Think of it like giving them more money for the war chest to bring Ao and Zero

 

[Joqu]

Just wanted to let yall know I did my part. I still haven't even finished FC but I just can't let Estelle down.

 

[Ascheroth]

It seems like a gigantic missed opportunity to A) not have the first two games on sale, and B) not have a bundle for at least FC and SC.

Get on it XSEED!

- Make a Complete your Collection Bundle of FC+SC+3d
- Discount FC and SC for the occasion
- People will buy the entire bundle without having played one game or only the first because of the deal
- Profit?

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

It seems like a gigantic missed opportunity to A) not have the first two games on sale, and B) not have a bundle for at least FC and SC.

Get on it XSEED!

Really not sure why they don't have the first two games on sale. I think they said they were looking into doing a bundle eventually, but that it might take some time (presumably due to contractual stuff with Falcom).

 

[MKIL65]

Josette

Spoiler

's remote ability is so good! 30% more sepith gained AND 20% more chance for item drop rates. Only a 5% defence penalty. I'll take it!

 

[DPB]

I'm not sure whether I should restart on hard or not, I've only played a few hours. I know this is supposed to be harder, but I played FC and SC on normal and found them to be pretty easy. Not Grandia 2 easy where you can sleepwalk through the game, but I only ran into trouble in a few battles.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Josette

Spoiler

's remote ability is so good! 30% more sepith gained AND 20% more chance for item drop rates. Only a 5% defence penalty. I'll take it!

Hard to say this one's a spoiler since you can read up on all the Remote Abilities in the Notebook, but yeah, I'm using her now to get the big bucks and sepith. I haven't had to upgrade slots yet because the quarts is just that low-level, thankfully, so I might get to the point where I can kill those Shining Pom spawns in Chapter 2 (

Spoiler

northern Grancel Harbor

) to keep her leveled.

 

[Marche90]

I think it manages to improve performance anyway, or at least it did for Xanadu Next. Guess modern hardware just doesn't play nice with DX8 period.

Try dgVoodoo, though that hasn't given me stable 60 FPS from my limited experience.

Thanks

This one did the trick... sort of. The nvidia card recognizes the game and allows it to run in it, allowing me to run the game at the desired 1080p60fps, all while capping the framerate to 60 fps using rivatuner and forcing triple buffering through the nvidia Control Panel (whew!)

However!....

Some graphical errors were introduced (like the transitions screen and the field menus). Ah, well, at least everything works more or less fine.

EDIT: Oh, boy, issues with everything that uses framebuffer stuff. When you're buying stuff the screen goes black (menus do work, tho). Do you guys using the DX8 wrapper are having these issues, too?

 

[chaosblade]

That capua shooting mini-game.....

IS MUCH HARDER than i expected...

I feel like i'm doing something wrong ... Well i completed it on easy

Spoiler

My face when gilbert fell without a parachute

Playing with a controller? I think the default sensitivity is way too low. Might be fine with a mouse but there is just no way to target everything with a controller.


Made almost $2.50 on my trading cards. Feels good.

 

[Dragon1893]

I'm not sure whether I should restart on hard or not, I've only played a few hours. I know this is supposed to be harder, but I played FC and SC on normal and found them to be pretty easy. Not Grandia 2 easy where you can sleepwalk through the game, but I only ran into trouble in a few battles.

Are you playing on nightmare? I'm debating between normal and hard. I like a challenge but I actually restarted SC out of frustration with hard mode like I mentioned previously. Need to make up my mind before going back to the game tonight lol. The handful of battles I did yesterday felt fine but the intro isn't really a good way to judge.
Like I said, I like a challenge (SMT is my favorite franchise and one of the reasons is the difficulty) but SC seemed so badly balanced that it affected my enjoyment of the game until I started over (and normal felt too easy...)

 

[Famassu]

It seems like a gigantic missed opportunity to A) not have the first two games on sale, and B) not have a bundle for at least FC and SC.

Get on it XSEED!

I think the two first games WERE on sale a week or two ago on GOG.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

I think the two first games WERE on sale a week or two ago on GOG.

They've been on sale already after XSEED announced Trails 3rd's release date, so I think they discounted the games earlier than launch week to give anyone interested a chance to get at least Trails FC and catch up. It's not the best bet given it's busy Spring and these games take a while to beat, but still worth a shot given there's no specific or completion bundle on Steam yet.

 

[R_thanatos]

Playing with a controller? I think the default sensitivity is way too low. Might be fine with a mouse but there is just no way to target everything with a controller.


Made almost $2.50 on my trading cards. Feels good.

Yeah i play with a gamepad ... maybe i should switch to the mouse for this mini-game

 

[kswiston]

Think of it like giving them more money for the war chest to bring Ao and Zero

I have FC (PC and PSP) and SC already. I just want more people to get on board the series, and I think that a series sale to go alongside their new release would help. As would a bundle, where you get FC + SC for $35-40. Perhaps Falcom has more say in the pricing and sales frequency than I presume though.

 

[Eternia]

Yeah i play with a gamepad ... maybe i should switch to the mouse for this mini-game

I switched to using a mouse shortly after starting my first attempt on normal last night. It was a good move.

 

[Massicot]

I used gamepad for most of the game but did use the mouse for that minigame.

 

[DPB]

Are you playing on nightmare? I'm debating between normal and hard. I like a challenge but I actually restarted SC out of frustration with hard mode like I mentioned previously. Need to make up my mind before going back to the game tonight lol. The handful of battles I did yesterday felt fine but the intro isn't really a good way to judge.
Like I said, I like a challenge (SMT is my favorite franchise and one of the reasons is the difficulty) but SC seemed so badly balanced that it affected my enjoyment of the game until I started over (and normal felt too easy...)

Just normal. It still seems pretty easy so far, with the exception of some instant death attacks early on when I didn't have any revival items.

I'm contemplating hard but I wish I knew exactly what the difficult settings do. I don't like it when harder difficulty settings turn battles into a drawn-out slog by giving enemies tons of HP.

 

[MrCinos]

I'm at the beginning of the 1st chapter, decided to pick Hard difficulty as opposed to Normal runs in FC/SC and, wow, I can't imagine how painful it'd be playing the game without speedhacking it. I wish I knew about Cheat Engine when I was playing through FC/SC.

 

[Nyoro SF]

Warning that once you realize how great kb+mouse is, it's pretty tough to go back.

Fast battle menu selection, delicious. Context-sensitive top menu, scrumptious. Scroll wheel camera and menus, delectable. As you can see, all roads lead to food.... wait, what was I talking about again?

 

[EndcatOmega]

Just normal. It still seems pretty easy so far, with the exception of some instant death attacks early on when I didn't have any revival items.

I'm contemplating hard but I wish I knew exactly what the difficult settings do. I don't like it when harder difficulty settings turn battles into a drawn-out slog by giving enemies tons of HP.

For Hard on SC and FC at least battles rarely turned into a slog- usually they were over quickly. One way or another.

Like the problem with the Prologue SC battle was his speed was just so damn high.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

I've gotten up to the early parts of Chapter 2 now, and I can safely say that this is another excellent Trails games. While it's very different from the previous ones, I'm loving it just as much as I did those, and the change in format is really helping differentiate it (although I miss having all of those NPCs to talk to). It's great to be back in this world again.

 

[Jolkien]

Just made my way to the second monument, not sure if it's a bug or something but is it supposed to be blinking ? Never mind probably not just some background graphic effect is also blinking.. wonder if I can fix this issue on my hand.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

I'm also not sure why that monument's blinking but any of the others I've encountered. SO far that one in Jade Corridor's been the exception.

While it's very different from the previous ones, I'm loving it just as much as I did those, and the change in format is really helping differentiate it (although I miss having all of those NPCs to talk to).

On the other hand, it's nice to have a more concrete progression in 3rd because I can plan ahead of time which Doors to visit, all while fighting deeper into Phantasma using my time on party building instead of NPC world-building 90% of the time. I still would like a few more NPC-like talks aside from the Lusitania prologue and chatting with cast members in the Garden, but the change in style's worked out for me.

 

[Jolkien]

Yup I concur I teleported back to the ''home base'' and the monument there doesn't blink, only Jade Corridor indeed.

 

[Marche90]

Just made my way to the second monument, not sure if it's a bug or something but is it supposed to be blinking ? Never mind probably not just some background graphic effect is also blinking.. wonder if I can fix this issue on my hand.

I thought this was another side-effect of using a Wrapper to be able to use my nvidia card. Glad that wasn't the case!

Still, yep, another one who's suffering from that issue lol

 

[Ascheroth]

I have to say 1.4 times the speed feels perfect. Just a little bit faster but such a huge difference. Combat feel's so snappy while not being comically over-fast either.
Can be even left on outside of combat and it still feels 'right'.

And putting the hotkeys on the 2 side-buttons of my mouse let's me toggle it with still only the mouse, just in case.

 

[Thud]

Finished chapter 1. Interesting boss fight. If I knew it had more phases I would be more conservative with EP, but yeah it wasn't much trouble.

Looks like they missed something in the editing (Moon Door 1):

 

[Jolkien]

Dear god I'm strapped for cash. So without the usual bracer quest how are we supposed to make Mira ? Sell Sepith ? I never had to (beside Sepith Mass in Cold Steel of course)

 

[hans_castorp]

I have to say 1.4 times the speed feels perfect. Just a little bit faster but such a huge difference. Combat feel's so snappy while not being comically over-fast either.
Can be even left on outside of combat and it still feels 'right'.

And putting the hotkeys on the 2 side-buttons of my mouse let's me toggle it with still only the mouse, just in case.

Where is the option?
I don't see it in the launcher:/

 

[Jolkien]

Where is the option?
I don't see it in the launcher:/

It's a hack. You need Cheat Engine for it.

 

[Marche90]

Where is the option?
I don't see it in the launcher:/

It's a Cheat Engine option, not something on the launcher

 

[Aaronrules380]

Dear god I'm strapped for cash. So without the usual bracer quest how are we supposed to make Mira ? Sell Sepith ? I never had to (beside Sepith Mass in Cold Steel of course)

you can get mira from completing the doors. Also, I've found I end up getting more than enough of certain sepith types so I've sold a bit (mostly of the mirage/time/space sepith)

 

[Jolkien]

you can get mira from completing the doors. Also, I've found I end up getting more than enough of certain sepith types so I've sold a bit (mostly of the mirage/time/space sepith)

Thanks, I'll do that then.
I really hate when you buy a new weapon in a game and 5 minutes later you get a vastly better weapon -_-

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

The game said that Star Doors had shorter stories, but then I went through the first one and that was still pretty lengthy.

Well, I guess it's short by overall Trails standards...

 

[MKIL65]

I really hate when you buy a new weapon in a game and 5 minutes later you get a vastly better weapon -_-

Ahaha, I bet it was

Spoiler

Julia's weapon

 

[Ascheroth]

Where is the option?
I don't see it in the launcher:/

Here you go.
This might also be helpful.

 

[aravuus]

Hearing the game has barely any (?) NPCs at all kind of made me lose all interest in it. So if I've got this right, you've got this hub area with doors that lead to linear, short-ish self-contained stories?

Sort of like a collection of short stories that share the world and characters, if we want to continue with the novel comparisons.

 

[hans_castorp]

It's a hack. You need Cheat Engine for it.

It's a Cheat Engine option, not something on the launcher

Here you go.
This might also be helpful.

Oh nice. I'll look into it.
Thnx for the link!

 

[Jolkien]

Ahaha, I bet it was

Spoiler

Julia's weapon

Exactly

 

[Jolkien]

Hearing the game has barely any (?) NPCs at all kind of made me lose all interest in it. So if I've got this right, you've got this hub area with doors that lead to linear, short-ish self-contained stories?

Sort of like a collection of short stories that share the world and characters, if we want to continue with the novel comparisons.

Well I only did 1 long stories so far and I didnt time it but it was at least half an hour. It's much more like a dungeon grind, it's different but still very fun. I loved all the skies ans cold steel game so as a massive fan maybe that's not saying much but I'm having a blast so far.

Kevin is a great lead.

 

[blackw0lf]

Hearing the game has barely any (?) NPCs at all kind of made me lose all interest in it. So if I've got this right, you've got this hub area with doors that lead to linear, short-ish self-contained stories?

Sort of like a collection of short stories that share the world and characters, if we want to continue with the novel comparisons.

Some of the side stories give you more control and ability to interact with npcs.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Ahaha, I bet it was

Spoiler

Julia's weapon

Fortunately I didn't have enough mira to buy that one when it showed up, so I just got the one from the chest and didn't have buyer's remorse.