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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PC) |OT| Enter Erebonia

Ohtsam

Banned
The second patch is taking a bit longer than expected, since I really want to get this feature in:


Thought of the day: the problem with doing things professionally is that you have to do them professionally.
Implementing the autosave feature took a few hours - making it configurable, making a UI for it, making that UI look nice and be convenient to use, making the graphics for the UI, and testing all of that took 2 more days.

Here's hoping it can just be copy/pasted into cold steel 2
 

sorathecrow

Neo Member
Putting in new features at all is rare for even multi-billion dollar companies porting games that sell hundreds of thousands of copies. But here we are. I doubt even Falcom, if they were somehow doing this in-house, would put this much effort in.
 

Durante

Member
Does the autosave work the same way as in sky?

So when you enter a different screen it autosaves.
No, it's on a timer. However, you can set the timer to 1 minute and it should save often enough for any use case ;)

The implementation is designed so that the saving process is minimally resource intensive (and the actual file writing runs in a separate thread) so on any remotely decent system the autosave should be unnoticeable.
 

Loz246789

Member
On the beta for 1.2 - I can confirm that the game has created auto saves, and my pc hasn't burst into flames or anything. :p
(This is just a minor thing though, but the autosaves miss out the first slot, aka the top left one.)
UPDATE: Ok, specifically, the autosave system ignores the first slot on the first pass, but after that is completely fine.
 

Durante

Member
Ah, the most recent slot detection defaults to 0 if it doesn't find any saves, and of course it starts at the slot after the most recent one.
 

Thud

Member
No, it's on a timer. However, you can set the timer to 1 minute and it should save often enough for any use case ;)

The implementation is designed so that the saving process is minimally resource intensive (and the actual file writing runs in a separate thread) so on any remotely decent system the autosave should be unnoticeable.

Alright. The timer is stopped during battles and cutscenes I guess? I would imagine it resulting in some trippy shit if you would load that particular state. Or the loading is more sophisticated than I thought :p.
 

g23

European pre-madonna
I just have one question GAF.

Will this game scratch my Suikoden II itch?

Also should is it appropriate to start with this series or the Trails in the Sky series instead?
 

Durante

Member
Alright. The timer is stopped during battles and cutscenes I guess? I would imagine it resulting in some trippy shit if you would load that particular state. Or the loading is more sophisticated than I thought :p.
It's not stopped, but it doesn't save in those states. (That is, if the timer trips during a battle or cutscene, it would save at the first opportunity after it)
 
um....

is this intended or some sort of weird graphical glitch? because it's honestly sort of horrifying

ROKpDJz.jpg

please don't fix this Durante
 

Loz246789

Member
I just have one question GAF.

Will this game scratch my Suikoden II itch?

I haven't played suikoden II (I KNOW, it's on the list), but from what I've heard it depends what you like about that game?
Cold steel is great though if you like stupidly large minor casts, with stupidly detailed lives, set in a stupidly well thought out world. The actual game's a pretty good JRPG too, and the main story is something of a slow burn, but ultimately satisfying experience, with cool characters once you get to know them. So if that sounds appealing to you, I'd say it's worth a shot!
... Although as I say, haven't played Suikoden II, so I'm just going from what I've heard about the game.
 

FLD

Member
Great to hear you've implemented autosaves, Durante. This port just keeps getting better and better. I relied on them a lot in the Sky games, so I really missed the feature early on. I ended up going overboard with backup saves to compensate but even then there's been at least a few times where they would've come in handy.
 

g23

European pre-madonna
I haven't played suikoden II (I KNOW, it's on the list), but from what I've heard it depends what you like about that game?
Cold steel is great though if you like stupidly large minor casts, with stupidly detailed lives, set in a stupidly well thought out world. The actual game's a pretty good JRPG too, and the main story is something of a slow burn, but ultimately satisfying experience, with cool characters once you get to know them. So if that sounds appealing to you, I'd say it's worth a shot!
... Although as I say, haven't played Suikoden II, so I'm just going from what I've heard about the game.

Sounds like suikoden to me! The aspect of many detailed minor characters (108 stars of destiny) appeals to me so that's great!
 

sorathecrow

Neo Member
Sounds like suikoden to me! The aspect of many detailed minor characters (108 stars of destiny) appeals to me so that's great!

Trails in the Sky has a similar appeal. Every NPC has a name and their dialog changes after every cutscene, so if you like following their stories in the background the games will keep you busy for a looong time.
 

g23

European pre-madonna
Trails in the Sky has a similar appeal. Every NPC has a name and their dialog changes after every cutscene, so if you like following their stories in the background the games will keep you busy for a looong time.

Which series would you recommend starting with first as a newcomer?
 

sorathecrow

Neo Member
Which series would you recommend starting with first as a newcomer?

Whichever catches your eye more. Trails in the Sky is a journey in a more classic JRPG sense and it exposes and introduces you to the world of Trails. CS 1 is a school setting, but it still does a good job of gently introducing you to the setting. CS is also a little more modern in gameplay/graphics.
 

preta

Member
Which series would you recommend starting with first as a newcomer?

Absolutely, definitely Sky. Cold Steel 1 takes place two years after the end of Sky, and is definitely better with the context you get from Sky. It also spoils a fairly major twist from Sky, and Cold Steel 2 spoils several more.
 

Loz246789

Member
Which series would you recommend starting with first as a newcomer?

If you have any interest in trails in the sky, play that first, but if you're not super interested there's nothing *really* that wrong with going back later. There are a few spoilers in cold steel 1 and 2 for the game, sure, but for the most part you need context to recognise them. That being said though, trails in the sky is a great sub series, and with the recent turbo mode update on pc to allow you to speed through some slowish animations, the games are pretty easy to recommend.
 
... Although as I say, haven't played Suikoden II, so I'm just going from what I've heard about the game.

Suikoden II is one of my favorites games of all times, and your description more or less could also be applied to it.
I have seen people comparing Trails to Suikoden on numerous occasions, and calling Trails the sucessor of Suikoden now that Suikoden is, well, dead.
Having played almost every game in both sagas I could see it.
 

ResourcefulStar

Neo Member
Attack 2, huh? I'd trade that out for an EP Cut.
Dragon Vein recovers EP on field, so that takes care of the EP problem in random encounters, and I intend to mostly use the good old Fire Bolt against single enemies (unless Aidios blesses me with the Zero Arts turn bonus), so running out of juice shouldn't be a likely scenario in boss fights either. Because of this, I figured it would be better to give Rean's physical attacks a little extra oomph to make him fare better against things that foolishly refuse to burn.
 

Squire

Banned
Dragon Vein recovers EP on field, so that takes care of the EP problem in random encounters, and I intend to mostly use the good old Fire Bolt against single enemies (unless Aidios blesses me with the Zero Arts turn bonus), so running out of juice shouldn't be a likely scenario in boss fights either. Because of this, I figured it would be better to give Rean's physical attacks a little extra oomph to make him fare better against things that foolishly refuse to burn.

Oh, that's Rean? Interesting! Most people put Criminal on Emma. What did you do with Force then?
 

ResourcefulStar

Neo Member
Oh, that's Rean? Interesting! Most people put Criminal on Emma. What did you do with Force then?
Actually, I've mostly kept Force on Rean until now (Chapter 5, the morning before the field study), but I thought his very decent ATS was going to waste if he just used Crafts all the time, so I decided to mix things up a little this round. Force will probably stay in the inventory for now. I could give it to Laura, but she's the only one with dedicated Water slots in the current party, so I'm thinking of giving her Canon and having her focus on single target healing in addition to swinging her sword this chapter. Her base ATS may be on the low side, but healing spells don't need to get past ADF, and Canon gives them an enormous boost.
 

Ultimadrago

Member
(Chapter 3/4 Abend Time Spoilers and a question for those that know Crossbell)
Misty talks about a huge tower being built in Crossbell. Is that a reference to that arc and if so, is this info being dropped so you can tell where Cold Steel is in the story in relation to Crossbell at that time?
 
(Chapter 3/4 Abend Time Spoilers and a question for those that know Crossbell)
Misty talks about a huge tower being built in Crossbell. Is that a reference to that arc and if so, is this info being dropped so you can tell where Cold Steel is in the story in relation to Crossbell at that time?

Yes
and
yes
 

Thud

Member
(Chapter 3/4 Abend Time Spoilers and a question for those that know Crossbell)
Misty talks about a huge tower being built in Crossbell. Is that a reference to that arc and if so, is this info being dropped so you can tell where Cold Steel is in the story in relation to Crossbell at that time?

In chapter 4 you'll find out more. The actual event takes place in Ao, but its under construction in Zero.
 

ResourcefulStar

Neo Member
Laura with Canon, I'm so sorry for doubting you.

I experimented a little bit and discovered something quite interesting: while the power of healing Arts scales with the user's base ATS (including bonuses from equipment and quartz), ATS buffs and debuffs do not alter it at all. This means that Laura's healing capability is not diminished when she uses the Radiant Wings Craft. If you give her the Canon Master Quartz, Action, Cast, and Water Bell, she is able to throw out full heal Tearas so rapidly that she still gets opportunities to attack.

Elliot and
Crow
(chapter 4 spoiler) do make for better casters of Water Arts, but if they aren't available, Laura can function as a very viable fighter/healer.
 

ResourcefulStar

Neo Member
What the hell at the end of Chapter 5 boss.
Designing him around an ailment that only high-end accessories block (Nightmare) is just evil, especially since there aren't any jewelers in Legram. I only have two of those, obtained as quest rewards or found in chests. I guess I'll be giving them to Laura (healing) and Gaius (Recuria).

EDIT: And done. Went really smoothly too. Looks like
Lohengrin
isn't the end of Chapter 5, though.

EDIT2: Whoops, the general store in
Legram
does sell Green Pendulums. It's my fault for not noticing and grinding for a full set. They are really affordable at this point of the game.
 

Ascheroth

Member
This game is certainly a long game.
33 hours in, somewhere towards the end of Chapter 3 I guess, and that's with Turbo Mode.
And it's still very much in 'setup and build up mode' : P
 
This game is certainly a long game.
33 hours in, somewhere towards the end of Chapter 3 I guess, and that's with Turbo Mode.
And it's still very much in 'setup and build up mode' : P

You're taking your time with it I think, because when I played it last year I was also around 30 hours in chapter 3, and without turbo.
 
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