-Pyromaniac-
Member
Remember Vyse the creeper where you can spy through a hole on the wall or window or something into Aika's bedroom and see her hair down. I think its the only time in the game you see it. For the rest its all crazy hair.
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Skies of Arcadia Trademark Renewed. Sega's next HD release?
- Thread starter Jcgamer60
- Start date
Yep. I remember her facial expression.
Necromanti
Member
This was one of my favorite songs, and a few years later, I kept trying to find it again but never could. For some reason, I thought it was from FFVII.
Karsticles
Member
Question for Skies fans: I hear crazy good things about this game, but I hate pirates and sky pirates. I love good, character-driven RPGs. Is this game for me?
Finaika
Member
Can you see anything else?
That might be a bit of sticking point but try it anyway.
they're less sky pirates and more sky adventurers. everything is super lighthearted.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
Unfortunately not. Maybe they'll add something ad DLC if thy re-release it. Then my penis will be renamed skies of Arcadia.
Karsticles
Member
Is it more like "we have this cool air ship and explore the world" a la Chrono Trigger, or "I wanna be teh sky pyrat!!!!1!" from Vaan in FFXII?
Fun note: I had to google Vaan to make sure I had it right, and if you type "FFXII Vaan", autocomplete option #3 is amusing.
SkullplateMurray
Member
Not to deflate the speculation (well, sort of) but couldn't this just be Sega renewing a trademark about to lapse - for no other reason than making sure no one else gets the IP?
Way more of the first one. The sense of discovery and the world itself is my favorite aspect of the game.
Karsticles
Member
How would you compare the value and beauty of exploration to, say, Xenoblade?
I'll never forget seeing SoA on the Dreamcast for the first time, that water dungeon blew me away. Obviously, the game has aged but I'll never forget that moment when next-gen actually felt like next-gen.
Maybe. The characters aren't especially developed but they're not obnoxiously overdramatic either. The story is mostly lighthearted, with some critical exceptions. The battles are probably the game's biggest flaw. They're frequent and slow.
Maybe. The characters aren't especially developed but they're not obnoxiously overdramatic either. The story is mostly lighthearted, with some critical exceptions. The battles are probably the game's biggest flaw. They're frequent and slow.
This is one of only 2 turn based JRPGs that I like (the other being Chrono Trigger). I hoping for a sequel but I would be happy seeing a HD release on PC/Xbox/PSN that combines the best aspects of the Dreamcast and Gamecube version (and maybe lowers the encounter rate a bit more).
Karsticles
Member
Should I take you to be saying that this is on par with CT?
Xenoblade actually reminded me of Skies a lot in the fact that the world was so interesting to go through. I actually mentioned this in the thread before
Skies is just a really charming game. It does open with Sky Pirate stuff, and I even recall I just stopped playing the game for a year or so because it didn't grab me, but it ended up being one of my all time favorite RPGs when I went back into it.
Karsticles
Member
Alright, I'm in! Is the battle system interesting at all? On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is your average Final Fantasy game where you mash attack over and over, and Chrono Trigger, with lots of interesting decisions to make any given moment, is a 10...?
It's definitely no CT there. It's pretty much standard turn based combat on that end, though it's not just mash attack. I'd say a 3-4 there. I've only played it on GC and the encounter limit was high, but eventually you can fly your ship at a height that completely avoids them. There are also ship battles and I like those a lot, but they aren't all that frequent.
Karsticles
Member
For me, a 3-4 is like...Xenogears. Variation, but not a lot of point to the decisions you make.
I don't consider it quite as good as Chrono Trigger, though it's very close.
Chrono Trigger is in my top five games of all time, I would say Skies of Arcadia is in my top 15 or 20 games of all time.
I've tried a lot of other turn based JRPGs and I just can't get into them (the only others I consider okay are FF4 and 9, though I don't think I would ever be willing to replay them again).
Much like Chrono Trigger, Skies of Arcadia is a very fun, upbeat game. I also love the atmosphere and music. I don't like the battle system as much as Chrono Trigger though, and the encounter rate is very high even in the Gamecube version. Some aspects of Skies of Arcadia I like more, the world feels more developed and I loved finding the little discoveries all over the world map (which are basically cool little things you can find, for example there is a ghost train that flies around the map. Doesn't do anything, just adds to the world and atmosphere).
Karsticles
Member
I appreciate your honest and balanced answer. I'm still on board! I feel like this, Suikoden, and SMT games are big RPG series I missed back in the day.
The Awesomest
Member
That describes it well imo. You get lots of magic spells, of which only a handful are consistently useful. Those are: all the healing spells, status cure, revive, and occasionally attack boost and fire/ice/electric damage. You learn these spells by equipping your weapons with certain color-coded attributes, which match up well or poorly against enemy attributes, like in Pokemon. The longer you use an attribute, the more points you get for it, allowing you to learn spells in that category. So green is healing, red is attack, and so on.
Main characters have 5 super moves, secondary characters have 3, which are strong attack, some effect, and super strong attack. Four characters max in a party, and usually three of those are the main characters. Eventually, you'll get some specials that kill all enemies instantly, simultaneously making the game faster and battles more annoying. Magic and supers can only be used once you've charged up a certain amount of points in the battle. Each character charges up a certain amount each turn, and there's a command for extra charging instead of doing anything else.
One of the cool things about the battle system is the area damage. Some attacks do damage to enemies in a circle, or in a line, or surrounding the attacker, but the positioning of the characters is totally random. Sometimes your guys will stay far away for a ranged shot, and sometimes they'll do a melee attack which leaves them open to certain attacks. You have no control over this, unfortunately.
So while you'll need to change your strategy here and there depending on your enemy (there's a dodge stat! Some enemies dodge everything but supers!), it can get pretty samey once you know what you have to do. The battle music is pretty great though.
airmangataosenai
Member
A lot of it had to do with supporting the Dreamcast (And to a lesser extent, the Gamecube). When it's the only game in town it'll get more attention and people will be more willing to overlook the more glaring flaws (Most in this thread at least acknowledge the issues with the combat). SoA was dumb fun but most definitely not in the upper echelon of RPGs. It had some very cool ideas though, in particular the way they showed your progress in developing a more and more impressive ship and town as you explored and bought new parts.
A new Skies of Arcadia would have so much potential.
I hope we get to see it at some point (even as a handheld release).
Man, I absolutely loved the game back in the day.
If they could have removed random battles and delivered a more entertaining battle system it would stand as one of the best RPGs ever made. Imagine something like Grandia instead (considering Grandia II was a contemporary of this game I always considered this). I don't really think the battles are any worse than the older Phantasy Star games, so it has that going for it, but they DID move very slowly.
At least on Dreamcast you could hear the disc access before a battle giving you just enough time to access the menu if needed.
If they could have removed random battles and delivered a more entertaining battle system it would stand as one of the best RPGs ever made. Imagine something like Grandia instead (considering Grandia II was a contemporary of this game I always considered this). I don't really think the battles are any worse than the older Phantasy Star games, so it has that going for it, but they DID move very slowly.
At least on Dreamcast you could hear the disc access before a battle giving you just enough time to access the menu if needed.
AranhaHunter
Banned
I'm thinking they maybe renewed it so no one else would buy it?
I don't know how it works, but trademarks last 10 years AFAIK, so if it expired or got cancelled/section'd 8 couldn't someone just buy it on the cheap and do what they wanted with it?
I don't know how it works, but trademarks last 10 years AFAIK, so if it expired or got cancelled/section'd 8 couldn't someone just buy it on the cheap and do what they wanted with it?
Cyberquake
Member
Because no one bought Panzer Dragoon Saga before.
What, you did that, too? Okay, I had the Edelweiss within support range of him, so it was Vyse backed up by a tank shooting the final boss, but still.
Vyse was a really good Shocktrooper in that game. And Aika was a good Scout. Both of them had potentials that made them better when they were doing good.
gamergirly
Member
Man, I absolutely loved the game back in the day.
If they could have removed random battles and delivered a more entertaining battle system it would stand as one of the best RPGs ever made. Imagine something like Grandia instead (considering Grandia II was a contemporary of this game I always considered this). I don't really think the battles are any worse than the older Phantasy Star games, so it has that going for it, but they DID move very slowly.
At least on Dreamcast you could hear the disc access before a battle giving you just enough time to access the menu if needed.
That's about the only thing I remember hating. RIDICULOUS random battles!! And the counter was just too high. You didnt even have time to adjust the controller before you got hit with another enemy.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
The normal battles are pretty simple fare in Skies, but boss fights can get very tactical, especially the optional ones that came with the Gamecube version. Those fights were hard as hell.
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Assuming they even have enough core people they can pull back together and haven't trashed all the preproduction work they did on it.
I've mentioned it before a couple times over the years, but an old coworker of mine was going to be the assistant test lead on SoA2 when he was still at Sega. He saw early artwork and drafts and stuff. Legends pushed the sequel off, and then the PS2 and PC ports got canned and soon after the sequel was put on indefinite hold. Sigh.
Shadow2222
Member
I've had SoA music stuck in my head all day. I love the tune in the opening video.
Look at that smug fuckin' smirk.
Vyse is the best.
This one really cracks me up too.
LongDongJunon
Member
:lol
It's true. You want to see a Skies of Arcadia Legends player jump? Yell "Chak Mol" at him. You well respect the
Ixa'ness Demons
Piastol
heavy physical damage and AoE instant death spells
But the random battles usually have you toss your most powerful AoE S. Move that you can afford on the first turn at the enemies and be done with it. A few random fight warrant a more strategic approach. Basically those resistant to fire.
I loved hearing the Amen break in the battle theme.
God please please please PLEASE be true... even better would be SOA2 done in the Canvas Engine, but that will never happen in a million years
Well, if its any consolation, Daytona USA XBLA was one of the easiest 200/200 ever and I'm horrible at the game. SEGA seems to be fairly merciful when it comes to XBLA achievements. Even Phantasy Star 2 had nothing that more challenging than beating the game (a lofty goal in itself... but it didn't have any real grindy/obnoxious achievements).
Afterburner Climax and Gunstar Heroes XBLA are absurdly easy to 200/200 as well.
But then you look at what you have to do for Afterburner's pilot helm avatar award. Jesus christ.
Vyse, super pimp:
RESPECT
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
Virtual On OT was an easy 200, too.
My colleagues from Gamereactor Deutschland write at their monthly rumor mill section (printed mag) that this is indeed coming soon. Reliable source close to SEGA told them. No date mentioned, but soon. Thus, TM renewal was also due to this.
No scans allowed, so there you have it - DE gaffers can easily confirm for sure
No scans allowed, so there you have it - DE gaffers can easily confirm for sure