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The Kiseki / Trails (of the Sky/Zero/Ao/Sen/Etc) Community Thread: SPOILERTAGS OR DIE

Thud

Member
Still busy with Act 1 in Cold Steel II and will start part 3 tomorrow. Based on previous encounters and the opening I have a good guess about what to expect.

Not on the top of my game to miss another hidden quest and the bonus AP from the fight. Oh well, it's good enough for this el cheapo playthrough.

Some interesting stuff at the end of part 2, CS2/SC/3rd (spoilers):

The dialogue between Sharon and Bluebanc especially. Bluebanc wanting to know where her loyality lies while referencing both Joshua and Renne. So it's pretty safe to assume Renne got out during the events of Zero?
I'm not getting my hopes up too much, seeing how technically Loewe got out as well :(

I can appreciate the writing a lot more, knowing it's written for teenagers that love their new crappy shounen anime. That obviously doesn't make me part of the intended audience, but objectively it's not a bad thing.
 

Squire

Banned
Like 85% good

It's a good good okay good game

Not a good bad good good game

It's probably gonna alternate every other week with CS2 as my favorite so far. Even if it's a drag to play at times, the narrative components are spectacular.

CS2 I think is far more balanced on both ends. Incredible story and just a blast to play. I don't think we disagree too much, but I'm looking forward to hearing what you're thinking in detail.
 

Ascheroth

Member
Like 85% good

It's a good good okay good game

Not a good bad good good game

It's probably gonna alternate every other week with CS2 as my favorite so far. Even if it's a drag to play at times, the narrative components are spectacular.

CS2 I think is far more balanced on both ends. Incredible story and just a blast to play. I don't think we disagree too much, but I'm looking forward to hearing what you're thinking in detail.
I think pretty much most problems with the Trails in the Sky games can be solved by playing it on PC with the speedhack from CheatEngine, especially during battles. 1.5 - 2 times the normal animation speed should have been the standard and really drives home that the normal game is slow as molasses...
 

Thud

Member
I think pretty much most problems with the Trails in the Sky games can be solved by playing it on PC with the speedhack from CheatEngine, especially during battles. 1.5 - 2 times the normal animation speed should have been the standard and really drives home that the normal game is slow as molasses...

Cold Steel could also use some improvements in loading. Skipping the s-crafts and detection is fine, but skipping arts takes too long.

Just saying the combat is always slow paced. It's more noticeable in Trails in the Sky because you don't have a whole lot of choices with the turns. You also start off somewhat weak and in smaller parties, so encounters take a lot more turns.
 

Ascheroth

Member
Cold Steel could also use some improvements in loading. Skipping the s-crafts and detection is fine, but skipping arts takes too long.

Just saying the combat is always slow paced. It's more noticeable in Trails in the Sky because you don't have a whole lot of choices with the turns. You also start off somewhat weak and in smaller parties, so encounters take a lot more turns.
I trust Durante to deliver on convenience features in Cold Steel :p
I don't have a problem with slower paced combat per se, it's just after x-hundred battles seeing the same animations play again and again gets... tiring. I burned out on FC and SC exactly because of that and took breaks of a few weeks before continuing again each time, until I started using the speedhack at the end of SC and during the entirety of 3rd.
It was bliss.
 

Thud

Member
I just stuck with fight every monster once in an area with Trails. On a replay I would look into cheatengine and with the steam controller it's easy to remap that to a button.

The combat will never be as flashy as persona, but luckily it ain't Tales of. Although the victory screen in Cold Steel gave me that nasty deja vu.

I really hate those games. :p
 

PK Gaming

Member
I think pretty much most problems with the Trails in the Sky games can be solved by playing it on PC with the speedhack from CheatEngine, especially during battles. 1.5 - 2 times the normal animation speed should have been the standard and really drives home that the normal game is slow as molasses...

I don't actually have that big of an issue with the battle pace. Animations are long and can't be skipped, but you can easily pick and choose your battles, so it doesn't feel like a complete slog.

No, my main issue has to do with the game's significant padding issues in chapter's 7 and 8, and occasionally mediocre sidequest design.
 

Nyoro SF

Member
Class VII magazine leaks are in the wild.

I didn't expect Falcom to drop so much Sen III info so early. Probably means for the next few months we're going to get much smaller pieces of info leading up until release 2.5 months from now.

Jusis looks boss as fuck, as expected. And Laura has become a sword master. Will I be able to reassemble the Dream Team™?
 
I think pretty much most problems with the Trails in the Sky games can be solved by playing it on PC with the speedhack from CheatEngine, especially during battles. 1.5 - 2 times the normal animation speed should have been the standard and really drives home that the normal game is slow as molasses...

So true, feels like how the game should've been from the start, doesn't even feel sped up at 1.6 or something.
 

PK Gaming

Member
SMOKIN: Gaius

Hot: Alisa, Laura

Good: Jusis, Emma

Okay: Fie, Machias, Elliot

Cold: Millium

Really, Millium's outfit would be passable if she had curves to fill her unnecessary dress slits, but she doesn't so it looks ridiculous all around.

CS3 seems to be addressing one of CS1/2's biggest complaints, which was the heavy focus on Rean. Seeing Emma and Olivier chill out warms my heart.
 

Jiraiza

Member
Woo, my boy Jusis is here. Looking fly as always. Very curious if they're going to go back to canon romances. That would be amazing. I'm a little sad Laura ditched the long skirt though, that was some top-tier clothing.
 

Psxphile

Member
The group pic is nice, but
note the positioning of ex-Class VII: they're forming a circle but the camera seems focused on Gaius and Laura, with them positioned closer to the camera than the others, their backs turned but still facing it. Gaius especially looks kinda grumpy.

worried.jpg
 
Next issue should be
Osborne's faction/the Ironbloods then? Think that's the only group missing now.

And sounds like the leaks confirmed some sort of save transfer. Interested to know how that will work.
 

Tonton

Member
Next issue should be
Osborne's faction/the Ironbloods then? Think that's the only group missing now.

And sounds like the leaks confirmed some sort of save transfer. Interested to know how that will work.
There's
the Gralsritter
too, not to mention Sara, Toval and probably more Crossbell people

There's too many people in this game
 

Gu4n

Member
Gaius is totally going to become a
Dominion

Like, with that new design and the coat they aren't even trying to hide it lol.
Reminder that Yotaka wrote a solid theory on that spoilertag.

What I also found interesting is that Emma is looking for (CS2 spoilers)
the land of the gnomes
and how that would work in combination with the current cast -- especially since the magazine specifies that the mysteries surrounding the Class VII members will be resolved in this game. Rean can't be dragged everywhere.
 

Tonton

Member
Oh yeah, and any other Thors 1 teachers, as well as background NPC's who have been teased a bit.
I'm not expecting those aside from (CS2 spoilers)
Thomas and Rosine
. Maybe Patrick could finally be playable

I mean, they'll be in the game but not on these updates
 

PK Gaming

Member
Let's see how well my predictions held up

Here's my conservative estimate on the direction they'll take with each of the members of class VII in CS3.

Rean

latest

Alisa


Elliot


Laura


Machias


Emma


Jusis


Fie


Gaius


Millium


8/10 not bad, not bad
 
If Emma is looking for
the land of Gnomes
that must mean George is coming back too.
It's about time we learn more about them and their relation with the Witch clan.

My hope for CSIII is that we learn more about Sheena Dirk
She is name-dropped in Zero only to not be mentioned again :(
 

Marche90

Member
Reminder that Yotaka wrote a solid theory on that spoilertag.

What I also found interesting is that Emma is looking for (CS2 spoilers)
the land of the gnomes
and how that would work in combination with the current cast -- especially since the magazine specifies that the mysteries surrounding the Class VII members will be resolved in this game. Rean can't be dragged everywhere.

Divertissements to the power of x, maybe? Interesting....
 
Reminder that Yotaka wrote a solid theory on that spoilertag.

What I also found interesting is that Emma is looking for (CS2 spoilers)
the land of the gnomes
and how that would work in combination with the current cast -- especially since the magazine specifies that the mysteries surrounding the Class VII members will be resolved in this game. Rean can't be dragged everywhere.

It would definitely be interesting if the game would switch between multiple perspectives and have chapters where you had different protagonists. It would be a good way to resolve a lot of different plot points.

I'm still really skeptical about their ability to wrap everything up in this game, just given everything we know.
 

Nyoro SF

Member
It would definitely be interesting if the game would switch between multiple perspectives and have chapters where you had different protagonists. It would be a good way to resolve a lot of different plot points.

I'm still really skeptical about their ability to wrap everything up in this game, just given everything we know.

I am looking forward to some of the most improbable explanations for why we have a 50-man cast in the final chapter
and still lose
 
What's the player count at now anyway, Rean, Yuna, Kurt, Altina, Randy, Ash, Musee, Agate, Tio, Alisa, Machias, Jusis, Elliot, Laura, Fie, Emma, Gaius, probably Olivier going by the latest scans, probably Sara, maybe Tita.

For comparison, Cold Steel 2 had 22 playable characters, including the mirrors.
 

Kalor

Member
What's the player count at now anyway, Rean, Yuna, Kurt, Altina, Randy, Ash, Musee, Agate, Tio, Alisa, Machias, Jusis, Elliot, Laura, Fie, Emma, Gaius, probably Olivier going by the latest scans, probably Sara, maybe Tita.

For comparison, Cold Steel 2 had 22 playable characters, including the mirrors.

That might be it for characters that are likely to be playable. Sharon, Toval, Mueller and Claire could be guest characters.
 

Squire

Banned
Perspective shifts makes a ton of sense. It happens plenty in Sky and I think Rean's position as an instructor and potentially an officer with some rank is going to tie his hands for the majority of the game.
 

Kalor

Member
Claire's JP voice actor died, so I wouldn't expect her to have a major role.

They could always recast, especially since they set stuff up with her during CS2. Although recasting is generally looked upon less favorably in Japan so that might push them not to do it.

Edit: I didn't realise they recast Altina. It shows they're okay with recasting at least.
 
Jusis and Machias are beautiful.

Please do something this time, Machias.

CS3 seems to be addressing one of CS1/2's biggest complaints, which was the heavy focus on Rean. Seeing Emma and Olivier chill out warms my heart.

There are already a lot of screenshots of groups of people interacting with Rean nowhere in sight. Heck, one of the first screenshots shows Sara tailing Lechter doesn't it? I think that was what gave me the impression/hope that this is less a Rean game and more an ensemble.

Of course, then the cover was released... Nevertheless, I remain hopeful we'd at least get numerous Divertissement-like chapters. Though I could settle with a lot of Sky-style cutscenes, too.

CS1 steam page updated to say releasing in August 2017.

Oh boo!
 
The group pic is nice, but
note the positioning of ex-Class VII: they're forming a circle but the camera seems focused on Gaius and Laura, with them positioned closer to the camera than the others, their backs turned but still facing it. Gaius especially looks kinda grumpy.

worried.jpg

I hope he gets face time. He was soooooooooooooo a 5th wheel so often, and this BeDominionining would be off-camera(?) so there's that to explain.

In short, him and Laura should be the drivers of their segments.

It would definitely be interesting if the game would switch between multiple perspectives and have chapters where you had different protagonists. It would be a good way to resolve a lot of different plot points.

I'm still really skeptical about their ability to wrap everything up in this game, just given everything we know.

That would be aces given the "kids learning to be adults in an adult world" that the series thrives in.

Plus we get Rean as an unwilling antagonist. :O
 
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