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General Trails thread (Trails of Cold Steel 4 (PS4) out now).


Armagon
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7 hours ago, Shrimperor said:

^how the system works in CS. Quarts either give stats or Arts (with some some rare quartz giving both). There is no more Quartztetris or customization with different Quartz combination and how they work with each other. 

Ah ok. Still, i might prefer that though. It looks like you can still choose with quarts you want so there's still some degree of customization there.

Not saying that Sky's way of doing it is bad, it just looks like i might prefer Cold Steel's way of handling Arts.

Also, i see that screenshot has over 100 hours of play-time. Is this it? Did i finally find a JRPG that isn't Xenoblade that has at least over 100 hours of content?

 

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22 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Also, i see that screenshot has over 100 hours of play-time. Is this it? Did i finally find a JRPG that isn't Xenoblade that has at least over 100 hours of content?

i don't know about that, as i usually take my time when playing rpgs, and in the case you see here, i was going for a 100% guideless blind run, so yeah xD

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Cold Steel (that picture is from CS2) took me 83 hours to finish (I've been playing since April 10 btw), and I'm a mix between someone who just wants to continue with the plot and someone who talks to NPCs/explores places. If you're a completionist, you'll probably take 100 hours or so, depending on your rhythm.

Also, guys, I'll take this opportunity to hijack the topic: How is Cold Steel 2 compared to the first game? Because I liked Cold Steel, but found it kind of... weak, so to speak. As far as writing and characterization does, it did take a few steps back, although it still kept its worldbuilding quality. Or that was just my impression, anyway. Part of me wants to buy CS2 and play it already while another wonders if it is worth it.

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21 minutes ago, Rapier said:

Also, guys, I'll take this opportunity to hijack the topic: How is Cold Steel 2 compared to the first game? Because I liked Cold Steel, but found it kind of... weak, so to speak. As far as writing and characterization does, it did take a few steps back, although it still kept its worldbuilding quality. Or that was just my impression, anyway. Part of me wants to buy CS2 and play it already while another wonders if it is worth it.

Gonna put all this in spoiler just in case I guess.

Spoiler

Worldbuilding is about the same, maybe better. Characters might be worse as they get even less screentime and less interaction with each other I feel. There's some good moments for a couple characters, but otherwise... I will say Alisa is 100x more tolerable, and Crow is still best boy. The story isn't bad, but unless a certain something that most fans are theorizing happens, it makes the team look a little stupid in the grand narrative. Combat is better I would say, just don't use the busted quartz for ridiculous 1 shots. I'd say the pacing is a lot better too, CS 1's worst aspect. Twists are just as shocking, but more cliffhangers are here to no one's surprise. Last note, VA inconsistancy is back with a vengance. Scarlet and Vulcan both lose their voice actors for no good reason.

Another off topic, but who else finds the beginning of rpgs the most fun due to the lack of party members? It's a really weird trope to like, but for some reason, it's fun to be weak and use stuff effectively.

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38 minutes ago, Rapier said:

Cold Steel (that picture is from CS2) took me 83 hours to finish (I've been playing since April 10 btw), and I'm a mix between someone who just wants to continue with the plot and someone who talks to NPCs/explores places. If you're a completionist, you'll probably take 100 hours or so, depending on your rhythm.

Yeah, i'm pretty much that way too. If the side content interests me enough, then i may go for 100% completion, unless Cold Steel has a lot of timed quests, in which case, i'll skip out on doing most of the side content.

11 minutes ago, familyplayer said:

Another off topic, but who else finds the beginning of rpgs the most fun due to the lack of party members? It's a really weird trope to like, but for some reason, it's fun to be weak and use stuff effectively.

Depends on the game but yeah, the beginning of RPGs can be fun. 

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1 hour ago, Rapier said:

Also, guys, I'll take this opportunity to hijack the topic: How is Cold Steel 2 compared to the first game? Because I liked Cold Steel, but found it kind of... weak, so to speak. As far as writing and characterization does, it did take a few steps back, although it still kept its worldbuilding quality. Or that was just my impression, anyway. Part of me wants to buy CS2 and play it already while another wonders if it is worth it.

As a Trails fan, it's definetly worth it, however...

(Structure spoiler, no story spoilers)

It's the weakest Trails entry so far, by far. Half the cast are just there, the game is way too padded (should've been around 50% shorter. Especially that Act2. And don't let me start on the Epilogue ugh). 

It starts very strong (so strong, the first Act gave the impression CS2 is gonna be almost as good as SC, or even better), then falls off super haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard in the middle (which is also the longest Part of the game), gets hype at finale, awesome side chapter, and instead of ending with hype and awesomeness, we get one big waste of time Epilogue that made me wish for the first time playing a Trails game ''please, END ALREADY''

Also, the less i say about Rean, the better...

I would've forgiven the game for alot if we didn't get that epilogue tbh, but that epilogue was just...

no no no no

Edited by Shrimperor
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Spoiler

To comment on the whole epilogue thing as well, it's such a waste of time that even the characters and boss itself admit there is absolutely no purpose in doing it. If I could skip the forced final final final dungeon, I would.

 

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The one thing I hate in CS series so far is that the cutscenes are pretty lame. Characters just stand and talk with bad cut-in and bad directing despite being in dangerous situation or intense moment like battle. Everyone in this series is so chill and lax especially when it comes to dead or live matters. 

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20 hours ago, Rapier said:

Also, guys, I'll take this opportunity to hijack the topic: How is Cold Steel 2 compared to the first game? Because I liked Cold Steel, but found it kind of... weak, so to speak. As far as writing and characterization does, it did take a few steps back, although it still kept its worldbuilding quality. Or that was just my impression, anyway. Part of me wants to buy CS2 and play it already while another wonders if it is worth it.

Spoiler

Cold Steel 2 in a vacuum is okay.

Cold Steel 2, on the heels of Sky, is really weak.  The characters are closer to anime tropes than the cast of Sky ever was, and it's infuriating.  Part of the reason why I love the Trails series is because they're characters first and foremost.

Ahem. . .story-wise, the premise is damn good - at least, the first half.  The second half of the game has some weird moments, and the ending. . .well, I'll leave that for you to judge.

Gameplay-wise, it feels a lot better-tuned than Cold Steel.  However, all those attack misses can get irritating.

 

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Well, I decided to buy CS2 anyway. I won't play it until the weekend, where I'll find out if I should feel extremely stupid or not.

I mean, compared to other J-RPGs, Cold Steel was above average, imo. They are fine games as long as I don't compare them with Sky's standards. I enjoyed playing Cold Steel, and I'll probably enjoy Cold Steel 2 despite the lower quality writing. I'm also not going to pretend that every character was written poorly - I really liked Instructor Sara, Crow and Alisa*, while the others are 'okay' at worst. I also think it had some decent scenes despite all the dragging (CS is basically that Guilty Crown graph, lol). It had just enough to care about and enjoy my playing time.

*

Spoiler

I know that statement will earn me weird looks, but her issues are understandable and I liked her character development (the positions she has about Reinford's policies, about her mother's behavior, her recognizal of her own faults and immaturity). It may also be because she had more screen time due to the game really shipping her with Rean hard.

time to be that annoying grumpy fan and rewrite CS, then end up making it worse than it is

Edited by Rapier
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22 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Have Fun :D

Re: Alisa

i blame Early CS1. Even if she got alot better (from hating her 200% -> i am okay with her now), Early CS1 she was just
ugh.

Using bad anime cliches with a tsun? Then dragging it on for an hour? Not a good way to start us off to say the least.

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16 hours ago, eclipse said:
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Cold Steel 2 in a vacuum is okay.

Cold Steel 2, on the heels of Sky, is really weak.  The characters are closer to anime tropes than the cast of Sky ever was, and it's infuriating.  Part of the reason why I love the Trails series is because they're characters first and foremost.

Ahem. . .story-wise, the premise is damn good - at least, the first half.  The second half of the game has some weird moments, and the ending. . .well, I'll leave that for you to judge.

Gameplay-wise, it feels a lot better-tuned than Cold Steel.  However, all those attack misses can get irritating.

 

90% of the interaction between Elise and Rean gives me OreImo's war flashbacks. Ugh.
CS2 is as much a mess as CS but not exactly for the same reasons.

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I honestly didn't like Elise and Rean's interactions in CS, and I sorta doubt I will in CSII.

Spoiler

Sorry, but the "little sister has romantic feelings for her brother" trope irks me, and the "they're not related by blood!" excuse doesn't work for me. The difference between them and EstellexJoshua is that the latter were too old for the whats-the-name psychological effect to take place, and Scherazard was right in saying that their journey together at 16 made them grow even closer. ElisexRean has no such excuse, because Rean was adopted at an earlier age and Elise was also too young. They were basically raised as siblings.

Rean also didn't seem to have any chemistry with any other girl other than Alisa, who is pushed very hard against Rean (literally), so the other choices feel very awkward. Cold Steel was never supposed to have a neutral protagonist serving as some sort of player self-insert and adopt dating sim elements. I'd love if Rean had his own distinct personality and a canon pairing rather than being intentionally written as a blank slate.

As for CSII's epilogue, I just hope it doesn't manage to be worse than CS's final dungeon thing. That was completely unnecessary and felt like they just had to put something there as tradition dictates.

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Trails Of Cold Steel has Persona likish gameplay in terms of day organisation and doing exams.

 

The sequel feels rather like a classic RPG; gives more freedom.

 

CSI has better character development and a way better final dungeon, while CSII has a more atmospheric story and improved battle system.

I prefer II overall because it doesn't start as slow as I does.

 

 

As for the actual topic I'm playing FC right now and I have to admit I have my issues to motivate myself to get through this game. It's not because I don't like this game, but it's because I don't like to play games on a PC. I feel rather comfortable to play with gamepad than with a keyboard (can't connect gamepad to my laptop). It's annoying to adjust the camera angle every single time in any town or dungeon.

 

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Wow, it seems like quite a few people have recently got into the Trails series. I decided to check the series out myself a few months ago after hearing folks on Sereneforest constantly talk about how good it was. I have beaten CS1, CS2 and Sky FC and enjoyed what I have seen so far. Right now I think i am halfway through SC.

1 hour ago, Hecatia Lapislazuli said:

As for the actual topic I'm playing FC right now and I have to admit I have my issues to motivate myself to get through this game. It's not because I don't like this game, but it's because I don't like to play games on a PC. I feel rather comfortable to play with gamepad than with a keyboard (can't connect gamepad to my laptop). It's annoying to adjust the camera angle every single time in any town or dungeon.

Have you thought about getting a wireless receiver? I personally use a wireless controller adapter I got from Amazon for $15 and just connect my wireless XBOX360 controller to play PC games since I dislike using the keyboard. 

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3 hours ago, Rapier said:

Rean also didn't seem to have any chemistry with any other girl other than Alisa

Imo, out of all the girls, Alisa has the worst Chemistry with Rean. Even Elise got more imo. Not to mention her story irrelevancy. She is just there to be the blonde kinda tsundere japanese love so much.

Rean x Emma and Rean x Laura have much more Chemistry and fit the story much much much more imo.

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Ok so while i'm loving SC so far, i do have to rant about the forced surprise battles. The boss fight in the hot springs cave and the boss fight with the Intelligence Division "soldiers" are both treated as an ambush both story and gameplay wise. I get the former but for the latter, it's just unfair, because there's nothing you can do  about it.

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8 hours ago, Hecatia Lapislazuli said:

As for the actual topic I'm playing FC right now and I have to admit I have my issues to motivate myself to get through this game. It's not because I don't like this game, but it's because I don't like to play games on a PC. I feel rather comfortable to play with gamepad than with a keyboard (can't connect gamepad to my laptop). It's annoying to adjust the camera angle every single time in any town or dungeon.

You can use your mouse for everything in FC-3rd. Left buttom has the characters walk and interact with objects/NPCs. Right buttom skips dialogue and the mouse wheel adjusts the camera.

I used to play it with the gamepad, but then I found out that using a mouse is much more convenient. I really love how XSEED not only localized the series well, but they also bothered to add handy functionalities to the games.

5 hours ago, Armagon said:

Ok so while i'm loving SC so far, i do have to rant about the forced surprise battles. The boss fight in the hot springs cave and the boss fight with the Intelligence Division "soldiers" are both treated as an ambush both story and gameplay wise. I get the former but for the latter, it's just unfair, because there's nothing you can do  about it.

For the latter, your party is perfectly suited to deal with them, so it's no big deal. Sometimes SC doesn't place a handy healing object near a boss encounter (hi, boss fight with 5 of the dust creatures who summon more of themselves), though those are exceptions.

5 hours ago, Shrimperor said:

 

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Imo, out of all the girls, Alisa has the worst Chemistry with Rean. Even Elise got more imo. Not to mention her story irrelevancy. She is just there to be the blonde kinda tsundere japanese love so much.

Rean x Emma and Rean x Laura have much more Chemistry and fit the story much much much more imo.

 

Spoiler

I wish Rean x Emma was a thing, but they barely even interact (that is sorta true even for the other characters, though). At least Rean x Alisa are given scenes... which could work well with other girls too if the writing didn't ship these two that much whenever it can.

 

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Spoiler

Glad to see I'm not the only one to dislike Rean x Elise. It's pretty corny, not well written, and kinda comes off as creepy. When it comes to step-siblings turn into lovers type romance, you gotta be real careful if you want to make it not creepy. The key thing imo is that they should treat each other more like friends and not like siblings. It's why, to bring FE into this for a second, pairings with the siblings in Fates feel weird/creepy. Also, the effect is called the westermarck effect and, for those wondering what it is, it's the proposed psychological effect where close proximity in the early years of life make you desensitized to sexual attraction towards people. It's not a 100% certain thing iirc, but it's the most likely, and most believable, cause for why the vast majority of people never see siblings or parents as someone of the opposite sex and just as a caretaker or sibling.

 

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9 hours ago, Rapier said:

You can use your mouse for everything in FC-3rd. Left buttom has the characters walk and interact with objects/NPCs. Right buttom skips dialogue and the mouse wheel adjusts the camera.

I used to play it with the gamepad, but then I found out that using a mouse is much more convenient. I really love how XSEED not only localized the series well, but they also bothered to add handy functionalities to the games.

 

16 hours ago, NSSKG151 said:

Have you thought about getting a wireless receiver? I personally use a wireless controller adapter I got from Amazon for $15 and just connect my wireless XBOX360 controller to play PC games since I dislike using the keyboard. 

The problem of my laptop is that the USB inpit doesn't work well. I already tried to connect it to a Gamepad, but the laptop didn't recognize it. 
As for playing with mouse: It only works on static places. I normally play in the bed, and whenever I only move it slightly, my laptop changes from keyboard mode to touchscreen mode. It reacts oversensible which is really a problem. Only keyboard games like Touhou are impossible to play for me right now because when the it's changed to touchscreen mode, the games automatically crash.

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  • Armagon changed the title to General Trails thread

I love how i can't click on all these spoiler tags.

Btw, given the direction this topic has gone, i've just changed it to the General Trails thread. Besides, given that Ys has it's own general thread on this site, it makes for Falcom's other big series to have one.

 

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