Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Benice]

...If you're flying off the chain at someone in a written argument, is it best to just ignore their posts and reply to the other ones, or simply accept that you're going to be unkind?

[Shrimpica]

whatever satisfies you more. Sometimes being unkind isn't wrong. We aren't Saints, we are humans.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Teeheemperor

[null]

Well, unless you're Ruben.

[Acacia Sgt]

Until Overclassing into an Exemplar.

[Benice]

Eh, I'd be no better than anyone insulting me if I just insulted back.

Now then, to reply in a polite way...

[Armagon]

Trails of Cold Steel 4 review (contains big spoilers)

Spoiler

Man, it's been a ride. I first got into the Trails series during my senior year of highschool with Trails in the Sky all the way back in 2018. From there, i proceeded to pretty much binge the series all the way to Trails of Cold Steel 2 (with the exception of Trails of Azure, as a viable fan-translation wasn't out at the time). Then, last year, the PC version of Trails of Cold Steel 3 was finally released although due to my old PC having a broken screen and me having thought i lost my saves in the transferring (until i discovered them earlier this month) led me to put off completing that game for a while.

Now here we are, in May of 2021, and i have finally completed Trails of Cold Steel 4. This game can be considered the Avengers Endgame of the series, for better and for worse. Much like Avengers Endgame, it's kinda hard for me to view this as a normal game because it really feels more like an event. This is a game that knows it's the finale of a saga (but not the series) spanning over a decade so it ends up feeling like a spectacle, a spectacle that ends up bringing together every game up until this point. For example, the first characters you play as in this game are not the heroes of Cold Steel that you've been playing as for the past four games. No, this game's prologue opens up with you playing as the heroes of both Trails in the Sky and Trails to Zero/Azure. The Japanese version of this game has the subtitle "End of Saga" and the prologue essentially lets you know that immediately. And over the course of the game, a ton of characters from the previous arcs end up showing up, not all of them playable, granted, but they show up regardless. The end of the game's second and final acts are with this spectacle is especially noticeable and for the record, both segments happen to be my favorite moments in the entire series. Heck, the final boss fight is reminiscent of the final fight of Endgame, where a bunch of characters come through portals to join the fight although it's more accurate for it to be the other way around since this game does predate Avengers Endgame by a year.

Of course, like Avengers Endgame, being a spectacle doesn't excuse it from it's flaws. Trails of Cold Steel 4 does still suffer from problems that affected both the previous Cold Steel games and the series as a whole plus some brand new problems. The three biggest ones that come to mind are the fact that Cold Steel 4 has pretty much nullified the threat of death for our heroes for pretty much the rest of the series. Characters that died in the previous game actually "secretly survived" or were straight-up revived. Now, i'll admit, i can't be too hard on this part because of the reason why the Act 2's finale is so good in my eye's is because of a certain character's comeback but i do know that if a character is killed off in a future game, i won't believe it unless there's absolutely no way they're coming back. The other big flaw with this game's plot is that at this point, i think the main villain group Ouroboros is one of my least favorite villain groups ever. I'll admit, they have produced some good characters but the villain group's goals as a whole are still a mystery nine games in. Literally what the actual fuck do these guys want? Even when they're called out on how their organization doesn't actually make sense, they're still like "uhhh it's all part of the Grandmaster's plan". Like, i could compare this to Emperor Palpatine and how his plan to take over the galaxy made no sense but at least we knew what it was he wanted. Oh and speaking of villains, it is kinda lame that a sentient curse being behind it all is kinda lame. The game does make a point that the curse isn't solely to blame but i would've preferred if there were no curse.

I've been talking a lot about the writing because to be fair, that's kinda like the biggest deal for this game. Thankfully, the gameplay is just as solid as it's always been. I don't have much to say about it but i do question the way they nerfed Brave Orders. They nerfed the effects and made them more expensive to use and that was honestly kinda annoying. Then there's the fact that because this game has too many playable characters and it didn't feel like there were enough resources to properly outfit all of them with the latest gear and whatnot.

If you ask me, Trails of Cold Steel 4 was very much worth the wait and it makes me glad i got into the series a few years ago. Just like Avengers Endgame, it was a spectacle i enjoyed until the end (but unlike Endgame, i'm still invested in the series' future whereas i don't really care what the MCU does from now on) Now to wait two years until the next Trails game gets localized because Falcom hates the West.

9/10, game good.

Anyways @Benice what is going on in your user tag?

27 minutes ago, Teeheemperor said:

It's not so hard once you know how the game mechanics work together

Yeah, i guess i really have yet to unlock Orbment's true potential. 

Kinda like Xenoblade X's Overdrive. I've done some basic loops but i have yet to pull off all the crazy shit i've seen people do because it requires tedious endgame augment grinding.

[Benice]

Just now, Armagon said:

Anyways @Benice what is going on in your user tag?

The moral dilemma of calling someone a poopyhead and making an argument or not calling doing that and ignoring their posts.

The supports thread was a mistake...

[Armagon]

Bruhhhhhhhhhh

I saw some cool Xenosaga art on Twitter today but when i went to like it, i was met with "you cannot like Tweets of Protected Users you aren't following".

Why'd i have to get denied like that? Pain. Suffering.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Armagon

[Shrimpica]

12 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Yeah, i guess i really have yet to unlock Orbment's true potential. 

It's not rocket science xD

12 minutes ago, Armagon said:

because it requires tedious endgame augment grinding.

Thankfully not the case in Trails

10 minutes ago, Benice said:

The moral dilemma of calling someone a poopyhead and making an argument or not calling doing that and ignoring their posts.

The supports thread was a mistake...

Just ignore then. It's the best thing to do.

I was about to get into an argument on leddit but then thought to myself "not worth it". Especially if it brings you pain.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Teeheemperor

[Lightcosmo]

12 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Kinda like Xenoblade X's Overdrive. I've done some basic loops but i have yet to pull off all the crazy shit i've seen people do because it requires tedious endgame augment grinding.

It's not too difficult as long as you understand chaining which arts together. (For example: an offence art into a support art increases OD time) not sure of the order anymore, but that was merely an example. that or just have 6,000 TP, should be easy enough.

[Armagon]

8 minutes ago, Teeheemperor said:

Thankfully not the case in Trails

Cause Trails doesn't have post-game.

6 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

It's not too difficult as long as you understand chaining which arts together. (For example: an offence art into a support art increases OD time) not sure of the order anymore, but that was merely an example. that or just have 6,000 TP, should be easy enough.

Like i said, i can do some basic loops but i can't do "kill Gradivus, the Headless Emperor, in five seconds".

Edited May 29, 2021 by Armagon

[Lightcosmo]

Just now, Armagon said:

Like i said, i can do some basic loops but i can't do "kill Gradivus, the Headless Emperor, in five seconds".

That's not really an overdrive loop so much as Core Crusher being busted though. That and Blossom Dance ofc. Looping is also pretty easy in you use Essence Exchange. Knowing the timing isnt too hard and you can minimalise the risk with soul voices that grant invincibility. 

[Armagon]

8 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

That's not really an overdrive loop so much as Core Crusher being busted though. That and Blossom Dance ofc. Looping is also pretty easy in you use Essence Exchange. Knowing the timing isnt too hard and you can minimalise the risk with soul voices that grant invincibility. 

I know. I was saying that i haven't been able to do all the crazy Overdrive shit i've seen people do. Compared to that, basic loops is nothing.

[Interdimensional Observer]

https://nintendoeverything.com/wonhobby-33-figure-news-first-looks-at-xenoblade-chronicles-2-nia-and-fire-emblem-marth-figures-more/

Marth be looking good! ...But what's with his mouth? If those are his teeth showing, then he is a hideous buck-toothed dork and the whole thing is ruined for me. Because, I'm so hard to please.

Oh, and Nia:

Spoiler

Still needs color to become divine, but the sculpting is good.

This Ryza girl got three of the above figurines, one in a bikini like her friend's. 

And, the Princess Sakuna I know got a nendoroid, which might've worked given her actual proportions aren't that far off, but the head is too big and the eyes in particular crush that possibility of it being charming.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Interdimensional Observer

[Armagon]

 

15 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

https://nintendoeverything.com/wonhobby-33-figure-news-first-looks-at-xenoblade-chronicles-2-nia-and-fire-emblem-marth-figures-more/

I love how a bunch of the figures here are anime and then there's Hades.

[Acacia Sgt]

Pft. I'm doing a character quest that is all about a sky race... and the "time-traveling heavily armed and armored biological-and-mechanical-hybrid airship" (I could just say Synth Hydra, but it's funnier that way) is one of the contestants. Somehow he's not in first place... lol

Edited May 29, 2021 by Acacia Sgt

[joevar]

58 minutes ago, Benice said:

The moral dilemma of calling someone a poopyhead and making an argument or not calling doing that and ignoring their posts.

The supports thread was a mistake...

lul. that one get escalated quickly into a messy argument. better ignore and pretend its closed than trying to reason if that will make it worse

people love wearing their horse blinder

Edited May 29, 2021 by joevar

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Quote

9/10, game good.

Nice to see you enjoyed it.

Was my exact same rating.

[Acacia Sgt]

Yeah, it do be like that:

I mean, the subtitle of the game is "The Cat Beyond Time and Space".

[null]

1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Marth be looking good!

*cough*

I hate that figures like that are so expensive. They absolutely warrant it for the amount of effort that goes into making them, but I'll never buy one because I can't justify dropping that much on a decoration for my shelf, lol.

[Benice]

Finished Majima's Cabaret Club substory!

And, with that...

MAD DOG TIME!

Dear lord, all the upgrades...YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAH

[Punished Dayni]

3 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Marth be looking good! ...But what's with his mouth? If those are his teeth showing, then he is a hideous buck-toothed dork and the whole thing is ruined for me. Because, I'm so hard to please.

Hey, buckteeth are reflective of the early artwork in the series.

(Also, I see this is a figure with no alteration possible. RIP getting Marth to use the shield. Or not looking like he's going to fall over because he's so off balance.)

[Eltosian Kadath]

3 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Marth be looking good! ...But what's with his mouth? If those are his teeth showing, then he is a hideous buck-toothed dork and the whole thing is ruined for me. Because, I'm so hard to please.

Marth's face showing emotion? That is completely contradictory with all of his in game appearances

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Even if it might not reflect the actual character, but I always love a figure with a smiling face. The Marth figure looks pretty damn good, but I'm not interested in this one since my love in the Archanean era isn't high enough to justify me spending multiple hundreds of € for a figure. The only figure I got cold feet would be Micaiah. I definitely would buy one to underline my love towards the character and this game.

 

Time to enjoy the weather again finally, so farewell!

Edited May 29, 2021 by Zan Partizanne

[DragonFlames]

13 hours ago, Emperor_Siegfried said:

Can confirm.

Not sure if anybody here was on Deviantart back in 2008, but I just remembered the whole Mudkip avatar change and just tried to think of some similar event that could happen here.  I still think it should be done.

The madlad actually took a screenshot. XD
Oh boy, with the weird Nopon as a pfp too.
Ah, good times! xD

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