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The Legend of Heroes Thread - Trails of Cold Steel in the Sky

Arkeus

Arcane
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Messages
1,406
So I have almost finished Cold Steel, will probably finish it soon, and it is really good in a lot of ways (the gameworld/school is maybe the best example of a world that has separate agency and it's great), but goddamit Rean is a pain in the ass.

I know it's a thing I have that sometimes I dislike main characters, but goddam I have grown to hate Rean. He is some kind of monster that renders everyone around him more boring and who constantly has to be an asshole to everyone, except those people praise him for it.
 

HoboForEternity

sunset tequila
Patron
Joined
Mar 27, 2016
Messages
9,174
Location
Disco Elysium
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I wish i coukd play csteel without apending +100 dollars.

Pstv is relatively cheap, but i am not sure with my crappy, 3rd world internet speed uugh
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
aw. i want to see that mayor's booty animated. now that's a woman. her butler is hot too, i wonder they do stuff together.

You mean maid or housekeeper. Butler is an exclusively male role.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Deleted member 7219

Guest
Aaaaargh. I just missed out on getting an S rank for Chapter 2. Didn't speak to a guy at Aurochs Fort. Thought I had done everything but I obviously missed him. Perils of playing without referring to a walkthrough I guess. I want the S rank but I also don't want to be spoiled at all...

Oh well, I guess the ranks you get don't actually matter that much if you don't care about items.
 

paintinggrey

Scholar
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
134
I am playing the Trails in the sky:FC at chapter 3 but i am i starting to get really bored. Does it get better? This game certainly has a lot of dialogue padding.

Also what with everyone mentioning and trying to hook up Estelle and Joshua? Jesus it feels like some weird adopted sister/brother fantasy. It wouldn't have been so weird if Joshua called Cassius 'Cassius' instead of Dad and Estelle banging on about being siblings all time. Is this theme through the whole game and SC?
 

flyingjohn

Arcane
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
2,944
I am playing the Trails in the sky:FC at chapter 3 but i am i starting to get really bored. Does it get better? This game certainly has a lot of dialogue padding.
The dialogue padding is the reason most people play the series,so if you aren't interested in the story and dialogue there is no real reason to continue playing.
The only place where combat gets harder is the final dungeon,and that comes way later from where you are right now.
As for the incest part.well that seems to be a part of the series considering cold steel has several incest undertones as well.
I guess it is a Japanese thing.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I am playing the Trails in the sky:FC at chapter 3 but i am i starting to get really bored. Does it get better? This game certainly has a lot of dialogue padding.

Also what with everyone mentioning and trying to hook up Estelle and Joshua? Jesus it feels like some weird adopted sister/brother fantasy. It wouldn't have been so weird if Joshua called Cassius 'Cassius' instead of Dad and Estelle banging on about being siblings all time. Is this theme through the whole game and SC?

It does get better. I felt the same way about FC but then there was a sudden shift in the plot and the stakes got much higher. I really liked the second half of FC and all of SC.

The Estelle/Joshua relationship gets worse. In SC it isn't as bad because of story reasons (no spoilers) but there's a lot of people egging them on in FC, as if they want to see them fuck in the street. The weirdest thing is everyone knows they consider each other brother and sister, and they share the same surname. Not once does anyone ever suggest it is the slightest bit strange. Actually, I think the only character who ever has misgivings is Estelle herself, quite early on, but she quickly casts these aside.
 

flyingjohn

Arcane
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
2,944
It does get better. I felt the same way about FC but then there was a sudden shift in the plot and the stakes got much higher. I really liked the second half of FC and all of SC.
If i am not mistaken chapter 4 follows the same structure as every other chapter,except the ending part where you get some actual revelation.
Unfortunately after that comes chapter 5 tournament(and the plot freezes again) which takes almost half of the chapter,with the other half bringing actual plot points,but considering that is that the actual ending part of the game it is no surprise.

The pacing seems to follow this formula:
-Enter city
-Do errands with small foreshadowing of greater things
-chapter end comes and plot actually moves forward
-repeat till the end of the game

I don't mind this,but people who are getting tired of the game during chapter 1-3 probably won't have a good reason to continue.
 

paintinggrey

Scholar
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
134
I am playing the Trails in the sky:FC at chapter 3 but i am i starting to get really bored. Does it get better? This game certainly has a lot of dialogue padding.

Also what with everyone mentioning and trying to hook up Estelle and Joshua? Jesus it feels like some weird adopted sister/brother fantasy. It wouldn't have been so weird if Joshua called Cassius 'Cassius' instead of Dad and Estelle banging on about being siblings all time. Is this theme through the whole game and SC?

It does get better. I felt the same way about FC but then there was a sudden shift in the plot and the stakes got much higher. I really liked the second half of FC and all of SC.

The Estelle/Joshua relationship gets worse. In SC it isn't as bad because of story reasons (no spoilers) but there's a lot of people egging them on in FC, as if they want to see them fuck in the street. The weirdest thing is everyone knows they consider each other brother and sister, and they share the same surname. Not once does anyone ever suggest it is the slightest bit strange. Actually, I think the only character who ever has misgivings is Estelle herself, quite early on, but she quickly casts these aside.

Yeah i noticed that too, kinda too forced in my opinion and too weird for me. Guess will have to power through then and continue to roll my eyes with those Estelle/josh moments.

Pretty disappointed so far, heard so much hype. I really hope Valkyria Chronicles doesn't disappoint, please god.
 

flyingjohn

Arcane
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
2,944
Pretty disappointed so far, heard so much hype. I really hope Valkyria Chronicles doesn't disappoint, please god.

Valkyria Chronicles is a pretty good game(if you are into srpgs and tactical games),but you should check out this mod on steam:https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=498442298.
It is a nice re balance mod,and here is a codex discussion about the mod:http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...es-gallian-crossfire-pc-rebalance-mod.102052/
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...es-gallian-crossfire-pc-rebalance-mod.102052/
Just changing A-Rank turn requirements is a blessing alone.

The only flaw is the story(anime cliches),but the game play is top notch.
 

paintinggrey

Scholar
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
134
Pretty disappointed so far, heard so much hype. I really hope Valkyria Chronicles doesn't disappoint, please god.

Valkyria Chronicles is a pretty good game(if you are into srpgs and tactical games),but you should check out this mod on steam:https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=498442298.
It is a nice re balance mod,and here is a codex discussion about the mod:http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...es-gallian-crossfire-pc-rebalance-mod.102052/
Just changing A-Rank turn requirements is a blessing alone.

The only flaw is the story(anime cliches),but the game play is top notch.

Thanks for that much appreciated, I will check it out. Rpgcodex never disappoints when i need help.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I really like Valkyria Chronicles, especially with the high res and no canvas mods. But it is much more of a strategy title in the vein of Commandos than a full fledged RPG like the Trails games. I don't think it's fair to compare them to each other.

Valkyria has a decent story - it's basically Band of Brothers, with some crazy technology thrown in, and the odd bit of awful Japanese cutesyness, but it doesn't have the same kind of complex, character-driven world building as Trails. And the gameplay is very different. In Trails, you explore and complete quests. In Valkyria, you play through missions and the aim is to complete them in the smallest amount of turns. So, different games, and it's unhelpful to talk about them in the same thread. There is a very good thread elsewhere on the Codex for Valkyria.
 

Somberlain

Arcane
Zionist Agent
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
6,202
Location
Basement
Aaaaargh. I just missed out on getting an S rank for Chapter 2. Didn't speak to a guy at Aurochs Fort. Thought I had done everything but I obviously missed him. Perils of playing without referring to a walkthrough I guess. I want the S rank but I also don't want to be spoiled at all...

Oh well, I guess the ranks you get don't actually matter that much if you don't care about items.

It's not too punishing. You can miss something like 10 AP and still get the best rank and all the related items in the end. There are a few missable hidden quests and events in every chapter though.
 
Self-Ejected

Bubbles

I'm forever blowing
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
7,817
The RPGWatch gives 86% to Trails of Cold Steel:

Death by Exposure is a new semiregular column where I will explore RPG experiences most RPGWatch readers might not normally be exposed to. I hope to entertain you and give you a good look at games you might miss otherwise.

Please note that this is not currently a PC release, so if you aren't interested, you may not wish to read any further. -A

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is the third volume in the widely-acclaimed Legend of Heroes series. That makes it an odd place for NIS to go, since they haven't launched the second volume (the "Crossbell" story arc) for a western audience. Still, Trails of Cold Steel is a standalone game; playing the second story arc helps your understanding of what's going on, but it's definitely not required. Cold Steel is a solid RPG that can very much be enjoyed on its own.

Trails of Cold Steel takes you to the Erebonian Empire and enrolls you as a student of the prestigious Thors Military Academy. As a member of the newly-formed Class VII, you'll complete tasks to help the student council, all while building relationships with your classmates that will translate into bonuses in combat. The questing system will look familiar if you enjoyed Trails in the Sky; you're presented with a log and the game keeps track of the quests you finish and the ones you ignore. That log will also tease your inner completionist, since it keeps track of the books and newspapers you've read, as well as the recipes you've collected.

As part of your curriculum, your teacher often sends you to different parts of the empire to help locals with problems, much like the Bracers did in Trails in the Sky. You will alternate between these trips and forays into the "old school", the foreboding medieval building on the Academy grounds. When the school's principal sends you down there, you'll come to find that the basement changes all the time, giving you a different dungeon experience with each trip.

The story centers around a young man named Rean Schwarzer, who becomes a sort of leader for Class VII. Erebonia's harsh class differences can be seen at Thors, since all of the school's other classes are divided based on whether someone is nobility or common. Class VII is unique in that it includes students from every social background and draws no distinction between them. Rean himself serves as a bridge between the embattled social strata, and in that light, embodies Class VII.


Combat and Familiar Themes
Like Trails in the Sky, Cold Steel features turn-based combat, but it introduces some flavorful additions.

You'll definitely recognize the familiar arts system, with a slight twist. Members of Class VII have access to a new piece of technology called an ARCUS. Each student's ARCUS is unique and gives them access to orbal arts. The system inherits the "master quartz" system from the previous volume, giving each student a unique orb. The newest modification is the "combat link" system. From the wiki: "It allows allies in combat to ‘resonate’ with each other and perform powerful attacks together. [It also] increases the effectiveness of abilities between individuals with strong ties to each other." So you'll definitely want to pay attention to building good relationships between characters on your free days.

The only problem I have is with the game's difficulty settings. I started the game on normal difficulty - I wanted to experience the game as it was meant to be played. I was disappointed, though, when battles dragged out into slogfests. The problem wasn't in the difficulty per se...it was in how that difficulty was implemented. It felt like enemies were simply given higher defense and more hit points, so each fight felt tiring instead of giving me the challenge I had anticipated. Turning the difficulty back down to easy made battles more enjoyable and gave me the stamina to fight my way through dungeons and outdoor areas, but left me craving a bit more "edge" to fights.

Look and Feel
Trails of Cold Steel is a massive step up for the series in terms of visuals. The interface is crisp, clean, and modern. It's a classy game to look at. In my opinion, though, the game's biggest improvement over earlier entries in its music. Trails of Cold Steel's music is harder and somehow...steelier. It's almost a little reminiscent of Ys with its metal influences, and it lends the game an air of grim seriousness that the more whimsical Trails in the Sky lacked. It makes you feel like more is at stake here, and its energy powers you through battles to see what's on the other side. It's still able to give you softer music for towns, enabling you to sit back and take in the scenery at your leisure. It feels like the soundtrack is more accomplished, mature, and sophisticated this time, no matter the zone or mood.

Conclusion
Like I said before, Trails of Cold Steel was one of my favorite RPGs of last year; it hit all the right notes for me. Since I know most of you won't be playing the Vita version, I hope this game gets a PC release, for your sake. It definitely deserves one.

I've given it a solid 86%.



Pros

Excellent music


Clean visuals


Link system adds a fun new dimension to combat


Long game



Cons

Difficulty increases feel lazy in implementation

http://www.rpgwatch.com/articles/death-by-exposure--trails-of-cold-steel-377.html

Their next review will be of Persona 4: Golden.
 

LJ40

Cipher
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
612
Location
Wizardry/Ultima/Goldbox
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is the third volume in the widely-acclaimed Legend of Heroes series."

Yeah, more like eleventh (Or fifth if they're talking overall story arcs). Either way The Watch seems as retarded as implied around here.
 
Self-Ejected

an Administrator

Self-Ejected
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Messages
4,337
Location
Where expecting basics is considered perfectionism
w2LPrBa
 

InD_ImaginE

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
5,365
Pathfinder: Wrath
Any way to mod in the new ost and/or art from EVO to PC version of Trails in th Sky (FC and/or SC)?
 

4249

I stalk the night
Patron
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Messages
1,216
PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex Codex Year of the Donut Divinity: Original Sin 2
The soundtrack is located as ogg-files in the game's folder, so replacing those with respective ones from the EVO soundtrack should work.
 

Nomad_Blizz

Arcane
Joined
Dec 18, 2014
Messages
332
I took my time and finished SC in 149 hours in hard difficulty...I didn't like the final boss fight though, enjoyed Lowe's a lot more (it's probably the hardest in the game apart from the one in prologue lol) and I even made a video for the fight. Don't regret spending so much time on it and I do hope trails of cold steel comes to pc someday.

Video has spoilers (obvously). The fight probably would've been easier if I used Kevin and his S-Craft but I find him annoying and never used him unless I had to for story reasons.

 

Somberlain

Arcane
Zionist Agent
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
6,202
Location
Basement
Loewe and the prologue boss are definitely the hardest, though the latter is difficult only on harder settings since the stat boosts give him such an edge in speed and you have so few characters, arts and items to work with. Loewe is not that difficult either, if you realize that he is vulnerable to Clock Down. On my first Hard playthrough I didn't try that so it was really tricky, he used his S-crafts probably 4-5 times during the fight, while on my second Hard game he only used Demon Flames once and that was it.

I'll play through both TitS games once more on nightmare before ToCS2 comes out so I'm curious how the bosses are then.
 

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