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

[Val the Moofia Boss]

It's supposed to be the most egregious and worst game in the entire series

I learned long ago that the fanbase's opinions are not credible. They said SC and Ao were masterpieces when they were mediocre at best. They said Kuro 1 was a return to form when it wasn't. They said CS2 was the worst game when it was the best. I've long since stopped caring about the "plot moving forward". And on and on. Kuro 2 seems to have much more likeable playable characters, and from what I hear has a gameplay area where you can focus on the combat and character building which sounds fun.

 

[Lyre Mors]

learned long ago that the fanbase's opinions are not credible.

I didn't acquire this opinion from the "fanbase" but rather another singular trusted source. He said the game is the worst, but he loved it. But I agree for the most part (except I think I'll like Kuro 1 way more than you). My favorites are generally cited as the "worst" by the "fanbase."

However, it does seem like you're constantly bringing up how annoyed you are about the "plot not moving forward." So it seems like something you care about quite a bit.

 

[Rean]

I feel like a $20 whore being torn between you guys. I frequently agree with points you both make.

CS is peak Kiseki. But it also wore out its welcome.

I think a straighter laser-focus and permanent shift to Erebonia would make the games infinitely better. There's a little bit too much jumping around.

 

[Lyre Mors]

I think a straighter laser-focus and permanent shift to Erebonia would make the games infinitely better. There's a little bit too much jumping around.

The series is kind of defined by exploring the different cultures and geography of the continent though. That's one of the reasons I love it so much. I feel like people who don't want this are genuinely wasting their time playing the wrong series of videogames. Zemuria as a whole is the main character of the entire series.

 

[Rean]

I think a straighter laser-focus and permanent shift to Erebonia would make the games infinitely better. There's a little bit too much jumping around.

The series is kind of defined by exploring the different cultures and geography of the continent though. That's one of the reasons I love it so much. I feel like people who don't want this are genuinely wasting their time playing the wrong series of videogames. Zemuria is the main character of the entire series.

You're right, and I do love getting to know all about the Zemuria setting they've built, but it's getting a bit too obvious with the 'write as you make' videogame curse.

This is an extremely common writing trope that has been around since time immemorial, but it kind of batters immersion when it comes to the continuous setting they're trying to pull off. First, it was pretty much just Liberl, if you recall the first Sky games. Then, places and parts of the setting were inserted as needed to expand the world, rather than them being there by default.

It's starting to feel a bit like 'this successive part of the continent will be the most important yet!' rather than 'every location is equally important'. The latter is, of course, a monumental undertaking, and requires prewriting pretty much an entire world lore. We're already way past that.

Note that we know next to nothing about the world outside Zemuria, despite it not being the whole world! Which is why I think picking a region and sticking with its continuous development would serve everyone much better.

 

[Lyre Mors]

but it's getting a bit too obvious with the 'write as you make' videogame curse.

I mean, in some ways, maybe. But in general, the seeds of Calvard were planted in my mind the moment I met Zin and Kilika in FC. The seeds of Erebonia with the embassy and Olivier. There's incredibly important things in regards to Osborne we learn in 3rd that don't come to fruition until 4-5 games later, that tie directly into the culture of Erebonia. I think there's been pretty general ideas of what these places were like from the first game in the series, and I think that's pretty damn impressive for the most part.

From what I've seen so far, Calvard is matching up with the expectations that began to form eleven games ago in my mind. Before I had any idea we'd ever get to actually adventure there.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I think Calvard actually should be a multi-country arc, as the Calvard that was described in Sky and Crossbell was being invaded and just as imperialistic as Erebonia. A Calvard arc would be about a character rediscovering his true Calvardian heritage before the revolution and taking up the sword of his great grandfather and becoming a Zorro figure, fighting against the triads and a powerful state of politicians and oil barons and having to flee, travelling to the wasteland of the East, finding some hangers on in the dying villages there, slaying evil warlords, finding the cure to restore the land so the Easterners can go back home, finding the long lost heir to Calvard's throne in hiding, bringing him back and overthrowing the corrupt government and restoring Calvard back to how it should have been, bringing peace and stability back to the region as a whole. Everyone gets their lands and prestige back.

 

[Rean]

om what I've seen so far, Calvard is matching up with the expectations that began to form eleven games ago in my mind.

Maybe you're right. I shall relay my thoughts post Daybreak.

I think Calvard actually should be a multi-country arc, as the Calvard that was described in Sky and Crossbell was being invaded and just as imperialistic as Erebonia. A Calvard arc would be about a character rediscovering his true Calvardian heritage before the revolution and taking up the sword of his great grandfather and becoming a Zorro figure, fighting against the triads and a powerful state of politicians and oil barons and having to flee, travelling to the wasteland of the East, finding some hangers on in the dying villages there, slaying evil warlords, finding the cure to restore the land so the Easterners can go back home, finding the long lost heir to Calvard's throne in hiding, bringing him back and overthrowing the corrupt government and restoring Calvard back to how it should have been, bringing peace and stability back to the region as a whole. Everyone gets their lands and prestige back.

While your premise sounds cool, I once again disagree with your character-centric concepts, and this is coming from someone in love with Rean. More grand-scale, less character-focus would serve everyone better. Do I love Kiseki characters? Fuck yeah. They're more developed than in any other game, period. But I do think that adding more onto the pile is risking severe bloating and sidelining past MCs even more.
How to fix this problem? Instead of introducing 20 more characters, have someone like Rixia be the MC.

 

[Rean]

Holy shit, the PC port has MSAA with SGSAA support? Another win by Durante, haven't seen this in any non-indie game in over a decade.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Daybreak is awesome so far. Switchibg between TB and action is seamless, and i love the stun mechanics.
Story and characters are great, van is top tier mc along with kevin.

But there are also problem. You basically cannot steal turn bonus anymore? Like that's basically the point of S-craft breaks and delays crafts/arts. It is a unique trails game mechanic that i really love and apparently you cannot do it anymore?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

This is an extremely common writing trope that has been around since time immemorial, but it kind of batters immersion when it comes to the continuous setting they're trying to pull off. First, it was pretty much just Liberl, if you recall the first Sky games. Then, places and parts of the setting were inserted as needed to expand the world, rather than them being there by default.

It's starting to feel a bit like 'this successive part of the continent will be the most important yet!' rather than 'every location is equally important'. The latter is, of course, a monumental undertaking, and requires prewriting pretty much an entire world lore. We're already way past that.

Sounds like the typical problem with epic fantasy. Unless you have a pre-determined endpoint and you stick to it, you end up collapsing under the weight of your own sequel baggage. Every new entry is just setup and build up for "the REAL story" that never seems to arrive. And if it does, it's hella disappointing (Attack on Titan). Kentaro Miura once said that after 350 chapters, Berserk was "just getting started." Then he died.

Kiseki is the most successful epic fantasy game series to date, which is impressive. The realities of game development mean long-term plans rarely survive a single sequel (e.g. Mass Effect, Dragon Age). But I think epic fantasy in general is just too flawed to ever properly work.

 

[jungl]

Okay so I start daybreak yesterday here are my initial thoughts. these visuals look nice, main character is mature not a teenager thats cool, great another cutesy teenager trails girl #54354 boring, city look pretty but the design is lol basic bad, another fucking sewer section wow at least it looks spacious and combat system is fun. Overall the prologue is about a hour long and sets up the player for excitement but then comes finally the actual trails gameplay.

HURR CAN YOU FIND MY SENTIMENTAL ITEM ITS MY GRANDFATHER CONDOM its really preciouss to me!1111. Kill this monster in the sewer save this generic sweetheart girl #53414! God forbid falcom write a woman that happens to be a bitch and not marriage material fantasy for weebs just once. Kill these wolves. Sit through generic cringe dialogue where you can predict thousands of words of it before its on screen because characters are boring archetypes that never break the mold.

Yup the next 3-4 hours of gameplay are pure shit. The padding for trails games is worse then old jrpgs with high encounter rates at times.

 

[Lyre Mors]

Yup the next 3-4 hours of gameplay are pure shit. The padding for trails games is worse then old jrpgs with high encounter rates at times.

This is the 11th game in the series. If you don't like how these games play, why are you still playing? Go find something to enjoy in life instead of wasting your time playing a game you know is going to be similar to the 10 games that came before it.

 

[Lyre Mors]

But there are also problem. You basically cannot steal turn bonus anymore? Like that's basically the point of S-craft breaks and delays crafts/arts. It is a unique trails game mechanic that i really love and apparently you cannot do it anymore?

Tying turn bonuses to particular characters and monsters was awkward for me at first, but it makes sense and creates more tension in fights. No more stealing S-break crits and pounding the enemies into oblivion. There's so many ways to get an edge in this system, so I actually kind of appreciate them neutering some easily exploitable cheese tactics.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Does this game have any kind of free-roam or is it more of the same "You missed three golden crickets in chapter 2, you are now permanently locked out of half the content, better luck on your next 100 hour playthrough" missable FOMO shit?

 

[Lyre Mors]

The structure is very similar to Trails from Zero.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

The structure is very similar to Trails from Zero.

That doesn't help me, I've only played Cold Steel

 

[Lyre Mors]

That doesn't help me, I've only played Cold Steel

It's not free-roam. Chapters start in the capital city where you end up taking on a few jobs, then sometimes you venture to outlying towns and cities in the second half of the chapter. Movement in these places is fairly free once you've unlocked a particular area.

 

[dutchwench]

Does this game have any kind of free-roam or is it more of the same "You missed three golden crickets in chapter 2, you are now permanently locked out of half the content, better luck on your next 100 hour playthrough" missable FOMO shit?

If you're wondering what kind of BS the game will have you obsessively collecting this time around, it's cinema pamphlets. Not worth the trouble, in my opinion, but if you're going to be focused on the social links then you'll probably pick them up along the way.

 

[Rean]

I... I think certain PEOPLE are taking certain CREATIVE LIBERTIES with the translation.

 

[Rean]

Sounds like the typical problem with epic fantasy. Unless you have a pre-determined endpoint and you stick to it, you end up collapsing under the weight of your own sequel baggage. Every new entry is just setup and build up for "the REAL story" that never seems to arrive. And if it does, it's hella disappointing (Attack on Titan). Kentaro Miura once said that after 350 chapters, Berserk was "just getting started." Then he died.

Kiseki is the most successful epic fantasy game series to date, which is impressive. The realities of game development mean long-term plans rarely survive a single sequel (e.g. Mass Effect, Dragon Age). But I think epic fantasy in general is just too flawed to ever properly work.

I made the post you're replying to before I had actually checked out some of the bits present in the game's main menu. Suffice to say, this notion is addressed with full acknowledgment of the fact that they're showing us snippets of stories driven by characters, rather than an overarching tale.

I'm not ultra worried about the future as regards to Falcom themselves, and I'm only just getting started on Daybreak/Kuro. I only needed a little bit to adjust to the new characters and setting, but the game's not missing anything.

I don't think epic fantasy is flawed as a genre. The issue is rather that longterm settings require competent and passionate people who possess the original vision present to work on them. Trails isn't immortal, but it's still awesome; a fact you can tell by just picking up the latest entry and playing through the prologue (yeah, it takes 2-3 hours to finish the prologue, but shut up).

And if you want to get a feeling for just how good it is, look at some of the posters in this thread, ignoring the content of their posts. They just can't stop playing, despite their anonymous, impersonal vitriol (and the fact this forum encourages being angsty in general). I left a comment on jungl's profile three years ago for whining about Cold Steel, but here he is again and he's already played more than me. He'll be playing these games a decade down the line as well.
They all always come back.
You know why?

Because Trails is king. Flawed as these games may be, there are no better games and probably never will be.

 

[Yuber]

 

[Rean]

I'm gonna commit mass localizercide.

 

[jungl]

I only completed 2 trails games its very easy to abandon them especially the sequel titles. I play a lot of jrpg including tons of indie shit doesn't mean I play the games all the way though. Fyi I don't even read my profile messages till the last letter cause im not looking to fuck anyone here.

 

[Elttharion]

IIRC he says in Japanese something like 'are you a boy or a girl?'. A much better translation would be 'I was wondering if I should call you Miss or Mister...'. No one talks like that in real life. There was another game, Super Robot wars 30 IIRC, that had the same problem: character says in japanese to ask if someone is a boy or a girl. English localizer changed it to ask for 'their pronouns' or something like that.

Anyway, total lolcowlizer death and all that. Pirate the game and use the fan pach, never give your money to Nisa.

Edit: Forgot to say, for good or bad Japanese companies are investing billions in AI translation so the localizers days are numbered. Sure AI will be bad for other reasons but at least I will laugh at the lolcowlizers having meltdowns on twitter. I had to change my account because most of them blocked me, all I posted was a picture of a clock and a laugh emoji.