Somberlain
Arcane
This is probably my favorite of the non-metal/rock tracks. That middle part especially is great.
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The Legend of Heroes Thread - Trails of Cold Steel in the Sky
- Thread starter Crooked Bee
- Start date
Deleted member 7219
Guest
So, I set aside two hours before work this morning to try to complete the game and I still ran out of time. Seems like there's a LOT of stuff even after the Final Dungeon. I wasn't able to finish the game before leaving for work...
Not complaining though. It looks like a lot of important plot threads are being resolved, or at least being developed a bit more. I won't get my copy of TOCS 2 until 11th Nov so I'm not in any real rush to finish the game.
Not complaining though. It looks like a lot of important plot threads are being resolved, or at least being developed a bit more. I won't get my copy of TOCS 2 until 11th Nov so I'm not in any real rush to finish the game.
Deleted member 7219
Guest
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2014
- Messages
- 14,202
I got both of them.
Cold Steel 2's final dungeon theme is rather nice.
And is this dungeon track from Zero no Kiseki that plays in one section.
And is this dungeon track from Zero no Kiseki that plays in one section.
Deleted member 7219
Guest
Haven't put my thoughts together yet, but as far as Rean is concerned, I thought he was annoyingly nice all the way through the game, always apologising to other characters and being ultra polite (like every other Trails character).
At the very end of TOCS 1 he becomes a whiner when the others tell him to take the mech and run. The voice actor does an appalling job when Rean is shouting "Nooooo! I want to stay! Nooooo!", that was the only time I really started to dislike the character.
My chief gripe is how overly modest he is. Guy needs to learn to take some kind of pride in his abilities and achievements.
Somberlain
Arcane
I find Rean to be a bit bland but it comes off as more or less intentional like in many jRPGs. As in, if you make a predefined protagonist with a strong personality and notable quirks, you risk annoying a lot of players, so it's a safer bet this way.
I don't mind Rean, but i'd rather have someone like Crow as a JRPG protag. Though we might get a less "standard" male protag in Trails the 3rd with Kevin Graham if he manages to keep his persona from SC.
Deleted member 7219
Guest
Thoughts on Cold Steel 1:
Combat: I think the combat system in Trails of Cold Steel the best I've found in any JRPG, the combat link system works really well - I always like seeing real gameplay rewards from the extra time you spend building relationships with characters, and it is a major element of the combat system here. Crafts are the same as they were in Trails in the Sky, which is ok with me because I like them a lot. Arts haven't really changed either, although they do seem weaker this time around, and later in the game it seems almost pointless to use arts over crafts because of how difficult it is to buff ATS compared to other stats. It seems like Elliott, Emma and Jusis are meant to be your arts-based characters, but I didn't think any of them were a match for Oliver and Kloe in Trails in the Sky.
Quests and Game World: The story-related quests are just as good as they were in Trails in the Sky, if not better. A fully 3D world means there is a lot more detail in the places you visit and explore, which means the quests can get visually more interesting too.
I loved the chapter structure which was a mix of school-related stuff, followed by a big mission to somewhere in Erebonia. It was nice to spend so much time in one place (the school) and watch it change over the course of the year. Side quests are the same as they were in Trails in the Sky - finding people's lost cats, killing monsters, etc, which is fine because there's so much good content in the main quests.
Characters: Better characters than Trails in the Sky because of how well developed they are. The focus of Trails in the Sky was undoubtedly the incestuous relationship between Estelle and Joshua, and you don't really see the other characters change over the course of the games, or really find out what motivates them. It isn't like that in Cold Steel. Even a character I utterly despised for the first half of the game, Machias, grew on me as the game progressed and I saw a better side to him, and I started to use him in my party towards the end. I did focus mainly on the girls, though - can't get enough of dem schoolgirl outfits. Favourite party: Rean, Alisa, Emma, Laura, with Fie and Millium (no paedo - I found Lammy useful) in support. Least favourite character: Crow.
Story: So many twists and turns!
Writing: Very good, and superb localisation. The writers have a great sense of humour, they know how to make likeable and interesting characters, and the game setting is mature and mostly believable. My only criticism is actually a rather big one, and applies to Trails in the Sky too - people are just too damn NICE. Always apologising to each other. And the rule seems to be, if someone apologises to you, you should say "No, you don't need to apologise, I should be the one apologising to you!". It's infuriating and I just fucking wish the characters would grow some balls. It seems like the only characters who aren't constantly falling onto their knees and showing weakness are the bad guys... and they have their problems too, in terms of being cliche villains, explaining their plans, and always saying "Hahaha, being beaten by you was our plan all along! We won really!" every time you meet them in combat.... it gets repetitive fast.
Music: Damn good, obviously.
Controls: Didn't have any problems with the controller - I played Trails in the Sky with a gamepad on PC so I didn't miss the mouse and keyboard, and there's no need for them anyway because the interface is based around quick-to-use menus.
Graphics: Left until last because they aren't important, but I really, really didn't like the lighting and the art style in this one... colours are too harsh, almost neon, and you can tell it was designed to be played on PS Vita. It would be interesting to see what Falcom do with the next Trails games, because there's no reason (other than budget I guess) why they can't make a game that looks as good as Witcher 3 - I don't mean in art style, but in graphics fidelity.
Combat: I think the combat system in Trails of Cold Steel the best I've found in any JRPG, the combat link system works really well - I always like seeing real gameplay rewards from the extra time you spend building relationships with characters, and it is a major element of the combat system here. Crafts are the same as they were in Trails in the Sky, which is ok with me because I like them a lot. Arts haven't really changed either, although they do seem weaker this time around, and later in the game it seems almost pointless to use arts over crafts because of how difficult it is to buff ATS compared to other stats. It seems like Elliott, Emma and Jusis are meant to be your arts-based characters, but I didn't think any of them were a match for Oliver and Kloe in Trails in the Sky.
Quests and Game World: The story-related quests are just as good as they were in Trails in the Sky, if not better. A fully 3D world means there is a lot more detail in the places you visit and explore, which means the quests can get visually more interesting too.
The chapter based in the Nord highlands remains a favourite of mine due to the horseback riding and the almost open world feel.
Characters: Better characters than Trails in the Sky because of how well developed they are. The focus of Trails in the Sky was undoubtedly the incestuous relationship between Estelle and Joshua, and you don't really see the other characters change over the course of the games, or really find out what motivates them. It isn't like that in Cold Steel. Even a character I utterly despised for the first half of the game, Machias, grew on me as the game progressed and I saw a better side to him, and I started to use him in my party towards the end. I did focus mainly on the girls, though - can't get enough of dem schoolgirl outfits. Favourite party: Rean, Alisa, Emma, Laura, with Fie and Millium (no paedo - I found Lammy useful) in support. Least favourite character: Crow.
Story: So many twists and turns!
My only criticism is how slow it is to start, and how so much of the detail is only revealed right at the very end. It actually felt very Harry Potter-ish in how nothing really makes sense until the end when you get a whole lot of exposition explaining who did what. I knew C had to be someone close to the students but I thought it was Jusis' brother, because he seemed like a bit of a cunt, but no. It doesn't wholly make sense as to why Crow is the bad guy, but it fits in with the Trails gameworld I guess - these developers love making murderous kids! His true motivations haven't been revealed but I guess they are leaving that to the sequel. I liked Oliver's presence throughout the story, and the leadership role he plays when it comes to military/police matters. It does open the question as to what the Emperor is doing, though. I'm interested to see what Sara, Claire, Valestein (I think that's his name - the other instructor), and the other bracer (can't remember his name) are doing, what their organisation is called (are they all Bracers?) and what their plan is to stabilise Erebonian politics. What I liked the most actually was how well the politics was done in this game.... even if the main bad guys were frustratingly under developed, I think they did a good job establishing the other factions and the world as a whole. As for Rean... he doesn't really have a personality, so in that sense he isn't as good as Estelle, but I'm kinda glad he doesn't because I can make a personality for him instead and pick my waifu (currently Alisa)
Writing: Very good, and superb localisation. The writers have a great sense of humour, they know how to make likeable and interesting characters, and the game setting is mature and mostly believable. My only criticism is actually a rather big one, and applies to Trails in the Sky too - people are just too damn NICE. Always apologising to each other. And the rule seems to be, if someone apologises to you, you should say "No, you don't need to apologise, I should be the one apologising to you!". It's infuriating and I just fucking wish the characters would grow some balls. It seems like the only characters who aren't constantly falling onto their knees and showing weakness are the bad guys... and they have their problems too, in terms of being cliche villains, explaining their plans, and always saying "Hahaha, being beaten by you was our plan all along! We won really!" every time you meet them in combat.... it gets repetitive fast.
Music: Damn good, obviously.
Controls: Didn't have any problems with the controller - I played Trails in the Sky with a gamepad on PC so I didn't miss the mouse and keyboard, and there's no need for them anyway because the interface is based around quick-to-use menus.
Graphics: Left until last because they aren't important, but I really, really didn't like the lighting and the art style in this one... colours are too harsh, almost neon, and you can tell it was designed to be played on PS Vita. It would be interesting to see what Falcom do with the next Trails games, because there's no reason (other than budget I guess) why they can't make a game that looks as good as Witcher 3 - I don't mean in art style, but in graphics fidelity.
Rean(obviously), Jusis, Laura(aka my "nuker" due to how i was able to one shot a few bosses with her S-Craft given my setup with her) and Alisa(aka CP battery) were my go to team in CS1(Rean,Sara, Jusis and Laura were my CS2 one). Elliot is my least liked character, i don't dislike him, but he gets easily outclassed in characterization by damn near everyone else(even Millium).
Oh and Valestein is Sara's surname(and the name of the castle in Ys Oath in Felghana too), i think you're referring to Neinhardt(Blonde military instructor fellow) and Toval(male bracer who becomes guest companion in CS2) and fun fact about him, those "Carnelia" books from Trails in the Sky were about him.
Being able to pick out a waifu is prety nice too, and i enjoyed the Sara "path" in both games, and i was actually surprised by the sexual over/undertones of it in CS1, like if you take her to the "love garden"(forgot the actual name for it) in the school festival, she jokes about how they can go elsewhere to bang after Rean comments that nothing "could" happen due to the amount of people around them. Speaking of her, i rank her second to my boy Olivier as far as fave characters from the Trails games go.
Arkeus
Arcane
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2012
- Messages
- 1,406
Basically, to me he is textbook passive agressive, whre he gets his way by being polite and then just ignoring everything he has said and walking all over people. He really pushed all my "selfish assholes" buttons where he pretends he is doing things for other people.
I basically spent half the game hoping people would punch the little shit.
Well, keep in mind that Erebonia are... not the good guys. In fact, the 'bad guys' in this story seem to be "The Sister" and her possible henchwoman with the chains, with the semibad guys being, well, the chancellor faction and noble faction both.
As you've apparently played Sky, you should have seen enough of the world to realise what kind of motivation C and so on can have. In some ways Cold steel is more mature than Sky as the ones you are helping out are monsters, but OTOH I also consider it much more limited as the focus on the school and a very tight plot means less of an understanding of the continent as a whole.
Character-wise I really liked most of them, except the Waifuing means that instead of the characters punching Rean in the face when he talked to them they got more and more delusional about how sexy he was.
Means I felt somehow punished for spending time with my favorites
Last edited:
Arcks
Educated
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2008
- Messages
- 90
I just finished first one, and I don't remember single instance of such. Hell, in most cases he actually manages to antagonize someone, he instantly regrets it is apologizing almost instantly.
Regarding the game itself, eh... I didn't really learn from TITS, as I was pretty pissed again when games plot didn't actually start until final few hours, just to sell sequel. Yes, I know it's gimmick of these games, and I'm retarded, but still, I kinda wish most game wasn't essentially setting building filler. I wouldn't mind it so much if it at least did something interesting with setting. World with such fast-paced industrialization would how much bigger problems than shown in the game. But I doubt that will happen, since everyone in world is almost retarded level kind. Even villains.
ALSO STOP SAYING HOW EVERYONE IS HOLDING BACK DURING FIGHT JESUS I GET IT!
is TOCS playable with psnow? or any way on pc? (emulators, etc)
Somberlain
Arcane
Arts are actually extremely good but mainly if you utilize them with relevant quartzes. For example, Black Bell quartz halves the delay after Time arts and Katze master quartz does the same at level 5. If you use both you can cast spells like Soul Blur multiple times in a row before anyone else gets a turn. Also, the highest tier spells like Claiomh Solarion deal the same kind of damage as S-crafts, though they cost a ridiculous amount of MP.
Still, physical attacks do remain a bit better considering how easy it is to buff physical attack and regenerate CP. In CS2, physical attacks were nerfed a bit by making them miss a lot more, so all physical attackers pretty much have to wear something that boosts accuracy.
Deleted member 7219
Guest
PS Now doesn't have TOCS yet, but you can get a PS3 on Ebay for about £70-£80 and it is worth it if you want to play TOCS 1 and 2, and other PS3 exclusive games like Ni No Kuni.
will this realistically playable in a month? >__>
i hope i can finish it by subbing the 1 month + 7 days trial. probably gonan do it december.
perfecting trails in the sky SC took almost 2 months for me and that's when i was still a NEET. i have a job now.
i hope i can finish it by subbing the 1 month + 7 days trial. probably gonan do it december.
perfecting trails in the sky SC took almost 2 months for me and that's when i was still a NEET. i have a job now.
Depends on how much free time you have, it took 75 hours to complete CS2 for me.
Nomad_Blizz
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2014
- Messages
- 336
So, I need some advice. Should I get a ps3 or a psvita to play Trails of Cold Steel I/II? I'd also use it to play other RPG games. Right now I'm leaning towards the vita because it also has Persona 4 Golden and it is backwards compatible with the psp.
GuiltyofBeingTrite
Augur
Both ps3 and vita were great systems. I'd get the Vita if you find yourself traveling/commuting a lot.
Deleted member 7219
Guest
TOCS 2 has arrived! Yeaaaaaaah!
Going to put Tyranny on hold while I play this. God I'm excited.
Going to put Tyranny on hold while I play this. God I'm excited.
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