There are Hidden quests, in that you can talk to random people and sometimes they have a quest for you. For example, in Zeiss, you get to be the recipient of a very special courier mission (a love letter delivery) from talking to a guard. You can also clear some quests early before they appear on the Bracer board. Zeiss is the only location where I've failed to perform a quest due to time passing (mostly because the characters have this annoying tendency to prevent you from going to certain paths at certain points of the plot), but I still achieved top rank at the last Chapter. You also earn BP from HOW you accomplish the main quests and how thorough you are. For example, I didn't do a lot of the Jeris Academy content (mostly because I didn't know about it), so I didn't get the BP bonus from that. Even with missing out on some stuff, again, I still got the top rank by the end of the game, so I wouldn't worry too much about missing out on the side quests and stuff.
I'm almost done with this game. It was a nice diversion over the weekend. The dialogue is great in some sections, and I think it only goes down to mere average on a few instances (never down to poor or terrible). It's definitely a game that sells itself on its characters and the way they interact with each other. It has that "Dragon Age" and "Baldur's Gate" conversation feel, where the party members pick on each other and poke fun at each other, a feel that I really enjoy.
It's too bad that the mechanics are really generic and stereotypical (although it's interesting that the combat is pretty close to the way miniatures are used in most Pen and Paper games... initiative order, then each character moves and acts on their turn). It's also too bad that the game ends so early (in my mind). You definitely get a "first of a trilogy" feel when you approach the last chapter. I hope the other games end up over on this side of the pond so that I can continue to see what these characters do.
The game also sells itself through the plot twists. They are written fairly well and in a way that doesn't cheat the reader ("What a twist!"). The advice earlier in the thread about "don't read any spoilers!" is good advice.
Combat-wise, I just spec'ed all of the characters to Hell Gate and White Gehenna spam. The vast majority of the combat was one-turn wonders (including bosses) as my characters spammed AoE attacks on top of the main tank (who also is casting an AoE in the middle of the board). Rest spots and EP curing items are so plentiful and cheap that I never ran out of EP. Also, if you explore the towers in each section, you can often find weapons better than what is currently available in each shop, thus preventing you from having to buy better equipment (except for armor, and even then, sometimes you find great armor, too). The "guest characters" that fill the 3rd and 4th slots often come in with top-of-the-line armor when they join you, too.
So when I went to the Trails in the Sky english website, there's this big photo in the center of the screen, with a title that I though read:
"WELCOME TO LIBERAL!"
and I'm all "yesssssssssssss this is why I vote left wing"
and then I realize it's "LIBERL", not "LIBERAL"
and then I remember that Canada continues to be shackled by a sinister Conservative party
How long do fights usually take in this game? I know it's been mentioned that it's a bit simplified compared to other SRPG things, but what does that actually translate to in terms of real-life time?
So when I went to the Trails in the Sky english website, there's this big photo in the center of the screen, with a title that I though read:
"WELCOME TO LIBERAL!"
and I'm all "yesssssssssssss this is why I vote left wing"
and then I realize it's "LIBERL", not "LIBERAL"
and then I remember that Canada continues to be shackled by a sinister Conservative party
How long do fights usually take in this game? I know it's been mentioned that it's a bit simplified compared to other SRPG things, but what does that actually translate to in terms of real-life time?
Fights are pretty fast (if you spam AoE spells, they typically last less than two minutes). I would consider it as a SRPG-lite... it's not really all that deep, and most encounters can be easily be handled by simply spamming the X button a lot and watching the actions resolve. The combat is closer to traditional console JRPGs (select something from a menu, watch the fireworks) than the more popular SRPGs (Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, etc.), and it's just about as fast. Trash mobs will take a couple minutes, boss fights will take around 15 to 20.
There's very little incentive for grinding for anything other than the "magic shards" (sepith) that the enemies drop, and after you've unlocked all of your Orbs, you don't even need to grind for those. Money is plentiful in the game (I've rarely had cash flow problems), mostly because you can explore the areas and find better equipment than you can buy. When you exceed a monsters level, their XP drops to nearly zero.
I just beat the game. While most of the game is not a dungeon crawl, the last section of the game is a six floor traditional dungeon crawl with no automap. Ugh.
The game does a thing similar to Persona 3 where you play a bit in the post game to talk to all of the main characters that you've met in your journey along the way.
The ending was sad, but I was expecting something like that. Call me cynical, but pretty much any media (TV show, books, video game, etc.) that focuses on a teenager relationship ends up like this. Two teens in love in a JRPG? You can't live happily ever after, I'm sorry. And a cliffhanger ending is entirely appropriate for a game which is the first in a trilogy. The Professor Alba curveball took me by surprise, I must admit. I imagine that the next game has Estelle chasing after Joshua?
I just beaten Legend of Heroes 7 Part 1 yesterday.
Awaiting for Legend of Heroes Part 2 soon.
Played and beat Legend of Heroes VI Trilogy on PC years ago.
My poor friends finally get to play Legend of Heroes VI Part 1 in english now after 6-7 long years.
I just started playing this, but oh God, they're going to go this direction, aren't they? All the NPCs keep pushing this idea.
I know Joshua is adopted, and has only been with the family six years, but he's going to be Estelle's romantic interest, isn't he? He even refers to her father as his dad, too.
Edit: And Estelle just now said she thinks of him wholly as her brother.
Creepy.
Dashui on
Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
I just started playing this, but oh God, they're going to go this direction, aren't they? All the NPCs keep pushing this idea.
Creepy.
You'll... you'll see. Let's just say that by the end of the game, it gets sorted out for better or worse. I won't actually drop spoilers on that until people start beating the game.
Don't worry, though, it doesn't actually get creepy.
I just started playing this, but oh God, they're going to go this direction, aren't they? All the NPCs keep pushing this idea.
Creepy.
You'll... you'll see. Let's just say that by the end of the game, it gets sorted out for better or worse. I won't actually drop spoilers on that until people start beating the game.
Don't worry, though, it doesn't actually get creepy.
No, it's extremely creepy. Just because you're not related by blood doesn't make it cool to have that kind of relationship with people you were raised with as family. And I'm saying this as someone who is about halfway through SC.
I'm in chapter two now, and I'm curious how you've all been building your characters. Right now I only have Estelle and Joshua in my party, and I have the two of them built up like so:
Estelle Quartz: EP 2, Evade 2, Seal, Caste 2, HP 2, Mind 1 Estelle Orbal Arts: Tear, Teara, La Tear, Curia, Sylphen Guard, Clock Up, Anti-Sept, Aqua Bleed, Fire Bolt, Flame Arrow, Fire Bolt EX, Air Strike, Shadow Spear, Hell Gate, Soul Blur
I gave Estelle an accessory that makes her attack and defense fire-based.
Joshua Quartz: Action 2, Defense 1, Petrify (this seems to work great with his Dual Strike craft), Cast 1 (there weren't any other good time-based quartz I could put here at the moment, and this is a time-only slot), Hit 2, Eagle Vision Joshua Orbal Arts: Earth Guard, Earth Wall, Clock Up, Anti-Sept, Stone Hammer, Petrify Breath, Soul Blur
I gave him the accessory that turns his attack and defense to earth-based.
Any thoughts? Is there something that would work better for each character, or a better quartz that would give me a nice Orbal Arts I may be missing?
Dashui on
Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
I always slotted Mind, Cast, Action, EP Cost, some Blue orb of some type (HP or EP or whatever), and a utility orb (Eagle Vision, Cloak, etc.). This should get you Hell Gate early on, and later White Gehenna. Essentially, every combat for me was spamming Hell Gate and White Gehenna... there was very little point to physically attacking except for positioning (Crafts are great, of course, but I rarely used regular attacks). When orb color restrictions on rotating NPCs come into play, I typically try to shoehorn in Cast, Action, and EP Cost at the very least. You can also go Earth-heavy (Defense, Petrify) and get some nice AoEs that way. I definitely went Wind-Heavy on Schera for the early large AoE, mostly because there were few good choices for her at the early chapters when you get her.
I always slotted Mind, Cast, Action, EP Cost, some Blue orb of some type (HP or EP or whatever), and a utility orb (Eagle Vision, Cloak, etc.). This should get you Hell Gate early on, and later White Gehenna. Essentially, every combat for me was spamming Hell Gate and White Gehenna... there was very little point to physically attacking except for positioning (Crafts are great, of course, but I rarely used regular attacks). When orb color restrictions on rotating NPCs come into play, I typically try to shoehorn in Cast, Action, and EP Cost at the very least. You can also go Earth-heavy (Defense, Petrify) and get some nice AoEs that way. I definitely went Wind-Heavy on Schera for the early large AoE, mostly because there were few good choices for her at the early chapters when you get her.
You use that setup for pretty much everyone? I just gained access to Hell Gate with my new setup and that skill line is damned powerful.
Edit: After spending awhile messing around, I managed to give Joshua White Gehenna. That meant Estelle doesn't have access to Hell Gate, because I had to give Joshua some of the better quartz, but that did free up room to give Estelle better healing arts. I think this is good for now. Estelle will have Hell Gate again once I manage to buy her Action 2 or Cast 2.
Dashui on
Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
So... am I missing something or is this game just not for me? I think its safe to say that I love pretty much every JRPG and I'm fairly forgiving, but this game is just too hard for me to like.
I'm about 10 hours in and its just... idk, I can't quite say boring because I care about the characters, but I just don't care enough to keep playing. The gameplay is quite mediocre, whatever storyline there is weak (obviously in my opinion, not trying to knock anyone here who likes it), and I can't stand the music at all.
The character interactions are pretty good, but its not enough. Does this game radically change at some point or have I pretty much seen all the mechanics laid out before me?
If you hate the battle system now I guess you won't like it going forward (although how anyone could dislike the battle system is a bit beyond me :x ). The game isn't about to drop any new, crazy mechanics on you if you're well into chapter 1.
The story itself does get a bit more engaging starting in chapter 2, partially because chapter 1 (around Bose) suffers a bit in translation quality compared to the rest of the game (rumor and a bit of extrapolation from published sources posits that chapter 1 is when the first translator started to crack) and partially because, well, more stuff starts happening.
But if you're looking for a Final Fantasy-style wide epic with the entire world in danger and whatnot, you won't find it here; the focus of the game is different. It's quite a bit more "laid back" than your average JRPG, up until the last chapter.
It's Trails in the Sky SC that has the dynamic villains and the potentially world-shaking events, even though the game itself still occurs in Liberl and Estelle's main motivation is "find Joshua".
I'm really hyped over Ao right now what with the trailer with the giant robots and Ouroboros and Olivier and so on returning. There's a distinct lack of Estelle and Joshua, though, but that's understandable given how they (and Ren) stood out a bit too much in Zero.
Alright, so there's Sora no Kiseki (Trails in the Sky) and that consists of three games. And then there's Zero no Kiseki, a direct sequel to the previous trilogy? Dammit, we only just got the first game. Get those translations done faster, XSEED!
Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
I'm almost done with chapter 1 of Trails. I'm loving all the dialogue, but the combat mechanics are a little dull. XSeed really did a great job on the translation.
Alright, so there's Sora no Kiseki (Trails in the Sky) and that consists of three games. And then there's Zero no Kiseki, a direct sequel to the previous trilogy? Dammit, we only just got the first game. Get those translations done faster, XSEED!
Also Ao no Kiseki at the end of next month, a direct sequel to Zero.
Zero wrapped up some stuff left dangling at the end of Sora no Kiseki (Estelle, Joshua and Ren) but didn't touch the main overhanging plot (Ouroboros and the church didn't even show up) at all. Ao's apparently going to cover it, what with the preview movies having Campanella confirmed to be showing up, as a boss even, and some of those church fighter things that showed up in Third.
I'm almost done with chapter 1 of Trails. I'm loving all the dialogue, but the combat mechanics are a little dull. XSeed really did a great job on the translation.
The combat does get a bit more interesting as the game goes on, once the enemies start having nastier tricks up their sleeves. At least it's generally pretty fast and you can avoid a lot of the encounters if you want to. I'll agree that Trails is pretty much a visual novel, and I'm ok with that. The cast is just so darn endearing, and I can't wait to see what they get up to in the next game.
Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
I cleared Ao no Kiseki some time ago but only just got round to doing a writeup on it, figured I'd copypaste it here as well.
Been meaning to do a write-up on Ao no Kiseki ever since clearing it but just didn't seem to have the time, been kind of busy lately and will be pretty busy till at least the end of the month. Bah.
But anyway yeah, Ao no Kiseki.
First of all, let me say this: It's fucking godlike. Definitely one of the best RPGs I've played lately. Loved... pretty much everything, actually. In fact I can't name anything about it I didn't. Perhaps the secret quests that you miss if you don't scour the entire world at the right timing (I recall picking up Famitsu and looking at the guide to a chapter I'd already cleared and going all what the fuck).
Story-wise Sora no Kiseki SC was more in line with my tastes, but the writing remains consistently good and I have to say I like the characters in Zero/Ao more. The antagonists were kind of lacking compared to SC's, but that has less to do with faults with the characters here than to do with Weissman and Löwe being awesome.
I've seen complaints about the ending but as it takes place some years later I thought it was pretty obvious that the actual events will take place over the course of the next series. And since there's no way the Elebonia would just sit back twiddling their thumbs after the stuff that happened, this is way more preferable to another "to be continued", especially since it's going to be continued in a new series.
It's pretty obvious that the next game is going to take place in Elebonia what with all the buildup, so Crossbell tying into the story will be a matter of course.
With two of the three higher Sept Therion accounted for some seem to be thinking that the next series will be the last; I, though, am guessing that Ouroboros will just get their hands on it again and then we move on to the climax where their master's plan finally gets put into motion. But anyway, yeah, it's only Time remaining, and Osborne seems to have an almost supernatural ability to keep one step ahead of everyone, including even an assassination attempt on himself in his plans. Suspicious, no?
If the characters do show up in the next series, though, I'm hoping they'll let you carry your save data over. Zero's getting a new release on the Vita, so if the new series is released on it too it's totally possible. Also, it'd be nice to be able to transfer data from Ao PSP to Zero Vita.
I haven't started on my second playthrough yet, but when I do I'm going to be referring to something to do all the hidden quests.
Also watched a theatrical screening of the first episode of the Sora no Kiseki OVA. It starts off by spoiling the ending of the first game and then just jumps into the action in the second with a lot left out and plenty of liberties taken (a fight against someone takes place wayyyyy earlier than it did in the game, and someone who isn't even seen yet at that point joins in in it). It's somewhat enjoyable if you've played the games, and doesn't really spoil anything for SC (yet), but I'd recommend avoiding it until clearing SC anyway. Just FYI.
Edit: Oh right, I was poking around English news on SC and there're people saying that it's a trilogy and the third game is the conclusion. FYI that's a load of bull, SC is the conclusion to the story and Third is pretty much just a kind of fandisc thing. But there's a lot of stuff that ties into the following series (Zero/Ao), and some stuff that still hasn't been resolved yet that'll probably be in the next series, so it's still necessary. Just not necessary for the plot of FC/SC.
So... I'll assume smart thing to do is to get the PSN version so it'll work on a PS Vita that I'll be buying down the line? Is the rest of the series being translated for sure?
So... I'll assume smart thing to do is to get the PSN version so it'll work on a PS Vita that I'll be buying down the line? Is the rest of the series being translated for sure?
The direct sequel is for sure (though no word on the rest of the games in the series). And yes, download for Vita.
Also, XSeed just announced themselves as a Steam Developer with info forthcoming. It and the sequel might very likely be heading there... and/or Ys games.
Okay, I have hit a really annoying bug on the PC version. I'm trying to save my game, and it makes the ding sound like it saved, but it did not in fact save the game. No matter what slot I try and save on. It's already cost me an hour of progress once, because I didn't realize that it wasn't saving and quit the game. Fortunately there was an autosave from an hour prior, and it could have been worse, but now I can't save at all. Help?
Posts
I'm almost done with this game. It was a nice diversion over the weekend. The dialogue is great in some sections, and I think it only goes down to mere average on a few instances (never down to poor or terrible). It's definitely a game that sells itself on its characters and the way they interact with each other. It has that "Dragon Age" and "Baldur's Gate" conversation feel, where the party members pick on each other and poke fun at each other, a feel that I really enjoy.
It's too bad that the mechanics are really generic and stereotypical (although it's interesting that the combat is pretty close to the way miniatures are used in most Pen and Paper games... initiative order, then each character moves and acts on their turn). It's also too bad that the game ends so early (in my mind). You definitely get a "first of a trilogy" feel when you approach the last chapter. I hope the other games end up over on this side of the pond so that I can continue to see what these characters do.
The game also sells itself through the plot twists. They are written fairly well and in a way that doesn't cheat the reader ("What a twist!"). The advice earlier in the thread about "don't read any spoilers!" is good advice.
Combat-wise, I just spec'ed all of the characters to Hell Gate and White Gehenna spam. The vast majority of the combat was one-turn wonders (including bosses) as my characters spammed AoE attacks on top of the main tank (who also is casting an AoE in the middle of the board). Rest spots and EP curing items are so plentiful and cheap that I never ran out of EP. Also, if you explore the towers in each section, you can often find weapons better than what is currently available in each shop, thus preventing you from having to buy better equipment (except for armor, and even then, sometimes you find great armor, too). The "guest characters" that fill the 3rd and 4th slots often come in with top-of-the-line armor when they join you, too.
Here's a spoilers-as-light-as-possible guide for missible Carneria Volumes and Quest Locations/BP:
http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/entry-10834696313.html
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
"WELCOME TO LIBERAL!"
and I'm all "yesssssssssssss this is why I vote left wing"
and then I realize it's "LIBERL", not "LIBERAL"
and then I remember that Canada continues to be shackled by a sinister Conservative party
How long do fights usually take in this game? I know it's been mentioned that it's a bit simplified compared to other SRPG things, but what does that actually translate to in terms of real-life time?
There's very little incentive for grinding for anything other than the "magic shards" (sepith) that the enemies drop, and after you've unlocked all of your Orbs, you don't even need to grind for those. Money is plentiful in the game (I've rarely had cash flow problems), mostly because you can explore the areas and find better equipment than you can buy. When you exceed a monsters level, their XP drops to nearly zero.
I just beat the game. While most of the game is not a dungeon crawl, the last section of the game is a six floor traditional dungeon crawl with no automap. Ugh.
The game does a thing similar to Persona 3 where you play a bit in the post game to talk to all of the main characters that you've met in your journey along the way.
Awaiting for Legend of Heroes Part 2 soon.
Played and beat Legend of Heroes VI Trilogy on PC years ago.
My poor friends finally get to play Legend of Heroes VI Part 1 in english now after 6-7 long years.
Edit: And Estelle just now said she thinks of him wholly as her brother.
You'll... you'll see. Let's just say that by the end of the game, it gets sorted out for better or worse. I won't actually drop spoilers on that until people start beating the game.
Don't worry, though, it doesn't actually get creepy.
Estelle Quartz: EP 2, Evade 2, Seal, Caste 2, HP 2, Mind 1
Estelle Orbal Arts: Tear, Teara, La Tear, Curia, Sylphen Guard, Clock Up, Anti-Sept, Aqua Bleed, Fire Bolt, Flame Arrow, Fire Bolt EX, Air Strike, Shadow Spear, Hell Gate, Soul Blur
I gave Estelle an accessory that makes her attack and defense fire-based.
Joshua Quartz: Action 2, Defense 1, Petrify (this seems to work great with his Dual Strike craft), Cast 1 (there weren't any other good time-based quartz I could put here at the moment, and this is a time-only slot), Hit 2, Eagle Vision
Joshua Orbal Arts: Earth Guard, Earth Wall, Clock Up, Anti-Sept, Stone Hammer, Petrify Breath, Soul Blur
I gave him the accessory that turns his attack and defense to earth-based.
Any thoughts? Is there something that would work better for each character, or a better quartz that would give me a nice Orbal Arts I may be missing?
You use that setup for pretty much everyone? I just gained access to Hell Gate with my new setup and that skill line is damned powerful.
Edit: After spending awhile messing around, I managed to give Joshua White Gehenna. That meant Estelle doesn't have access to Hell Gate, because I had to give Joshua some of the better quartz, but that did free up room to give Estelle better healing arts. I think this is good for now. Estelle will have Hell Gate again once I manage to buy her Action 2 or Cast 2.
I'm about 10 hours in and its just... idk, I can't quite say boring because I care about the characters, but I just don't care enough to keep playing. The gameplay is quite mediocre, whatever storyline there is weak (obviously in my opinion, not trying to knock anyone here who likes it), and I can't stand the music at all.
The character interactions are pretty good, but its not enough. Does this game radically change at some point or have I pretty much seen all the mechanics laid out before me?
The story itself does get a bit more engaging starting in chapter 2, partially because chapter 1 (around Bose) suffers a bit in translation quality compared to the rest of the game (rumor and a bit of extrapolation from published sources posits that chapter 1 is when the first translator started to crack) and partially because, well, more stuff starts happening.
But if you're looking for a Final Fantasy-style wide epic with the entire world in danger and whatnot, you won't find it here; the focus of the game is different. It's quite a bit more "laid back" than your average JRPG, up until the last chapter.
I'm really hyped over Ao right now what with the trailer with the giant robots and Ouroboros and Olivier and so on returning. There's a distinct lack of Estelle and Joshua, though, but that's understandable given how they (and Ren) stood out a bit too much in Zero.
I'll just leave these here.
Zero wrapped up some stuff left dangling at the end of Sora no Kiseki (Estelle, Joshua and Ren) but didn't touch the main overhanging plot (Ouroboros and the church didn't even show up) at all. Ao's apparently going to cover it, what with the preview movies having Campanella confirmed to be showing up, as a boss even, and some of those church fighter things that showed up in Third.
The combat does get a bit more interesting as the game goes on, once the enemies start having nastier tricks up their sleeves. At least it's generally pretty fast and you can avoid a lot of the encounters if you want to. I'll agree that Trails is pretty much a visual novel, and I'm ok with that. The cast is just so darn endearing, and I can't wait to see what they get up to in the next game.
Also watched a theatrical screening of the first episode of the Sora no Kiseki OVA. It starts off by spoiling the ending of the first game and then just jumps into the action in the second with a lot left out and plenty of liberties taken (a fight against someone takes place wayyyyy earlier than it did in the game, and someone who isn't even seen yet at that point joins in in it). It's somewhat enjoyable if you've played the games, and doesn't really spoil anything for SC (yet), but I'd recommend avoiding it until clearing SC anyway. Just FYI.
Edit: Oh right, I was poking around English news on SC and there're people saying that it's a trilogy and the third game is the conclusion. FYI that's a load of bull, SC is the conclusion to the story and Third is pretty much just a kind of fandisc thing. But there's a lot of stuff that ties into the following series (Zero/Ao), and some stuff that still hasn't been resolved yet that'll probably be in the next series, so it's still necessary. Just not necessary for the plot of FC/SC.
So... I'll assume smart thing to do is to get the PSN version so it'll work on a PS Vita that I'll be buying down the line? Is the rest of the series being translated for sure?
The direct sequel is for sure (though no word on the rest of the games in the series). And yes, download for Vita.
Also, XSeed just announced themselves as a Steam Developer with info forthcoming. It and the sequel might very likely be heading there... and/or Ys games.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //