A thread to discuss the Trails Series of video games (known in Japan as the Kiseki series). Adaptations of the games are also on-topic.
As of May 2024, there is no specific spoiler policy for this thread, which means the the default forum spoiler policy
applies.
In summary:
- Spoilers for non-episodic works should remain tagged for a minimum of one month after the work's release.
- Spoilers for episodic works (including any DLC) should remain tagged for one month or until the next instalment releases, whichever is shorter.
There hasn't been much good news in months for people who want more Legend Of Heroes VI in English. Xseed has apparently been translating the second installment for PSP, but no release date yet, and they apparently have not had much sales success. Meanwhile, there have been no official statements about releasing the Windows versions in English.
But thanks to this Andriasang article, I learned that Aeria Games (best known for MMORPGs) plans to release the Trails in the Sky trilogy internationally on smartphones. Some online and social functions will be added to the basic gameplay. No clear indication of what international smartphone platforms just yet.
Edited by Mrph1 on May 13th 2024 at 3:27:09 PM
Team Rocket Boss.
Okay, well uhhhhh... since I'm still going through SC and the Third, as well as 3 and 4, maybe spoiler everything in that?
I feel like as the new kid here, I'm the measuring stick for what's spoilers and what's not?
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
Combining the opinion of the rest of the thread, maybe spoiler marking things that are big revelations (especially ones that are revealed in earlier story arcs) and affect the plot in significant ways. Minor spoilers (ie an small scene that if removed would not change anything) are fine and dandy.
Edit: I also would like to apologize to memers because, whenever I see something that is kinda critically worded, alarm bells ring in my brain. So I'm sorry for this mess and I appreciate the spoiler warning stuff. That said, I would like people to be more specific about what they are saying (especially if it is in good faith), so that way my monkey brain won't interpret it the wrong way.
Edited by Ayumi-chan on May 13th 2024 at 7:58:32 PM
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he/him
Pinned post added.
It's been pointed out that we have a 'default' spoiler policy for forum threads - so, until and unless a thread-specific spoiler rule is agreed, this will apply.
It's linked and summarised in the pinned post.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Thank you. This is a good measurement.
We got someone playing Sky SC, someone playing Azure, someone playing Reverie and probably a few others I am forgetting.
Just if its a decent reveal or spoiler character just be plentiful with the spoiler tags. Like Juna's parents, fine, her existence is not notable aside from making Juna more normal than pretty much everyone else as both are still alive. a character that is revealed to be someone else's relation as an important plot point, time to tag.
EDIT: I left this as an open tab with all that for hours and didnt hit post...
Edited by Memers on May 13th 2024 at 7:52:25 AM
Unbeugsame Klinge
You're the first one to mention Emma's grandmother.
All this fuss is giving more away than a set of character portraits did.
Edited by MisterTambourineMan on May 13th 2024 at 9:54:09 AM
Nach jeder Ebbe kommt die Flut. True. While your comments are in good faith, you really need to dial back on it because if you mention spoilers, your basically shooting yourself in the foot.
Back to the topic games; hey Red, did you manage to beat those monsters with Tita?
Edited by Ayumi-chan on May 13th 2024 at 11:03:21 PM
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Memers, if everything you insisted was a spoiler was in fact a spoiler, we probably couldn't talk about the series at all.
Edited by kkhohoho on May 13th 2024 at 8:04:06 AM
he/him
Let's move on, folks.
If you want to agree on a new spoiler policy, fine. Otherwise, let's get back to talking about the work, not other people on the thread.
Unbeugsame Klinge
- This one starts off almost too slowly, being a reintroduction of all the surviving characters from Crossbell. Seeing Wald and his old flunkies going straight feels weird.
- Tita's mother is overbearing, immature, dickish, and somehow the most reasonable character when it comes to a twentysomething man being in a romantic relationship with her teenage daughter. I'm not sure how to feel about her.
- For the short dungeon, I totally didn't switch to Rixia as my team leader and then spent a lot of time walking around slowly. Nope. Not at all.
- I guess Rufus is going to be the Big Bad for this game. He might actually have a bigger role in the plot than Jusis by now.
- I am already wondering how Ouroboros will say this was part of their plan all along.
- Rufus defeats the SSS with the power of Plot. The only real surprise is that the characters actually question how this can happen.
- Alisa, Machias, Sharon, and Towa are apparently going to be on team Lloyd for much of the game. While that means little-to-no Rean/Alisa content, I'm mostly happy with the choice since it will be interesting watching them play off of a different set of characters. Assuming they actually do anything.
On a side note, the Switch version doesn't do as well in handheld mode as its predecessors.
Edited by MisterTambourineMan on May 13th 2024 at 9:19:13 AM
Nach jeder Ebbe kommt die Flut. I played the Switch version after the updates and the only issue I had are framerate drops.
Unbeugsame Klinge
In that case, it may be because I haven't been able to update the game yet.
More broadly, I'm also starting to think about Bonding Events. The idea has been criticized for possibly shunting character development out of the main story, but I think it did have the upside of requiring the writers to at least come up with something for each party member to do. Reverie doesn't have bonding events - though I think it does have some kind of optional side content - and it has a very large cast to juggle. I expect some characters will end up falling through the crack. At the very least, we all know that Elliot and Machias will.
Nach jeder Ebbe kommt die Flut.
Machias gets a side-story all to himself, at least. Elliot is relegated to a very minor supporting role in New Class VII's side-story instead.
My boy's always getting shafted.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
Elliot gets about as much story as the character allows post CS 2 tbh. Like there really isn't much they could actually do with him post graduation unless his dad is involved. Minor Reverie spoiler: Actually making him Astraia's music teacher gives him an actual role and sets up his entry into the cast.
and it ran extra crappy in cities. Assists with new characters didn't work. Mislabeling of new character's skills like it saying -def when it was really -mov and such.
Patches fixed almost everything but certain places in cities like Crossbell City and Heimdallr just run worse than in CS 3/4 for some reason.
Edited by Memers on May 14th 2024 at 4:10:38 AM
For those on PC tho... behold Reverie Randomizer Randomize a character's crafts, the pool of characters, chest randomizer, Orbment slot randomizer, random abilities on every MQ...
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
I don’t want to start any arguments about spoilers, but do we need to do anything particular when Kai comes out? If any game is going to have massive spoilers, it’ll probably be that one.
Oh God! Natural light!
Team Rocket Boss.
Which one is Kai?
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
The next one, scheduled to come out some time this year. Everything we’ve heard about it suggests it’ll probably have some earth-shattering reveals, and I imagine we’ll have to wait a bit for the localization.
Oh God! Natural light!
King of Anime
Speaking of new games for those who've played the Japanese version how lost would I be if I started with Daybreak? I know I'd be skipping a ton of arcs but I'd rather not start in the middle of an arc and Daybreak is the start of a new arc from what I hear and thus is the most readily available for me (The Sky trilogy is stuck on dead hardwear that I don't own or otherwise only available digitally which is a no-no for me. I can't justify forking over $100 for a phyical copy of Zero when I don't know if I'll like it so the Crossbell arc isn't an option. And I don't think Cold Steel 1-2 are readily avaiable since they're Vita games. I know it's techincally a personal problem since all these games are available digitally, but my rule is to always by physical if it exists.).
Edited by Chariot on May 14th 2024 at 2:29:26 PM
Team Rocket Boss.
Have you tried Steam for the Trails games?
Heck, the PC Cold Steel games have voice acting, Vita doesn't.
EDIT: Ah okay, you edited it to make it clear no digital.
Edited by RedHunter543 on May 16th 2024 at 3:27:50 AM
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
If it isnt out in English, it better be in spoilers with labels till it is out in English... no matter what. That's a hard non-starter, we might need a new thread if that isnt the case. Literally no avenue to actually play the game.
From what I know of it Daybreak is a good entry point but not the best, there are some characters from previous games in it but if its anything like the previous games they catch you up. There are not any like big reveals from previous games that are about the country its based in though. The series usually attempts to make the first entry of the saga as standalone as possible like Cold Steel 1 had absolutely nothing to do with the previous games outside of a cameo character that made sense in his position and you did not need to know what happened before nor do they really mention it.
I know people who started with Cold Steel 3, as the series' first straight 'next gen' console game it was promoted as such, which is probably the hardest non-'load your saved game direct sequel' entry point but still loved it and played the rest of the franchise.
$100 for Trails from Zero? How? You can buy it physically on Switch for like $40. Cold Steel 1 and 2 you can get on PS 4 physically individually or as a two pack [1] this version has all the PC upgrades that the Vita / PS 3 version did not have.
I do wanna note that the entire franchise is on Go G, while digital you do get a full copy DRM free and such that you can save on a HDD as if you own it physically.
Edited by Memers on May 15th 2024 at 6:08:19 AM
Unbeugsame Klinge
- Multiple story routes unfortunately means multiple introductions
- Lloyd's okay, but I think I like Rean better. I'm also happy to see that, compared to CS 2, he's not at all reluctant to be part of Ymir's community.
- There's an NPC who really wants Rean to get with Elise. Why.
- Matteus sucks. He's an even worse parent than Irina. He threw his son off a cliff. Everyone's mad at him for five minutes, and then all is forgiven and he's a wise and respected leader.
- Claire also sucks for helping Matteus. This honestly did more to make me hate her than the last two games did.
- Why did they need to "test" Class VII anyways? They proved themselves quite capable already.
- It looks like there will be three plot threads; Oliver disappearing, the Magic Knights reappearing, and Rean's word visions. Seems interesting.
King of Anime
You said Daybreak works as an entry point earlier. What makes you say it's not the best?
Oh yikes. Sure Go G isn’t an option?
This may be a bit long winded.
Each saga takes place in in a country that neighbors the other saga’s countries, with a new main character and almost entirely new cast. The best entry point is obviously the start, Trails in the Sky. It does all the world building the series runs off of and introduces the other saga’s countries and all that.
The second best entry point is the series’ jump from 2D to 3D, Trails of Cold Steel 1. The party member that was in Sky takes an extremely minor role in the game, to the point you might not even know he was ever playable. It shares nothing else with the previous entries… to the point it does all the world building that was in Sky again in the exact same way.
Trails from Zero features the main characters from Sky in the plot and continues an unfinished plot line from Sky that progresses as a small plot over the course of the game. With the new main character being an outsider to the plot you get all the explanations needed though. Red Hunter 543 played Zero before Sky and did just fine.
Trails through Daybreak is expected to be just like Zero, feature a Sky character and continue an unfinished plot line. I just do not know how prominent it will be and seeing how it’s been 15 years IRL time between Sky and Daybreak… they better introduce the plot line as if it was new.
Trails of Cold Steel 3… easily the worst with an essay’s worth of connections but still seen a streamer start there and was fine, went back and played the rest of the games after.
EDIT: I hope that made sense.
Edited by Memers on May 15th 2024 at 9:09:07 AM
Maybe we should have this as a spoiler thread (like [=FE 3 H), that's seems fine to me but I would like other opinions.
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