Trails of Cold Steel (and the Kiseki series in general)

[Briar King]

Randy…lol “Let’s just say I was dipping my quill into to much company ink.” 
 

Gold.

I don’t like having a fixed camera at all! I also really don’t like having to babysit extra people who don’t fight, have horrible AI and if hp goes to 0 it’s game over.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Quote

 I also really don’t like having to babysit extra people who don’t fight

This doesn't happen often. Anyway, welcome to the original style back before they went 3D! It's better than CS but worse than Reverie and Kuro (imo)

[Briar King]

Cold is your least favorite?

[aneonfoxtribute]

Just now, Briar King said:

Cold is your least favorite?

Well, I'm mostly talking graphical style. I prefer the Sky/Crossbell style to the CS style, especially 1 and 2. As for the games themselves, Sky FC and CS1 are tied for my least favorite. Not because they're bad, just because they're the least good in my opinion. They both have some of my favorite endings though so that's funny

[Briar King]

Cool.

Im about to set out and explore the city(that I have already explored) for the 1st time. I met Grace earlier and the cat. Idk if I will just settle in and make a night out of it or not. A burn ban was issued so my nightly routine is messed up.

[Briar King]

Awe a dialogue round! I can still remember being rust near burnt out on this in CS1..now it’s a world building treat.

Im on West street now and it’s cool seeing people I’ve dealt with in the future. 
 

So if I have this right Rean and co are just getting to Thors themselves. I love it.

I do feel quite confined when looking at the “world map” cause I know this area is so tiny. So used to seeing it included with Erebonia.

Now in a rich hood. Hmm I don’t remember if I could get in here on CS..

On East street. Nice to be back. I got to admit at being annoyed at the bits in Japanese only like Battle dialogue and cooking. I want to know what my peeps are saying. This is a hard language to learn with the different structures of sentences then English.

Edited February 28, 2024 by Briar King

[Briar King]

Ah I don’t remember going to the downtown district in CS either. Exploring now.

wait I see Neinvallie is in here so surely I did wander around here in CS.

oh wow in Harbor area. There is a lot of grass where Heiyue was in CS. I see it’s in a building next to docks here.

Edited February 28, 2024 by Briar King

[Eluvianii he/him]

Yeah, residential and Downtown districts were missing in CS, which was sad. Some of the best parts of the arc happen in Downtown. 

Regarding the map, even if it's not quite as big as CS, there's plenty of it. Crossbell is huge, even by CS standards, and back in Sky most cities had one or two areas, with the absolute biggest having four, so Crossbell was like four cities rolled into one. Plus, there's a lot of stuff in the surrounding area.

And the biggest advantage is that having such a localized setting allows for stories you can't tell when the protagonists are traveling a lot, which you'll get to see. 

 

That said, I wonder if the surrounding villages also update their dialogue every time the plot progresses. It would be a bit of a pain having to travel not only the city but the entire state each dialogue round. I could see how some people got over 100 hours in this game then. 

Edited February 29, 2024 by Eluvianii

[aneonfoxtribute]

On 2/27/2024 at 11:25 PM, Briar King said:

So if I have this right Rean and co are just getting to Thors themselves. I love it.

Not yet. That happens later, near the end as I recall, if not in Azure

 

8 hours ago, Briar King said:

wait I see Neinvallie is in here so surely I did wander around here in CS.

They move Neinvalli in CS. Downtown isn't there. There's some odd changes, like in CS the stairs in the Eastern district aren't there so all the shops are on one level

[Briar King]

Ok I’m free to do some fighting now! Aside from being in my least favorite area(geofront) I’m having fun so far. The team combo is pretty cool but I really do miss the link system. Also CP is much slower to add up than CS. I shall have to be mindful of when I use stuff. I really don’t like not having sepith mass or glowies/breakables. I’m farming a lot just to outfit my peeps and trying to keep some funds untouched below a certain level. Doing some cooking.

It is so great being back in this world even though I know about the major events to come it’s still a blast so far.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Oh yeah by the way, be sure to only sell Sepith at the IBC. You get more money if you sell it there

[Briar King]

Kudos I ll have to see if I can get there now then. Guard was at gate. Speaking of which it’s going to get old soon if a fast travel function like in CS is missing the entire time. 
 

Not open on weekends lol. Hmm what about Imelda? I didn’t think about her. Dang..nope same rate unlike in CS.

Edited March 1, 2024 by Briar King

[Briar King]

Spent my day finishing up the prologue. That was quite fun in the end. Just paused from the 2nd dialogue round and a few sidequest I could complete in the city before heading out to Amorica. Joshua and Estelle have entered the city much to my glee and this Viper wants to…orbal motorboat her lol gold. I’ll be up late for more play time thanks to thieves/meth dealers that have been working our nice hood till they are caught but rust it’s been an exhausting few weeks of studying them. Getting fried by it all.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Based Dino, wanting to orbal motorboat Rixia. That was one of the lines they left over from the Geofront translation, and it's a good one so I approve

[Briar King]

It’s just funnier having the CS 3D models in my head and knowing who is (orbal) motorboatable vs who ain’t and yeah Estelle certainly is lol.

Funny though cause even in 2D they have Rixia bouncing looking for an apartment.

[aneonfoxtribute]

1 minute ago, Briar King said:

Estelle certainly is

Eh, I wouldn't say that. Her CS model especially emphasizes her ass rather than her breasts. Her breast size is a lot more reasonable compared to a lot of other CS characters

[Briar King]

I mean she’s no Emma but she has them.

Im not getting a fast travel unlock am I? This full traversal thing is just ugh. Will definitely be going in high speed mode soon. Definitely missing the option CS gives once getting to an area. So much easier on my aging hands.

[Eluvianii he/him]

I seem to recall you do, especially useful once the game opens up. 

[aneonfoxtribute]

10 hours ago, Briar King said:

I mean she’s no Emma but she has them.

Im not getting a fast travel unlock am I? This full traversal thing is just ugh. Will definitely be going in high speed mode soon. Definitely missing the option CS gives once getting to an area. So much easier on my aging hands.

You get kind of fast travel? I don't think you get it in Crossbell until Azure but you do get it between the towns.

 

The time has come

[Eluvianii he/him]

Oh nice! That's sooner than I thought.

[Briar King]

Aww yea..getting my fishing on finally though if I had to guess I assume it’s more in line with CS1&2 vs 3&4 so likely no droplets that will have me fishing for over 100 hrs alone right???

Plus it ain’t near as fun as 3&4 but thankfully it ain’t just a button smash fest like 1&2.

sweeetttt Mr Hayworth just gave me a map so fast travel is on now. Phew

oh yikes it reset the civilians so looks like another citywide dialogue round for me to do.

Edited March 6, 2024 by Briar King

[Briar King]

YALL! I’m getting into a nice rhythm for now. I’m playing for hours the past 3 days! I feel like I’m back to pre hurricane Laura/Delta level at present and it’s wonderful! I was on CS2 when they hit and I’ve rarely had the ability since then to play a game more than 30-1hr a day and idk why it’s been over 3 years since then but I just haven’t been able to do it.

I just fought my 1st Pom’s. Those things are crazy in this game.

Bout to get to St Ursula now.

[Briar King]

Entering Mainz when I next boot up.

Met Renne and it feels like she is way to young even though I know she’s on the younger side in CS.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Renne is 11-12 in Sky, 12-13 in Zero and Azure, and 15 when she shows up in CS4. She does seem a lot older than that, though, I will admit. But in Zero, she is still just a baby

[Briar King]

Do you have to get full Dp top rank and item or is there some play with numbers. This author messed up and never edited it so if all is needed I might be screwed depending on save files. Need to go back and redo St Ursula and i won’t be happy.