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

[Eluvianii]

1 hour ago, Weltall said:

We got a nice teaser for Kuro no Kiseki today, more to come in a week.

Mechanics stuff:

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As already implied, you can switch freely between Action Battle and Command Battle modes. In the former mode, Circle performs normal attacks, X dodges, Triangle opens the menu and target selection is done with the d-pad. The Square button is associated with a command called 'Deploy Shard' whose purpose is unknown but is implied to have to do with the new Xipha-model Orbment.

In Command Battle L1 and R1 are used to open the Arts and Crafts menus respectively. How these work in Action Battle hasn't been revealed yet. Square triggers or cancels a feature called S-Boost, likewise we don't know how it works in Action Battle yet.

There are several types of normal attack available including more powerful hits and combos.

You can switch between active characters and the ones you aren't controlling in Action Battle mode will fight automatically.

Enemies have 'Field' and 'Battle' states and they'll react differently depending on which one they're in. By untargeting an enemy and backing off, you can retreat from combat.

Cooperative attacks of some form exist and there are conditions on the use of S-Crafts but they haven't been described.

We get a description of one Craft each for our still nameless protagonist and heroine, 'Blue Crusher' for the former and Etoile Ray for the latter. The Stun Calibur the former uses as their main weapon can inflict the Faint effect on enemies.

Likewise we see a list of Arts and most of them are familiar. Firebolt and the first three Tear spells appear along with a new one called Spark Edge. Arts targeting will be different from previous games but we don't get details.

In Command Battle mode, something resembling the old AT Bar appears including turn bonuses and S-Breaks can be performed.

A new system that appears to be called 'SCLM Chain' appears but isn't described.

Story stuff (Hajimari spoiler):

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Spriggan is a profession rather than an organization. They exist to do jobs that private individuals would prefer to remain private, take jobs on behalf of the CID that the latter doesn't want to give to the Bracers Guild and they also do work for criminals and other underground groups. Their policy is to take requests from anybody.

The capital of Calvard is named Edyth (or Edith) and was constructed after the democratic revolution. Monuments to that revolution exist and the description calls out that the city has a multiplex cinema as one of its features. The city uses subways for mass transit.

The heroine is confirmed to be the blonde girl from Renne's segment of Beyond the Beginning and the text indirectly mentions Aramis Academy.

 

So Spriggans are Bracers but shady. It's honestly a nice way of changing the tone and giving some variety without banishing the possibility of chasing a cat around for a little girl in exchange for 50 mira. 

[Briar King]

CS3 ch 1 stuff

I should probably press forward now but I’m conflicted on if I want to shoot for the link lvl 5 while I have O7 characters. I’m going to miss these people once I move on with story.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Cold Steel IV releases on PC and Switch on April 9th.

[NattyBo]

I think I should be wrapping Trails 3rd tomorrow, given how the story is progressing.

 

I managed to download the Crossbell games legally last night, and I got the geofront patch for Zero.   Hopefully their patch for Ao/Azure will be out by the time I finish Zero.

Might take a break after Trails 3rd and play a non JRPG though, we shall see.

[Eluvianii]

1 hour ago, NattyBo said:

I think I should be wrapping Trails 3rd tomorrow, given how the story is progressing.

 

I managed to download the Crossbell games legally last night, and I got the geofront patch for Zero.   Hopefully their patch for Ao/Azure will be out by the time I finish Zero.

Might take a break after Trails 3rd and play a non JRPG though, we shall see.

Awesome. I feel the need to ask though, did you do all the doors? 

[Weltall]

1 hour ago, NattyBo said:

I think I should be wrapping Trails 3rd tomorrow, given how the story is progressing.

You might want to plan a bit of extra time for optional content. While The 3rd's Finale is easily the shortest in the series in terms of mandatory content, it opens up some optional content that can be a pretty good time sink if you get into it, or feel the need to grind for anything, or want to complete all the Doors.

Quote

I managed to download the Crossbell games legally last night, and I got the geofront patch for Zero.   Hopefully their patch for Ao/Azure will be out by the time I finish Zero.

I'd say the odds are pretty good, given where they are and their stated goal of finishing up (if all goes well) this month per their last update. Even better odds if you take a little break between 3rd and Zero like you're considering.

 

[NattyBo]

1 hour ago, Eluvianii said:

Awesome. I feel the need to ask though, did you do all the doors? 

Yeah at least all available to me so far. Up to star door 14 iirc, all the sun and moon doors are done 

[Eluvianii]

50 minutes ago, NattyBo said:

Yeah at least all available to me so far. Up to star door 14 iirc, all the sun and moon doors are done 

Perfect. 15 is, difficult to read, I swear I was starting to feel physically sick as I went through it. And after that there's a last one that only unlocks if you finish every other one iirc, that one is sweet. 

[Briar King]

CS3 ch 1 stuff

im finally beginning to push forward. My students are up to something instigated by Musse and are following behind me towards Hamel. Agate has joined me. 

 

Son is here so I doubt I ll be getting much progress today but in about 19 minutes I fully intend to kick him off gta for my 4PM session and to start exploring Hamel road where I stopped last.

Oh and the old man I met way earlier in SA is likely Fie’s “dad”. He made another appearance in the company of Leo and Xeno and they appear to be observing us.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Just now, Briar King said:

CS3 ch 1 stuff

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im finally beginning to push forward. My students are up to something instigated by Musse and are following behind me towards Hamel. Agate has joined me. 

 

Son is here so I doubt I ll be getting much progress today but in about 19 minutes I fully intend to kick him off gta for my 4PM session and to start exploring Hamel road where I stopped last.

 

Oh and the old man I met way earlier in SA is likely Fie’s “dad”. He made another appearance in the company of Leo and Xeno and they appear to be observing us.

 

Alright NOW I can tell you about this. 

Spoiler

Hamel is a very important location in the series. It was the trigger for the Hundred Days War, and is the backstory for two characters. Joshua, deuteragonist in Trails in the Sky, and Loewe the Bladelord, Enforcer Number II of Ouroboros and someone who has been mentioned several times, notably by McBurn and Duvalie in CS2.

 

[Briar King]

I ll tag this just to be safe, CS2/3 crossover stuff

anyone can do me a solid and post some pics of these characters who are showing up? Lloyd, Rixa, Tita, Olivert, Randy, Agate...I’d love to see them from older games. SURE don’t want to look em up and risk a spoiler after a year of investment. Hell with as much background stuff I’m getting as I go on I wonder what kind of exp I’d have playing other games knowing this stuff. Maybe harmful to overall satisfaction but I still intend to try to get them. Just have to dust my PS3 off.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Sure thing, I can post some pictures.This is the party from Sky plus two non-party members. On the left, from top to bottom, we have Renne, Loewe, Joshua, and Estelle (the main character). On the right from top to bottom, we have Tita, Zin (a Calvardian Bracer), Scherazard (a Liberlian Bracer, the mentor to Joshua and Estelle), Kloe (Liberl princess), Olivert (who goes by Olivier in these games), and Agate. I think I have to post the Crossbell image in a separate comment

Edited March 6, 2021 by aneonfoxtribute

[aneonfoxtribute]

And here is the Crossbell party. From the top, left to right, we have Rixia, Wazy, Noel (just a cop), Randy, KeA (Cutest daughteru), Elie, Tio, and Lloyd. I will note that Rixia and Lloyd look basically identical to how they look in the Crossbell games because CS2's Divertissment chapter doesn't take place very long after the events of the Crossbell games, since CS1 and 2 are concurrent with Azure (and Zero a bit at the start of CS1). 

Also I don't think the non-CS games are on PS3. If you want to play the older games, PC is your best bet

Edited March 6, 2021 by aneonfoxtribute

[Briar King]

Trials in Sky are on it I’m fairly sure. Or they were not long after I 1st started CS1. I haven’t had PS3 hooked up since 1st hurricane back in August.

Though now that I’m remembering it they may have Japanese version..

[Weltall]

They would have been, the trilogy was released on PS3 as a second-degree port (PC original to PSP to PS3) so they have the extra content of the middle release but still don't look as good as the original, since the trilogy was originally designed for the PC. XSEED's release managed to back-port the PSP additions and some of the PS3 textures into the original PC game, making it by far the best version.

You might want to wait until the end of Chapter I to read this since it relates to one of your earlier guesses:

Spoiler

We actually knew that was Fie's dad even before the game released in Japan, because the official website straight-up identified him as Rutger Claussell, meaning that the question was never meant to be 'Who is that?' but 'How is he alive?'

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Weltall

[Briar King]

Are they English subbed on it? 

[NattyBo]

Whew! That's a wrap on Trails in the Sky the 3rd. I did all the Sun, Moon and Star doors, so I think I got the full experience more or less. Can't say I enjoyed it as much as the first two, but there was some cool hints about whats coming, I think, and some of the flashback/memories were very touching.

Definately need a non JRPG palette cleanser before I hope into Trails from Zero, but it wont be on the backburner too long, I don;t think - I'm eager to get to Trails of Cold Steel.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Just now, NattyBo said:

Whew! That's a wrap on Trails in the Sky the 3rd. I did all the Sun, Moon and Star doors, so I think I got the full experience more or less. Can't say I enjoyed it as much as the first two, but there was some cool hints about whats coming, I think, and some of the flashback/memories were very touching.

Definately need a non JRPG palette cleanser before I hope into Trails from Zero, but it wont be on the backburner too long, I don;t think - I'm eager to get to Trails of Cold Steel.

Nothing more touching than 

Spoiler

Star Door 15 :upside_down:

 

[Weltall]

3 hours ago, Briar King said:

Are they English subbed on it? 

No. If you want to play them in English go PC which is easily the best version. You can't even get Sky The 3rd on PSP because the console was deader than dead by the time XSEED was able to release it. Any computer that's not ten years old and on fire can probably run them just fine, given their age and the fact that they weren't exactly pushing the hardware envelope even when they were brand new.

Edited March 7, 2021 by Weltall

[NattyBo]

Well I guess I’m taking a break from Kiseki, my damn computer power supply unit appears to be on the fritz. I’m hopeful I can get it replaced by warranty, but gonna have to find help here replacing it as that’s not something I can do. Gah 

[Briar King]

Can I look forward to another graphic leap from 3 to 4 or are them same way like 1&2?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Overall same as CS3.

Hajimari is graphically the same. Only real notable thing is that it has mo-cap animation for a handful of scenes and S-crafts. Your mileage may very on whether or not it actually looks good, though.

[NattyBo]

Will it spoil anything major if I play the Erebonia arc before crossbell arc? With my PC out of commission for at least a week, I figured I could start CS1 on vita, since my plans to play a non jrpg kinda got thrown off 

[aneonfoxtribute]

Just now, NattyBo said:

Will it spoil anything major if I play the Erebonia arc before crossbell arc? With my PC out of commission for at least a week, I figured I could start CS1 on vita, since my plans to play a non jrpg kinda got thrown off 

I would say yes. They sort of spoil each other for something but Crossbell arc was made first, and you get spoiled on more of the twists for Crossbell than you do CS. It's not too big of a deal in CS1 if you avoid newspapers. CS2 is a bigger deal. CS3 is an even bigger deal, and then CS4 just assumes you've played literally every game in the series.

[NattyBo]

4 minutes ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

I would say yes. They sort of spoil each other for something but Crossbell arc was made first, and you get spoiled on more of the twists for Crossbell than you do CS. It's not too big of a deal in CS1 if you avoid newspapers. CS2 is a bigger deal. CS3 is an even bigger deal, and then CS4 just assumes you've played literally every game in the series.

Yes, consensus seems to be CS1 especially would be ok if I avoid the newspapers. Hopefully by the time I finish CS1 my PC will be fixed so, I can do the crossbell games in between