The Legend of Heroes series.

[Arrashi]

Spoiler: Playing Cold steel spoils one of bigger plot twists in Sky, and does it at the start of the game. Not gonna say what is it, but it will definately take away from sky games if you choose to play them after cold steel.

Also, Cold steel heavily capitalises on the fact that sky (and ao/zero) did alot to set up main villains of the series (given the fact that they first appear in the very end of first sky game) so many things may be difficult to understand/feel like they came out of nowhere.

[Deleted]

Trails of Cold Steel was my favourite so far (bc of Rean Schwarzer obviosly :-) ). A perfect Gentleman, even in the mandatory girl-falls-on-hot-protag moment:

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I'm 42 hours into the game, and have just finished the Nord Highlands outing. Some thoughts:

- Playing on hard mode is the way to go IMO: normal is too easy, as you just ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK everything unless it's a boss fight. Hard mode actually requires you to use your buffs (Motivate, Noble Command, La Crest, Crescent Shell, time speed up art, etc), manipulate turn order with delay crafts (arc slash, Jusis' rapid rapier craft), interrupt abilities, use analyze/detect to find enemy weaknesses and use appropriate characters against them to build bravery points and appropriate elemental arts against them, and so forth. Early on, I wiped a few times to standard mobs, but once I learned the above tactics it became really fun. The hunt quests are basically bonus bosses on hard difficultly, in some cases being harder than the story bosses! The stone golem was a harder fight then the spider.

- I also love how the practical exams have bonus objectives that yield more AP; for example, on the third practical exam (right before Nord Highlands), you have the bonus requirements of not using any arts or having any team members KOed. At first, I thought that this was impossible, but once again, using the above tactics allowed me to win the battle (using Machias' energy shell to heal, Gaius to tank the boss, using Rean to delay the adds and interrupt their casts).

- Trails of Cold Steel has some of the best dubbed voice acting I've ever had the pleasure of hearing in a video game. The conversations are so fluid and lifelike, that I actually believe that these people are real and are best friends.

- The music tracks are good, but some of the fight tracks like "Eliminate Crisis" are simply amazing! The opening song is also very good.

[Danner]

I must admit I haven't heard any track rising to the level of Silver Will (and it's brilliant sequel remaster which you also briefly hear at the end of the Trails in the Sky FC.

But yes, the music in Trails in Cold Steel is indeed good.

--

On the topic of difficulty in Trails of Cold Steel, I am of the opinion that Elliot's Resounding Beat buff is literally OP. It completely negates any need for other healing whatsoever. In wow equivalency, imagine if Renew healed you for a quarter of your health bar every GCD, and hit the entire party when cast, and also cast shieldwall on everyone on top of that. I mean, jeez.

[Cattleya]

Well, hard to top Silver Will, though IMO one of the tracks in Cold Steel and a couple in Cold Steel 2 beat it

Overall I'd say Cold Steel 2 has the best OST out of the 5 Trails games currently available in the west. Hope Steam users won't have to wait too long for the game, if you like the first Cold Steel you're in for a treat with the second one.

On topic of whether the games have a continuous story, it sort of does but not to the point where you *have* to start at the beginning. The sub-series (Sky, Zero/Ao, Cold Steel) have their own complete story arcs, but there's also a greater story arc going on in the background that connects them all. There will be references and nods to past events/characters, so if you're averse to spoilers that might be an issue sometimes. I will say Cold Steel 2 in particular spoils a few things about Zero/Ao but sadly those two games aren't available in the west (yet).

From what I've seen/read on the Cold Steel 3 pre-release news, it looks to bring a lot of things from Sky, Zero/Ao and Cold Steel together, so if you do get invested in the story I advise to try and get through all three Sky games before its western release. And pray Ao/Zero make it over here before that too

[Velshin]

So basically I should play the three Sky series then cold steel afterward?

[Cattleya]

Definitely what I'd advise in terms of story. I always hesitate a little to tell people to start with Sky because some might not be able to stand the fact it feels rather outdated now (it's a 2004 game after all, and one by a relatively small dev), Cold Steel feels more streamlined. If you're okay with that though, absolutely Sky first.

[Velshin]

Definitely what I'd advise in terms of story. I always hesitate a little to tell people to start with Sky because some might not be able to stand the fact it feels rather outdated now (it's a 2004 game after all, and one by a relatively small dev), Cold Steel feels more streamlined. If you're okay with that though, absolutely Sky first.

Haha no worries man in fact this is what I love about it! I missed the feeling of good old JRPG ( I am an RPG player since the 80s so yeah old school here :P) this is what grabbed me to the series in the first place it reminded me so much of Wild Arms 1 and 2 in playstation 1.

[Cakka]

Spoiler: Playing Cold steel spoils one of bigger plot twists in Sky, and does it at the start of the game. Not gonna say what is it, but it will definately take away from sky games if you choose to play them after cold steel.

Also, Cold steel heavily capitalises on the fact that sky (and ao/zero) did alot to set up main villains of the series (given the fact that they first appear in the very end of first sky game) so many things may be difficult to understand/feel like they came out of nowhere.

What exactly does it spoil? I seriously must have completely missed it.

[Wrecktangle]

I need to find my way into this series. It's probably the only one I haven't dabbled in or tried, mostly cause the games are a pain to find and I've had I'm still recovering from my 3-4 month gauntlet of console gaming.

[Arrashi]

What exactly does it spoil? I seriously must have completely missed it.

That olivier is prince for instance

There are also many smaller and bigger things that make much more sense if you played sky first. Like the fact that class VII is essencially receiving bracer training.

[Cakka]

That olivier is prince for instance

There are also many smaller and bigger things that make much more sense if you played sky first. Like the fact that class VII is essencially receiving bracer training.

Ah that. It just didn't seem like much of a reveal in TiTS2 either. You didn't know he was a prince specifically, but he was clearly an important person in Erebonia judging by the way he was treated by the embassy people.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

That olivier is prince for instance

There are also many smaller and bigger things that make much more sense if you played sky first. Like the fact that class VII is essencially receiving bracer training.

Even if you've never played a TLOH game before, the training part for class VII was pretty obvious just going by the story quests, so wasn't really a spoiler.

The spoiler tagged spoiler one the other hand might actually be intriguing for people who like deducing the identities of mystery people.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm sixty-five hours into the game (hard mode) and I'm about to begin August 31st, so I think I'm nearing the end of the game. A few questions:

For Trails of Cold Steel 2, does anyone know what transfers over in the save import? Combat links with party members? What happens relationships with NPCs like Sara and Towa? Do master quartz levels transfer over? Because if they do, I'd grind up a few to be ready to go in the next game.

I got a "B" grade on one of the chapters, instead of the usual A. I presume that this means I missed a side quest (the ones that don't show up on field study orders). Does the game allow for enough AP events that you can get A0 even if you missed a few, or do I have to get ALL THE AP to get A0?

For people who played other LoH games, what's the difference between Cold Steel's orbment system and the other games? Like Trails in the Sky?

How do I check which party members have B rank strike attacks (that break objects on the field, like Machias or Laura)? The game has told me twice that only characters with B rank strike attacks can do it, but I can't seem to find that info on the party or status menus.

[Cattleya]

Even if you've never played a TLOH game before, the training part for class VII was pretty obvious just going by the story quests, so wasn't really a spoiler.

The spoiler tagged spoiler one the other hand might actually be intriguing for people who like deducing the identities of mystery people.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm sixty-five hours into the game (hard mode) and I'm about to begin August 31st, so I think I'm nearing the end of the game. A few questions:

For Trails of Cold Steel 2, does anyone know what transfers over in the save import? Combat links with party members? What happens relationships with NPCs like Sara and Towa? Do master quartz levels transfer over? Because if they do, I'd grind up a few to be ready to go in the next game.

I got a "B" grade on one of the chapters, instead of the usual A. I presume that this means I missed a side quest (the ones that don't show up on field study orders). Does the game allow for enough AP events that you can get A0 even if you missed a few, or do I have to get ALL THE AP to get A0?

For people who played other LoH games, what's the difference between Cold Steel's orbment system and the other games? Like Trails in the Sky?

How do I check which party members have B rank strike attacks (that break objects on the field, like Machias or Laura)? The game has told me twice that only characters with B rank strike attacks can do it, but I can't seem to find that info on the party or status menus.

From what I can recall, here's exactly what the save transfer does:
Bonus items depending on what Rean's level was at the end of 1, bonus items depending on your academy rank, and your closest relationship starts out with more Link experience than others (plus some slight dialogue changes). Quartz, levels and so on won't carry over and instead start at a default state in 2.

You don't have to get *all* the AP in the game to reach A0, but it's pretty close I think. Chances are you won't reach A0 if you got a mix of As and a B since there's also S. Max achievable AP is 440. On the bright side, as I said before, your academy ranks only affect some bonus items you get at the start of 2 (in A0's case, an accessory that's good but not great and by no means necessary)

The orbment system is similar in Sky but in a way very different. Quartz have an elemental value and you get arts based on the total elemental values in your orbment line. So for example you have two quartz with +2 water element value, if you put them both in one line you get teara because it requires 4 water in one orbment line. Put the two in different lines and you won't get teara.

As for the attack type ranks, they're near the middle-bottom of the character status screen, see https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5717/...e0cd72ab_b.jpg for example.

[Velshin]

For the first time now playing the first Trail of Heroes Sky over 11+ hours of playing at the moment. I must say I am enjoying it way more than I expected... and I have been an RPG player since the 80s and an old fan of JRPGs so not anything impress me anymore. :P

I really like the dialog and the interaction in this game did they somehow remastered the dialog scenarios as well? because I must say the dialog really advance for a game that been released at 2004.

[Wishblade]

I've given the games a quick peek now and then when they appeared on Steam but for the Sky games I was a bit hesitant due to their age.

After looking at Cold Steel though, my interest has increased somewhat so I'm thinking of giving these games a try, despite age for the Sky trilogy.

But we'll see when that happens since I already have plenty of games lying around that I should continue or even get started with, a bunch of which are already RPGs and I'm not sure how well I'll handle about 5'ish+ RPGs at the same time. XP

[Video Games]

Why is my present a boy?

[Velshin]

Why is my present a boy?

Haha indeed I am playing that one now :P

[Val the Moofia Boss]

90 hours into Trails of Cold Steel (Hard mode)... damn! This game is just like Xenoblade; you THINK the game is coming to an end, and everything's wrapping up all nice and dandy, and then BAM! The plot thickens. Oh, that was really climatic! Looks like we are in the epilogue... oh wait, WHAT ON EARTH!?!? The story just keeps getting more enthralling as it goes along. I've been playing for the past nine hours straight, and I THINK that I'm on the REALLY TRULY LAST PART (and it just got HOLY SHIT, again), but it's nearly two in the morning and I'm getting tired and even I'm not sure if this is ACTUALLY the end, so I'm just going to sleep for now and hopefully finish it after breakfast.

"Gripping"

- - - Updated - - -

After 92 hours of gameplay, I finally finished my blind, hard mode playthrough of Trails of Cold Steel

Trails of Cold Steel TRUE FINAL BOSS RANT BELOW!!!


Now, normally I'd be raving about the ending, but that final fight was absolutely ATROUCIOUS. I'm going to need a couple days to cool down before I can even give my thoughts about the game as a whole. That's how aggravating this fight was.

I spent TWO hours fighting the Azure Knight and wiping over, and over, and over, and over again. I tried multiple strategies, and eventually after an hour of misery, succumbed to just looking up a walkthrough... only to be told what I already knew: the final fight is luck based.

Supposedly, you can also spends hours in the schoolhouse leveling up Rean to make the final fight easier (you deal more damage, take less damage, have more health, etc), but considering you can't go back to the schoolhouse to grind once the attack begins (and all my saves were refreshed after Loa Erebonius), and there was no indication that there'd be any more fights after the concert (which would have made for an ideal, "end of the school year happy ending"), I caught completely off guard.

Ofcourse, the best strategy is to attack his weakpoints (which, BTW, there are TWO stances with DIFFERENT weak points that share THE EXACT SAME ANIMATION), something I didn't catch on to until a guide told me) to build up CP and maintain the Quinnoggin buff (which you should double stack ASAP. Yes, you can apparently double stack buffs in this game, something I was not aware of until the guide told me to do so). Whatever you do, MAINTAIN that double stack for the fight, as it will make your rush attacks deal five digit numbers and will make up the majority of your damage dealt. All of the other crafts? Ignore them. Use spirit when below 50% (ofcourse, time it so that you DO NOT LOSE your double stack, use it preemptively if you have to). When the boss reaches low HP and enters his defense stance (he holds out the staff with both hands, countering every move against him), use Morning Star and just pray you get counters with which to use rush, and pray that the boss doesn't use his S-craft or gets as few link attacks as possible. I used the same strategy for about half an hour before one - at long lost - FINALLY worked. Seriously, this fight basically comes down to whether or not your lucky enough to avoid boss links.

I have played many, many, many video games. This is - without a doubt - one of the worst boss fights I've ever had the misfortune to play.



END RANT

[Danner]

For Trails of Cold Steel 2, does anyone know what transfers over in the save import? Combat links with party members? What happens relationships with NPCs like Sara and Towa? Do master quartz levels transfer over? Because if they do, I'd grind up a few to be ready to go in the next game.

Full list of newgame+ carryovers:
You get to buy 5 points of stuff from the following list:

• 0 Points - Carry over link level and unlock burst and rush
• 1 Point - Carry over all mira and sepith
• 1 Point - Carry over items
• 1 Point - Carry over notes
• 2 Points - Carry over character and master quartz levels
• 1 Point - Get a costume
• 1 Point - Get another costume
• 1 Point - Get another costume
• 2 Points - Bonus 300,000 mira and 3000 sepith of each type
• 4 Points - Increases bond points you get per event

This I guess matter a bit if you want to tackle the nightmare mode
But the good? news is that the second newgame + gives you 10 points. The third 15. And so on. Eventually you carry over everything here.

Full list of sequel carryovers (not the same as newgame+):

• Dance partner (affects some dialogue / character behaviour in the sequel, but nothing story-altering. No idea what. )
• Academic Rank ( grants a bonus depending on your final rank )
  - Rank A0: Golden Medal accessory (can't be obtained otherwise, HP+1000, EP+100, STR, DEF, ATS and ADF+10)
  - Rank A1: Silver Medal accessory (HP+500, EP+50)
• DLC content (maybe not faceplates). Per https://twitter.com/xseedgames/statu...87995705942016
• Rean's Level (you get some bonus for having high level)
  - Rean's level is 69 or lower: 100 of each sepith except mass, Attack 1, Zeram Powder
  - Rean's level is 70-79: 300 of each sepith except mass, Attack 1, Soul Blur, Zeram Powder
  - Rean's level is 80 or higher: 500 of each sepith except mass, Attack 1, Soul Blur, Saintly Force, Zeram Powder x2).

I guess the gold medals is kinda neat, especially if you're aiming to play the sequel on high difficulty right off the bat. But as you can see, nothing here will be unmissable, and all of it will be replaced by the endgame anyway.

I got a "B" grade on one of the chapters, instead of the usual A. I presume that this means I missed a side quest (the ones that don't show up on field study orders). Does the game allow for enough AP events that you can get A0 even if you missed a few, or do I have to get ALL THE AP to get A0?

AP is as you know gained by meeting all the expectations, like not dying in the training fight vs your teacher, or answering all the school questions right - that is the easy part. Obviously, you also need to do all the side quests given. But there is also a hidden quest or two in each chapter. Typically if you explore the game and talk to every character after every time progression, you literally cannot miss them. But I at least have missed two so far and I'm only on chapter 5.

If you miss the hidden sidequests, you're definitively not gonna make S rank, and likely not even A rank.

You need 430 / 440 AP to make rank A0. I recommend aiming for that in a newgame+ run. The game is much more fun to play if you enjoy it the first time around, rather than play it with a guide