Photos taken seconds before disaster...
>>3523425It's Orobousover
She lucked out. Joshua was about to rape her.
>>3523436
>tfw no tomboy stepsister gf
>>3523425So it wasn't until a few seconds later that you realized you were playing a "Trails" game. Because that's the real disaster.
Ester LOVE
>>3523425>be estelle bright>not enough darkness to join some criminal organizationreally makes you think
>>3523702>criminal organizationThey're total fucking dindus. They're evil themed, not actually evil.
>>3523746God all the CS3 girls are so CUTE!
>>3523702>you lack hatred Estelle
>>3523765Didn't they team up with a pedophile sex cult in Azure and try and start WW3 in the CS4?
>>3523850They weren't working with the DG cult, they helped wipe them out in the backstory along w/ the bracers. And they were trying to start WW1, not WW3.
>>3523857>They weren't working with the DG cultYes they were. That's why you fight Arianrhod and Campanella in Azure.
>>3523979The Crois are not the DG cult. They used them, but they were not them.
>>3523987The Crois family directly funded the cult. I'd say that's a bit more than just "using" them.
Continuing this here so I'll feel less bad about spoilers. SC starts right where the first game left off. Like there's no intro or anything. It just starts right back up where you left off and you can even load a save which will make NPCs you previously met remember your actions in the first game. Joshua is gone and Estelle has a heartrending mental breakdown. She rushes back to Rolent in a panic, and as she does she's hit on by a wandering priest, "Kevin", who has a fetish for crying girls and winds up tagging along. Throughout the city everyone is super pumped to see us and has a lot of personal things to say, which is great. After coming to terms with Joshua's absence, Estelle realizes she's pretty much useless on her own and volunteers to attend an international bracer training camp in the sovereign state of Leman.A taste of things to come, this game has some bangers.https://youtu.be/8RIJX-E0OYM?si=RIMYLRBaPx7YfmLp
>>3523995They originally started the cult but that was ancient history and the modern Crois family had completely forgotten about them until it got brought up again very recently. By that point the cult had largely been destroyed. The remainder was finished off before Ouroboros got seriously involved in Crossbell in Azure.
>>3523425Anons, I'm without a game to play right now. Should I play this? I was about to play Suikoden 3 but seems kinda slow and dense so far. I this afaik has a native pc port
>>3524281keep going with suikoden 3, it starts off slow but its one of the greatest narrative experiences in a jrpg
>>3524284Ok. The amount of delay the game has for the menus is kinda jarring. But maybe I will get use to it. IDK if it's a thing about the emulation but well
>>3524281>Should I play thisYes.
>>3524281Sky's great but it's also a slow burn.
Our first dungeon is a twist on the sewers from the first game. Estelle and Anelace are truly a pair of clueless airheads and you really get a feeling for Joshua's absence. This time the dungeon is far more elaborate and labyrinthian, and to get through it we must manipulate bridges and flood gates. There's treasure hidden everywhere, and due to losing our quartz its important to find and could be the difference between life or death in the boss battle. There's some new mechanics worth mentioning: We can now perform team attacks, where party members attack in unison, and can not only equip more quartz, but a higher quality of quartz as well, which leads to even more art combinations.https://youtu.be/3GB-xej4GFc?si=FRTKgBMucxsTGc6n
The training ground is raided by jaeger corps. Estelle and Anelace are stripped of their gear, thrown into the forest, and hunted like animals. With only their orbments they must sneak past enemies throughout the woods to regain their weapons and armor. From there its onwards to a facility modeled after a military base for the purposes of training, which has been captured by the jaegers. For the first time in JRPG history we must go into our inventory and manually use an approriate item within the vicinity of an object to trigger an interaction, in this case an ID card against a scanner, a mechanic so complex that it requires 3 tutorials. Also, Estelle can equip night vision goggles to see in the dark, which is tacticool. The scenario ends with a boss fight from the hell dimension, where I narrowly manage to finish the boss off before he can heal by using a combo and 2 S-crafts together.
I have no idea why people say SC starts slow. Everything about it is super cool right from the start.
>>3524493SC blew its like 90% recycled content. Same towns. Same dungeons. ZzzzzzzFc was good though
>>3524550>Same towns.It's a direct sequel. Why would the towns be different?>Same dungeons.That isn't true.
>>3524349>>3524478Anal Ace is cute but no one cares about your tranny blogposts
>>3524493Probably just people commenting without having played the game desu, it's very common.
A reckoning is coming.
>>3524620I disagree. There is an incredible amount of disinformation and mental illness surrounding these games.
>>3524620Is Anelace really weak to anal?
>>3524789No, she loves it, that's why she's called Anal Ace.
>>3524349Surprising how this old game looks way better than 90% of slop produced today.
>>3524956Think about how much work went into designing a single building in this game.
First big decision in the game, which will alter quests slightly and significantly alter dialogue given the extreme focus on characters present in the game, as well as shaping what role in combat Estelle will take to synergize with her partner. At the Grancel airport we get a brief look into Liberl's internal politics as two ambassadors of competing embassies squabble over the rights to a new engine model Liberl is rolling out. The queen plans to share Liberl's technological advances with neighboring countries as a gesture of good will in an effort to promote multinational peace. Additionally, it appears Agate is soured on Imperials, I wonder how he'll get along with Olivier.
>>3524611I didn't beat SC but I got pretty far into it. From what I played a lot of the dungeons where repeats. Maybe later you get some new ones.Many sequels in other franchises have new towns to explore. Very dissapointing that they blew their load in fc so it's just repeats in sc
>>3525818This seems like an inopportune time to spread such nonsense.
>>3525823They have been doing it for years desu, don't expect it to change
>>3525789This is already more actual choices and consequences than dragon age.
>>3523425
>>3524493>I have no idea why people say SC starts slowIt's almost like they didn't play it.
What difficulty should I play Sky FC guys? I've read some say the game is balanced around Normal. While others say the same might become too easy after the first part and Hard is better
>>3527435>While others say the sameWhile others say the game*
>>3527435Hard, but please do keep in mind that hard is actually hard for real at times and not just pretend hard like 99.9% of video games. There is a reduce difficulty on retry feature, it's enabled automatically. I just shut it off, but if you leave it on its no big deal as it's not like the game tracks what difficulty you beat it on anyways. Don't torture yourself if you don't want to.
>>3524159The Sky games are so good.I binged SC and the 3rd earlier this year.Enjoy yourself.
The first city we "retread" is Ruan, but things have changed. The last time we were here we got the mayor arrested due to being involved in a conspiracy to feed the locals to mutant lions, so now there's an election for a replacement and everyone is swept up in it. One candidate is a proponent of tourism and the other wants to revive the fishing industry, and as a consequence the futures of the locals are hinging on the victor. Additionally, they've finished building a casino with several games to play and we're introduced to SC's new and much improved fishing minigame. Our first task from the guild is to investigate some ghost sightings. Since Agate is with us, dealing with the local delinquents is a bit more interesting, as he was the gang leader here prior to starting his life as a bracer.
>>3527435Hardest difficulty is what I did and it was very hard to even get out of the tutorial. It becomes easier later on as you get more tools however (this is similar to all trails games.)
>>3528300The point is: hardest is doable even on NG but will be frustrating for some people (I don't remember if it was called Nightmare or something else here.) Normal is always balanced for NG and you will still have some tough fights I'd expect, or at least, fights where you have to adjust. But the harder difficulties will kill you fairly remorselessly for small errors in build or execution
>>3528293I went with Schera back then because it seemed like the natural choice for Estelle, but she's kind of boring ESPECIALLY in Ruan.Been wondering ever since how Agate handles the optional casino quest and dealing with the delinquents.
>>3527435Hard is an appropriate level. There’s a couple fights off the top of my mind that might take you out, but for a reasonable player (i.e. not a complete newb to jrps - and you shouldn’t be considering you just went through the first game) should be fine. >>3528300Nightmare peaks at Kurt. It is a quite unfair fight that I suspect most people would be unable to do with out time investment or using a guide. Everything else sorta levels out to around the same as Hard, just with a little bit tighter execution requirements in the difficult fights. > It becomes easier later on as you get more tools however (this is similar to all trails games.)This is true of every game
>>3527435Early trails games have a habit of having 99% of fights be fodder but still having 1 or 2 bosses that are way more difficult than what the game teaches you to expectThere is a fight in the end of FC that is optional to win but is required to 100% the game, that you are expected to lose even on normal difficulty, so playing on nightmare might just get in the way of experiencing the story and make you burn out really quick
>>3527457>>3528300>>3528418>>3528436Alright, thanks. I'm going in hard difficulty
>>3528293>The last time we were here we got the mayor arrested due to being involved in a conspiracy to feed the locals to mutant lionsTechnically it was a real estate scam. The mutant lions were just an added bonus.
While investigating ghosts, we recieve a request to collect some ingredients from various monsters. However, the shopping list we are given is not what we have to collect, but rather what we don't need, and we're tasked with finding new delicacies. Through a bit a searching and referencing our bestiary, we can deduce where to go and what to hunt, but there's another option: Fishing. Fortunately, there's a hidden sidequest that can be acquired by revisiting an old friend at the lighthouse, which is completed by solving a puzzle to troubleshoot a console by referencing a nearby manual, and the reward is bait. And by using that bait to catch some fish, and by using those fish to catch other fish, we have another route to complete our quest more quickly while ticking off a few more species of fish to catch within the region. Its a pretty interesting series of tasks despite being so mundane on the surface. After interviewing everyone who spotted the ghost causing trouble, we're reunited with Olivier and deduce that the one differentiating feature of each account is the direction in which the ghost departs, and when put to a map said directions all converge on the Royal Academy, so that'll be our next stop.https://youtu.be/mqAzKJIr5aQ?si=ymV2Y6Idc0WPiyOV
>>3529382Kevin my love...
>>3523425Eshille
https://youtu.be/z07WdBYBEe0?si=15Mpa2pn6dXbvY1wAfter a tour through a spook house and a showdown with an agent of Ouroboros, our next stop is Zeiss.
>>3530473That scene between Olivier and the enforcer was wild.
Are the same guy who made that Skies of Arcadia thread OP?
>>3524284>3, it starts off slow but its one of the greatest narrative experiences in a jrpg>>3524281read the mango and kekstart an animes on Netflicks.
>>3530576Yes.
>>3524281Suikoden 3 has a great 40 hour long prologue with the multiple PoVs. It falls off once they all merge into one but it's still fun enough to finish. S5 is also fun
There's one final quest in Ruan, and its a missable secret one. In the local hotel we stumble upon the aftermath of an assault, in which the victim was unknowingly struck in the back of the head by his assailant and knocked unconcious. From here, we engage in an investigation, collecting bits of information which are stored as keywords we can reuse while interrogating people within the building. Eventually, after an elaborate bout of clue gathering, we establish an alibi for the primary suspect and identify a contradiction in the true culprits testimony, solving the case. Pretty fun quest overall and a pleasant surprise for something entirely missable, reminds me of Ace Attorney a little. I feel that compared to the first game they packed A LOT more into each act, and its fresh high quality stuff too. Afterwards its time for a tearful goodbye from the Mercia orphanage and boarding an airship to Zeiss, where we pass the time summarizing various developments in our party's various character arcs and acquiring epic falcon lore. When we finally land we're greeted by an earthquake.
>>3532579I like how the entire case hinged on shrimp paella.
>>3523425[SPOILER]Just kidding I beat this guy first try and I'm not even that good at RPGs. Anyone who had problems just sucks at understanding game mechanics.[/spoiler]
>>3532912It caught me off guard due to thinking it was just a joke. I didn't realize what had happened until the final clues started falling into place.
>>3532579That actually sounds pretty impressive.
In Zeiss, we are tasked with investigating a series of localized earthquakes targeting various areas in the region. This is the first chapter we acquire access to new and extremely powerful arts, and as such most sidequests involve fighting tons of minibosses, including a throwdown with the army ending in an unexpected brawl with Lieutenant Colonel Cid who periodically drops tactical nukes on the battlefield. You actually aren't even *supposed* to win this, but you can and the bonus reward is a special and powerful item.
>>3534398>You actually aren't even *supposed* to win thisPretty sure this is the first fight in the series like this where you don't lose in the cutscene after anyways.
>>3523425Man SC is so good.
>>3528398Agate is really great, all the character development he lacked in the first game he gets now.
Oh god.
>>3536220That creepy sheep's in need of some punishment
>>3536220>>3536322That creepy sheep? It's me.t. Creepy Sheep
>>3536350You can't be a sheep, you're racist.
Now to make our way to Grancel to attend a tea party.
>>3525818Well, SC hace a pretty big new town later on. So...
>>3537948>Well, SC hace a pretty big new town later on.Its got a lot more than that.
Several new areas have opened up in Grancel and those evacuated during the attempted coup have been repopulated, making the city feel truly enormous. Two particularly notable locations are the embassies of Calvard and Erebonia. A series of threatening letters have been sent out in an attempt to dissuade the signing of the non-aggression pact, and we're tasked with investigating their source. This is our first real look into the political intrigue between the nations of the Zemurian continent. Calvard and Erebonia are a republic and empire respectively, and have drastically different views, whereas Liberl is a constitutional monarchy. While gathering info, we're also attempting to locate the parents of an abandoned young girl by the name of Renne, who happens to be a native of Crossbell, a small landlocked demilitarised buffer state between the aforementioned nations. As it turns out, the main catalyst behind the non-aggression pact is rising tensions between who should rule it, as both countries believe they are entitled to it, while some Crossbellans themselves desire independence, and if things continue as they are war may be inevitable. Needless to say all these developments are fairly interesting.
>>3524159>you can even load a save which will make NPCs you previously met remember your actions in the first game.Not to mention the bonus items you get based on your bracer rank in FC.Couldn't have beaten BY MY ARTS (Jaeger form) on Hard without that extra proxy puppet.
what in the goddamn
>>3540408I just spread out and he did that charge thing over and over.
After an absolutely insane boss battle and checking in with Joshua, its time to head to Rolent.
>another masterpieceHow in the FUCK does Falcom do it?
>>3544009Is this real?
>>3529382I had to figure out how to fire up an industrial strength generator today because tech support was off duty and the rental company forgot to refuel and it died, and this quest was surprisingly accurate as to how it works, jesus lmao thanks falcom.
>>3544054Yes. This is literally real life.
>>3544840Based falcom turning boys into contributing members of society.
>>3544843If you die in real life, you do not die in the game (usually)
>>3542961This bit with Joshy was one of my favorite sequences in SC
A bitter sweet stroll about an airship as we land in Rolent. An unnaturally thick fog has blanketed the area and passengers have taken refuge in town while their flights are grounded.
>>3544937I like how it sort of looped around to tackling the same dungeon with the very same bosses at the end now functioning as your incompetent and underpowered sidekicks.
Why is Rufus so relatable?
>>3546570Haha...
As night falls the residents of Rolent begin to mysteriously fall unconcious at random. Naturally, our first move is to locate a missing cat.
Is it farming shining poms in the prologue a pussy tactic?
>>3549155Yeah you're basically a girl now
>>3549155Dude you don’t need to grind everThe game fucking scales exp for you
>>3549644Ye but now I'm so overpowered I can just run out of every trash fight and rush through dungeons and also have all the orbment slots unlocked with any quartz I want
>>3549677>Ye but now I'm so overpoweredNot really. It won't last very long.
>>3550387>It won't last very long.And then, I will farm even more
>>3523774True.
>>3526550AAAAAAHHHHH
>>3523702What exactly is this guy deal? He acts edgy just to be edgy?
>>3551093You wouldn't get it, dad.
>>3551093Loewe's cool, but the edgy act is kinda undercut by the gay choker he's wearing desu.
>>3525818same as you I dropped it near the end, I think the Joshua going rogue plotline went nowhere and everything after felt weak. Also the towers at the end got tedious and I quit to play something else.I still think Estelle is one of the most likeable female protags in gaming.
>>3552124Seems pretty great to me so far.
>>3533042Same I beaten that guy with the first tryI was getting rekt by Garai though
The fog continues to expand and thicken throughout Rolent, and as it does Estelle begins to question her competence as she fails to protect more and more of the people she grew up with from its effects. Its sort of interesting how Falcom keeps flipping these old areas on their heads.
>>3552124There's no way you dropped SC right at the end.
Sad...
>>3554887If it weren't for that dream, she wouldn't have had the mental strength to tell Ouroboros to fuck off and convince Joshua to come back to her. Estelle is a well-written female character.
>>3554887First time in this game I actually cried I think, great scene.
>>3554895I don't understand complaints I see about trails being badly written at all. Every common point used as a vector for shitposting about this series turned out to be a total lie.
>>3556311Sky is more or less fine. The writing starts to get really inconsistent starting around the second half of Ao, and bottoms out with the complete mindless clusterfuck that is CS3 and 4.
>>3556688That's like several hundred hours of jrpgs....
>>3557226Yes, which is why I dropped the series part of the way into CS4. But the series becoming awful doesn't diminish all the good stuff that came before, for the most part at least.
>>3557226Personally I thought the first five were great, and that's more than you can say about most franchises.
>>3554887this is just naruto but naruto is a girl
I wonder if pepper pottage is inspired by somthing similar tohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Pepper_Pot
holy kek
>>3559306Anton is the true main character of trails in the sky.
>>3559306this quest was hilarious
Oh n-
I love this series bros
>>3560636Where did you get this picture of me?
https://youtu.be/KeLKey9Wmuc
The seemingly endless gauntlet of Rolent scavenger hunts is finally over.
>>3563419Ester's large stick...
>>3523425The OST in this game is so good.
>>3564437I purchased the ost about five years before I purchased the actual game.
>>3564451That's wierd.
>>3563626Why are there so few futanari doujins for kiseki
>>3523425I despised Estelle from the first moment she was introduced where she jumped up and down on Joshua. When he was in a life threatening condition, likely with broken ribs etc.I really never could see how those two could form any kind of romantic bond outside of maybe Joshua both having stockholme syndrome and being a masochist. I wouldnt be suprised if at least half or more of their sex life after getting together is just Estelle pegging Joshua with her staff. We already see during the games how she commits domestic violence by beating him when they have an arguement as well.Plus Estelle has a really annoying personality. I still say she is written like a side character that is only meant to appear for one side quest each game. Making every second longer she is around reveal more floors in her terrible writing.She is the sole reason that it took me 4 attempts at this game series before being able to force my way through it. Because she would always be some kind of obnoctious to the point of me quitting and uninstalling. The only thing that pulled me through in the end, is that I really liked the combat system.Story would have been 100x better if Joshua was protag, you leave Estelle at start town because she is too dumb to pass the exam. Joshua also would need to have a personality change to be a badass instead of an emo femboy. Then you date the princess (who doesnt pretend to be a tomboy because the author for some reason is obsessed with dominant women) eventually marry her and be a cool ninja king hero.
I will not be reading your sperg rant
>>3530473The enforcer theme was so kino I couldn't pay attention to the scene
>>3565546does the series ever get that good again? ive played up to cs1 so far and was super disappointed with crossbell's villains, they honestly felt more comical than anything
