I only noted this when I watched some old the 3rd gameplay videos...🤯

Hello,

Im currently in Act 1 of Cold Steel 4, in Osgiliath basin.

I’m having some trouble understanding why characters like Irving, Neithardt or Alan side with Osborne and go along with his crazy plan. I could even try to rationalize that the curse and also the chain of comand in the army is making them act like that but, for example, how does Irving stand siding with Shirley? Someone from Ouroboros?

I already had some trouble understanding why Claire and lechter are doing what they are doing but now with Irving and Neithardt its astonishing

Maybe all of this is explained later but for now it seems so out of character… Even Cedric doesn’t give a shit about Olivier death and still sides with their killers

Thanks in advance

(I'm still at the begging of act 3 of CS4, so please tag any spoilers)

Ever since I started playing the Trails series in February I've heard people praise it's worldbuilding and recommend that newcomers talk to all the NPCs.

Did I do that when I was playing Sky? Unfortunately, no. Not only there were too many NPCs, but their dialogue could also change like two or even three times a day. My attention span is dogshit, I'm impatient and English isn't my first language, so the idea of doing NPC rounds felt incredibly daunting. At most, I'd just talk to some of them, but spending hours doing that was totally out of the question.

Then in Zero and Azure I started trying to talk more to the NPCs. I still wasn't quite ready to commit to full NPCs rounds, but I made an effort to talk to them during important story moments (Azure Spoilers) (like at the hospital after Crossbell was set on fire) and I'd also check in on some favorite NPCs whenever I felt like it.

However, when I started CS1 I decided to try doing NPCs rounds for the first time. And ever since then I haven't been able to stop. My playtime compared to the Sky and Crossbell arcs has tripled and I don't regret it one bit. The worldbuilding in Trails has always been quite intriguing, but taking your time to know more about the citizens adds a whole new layer to it.

Man, I was devasted when (CS2 spoilers) Celdic was attacked, the grand market was burned down and Otto was killed. I know that they're just NPCs with reused character models, but I spent hours talking to them and getting to know them. I knew how proud they were of the grand market and how hard they were working to keep it running during the civil war. So seeing everything destroyed and all the once hopeful NPCs now visibly distraught felt like a punch to my guts. And I doubt I'd have been nearly as impacted if I had never talked to them that much

(CS4 spoilers) I'm feeling something similar right now in CS4, after seeing all these civilian NPCs getting conscripted for the war. I know everything about these NPC's families, friends and lovers, so it's really sad to see the war shatter all that. One of the saddest NPC storylines has to be that of the noble boy (Timothy) from Saint-Arkh, who spent the entirety of CS3 worried about his sick mother. And when she finally started to get better, his father was drafted. His mom is trying her best to appear strong in front of her son to not worry him, but he misinterpreted this as her not caring about his father, and ended up arguing with her. Now he's talking to his commoner friend (Richie), that lost both his parents at the civil war and went through something similar with his older sister, who's trying to cheer him up and help him understand his mother's perspective. I just want both families to finally be happy

There are so many different NPCs storylines that I'm following religiously. I'm praying to Aidios that Harold, Bond and Clark make it back to their families safely. I'm hoping that Charlotte's father will eventually accept her friendship with Jutta. I wonder if the newspaper boy from Celdic is still doing a great business in Heimdallr. I'm so glad that family from North Ambria (Roscoe, Bella and Artem) was welcomed at the rest lodge and I hope they're able to return home. I love hearing more about Olivier and Mueller's childhood in Alster. Wonder, one day you'll win a horse race I believe in you. I love Bleublanc and it's quite funny how one of his disguises accidentally became one of the NPCs I enjoyed following the most. Anton I'm rooting for you my man. I've been following the development of Alan and Bridget's romance since CS1, they better get married by the end of this arc.

But out of all the NPC storylines since CS1, my favorite has to be Anabelle's character development. She went from a naive noble girl who lost her wallet to becoming a reliable ally and experienced fisherman. You can still follow bits of her story through some side quests, but that's not quite the same as watching her slowly mature. Plus her crush on Kenny is adorable, and it's so sweet to see Lakelord II rooting so much for her.

It's crazy how, some months ago, the idea of talking to every single NPC multiple times felt incredibly daunting, but now here I am, talking to every sheep in Alster to find out what the next one will be named.

I started with FC and am really excited to play the remakes once I "finish" the main story, and ngl, one of the things I'm looking forward the most is talking to all the NPCs I haven't talked to the first time. Hell, I might even replay Zero and Azure for that same reason.

Sometimes doing NPC rounds can get pretty tedious, like during the school festival in CS1, so I totally get why it's not for everyone. But at least for me it's unexpectedly become one of my favorite things to do in Trails. I'm addicted. There's no turning back now, is there?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I still need to finish the NPC round for day 8/27 (I've been stuck on it for 4 days already)

TL;DR: I decided to try doing NPC rounds in the Cold Steel arc and it made me even more immersed in the story and worldbuilding. It's now one of my favorite things to do in Trails and I don’t regret a single second of the time I’ve spent on it. Yes, I even talked to the pigeons in Heimdallr. Multiple times, in fact.

like what the fuck do you mean the chests don't have funny replies in hell

We're two weeks into this series and we've reached unlucky number 13. Only, it's not really, Death's actually a super positive card, it just has a bad reputation because... Well, because it's death. This arcana is assigned to our original emo sword boy, Joshua. I love Joshua, you love Joshua, Estelle REALLY loves Joshua but that's less relevant, so let's see how he fits his card.

As mentioned, Death is a pretty good card to draw in most circumstances. While it can, in very specific circumstances, mean literal death it's far more commonly a reference to an end of an era. Saying goodbye to a relationship that isn't good for you, leaving one job for another, moving to a new place, meeting new people, starting a new life. Death is a necessity, for one must allow their old selves to die before they can start anew. The card almost always means that there's a better tomorrow coming, and the end should be celebrated for what it gave us.

This is literally the state we meet Joshua in, after all. Joshua Astray figuratively dies and Joshua Bright is born in his place, beginning a new life with Estelle and Cassius, in spite of the tumultuous childhood he had. Joshua goes through a few rebirths, but this is definitely the biggest one, and the fact that Estelle in particular is so vital in this renewal of Joshua goes to show how powerful her spirit really is. Of course, we could also argue that every time Weissman reset Joshua's mind was a rebirth too, though a much less positive one. In either case, these would remain the domain of the upright Death, but what about its counterpart?

Death reversed rejects the changes that Death brings. When reversed, the card is about holding onto the past in spite of the pain it causes, refusing to change or acknowledge our growth, and gorging ourselves on memories and nostalgia. Death reversed is stagnant, unmoving, and empty. When drawn, it's usually a warning that you need to stop fighting the future, that you're clinging onto a bygone era and it's only going to hurt you. I can only think of one instance where this is the case for Joshua.

Say what you will about Weissman. No, really, I insist, call him every insult you can think of. Anyway, he was always about moving Joshua forwards when he was in his thrall, even if the direction was diabolical. No, I'd say the time when Joshua most closely mimics the reversed Death card is after 1st's ending, where he rejects his new life in order to throw himself back into his old one. He frames this as a selfless act, as starting a new crusade without putting his loved ones in danger, but we know that isn't true. He uses his old name, adapts to his old combat style, he even starts dressing like he used to when he was just a mindless puppet, when things didn't scare him. It doesn't take a genius to see what happens from there, Estelle calls him on it, urging him to embrace his new life rather than cling to the old, and Joshua Astray dies once and for all. Only Joshua Bright remains.

It's tricky to right about Joshua's connection to death because his whole story is so well known, I feel like I'm just stating the obvious, so let's look at his story post Sky. The thing I kinda like about Joshua and Estelle after their main arc is that they hardly ever sit still, they're always off doing something, they refuse to remain stagnant. They find and save Renne, they help refugees during the Northern War, they cross multiple borders to help out during the Great Twilight, while they may not be the focus they're rarely ever sat around. The only time I can think where they accept just being content is during Reverie, and even then it's just while they figure out their next move. It really shows that they've learnt from their adventures and aren't willing to accept just being good enough, they always want to try harder, always want to reinvent themselves. They embrace new lives, new adventures, and new friends. Now, if only they could figure out how to do that kissing thing again, they'd be golden.

All in all, as in the Tarot, Death's story in Joshua is a positive one, and a lesson in always looking forward in spite of how easy it is to look back. Yesterday may have been great, it may have been awful, but tomorrow is unwritten, it can be whatever you want. I mean, for me, it'll be Temperance, but you get the idea.

So apparently I can interrupt ALL turns using an S-Break to completely annihilate/discombobulate all enemy turn structure. Was wondering why certain side quest boss mobs were so difficult thinking I wasn't planning things out, turns out I was just ignoring a crucial gameplay mechanic.

Edit: Please don't downvote my ignorance ladies and gents! Upvote the fact that I'm learning! I'm still relatively new to the Trails franchise. I'm a turn-based veteran and I'm so far loving how much fun this games strategy systems work.

I know, I know, the golden rule of this community is that you have to play every game in order and if you break this rule you'll be sentenced to death.

However.

As someone who has played every Trails game before, except the new Sky remakes, I'm thinking about experiencing these new formats of the old story. Trying to assess if I'd be able to realistically get away with just starting at SC, since its always been the best of the batch, or if I really need to ALSO do FC remake.

Its a lot of extra hours, and a decent amount of extra $$s, and my gut is that you'd get a pretty good experience from just SC. But curious if anybody can weigh in. Cheers!

I had to spam anleace's suction until I got them right and then spammed all of the ults, only Kloe and Mueller did damage

Left my colored pens at home by accident, we're getting to that hard stretch of the month

I'm playing SC remake and I just noticed a weird bug in the BGM. When I'm in an underground dungeon like the Grancel sewers or a mine, or the Kaldia tunnel, the BGM that is usually playing there is overlapped with the regular outside/wilderness BGM. So they are both playing at the same time and it's driving me nuts!

I'm on PS5, is this a bug on other platforms? Does anybody know how to report a bug on the PS5?

I'm currently in the Finale, right after reuniting the SSS, and I'm still feeling somewhat underwhelmed by Trails to Azure on a purely narrative level. I think it's an excellent JRPG, with incredible gameplay, music, and a fantastic political storyline, but I haven't quite understood why so many people consider it one of the absolute peaks of the series or, as many people say, "peak fiction".

Here's how I've felt about each section so far:

• Prologue: A great start that got me interested in what was to come.
• Chapter 1: Nothing particularly special, but it introduced some interesting concepts.
• Chapter 2: My favorite chapter so far. I loved the political developments in Zemuria, Osborne's appearance and his conversation with the SSS, and seeing characters from Sky return.
• Intermission: Really enjoyable overall.
• Chapter 3: This was where I started feeling like I was doing generic JRPG fetch quests. There were some interesting political developments, though, and I really liked the ending because of how the tension escalated. Randy is probably the Crossbell character with the most interesting internal conflict to me, but I felt he spent very little time away from the SSS, and his conflict was resolved too quickly.
• Chapter 4: The attack on Crossbell was awesome, and the ending was incredible. The political twists really hooked me. However, I felt that the chapter focused so heavily on Crossbell's fate that the SSS themselves sometimes felt disconnected from the main conflict, aside from the KeA storyline. I was impressed and engaged, but I was missing a truly powerful emotional or thematic moment that would elevate the whole thing to peak fiction for me.
• Fragments: Easily my favorite part of the game so far. I loved seeing Lloyd regain his determination, demonstrate it through his actions, and find a way out of prison. However, even here, I felt the conflict lacked depth because it was resolved so quickly. Lloyd's doubts emerge at the end of Chapter 4, and not long afterward, he's already found his resolve again.
• The Finale so far: Reuniting the SSS has felt a bit like running errands, and Noel's betrayal seemed like an interesting conflict that wasn't explored for very long. By the time she first reunited with the SSS, she was already back with them.

Overall, I think Azure is an outstanding JRPG with an excellent political narrative. My main issue is that I find myself wanting more depth in its characters and their internal conflicts. The game introduces some really interesting personal struggles, but I often feel that they get resolved before they've had enough time to develop. I also wish the main cast felt more deeply connected to the central conflict, rather than sometimes feeling like they're caught up in a story that's primarily about Crossbell itself.

For context, what I value most in fiction is emotional and thematic depth: meaningful character development, internal struggles, catharsis, and stories that make me feel something or leave me thinking about their themes long after I've finished them. That's why Trails in the Sky SC, particularly Estelle and Joshua's relationship and character arcs, reached such incredible heights for me. I was expecting Azure to give me a similar experience, given how highly the fandom regards it, but so far it hasn't.

So, what am I missing?

Are there aspects of Azure's writing that I haven't properly appreciated? Is the real narrative payoff still ahead of me in the Finale, or is this simply a case of the game excelling in areas that aren't quite what I value most in storytelling?

I'm not saying the game is bad at all. I'm genuinely enjoying it, and I can absolutely see why its political storyline, worldbuilding, music, and gameplay are so highly regarded. I'm just struggling to understand what makes its narrative so exceptional to so many people, especially when compared to Sky SC.

Please keep your answers spoiler-free beyond where I currently am in the game!

[Ignore Shizuna, she isn't important for the context of this thread]

What i like about feri is how innocent and pure she is. So detached from whatever is going on in the world and lives in her little bubble. Until she meets the Spriggan and gets disavowed from her jaeger corps. That's the begining of her becoming street smarts, but also just becoming more in-tune with whats normal outside of her small bubble.

One aspect i love about Feri and Van's dynamic is that Feri almost always hugs van whenever things are out of control or whenever Van is trying to do things alone. In that way she never wants to let go of who she feels safest with.

Van has some of the best bonding with Feri, because he always nudges her in the right direction, but never overstays his welcome so she can find her path on her own two feets.

I think that through Feri's point of view, there are many things she has taken from van and applied to her daily life, her combat and habits.

Images taken from Daybreak 1, Daybreak 2 and Horizon.

I have a top three so far:

1. Beyond the Horizon / Kai no Kiseki.
2. Trails of Cold Steel III.
3. Trails in the Sky I.

I do think that in order of magnitude, these are the biggest ones. Cold Steel I Cliffhanger is not that big for me, but probably because I haven't had to wait years for the second game. Sky 1 was huge, but at the same time, I had SC right away available to purchase. The ones I felt the wait linger the most were Cold steel III (I played on PS4 at launch), and Horizon's cliff hangers.

They are just soooooooooooooooo hard to watch.

Like: Sky SC you just worried about Joshua and why he left and all of that. Cold steel I you're just in the black to know what happened to your team. But Cold Steel III? Man, the game ends with war looming over, you actually see someone die for the first time in camera and it's someone important, you see the protagonist losing complete control over himself and being taken captive.

And Horizon is worse, you see the literal world ending. And although it's reversed by time flowing back three years, you know someone paid the ultimate price for it. And it may have not been the first time this happened, since Agnès dad mentions Agnès is following in her Mother and Grandmother footsteps. So far as we know, they both died due to sickness but was it really it?

Either way, so many questions left, and we're still waiting. Luckly, differently from Cold Steel III back then, this time we're getting Remakes and a lot of stuff to occupy our minds. :)

But yeah, these three for me are the biggest ones. The Crossbell saga has no Cliff Hangers, unless you consider Azure's ending a cliff hanger, which it doesn't feel like it. An the Daybreak games have no cliff hanger, if anything they have a starting point, mid and end point.

Ah, and don't get me wrong: This is my ranking to Cliffhangers, not my ranking of best game, so far the one I enjoyed the most is Daybreak 1. I find that game has the best pacing. While best gameplay is still Horizons by far.

Every fucking enemy in this game has a status ailment attached to their normal attack.. I am getting confused, frozen, deathblowed, stoned like crazy...

Am I missing something?? Are the odds higher on harder difficulties?? I don't remember them being this common in other trails games..

Im crying what is this😭

(don't listen to my evil Ourobouros voice 😭)

Smol tita

Okay, I've never played a Trails game, but have always been interested. Where should I start?

https://x.com/i/status/2111379080742674783

I assume 3rd is harder than both, but how much harder? Is nightmare right for me, or will it make me cry? Thanks in advance for your help.

My Trails nightmare experience:

FC original (struggled at times but beat it)

SC original (absolutely brutal throughout, made it all the way to "that fight" at the end somehow but couldn't beat him)

1st remake (beat it, easiest of those I played)

2nd remake (just beat it tonight and cleared "that fight", the best balanced of the games I mentioned? Loved it)

Cold Steel 1 (Made it to somewhere in chapter 4 a long time ago, don't remember much but I think my biggest struggle to that point was the very first boss)

While you cant see it fully in the image, the small metal plate on Estelle's sleeve reads "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

First of all for context and to prevent spoilers, I finished Sky SC Evo on Vita and just started the 3rd Evo on Vita.

I am now thinking about where to continue after that. I have all relevant devices available.

I preferred the portraits from Evo compared to the original ones but this is a minor point. I strongly prefer the original soundtrack over the Evo soundtrack. I also prefer to have as much Japanese voice acting as possible. I read that Evo has more side content and mini games. To be honest, the Trails games I played were long and had enough side quests for my taste.

So my questions that I was having difficulties with getting answered through Google:

Do the current PC and console versions contain all voice acting from the Vita? I watched my wife play through 1st and 2nd remakes while I was playing FC and SC Evo at the same time and was a bit irritated that sometimes dialogues were partially voiced. It was like that in English. Is Japanese the same? On Vita the main story and much of the side content was fully voiced. And if dialogs were not fully voiced, then they were not voiced at all. Not a mix of one character speaking while the other one doesn’t. I guess I will get used though.

Does the additional content add value or does it feel like filler content? Am I right that it missing in the modern versions?

Is it possible to patch the original soundtrack into the Vita? I used patches from gbatemp for the Sky games. But the post there about Zero does not mention the soundtrack. I assume that the modern versions have the original soundtrack?

What about QoL features like Turbo? I am satisfied with what the Vita version has but I often hear that turbo mode in the map is a blessing in trails games.

What else is different that I might have missed?

And also: if you played multiple versions, which did you prefer?

Full Disclosure: This method is only viable when you reach near the end of Chapter 5, the beginning of Chapter 6 and in Chapter 8. It's not available in other chapters.

I learnt that the end game Quartz in the final chapter cost a LOT of U-Material+s so I figured I'd try to grind them out in Chapter 8.

At first I tried to use the usual monster caves but they were super inconsistent and it was rare to find enemies with U-Material+ their drop rate also tended to be pretty low.

Luckily there are a lot of these monsters in the Ancient Dragon's Lair in Bose. The best spot ends up being the cave right next to the boss room where a bunch of them are gathered.

Defeating them is simple with Agate and using his S Crafts, with Lone Blade, Ember Blade and Serendipity. (Only thing to watch out for are the exploding flakes).

Generally this gives between 3 to 5 U-Materials and 1 or 2 U-Material+s within about 30 minutes I easily made around 71 in total counting converted U-Materials.

One run takes around 40 seconds to 1 minute, you can reset the monsters by leaving back to Bose and coming back via fast travel.

This is at least outside the final chapter the best location for grinding U-Material before entering the end game, though I haven't heard of any faster locations in the final dungeon.

If you want to soup up your party early into the final chapter this is a great way to prepare, honestly even 1 hour of grinding is more than enough (roughly 120 to 150 U-Material+).