Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Azran
Sep 3, 2012

And what should one do to be remembered?
Yeah, that's more of a me problem, honestly. When I began CS1 I took to heart the "speak to everyone" thing but many of the NPCs felt sorta bland or I had a hard time keeping straight who was who due to similar character models (I kept mixing up Friedel and Bridget throughout CS1, for example). When Hibelle and Klein appeared in 2, I was shocked because I completely forgot those two even existed. Most of the NPCs I remember either had very visually distinct character models (Vivi, Linde, Mint, Margarita, Ferris, etc.) or it was very evident what their deal was (Rex would always walk around with a camera, Kenneth was the guy who's always fishing, Becky had an Scottish accent, Rosine was always at church, Beryl was... Beryl, etc.). It was nice to see that there are less student NPCs in 3 and that there's much more visual variety to their designs.

That said, I love how much care and attention they put into background NPC dialogue and I'm doing my best to talk to everyone in 3.

Edit: Pablo's the best.

Azran fucked around with this message at 08:18 on Mar 11, 2021

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Azran posted:

very visually distinct character models (Vivi, Linde,

:thunk::thunk:

Azran
Sep 3, 2012

And what should one do to be remembered?
:v: I was referring to their hair color, but in retrospective that was very dumb of me.

Also I went back to check something in CS2 and (post-game main menu stuff) Crow's ghost :(

MythosDragon
Jan 3, 2016

dmboogie posted:

tbh the thors student collectathon was one of my favorite things about cs2

i always made sure to talk to everyone in cs1 so i was p. decently invested in them, and also it had a fun suikoden vibe to it with how they'd unlock new poo poo on your ship

Us.

Veryslightlymad
Jun 3, 2007

I fight with
my brain
and with an
underlying
hatred of the
Erebonian
Noble Faction
The game series scratching the Suikoden itch is a big part of why I like it and don't mind the enormous cast so much. I'm completely here for all the layered dumb secret societies and convoluted geo political structures.

ImpAtom
May 24, 2007

Honestly if they did more with the Suikoden thing I'd be a lot more forgiving of a huge cast. If CSIV had been about gathering up all these characters and they would be used to enhance your base that'd be a way better use and would allow some characters to continue to be meaningful without having to be capable of going toe-to-toe with a god.

Veryslightlymad
Jun 3, 2007

I fight with
my brain
and with an
underlying
hatred of the
Erebonian
Noble Faction
I do like the implications of the cast getting that strong, though. Elliot used Nocturne Bell in a cut scene. That makes it canon. Elliot's mastery of sound is such that he can make you fall unconscious against your will, be burdened with nightmares. And then you wake up and the thing you had a nightmare about is real.

That's the party goober.

Azran
Sep 3, 2012

And what should one do to be remembered?
What's up with that Duvalie - Shirley scene in early CS3, what the gently caress Falcom.

Amppelix
Aug 6, 2010

i don't think anyone knows the answer to that one

Tesseraction
Apr 5, 2009


Azran posted:

:v: I was referring to their hair color, but in retrospective that was very dumb of me.

One has hers in a pony tail and the other has it free. That's distinct. :colbert:

Mirello
Jan 29, 2006

by Fluffdaddy

Amppelix posted:

i don't think anyone knows the answer to that one

I mean we do know the answer. Falcom thinks girl on girl sexual assault is loving hilarious / sexy, and since trails from azure has been cramming it into their games almost as much as incest.

Some Numbers
Sep 28, 2006

"LET'S GET DOWN TO WORK!!"
I know I'm super late to the party but I finally got around to finishing CS3, because I had some severe Rean fatigue during the last part of the game.

Is there more Rean/Crow angst BS in CS4?

Irony.or.Death
Apr 1, 2009


I mean that's what literally the entire Cold Steel arc is about, at its core.

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Some Numbers posted:

I know I'm super late to the party but I finally got around to finishing CS3, because I had some severe Rean fatigue during the last part of the game.

Is there more Rean/Crow angst BS in CS4?

it turns out Alisa was Crow in a dress the whole time

ImpAtom
May 24, 2007

Azran posted:

What's up with that Duvalie - Shirley scene in early CS3, what the gently caress Falcom.

Sadly that happens in CSVI too. The developers absolutely think sexual harassment is hilarious.

Some Numbers posted:

I know I'm super late to the party but I finally got around to finishing CS3, because I had some severe Rean fatigue during the last part of the game.

Is there more Rean/Crow angst BS in CS4?

Yes. You will never escape Crean Angst.

Sakurazuka
Jan 24, 2004

NANI?

Good

Amppelix
Aug 6, 2010

Mirello posted:

has been cramming it into their games almost as much as incest.
:chloe:

ImpAtom
May 24, 2007

Now now. It's not incest. It is merely an uncommonly large amount of people who are effectively brother and sister but not related by blood. Totally different and not at all creepy.

Some Numbers
Sep 28, 2006

"LET'S GET DOWN TO WORK!!"
Not at all helped by literally everyone in the country actively shipping them together.

Seriously, what the hell.

Paperhouse
Dec 31, 2008

I think
your hair
looks much
better
pushed
over to
one side
I've started playing CS3, and am I wrong or are Arts basically pointless in this game?

At least at the beginning, I know it's possible they'll be good later, but I'm 20 hours in and there's literally been no reason to use them outside of buffs/healing (which also have hardly been necessary). The break system seems to be designed for craft use and everyone seems to almost always have CP. Plus I've already got like three or four CP buff accessories!

Good game so far though. It was a good idea to reduce the size of Class VII and also the whole student population, CS1 and 2 just had too many but this feels right. The student population feels much more integrated into the game this time. And the characters seem a bit better in general, I'm enjoying all of them. The pacing also feels better, a lot of interesting moments already.

Do people generally think that 3 is an improvement on the first two? And if so, does that hold up with 4?

RevolverDivider
Nov 12, 2016

Break is pretty overpowered in 3 and crafts outclass arts though some characters and builds can go absolutely nuts with arts, Musse with enough delay reduction can erase bosses in a handful of turns. 3 is the best game in the cold steel series with good pacing and an excellent cast that’s well handled and 4 improves on its combat a ton but takes a massive nosedive in writing quality.

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Paperhouse posted:

I've started playing CS3, and am I wrong or are Arts basically pointless in this game?

wait until mid-Chapter 1

Paperhouse
Dec 31, 2008

I think
your hair
looks much
better
pushed
over to
one side

Hwurmp posted:

wait until mid-Chapter 1

I'm already in chapter 2 and didn't notice any time where arts would have been useful :v:

Admiral H. Curtiss
May 11, 2010

I think there are a bunch of people who can create trailing images. I know some who could do this as if they were just going out for a stroll.
You never really *need* to use Arts because Crafts are just very good, but that doesn't mean Arts can't be good either if you spec for them. Musse with the right setup can pretty much chain-cast high damage spells without letting anyone else get turns.

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Paperhouse posted:

I'm already in chapter 2 and didn't notice any time where arts would have been useful :v:

Rean has Divine Song, arts are useful whenever you want

WrightOfWay
Jul 24, 2010


Arts being able to do good damage without needing CP is the main appeal.

Paperhouse
Dec 31, 2008

I think
your hair
looks much
better
pushed
over to
one side

Hwurmp posted:

Rean has Divine Song, arts are useful whenever you want

True, but at the start of the game there aren't any arts available that hit multiple targets in a big range unless you go for them. I thought it was more useful to open slots than to buy quartz, and also if I'm using Divine Song then I'm not using any of the other super good orders

Endorph
Jul 22, 2009

arts allow you to instantly win every fight in the game via looping infinite turns as soon as you get chronoburst

ImpAtom
May 24, 2007

Arts are a bit slower to get started but by the endgame they are basically going to win fights faster than anything else.

Some Numbers
Sep 28, 2006

"LET'S GET DOWN TO WORK!!"

RevolverDivider posted:

3 is the best game in the cold steel series with good pacing and an excellent cast that’s well handled

:raise:

quote:

and 4 improves on its combat a ton but takes a massive nosedive in writing quality.

Goddammit, how did we fall so far from the highs of Crossbell?

King of Solomon
Oct 23, 2008

S S

Some Numbers posted:

:raise:


Goddammit, how did we fall so far from the highs of Crossbell?

They just kept adding characters, every game, new characters.

psychoJ
Feb 24, 2011

Smart and cool, handsome, wealthy and so sexy
about 10 hours into Ys 8 and drat this game is great. Hummel is a lot more fun than I thought a gun-focused character in an Ys game could be

SyntheticPolygon
Dec 20, 2013

I've been making my way through Sky 3rd after taking a bit of a break from it and I wasn't expecting it but it might be my favourite of the Sky series. I was thinking it was just kinda mediocre after the first couple chapters but there's been a lot of cool and fun character moments and i'm liking Kevin and Ries a lot. The game is basically set up as just a series of connected dungeon crawls which ain't exactly interesting but the door flashbacks are usually pretty strong scenes or at least fairly cute and most of the party have had a scene or 2 that i've enjoyed. Like the Scheherazade and Aina story did a lot more for Schera's character than her whole thing with Luciola did.

I guess it's just feeling more consistently well-written than the previous Sky games (as long as you ignore the Agate and Tita scenes), even if the story itself is kinda whatever and just an excuse to explore Kevin really. And while Kevin's not as fun as Estelle he's still a good lead. His whole deal sorta feels similar to Josh except he comes off as more humanly a bad person and it's more likeable or at least fun to experience.


E: Or maybe i'm just liking that the game is shorter and it's helping me appreciate the writing more, I dunno.

SyntheticPolygon fucked around with this message at 08:09 on Mar 21, 2021

MythosDragon
Jan 3, 2016

SyntheticPolygon posted:

I've been making my way through Sky 3rd after taking a bit of a break from it and I wasn't expecting it but it might be my favourite of the Sky series. I was thinking it was just kinda mediocre after the first couple chapters but there's been a lot of cool and fun character moments and i'm liking Kevin and Ries a lot. The game is basically set up as just a series of connected dungeon crawls which ain't exactly interesting but the door flashbacks are usually pretty strong scenes or at least fairly cute and most of the party have had a scene or 2 that i've enjoyed. Like the Scheherazade and Aina story did a lot more for Schera's character than her whole thing with Luciola did.

I guess it's just feeling more consistently well-written than the previous Sky games (as long as you ignore the Agate and Tita scenes), even if the story itself is kinda whatever and just an excuse to explore Kevin really. And while Kevin's not as fun as Estelle he's still a good lead. His whole deal sorta feels similar to Josh except he comes off as more humanly a bad person and it's more likeable or at least fun to experience.


E: Or maybe i'm just liking that the game is shorter and it's helping me appreciate the writing more, I dunno.

Us.
I left SC bitter that characters like Schera and Zin got completely shafted and the game would have lost next to nothing cutting them as playable characters. But TC cured that feeling for me completely. FC and it's rotation progession is my favorite sky game overall, but I consider TC to be far and above the highest quality since its what keeps the trilogy good.

infraboy
Aug 15, 2002

Phungshwei!!!!!!1123
I enjoyed the third because it generally made you use every character in a lot of parts and that is what makes large casts work better overall. I also liked that there was no filler stuff like annoying guild quests. The story ends up being pretty interesting.

Amppelix
Aug 6, 2010

actually i want a game entirely out of filler stuff like annoying guild quests

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

:ssh: the dungeons are filler

SyntheticPolygon
Dec 20, 2013

Amppelix posted:

actually i want a game entirely out of filler stuff like annoying guild quests

They already made Sky 3rd though.

Sweetgrass
Jan 13, 2008
an entire game that's nothing but bracer quests like the one you do in Ruan where you have to do detective work to figure out who attacked the guy in the hotel room

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Atlas Hugged
Mar 12, 2007


Put your arms around me,
fiddly digits, itchy britches
I love you all
A game where you play a custom Bracer with no real connection to the larger story and you're just dealing with Bracer stuff and raising your rank to unlock more difficult quests while enjoying the locales in one of the countries of Zemuria would be fine by me.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply