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It’s cute that they retroactively put Juna in the rerelease of Azure but it’s honestly kinda jarring that she had a portrait that’s obviously done by a different artist than the rest of them, if she just didn’t have one like the umpteen NPCs that probably should have one but don’t you’d probably just assume she was always there.
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Aug 28, 2023 11:05
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SyntheticPolygon posted:Calling it "Japanese storytelling" feels like I dunno way too centralising? Like, Trails isn't the epitome of even just jrpgs let alone all storytelling. I'm not making some kind of blanket all statement, just general trend focuses I've noticed as a storyholic and how having access to multiple different ones makes me appreciate the different focuses of them all. Japan for example is very extremely overwhelmingly Character focused. You can make the argument that the majority of Japanese stories are just vehicles with which to sell the Characters, hence why things like killing them are so frowned upon. China meanwhile..... you gotta beat the author upside the head to remember any character that isn't a POV protagonist and people die in extreme masses in most of the novels. Another example is that Japan is very loosey goosey with power levels, while China has very strict systems to explore. Korea is generally somewhere in the middle when not explicitly emulating one of the others. Korea loves emulating, especially HxH, expect the phantom troupe in just about any Korean novel you read.
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Aug 28, 2023 13:03
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:I got close to the final boss of Reverie's Coda, but I just lost enthusiasm for trying to get the B and C squads up to level 200-ish. I stopped after a failed attempt at Trial door 16, where I died after about 20 minutes trying to whittle down the combined 3,000,000+ HP the bosses had, and I got close... and died.
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Aug 28, 2023 14:34
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JavaJesus posted:If it helps, 200 for everybody is way overkill for the Coda boss. Granted I played on Normal, but by the time I confronted it my main exploration team was just over 190, and my next highest character was only 166. I did die once, but it was very clearly my own fault for spacing out and not popping S-Crafts when the boss had a sliver of health and was charging up a very obvious super-move. Each of my teams had two Arts Nukers and one or two evasion tanks, and other than taking a while to chew through its health the fight was fine. I cheesed it by having one of my weaker squads with a Moebius quartz user and ate Zeram Capsules like candy to spam crafts. The other teams do pretty well with invulnerability stuff like Ebon Shell or Jusis' ability and sustain by using assault points. At least on Normal, it wasn't a huge issue to have weaker teams. But I totally understand feeling the grind at that point in the game. I had to put it down for a week after I beat the main story because Coda just felt like too much.
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Aug 28, 2023 14:46
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I cheesed the last phase with Tito's absolute reflect and the 40 BP items I hadn't used til that point. Still kind of a pain just due to how many turns it gets.
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Aug 28, 2023 15:05
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I didn't realise the former leader of Yugoslavia was a character in the game, I guess the AI truly can replicate anything.
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Aug 28, 2023 15:14
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Like CS4 I abused Sara's order that moves everyone's turns up and the items that restore BP to basically deny the boss any turns on its final phase.
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Aug 28, 2023 15:18
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Brain combined Tita and Tio
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Aug 28, 2023 15:18
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MythosDragon posted:I'm not making some kind of blanket all statement, just general trend focuses I've noticed as a storyholic and how having access to multiple different ones makes me appreciate the different focuses of them all. My dude, you've got to stop reading cultivation WNs.
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Aug 28, 2023 15:29
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Last Celebration posted:It’s cute that they retroactively put Juna in the rerelease of Azure but it’s honestly kinda jarring that she had a portrait that’s obviously done by a different artist than the rest of them, if she just didn’t have one like the umpteen NPCs that probably should have one but don’t you’d probably just assume she was always there. I was so upset when I learned Towa was not in the OG release weeks after I finished Zero. I was under the impression that they’re made a character with like 6 total lines inZero a main supporting npc in the Cold Steel games
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Aug 28, 2023 16:13
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Clarste posted:My dude, you've got to stop reading cultivation WNs. Yeah, it's not clear to me if he realizes he's just talking about a subset-of-a-subset of nerd media in these cultures. Those aren't characteristics of "Chinese/Japanese/Korea stories," but characteristics of a very specific subgenre of media (and not even web novels, but "this specific genre of web novel"). And I'm not sure if it's even accurate with those qualifiers, since most Japanese WNs aren't exactly full of deep characters.
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Aug 28, 2023 21:48
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Ytlaya posted:Yeah, it's not clear to me if he realizes he's just talking about a subset-of-a-subset of nerd media in these cultures. Those aren't characteristics of "Chinese/Japanese/Korea stories," but characteristics of a very specific subgenre of media (and not even web novels, but "this specific genre of web novel"). And I'm not sure if it's even accurate with those qualifiers, since most Japanese WNs aren't exactly full of deep characters. Don't worry, I know other genres exist lmao. I've dabbled in as many as I can find, and while there are always exceptions, in my experience these trends are still true overall, I only listed some of the most relevant examples to Trails specifically, which of course involves fantasy and combat. I really don't know to explain that further if it's still misunderstood, in which case my advice can be summed up simply with "Try branching out, come back later and see if you still feel the same." Past that, thats not what characters in that post meant, but I'm not really sure how to explain it better at all. Maybe the word "Commercialization" helps?
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Aug 28, 2023 22:34
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Kuro Chapter 3: Getting to see both Rixia and Fie again makes me so happy! Fie's new outfit is a vast improvement over her Reverie one.
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Aug 29, 2023 01:15
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MythosDragon posted:Don't worry, I know other genres exist lmao. I've dabbled in as many as I can find, and while there are always exceptions, in my experience these trends are still true overall, I only listed some of the most relevant examples to Trails specifically, which of course involves fantasy and combat. I really don't know to explain that further if it's still misunderstood, in which case my advice can be summed up simply with "Try branching out, come back later and see if you still feel the same." I mean, a lot of isekai stat-based LNs/WNs conform closer to the cultivation "Chinese" setup than the "Japanese" one you listed, and really not sure what sort of media you're trying to use as your Japanese example anyways. Japanese fantasy media of a particular genre has never been shy of killing characters.
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Aug 29, 2023 01:55
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lol these games, this random guy from a CS3 side quest just showed up in Kuro on the second floor of a restaurant. I was like "wait I feel like I remember this guy" and looked it up and sure enough it was the same character, Also one of these side quests was giving me deja vu, and I realized that one of the side quests in one of the Judgement games had the same plot. Edit: And just now I met with this guy for a request who I spoke with on the second floor of a random house, and he mentions having met us because I had spoken to him as an NPC. Ytlaya fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Aug 29, 2023 |
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Aug 29, 2023 04:08
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Ytlaya posted:Also one of these side quests was giving me deja vu, and I realized that one of the side quests in one of the Judgement games had the same plot. Lord Monarch huh? Heh, I think I'm starting to see the appeal.
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Aug 29, 2023 04:17
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Azure: sure was satisfying to watch Shirley choke out those shitbags. Maybe I’m remembering wrong but I feel like these asshats were in a CS2 side quest too, but it’s been a hot minute. Edit: god Jingo rules Last Celebration fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Aug 29, 2023 |
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Aug 29, 2023 05:27
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Last Celebration posted:Azure: sure was satisfying to watch Shirley choke out those shitbags. Maybe I’m remembering wrong but I feel like these asshats were in a CS2 side quest too, but it’s been a hot minute. Given that CS2 takes place at the same time as Azure, I'm pretty sure that's impossible. There is a group of folks very similar to them in a sidequest in CS3, but it's not the same guys.
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Aug 29, 2023 06:13
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I know the timeline lines up so they overlap, but wasn’t sure if they were country hopping before the civil war starts in Erebonia Edit: and goddamn are Lynn/Aeolia mean, there’s like a half dozen status ailments to guard against and it’s 2v2. Last Celebration fucked around with this message at 06:55 on Aug 29, 2023 |
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Aug 29, 2023 06:50
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I think this one quest NPC might be the first gay male Trails character. Have there been any in the other games? Kuro's side quests in general seem like a pretty big step up from most Trails side quests. The choices you get at the end aren't exactly deep, but it's still nice getting to decide when someone goes to the cops vs some other outcome. Also I've come across the stuff someone else mentioned where the translators use "whore" in a way that is just extremely jarring, to an extent where it almost made me laugh at how weird it was. Van suddenly going full MRA out of nowhere. Bizarre, since the translation is otherwise quite good,
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Aug 29, 2023 07:04
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Ytlaya posted:Also I've come across the stuff someone else mentioned where the translators use "whore" in a way that is just extremely jarring, to an extent where it almost made me laugh at how weird it was. Van suddenly going full MRA out of nowhere. Bizarre, since the translation is otherwise quite good, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvNxgHTWIlo
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Aug 29, 2023 07:07
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Ytlaya posted:I think this one quest NPC might be the first gay male Trails character. Have there been any in the other games? Kuro's side quests in general seem like a pretty big step up from most Trails side quests. The choices you get at the end aren't exactly deep, but it's still nice getting to decide when someone goes to the cops vs some other outcome. Michel in Zero/Azure definitely feels queer-coded tbh, to the point where KeA just asks at one point why he talks like a girl. I mean, it’s possible he’s just a very flamboyant heterosexual man, but…
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Aug 29, 2023 07:32
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Some Numbers posted:Kuro Chapter 3: Getting to see both Rixia and Fie again makes me so happy! Fie's new outfit is a vast improvement over her Reverie one. Sadly Kuro Chapter 3 is probably the worst in the game. If you can get through it, you're golden.
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Aug 29, 2023 08:05
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Last Celebration posted:I know the timeline lines up so they overlap, but wasn’t sure if they were country hopping before the civil war starts in Erebonia The 4v2 fight is worse. All I can really suggest you prevent is Deathblow on everyone and Seal on Lloyd/Randy, but those fights have no magic bullet. JavaJesus posted:If it helps, 200 for everybody is way overkill for the Coda boss. Granted I played on Normal, but by the time I confronted it my main exploration team was just over 190, and my next highest character was only 166. I'm on Hard difficulty, which is going to make things more difficult with less margin for error.
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Aug 29, 2023 13:06
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:The 4v2 fight is worse. All I can really suggest you prevent is Deathblow on everyone and Seal on Lloyd/Randy, but those fights have no magic bullet. Beat it, huh, was wondering why I was in Chapter 2 and Lloyd’s first craft hadn’t upgraded yet, now it almost feels like the Supreme/V3 version since it’s such a huge upgrade. Wrt Eight Leaves, idk if I should tag but just to be safe: so the upgrade to Lloyd’s starting move uses one of the forms, I forgot the name sadly, but it’s based in centrifugal strength. So are Eight Leaves moves just a specific technique that’s vague/simple enough that each user refined them to their own specific style? That’s what Lynn’s description made it seem like at least. Kinda wonder if Estelle’s Hurricane is doing the same thing since he dad taught her how to fight and the forms are open ended enough that they can be applied to tonfa.
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Aug 29, 2023 13:49
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Lynn is a Taito practionier, not Eight Leaves. None of the Eight Leaves people (that I've seen) do a spin that also Suctions, that's a Lloyd, Sara and Arseid thing.
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Aug 29, 2023 14:17
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I don't think that needs tags, it's just lore stuff, not plot, and not even secret lore. You are correct about Eight Leaves having a spinning form - it's called Helix, and yes, Cassius is a master of that form.
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Aug 29, 2023 14:20
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Some Numbers posted:Lynn is a Taito practionier, not Eight Leaves. None of the Eight Leaves people (that I've seen) do a spin that also Suctions, that's a Lloyd, Sara and Arseid thing. The scene he's referencing has her specifically talking about teaching him Eight Leaves stuff.
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Aug 29, 2023 14:32
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Well, the second part of my post is still accurate. 
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Aug 29, 2023 15:01
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Okay I tried the Kuro patch on the Steam edition and it seems to work great.
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Aug 29, 2023 15:23
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Azure, big spoilers: this request to get back Mariabell’s dolls is the funniest heist Blueblanc’s ever pulled, having been spoiled enough, because either he went through the trouble of breaking into a bank just for dolls and accidentally stole from his boss, or (probably this one tbh) he just broke into his boss’s super high security facility just to gently caress with her. HA-HAH
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Aug 29, 2023 16:23
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Last Celebration posted:Azure, big spoilers: (Azure Chapter 2/Azure Finale) this request to get back Mariabell’s dolls is the funniest heist Blueblanc’s ever pulled, having been spoiled enough, because either he went through the trouble of breaking into a bank just for dolls and accidentally stole from his boss, or (probably this one tbh) he just broke into his boss’s super high security facility just to gently caress with her. A slight correction. Bleublanc didn't steal from his boss. Mariabell is not a member of Ouroboros at this time. If you were playing on NG+, though (Azure Chapter 2 NG+/Azure Finale) there's an extra scene at the quest end where it's clear that she's received an offer which she is considering, and that Bleublanc had permission to steal the dolls.
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Aug 29, 2023 16:46
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Last Celebration posted:Azure, big spoilers: this request to get back Mariabell’s dolls is the funniest heist Blueblanc’s ever pulled, having been spoiled enough, because either he went through the trouble of breaking into a bank just for dolls and accidentally stole from his boss, or (probably this one tbh) he just broke into his boss’s super high security facility just to gently caress with her. Azure spoilers: I don't think she's his boss yet, at this point in time. More like an associate of an associate. The funniest part of that quest is near the end when Lloyd gets wrong-genry-savvy and, remembering that in Zero BleuBlanc screwed with them by posing as the victim at the end, asks Mariabel to her face if she's the Phantom Thief in disguise and Mariabel proves she's the real thing by immediately throttling him on the spot. Even the other SSS members point out to Lloyd what a boneheaded move that was.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:01
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Oh, guess I shouldn’t just make half-assed assumptions based on half-formed info. i remembered hearing she was an Anguis come the later half of Cold Steel and just figured she was doing the Weissman/Vita thing of hiding in plain sight in a job that gave them more info/resources than the average person the entire time. At least it’s still moderately funny that Blueblanc broke into a bank to steal some dolls.
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Aug 29, 2023 17:14
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I also see what someone meant about the thing with Van/Agnes not being a problem. He really does treat her (and others) like he's her guardian (which he basically is). I like when one of the police guys says "it's messed up that you're taking these children into dangerous situations" and Van goes "uh, that's kind of a good point." It's honestly kind of surprising to me that the series took such a departure from the norm with Van as a protagonist, given (from what I understand) Rean had such a positive reception. I'm certainly not complaining though, since it's a very welcome change. I wonder if part of the reason is that the protagonist needs to be older to be a peer of the series' other protagonists (who are themselves in their younger 20s due to the progression of time during the series). Last Celebration posted:At least it’s still moderately funny that Blueblanc broke into a bank to steal some dolls. Those dolls are super valuable, though, since all the dolls created by that guy (forget his name) are considered works of art. They're like super beanie babies.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:07
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I like seeing Van get really passionate about sweet desserts, his car and motorsports in general. Not to mention he likes seeing a movie every so often with the rest of the cast. You get a good sense of what Van likes to do in his downtime, which you don’t really get quite as much of with Rean or Lloyd.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:23
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Rean snowboards and swordguys recreationally, between hot spring visits. During term time he spends his downtime getting bullied by Aurelia.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:36
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Mr. Fortitude posted:I like seeing Van get really passionate about sweet desserts, his car and motorsports in general. Not to mention he likes seeing a movie every so often with the rest of the cast. You get a good sense of what Van likes to do in his downtime, which you don’t really get quite as much of with Rean or Lloyd. Canonically Rean and Lloyd both are obsessed with fishing, and Rean is also obsessed with snowboarding and a children's card game.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:41
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I do find it quite charming to see Rean and Lloyd just fishing together in the reverie corridor. Just two pals hanging out.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:43
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ImpAtom posted:Canonically Rean and Lloyd both are obsessed with fishing, and Rean is also obsessed with snowboarding and a children's card game. All the protagonists are obsessed with fishing though. It’s just that fishing wasn’t implemented in the new engine used for Kuro until Kuro 2. I did admittedly forget about the snowboarding but it’s not something he can do outside of visiting Ymir.
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Aug 29, 2023 18:47
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