Board 8 > Jeff Zero & Leonhart in Different Houses: Trails of Arcadia Edition [JZLF]

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was really disappointed in the romantic stuff in Trails FC. They just had to force a great brother/sister relationship to be romantic. They managed to make it good in SC, at least (though giving Joshua a harem was still lame).
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Mac Arrowny posted...

I was really disappointed in the romantic stuff in Trails FC. They just had to force a great brother/sister relationship to be romantic

Building off of what I said above, I'd actually say that this matches my thoughts up until chapter 2. For a while I was a bit scared exactly how this was going to be handled though.
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I don't know if I would classify that as a harem considering there was zero chance in SC of Joshua being romantic with anyone other than Estelle, although Estelle and Josette putting aside their differences to double team Joshua whenever he was innocently insensitive was incredible.
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Yeah I was super against Estelle/Joshua in FC too but somewhere in SC I came to terms with it and it became pretty good. Still would've preferred it if they'd stayed a fun brother/sister team, though. They worked so well in that regard
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I don't think the romance really worked at all in FC, but then they somehow made it work in SC. I suppose that's a credit to the writers in a sense.

like I'm still thinking even on replay "hey Joshua/Kloe would be nice" as I play through this part of the game
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LeonhartFour posted...

I don't know if I would classify that as a harem considering there was zero chance in SC of Joshua being romantic with anyone other than Estelle

Yes, that is how most harems work. Only one girl (or boy) actually has a chance.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

Yes, that is how most harems work.

I mean don't most harems also have more than two people in it (and the girl who doesn't have a chance at least has to believe she does, and Josette knows she doesn't)

and I'm not really sure that's how most harems work either
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anyway one last post before bed

I finally found this song from DGS again after the original video was apparently deleted and no other videos of it (at least under the song's actual name) existed until now

Now Playing: Dai Gyakuten Saiban - Susato Mikotoba ~ Serenade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hkK9LE7BHQ

Love this song. I don't think DGS's OST is that great overall compared to other games in the series, but I really like this one.
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well the Titans didn't lose to the Browns at least but man our offense sucks

I'm sure it'll get better once Mariota is completely healthy but still
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Not sure I can let that Zeiss disrespect stand. Actual Best FC/SC Town represent.

Think I like Bose more too, but that might be solely on the strength of Maybelle and Lila. Ruan has by far the 2nd best theme though.
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As long as we're all agreed that Grancel is the worst
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Zeiss is good, too. It has the best minor NPC in FC, although I'll never forgive SC for ruining her.

Anyway, I'm done with everything there is to do before heading to Jenis Royal Academy. I love Joshua's line in the old map quest that goes something like, "Sometimes you just have to suspend your disbelief to make it through the day," referring to the absurd coincidence of finding exactly what the guy requested at the exact spot the map specified when they found it in a barrel that washed ashore.

Also, we get Bleublanc's first appearance, although he's naturally in disguise. It's pretty interesting that Loewe apparently helps everyone escape from the orphanage, too (and Joshua seems to know it's him, too).
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Ruan > Grancel > Bose > Zeiss > Rolent

I'm the only one who doesn't care about Zeiss it seems.
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Read the latest ReLIFE chapter.

Chizuru's open disdain for An in the manga is always hilarious.
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Oh right, I forgot to celebrate the fact that I have acquired a Gladiator Headband in Trails FC. That thing will be permanently attached to Estelle from now till the end of time.
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Now Playing: Trails in the Sky FC - Let's Be Lively

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB6gg6IiLkY

a.k.a. the song that plays during the festival at Jenis Royal Academy. It's so fun and catchy.

Also, chapter 2 (should be 3) complete! Everything from Jenis to the end of the chapter is such a blast. All the slice of life school days stuff is a nice change of pace. I did all of the TOP SECRET SIDEQUESTS and got an Achievement for it, although I did them on my first playthrough, too. The play is really fun. Also, I gotta say showing Weissmann around campus so he can look at a social studies display is kinda surreal. It's cool to see Maybelle and Lila again, too. There's a very understated poignant moment here when they give Theresa the money to help rebuild the orphanage...only for them to completely pull the rug out from under your feet right afterward.

I feel like the end of this chapter is when FC starts to "get real," so to speak, particularly when Dalmore busts out the Chronos Rod, only for it to get negated by the mysterious black orbment. Joshua scaring the crap out of Dalmore (despite the fact that he can't even move) by threatening to kill him very painfully if he even dares to touch Estelle is a top tier Joshua moment in FC.

Also, the hints about Kloe's royal heritage abound if you know what you're looking for, although I figured out she at least had to be somebody important when Julia and the new airship show up at the end of the chapter to save the day, clearly in response to the message she sent with Sieg. The foreshadowing's a bit heavy-handed there (I mean it pretty much has to be if I noticed it!), which is unusual for Trails.

Anyway, yeah, excellent chapter.
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Mac Arrowny posted...

As long as we're all agreed that Grancel is the worst

Grancel is just too big. It's a pain trying to talk to everyone there all the time. >_>

Probably would rank it last based on that, actually.

Leonhart4 posted...

Oh right, I forgot to celebrate the fact that I have acquired a Gladiator Headband in Trails FC. That thing will be permanently attached to Estelle from now till the end of time.

That's not the auto-regen one, right? I tend to use it anyway, but looking at its effect I feel like it's probably not all that useful.

now the the regen one is the greatest
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Gladiator Headband is the accessory that boosts your CP gains. You can use Hurricane with reckless abandon once you have that thing.

it actually might be more beneficial on Joshua but I love me some Hurricane
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Yeah, but isn't the effect +10%? Maybe I was just always overlevelled, but I recall thinking to myself that would only be 1 extra in most cases, maybe 2 with enough AoE.

Again, I'd still use it because hey, any little bit helps, and plus in FC there's really not anything really crazy yet to compete for the slot, but yeah.
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It might only be 10% but it feels like a lot more, especially since enemies seem to love to hit Estelle more than anyone else, so it really piles up quickly.
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Internet is down today. That's no fun.
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Played some Skies of Arcadia Legends. Fought Gordo, went to the Maw of Tartas, and then played through one of my favorite parts of the game. It's weird that Drachma is responsible for the two most poignant scenes in the game, starting with this one with the feathers, telling Vyse about his son, and then pushing their lifeboats out with a slight smirk and an audible "Goodbye." It's really well done. It's also interesting that Fina hints that she believes Rhaknam is the purple Gigas, though she doesn't say it outright, of course. I guess it would make sense for her and Ramirez to know what all the Gigas are and what they look like though.

I really like this next sequence of events with Vyse split up from Aika and Fina. I like any kind of story with split perspectives. It's neat examining stuff in Nasrad as Aika and then coming back and doing it again later as Vyse. The deserted island is a cool little location, too. I also like that Clara asks Aika and Fina point blank if they like Vyse, and neither one denies it. It's such a weird love triangle because both girls are aware of the other's feelings, and it doesn't bother them at all. Plus, Vyse seems oblivious (perhaps intentionally) to the whole thing, although if he shows anything that could be construed as romantic interest toward anyone, it's definitely toward Fina.
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Leonhart4 posted...

It's also interesting that Fina hints that she believes Rhaknam is the purple Gigas, though she doesn't say it outright, of course.

...Huh, never noticed that (though it's also been a while since I've played).

That whole sequence is great, yeah. Drachma the best
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It's an optional dialogue. You have to go to the bridge as soon as Rhaknam appears and talk to Fina, and she'll say something along the lines of, "A giant arcwhale? I wonder if it could be..."
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I kinda wish there was an easier way to play SoA than digging out my GameCube. I haven't really played the game is probably...12 or 13 years, and wouldn't mind going back to it.

Ideally with a fast-forward option !
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You and me both (although it'd require digging out the Wii in my case). I want a Skies of Arcadia port more than just about any game. I'm cheating and playing it on a Dolphin, and it's a less than ideal experience because I don't really like playing games on PC. It's nice that I can hook up my PS4 controller and play it now, so it's more bearable than it used to be, but still.
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I don't even have easy access to my GameCube or Wii, they're both in storage at my parents' place two and a half hours away.

Every once in a while I think about buying a Dreamcast, but I don't think I want to touch the DC version of SoA given I already have beef with the GC version's encounter rate.
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Yeah, there's no reason to play the DC version unless you just really want to do Pinta's Quest for some reason (or you want uncompressed music, I guess, but you can get that on YouTube easily enough). Legends is better in every other way because it adds so much content.
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Just so you guys know, everything stops when Mario Odyssey drops this Friday. I'll get through as much Skies and Trails as I can before then, but it'll be put on hold for a little while.
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ya go my mario
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Leonhart4 posted...

Just so you guys know, everything stops when Mario Odyssey drops this Friday. I'll get through as much Skies and Trails as I can before then, but it'll be put on hold for a little while.

And Sonic Forces afterwards
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Heck yeah Sonic Forces (although I am admittedly not super hyped about it like I was with Mania because there's no telling what that game will actually be)

Anyway, finished with Daccat's Island in Skies of Arcadia. I'm normally not a fan of split party dungeons, but I really like this one because they keep it simple and the entire point of it is to show you THE POWER OF TEAMWORK! Plus, the reunion scene at the end is really touching, and Daccat trolling everyone is great.

Now we're back in the Grand Fortress. I've already beaten Vigoro (accompanied by the Armada battle theme, one of my all-time favorite boss themes), so we're on our way toward getting the Delphinus!
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Delphinus get! Enrique is in the party now, too. Now I get to listen to the excellent new airship theme!

I like when you rescue Fina, and she says she was surprised the first time Vyse rescued her, but she fully expected him to come for her this time. Vyse swears to protect her at all costs, and Aika is totally okay with that because she knows he'll do the same for her. What an easygoing love triangle!

I guess I'll spend a little bit of time amassing a crew and maybe grab some Discoveries while I'm at it before we resume the search for the Moon Crystals.
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Aw yeah made it to Esperanza and beat Gregorio. Thankfully, I remembered the trick to avoiding his ram attack, which made the fight super easy. I like Esperanza as a town because of the dreary ambiance. It really gives Vyse a chance to shine as a character, too.
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Man, the Dark Rift is an annoying dungeon despite not even being that long if you're trying to get all the treasures because multiple paths take you straight back to the entrance, and the ship moves so slowly that you get in more fights. Also, it doesn't even make sense that you can get into random battles here! Isn't the pressure supposed to be really intense? I dunno. Maybe not. They do go onto another ship to rescue that one dude.
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I like that Yafutoma is a hodgepodge of various Asian cultures despite the game being made by a Japanese company. It's the sort of thing you'd expect a Western company to do, but it's obviously deliberate in this case. The Mt. Kazai dungeon might be the worst one in the game, and it's coming up next.
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Im just reading for the YYH posts. I really need to rewatch it someday, such a classic.

Leon hasnt dropped it yet, so thats a good sign.
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well I'm only six episodes in so it'd have to be pretty terrible for me to drop it that quickly

I haven't watched it the last couple of days though because our internet has been wonky
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we may have lost Jeff Zero forever

also that dude with the cheetah is me
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Estelle not even the best part of the 3rd. Maybe not 2nd or 3rd best either!
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Not even the best Trails girl tbh
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Estelle pretty easily the second best part of 3rd! And a major component in the best part!
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I feel out of the loop

(And I will never be in the loop because I don't have a windows machine or any Sony portables)
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Get a PSTV! Worth the investment.
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New topic: https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/75915565
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Oh right, I keep forgetting to mention that I started reading the Full Metal Panic books again after that post about it earlier in the topic. Finally finished book 7 after being about 75% done with it for months.

Next up is book 8: Burning One Man Force

Did I mention that the FMP books have great Engrish titles?
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LeonhartFour posted...

we may have lost Jeff Zero forever

tell jeff he should come back here and actually do a playthrough topic of a game with estelle
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Come Make My Day
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Dancing Very Merry Christmas
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