Ooh, good point, so-noted.
Hey, so I was wondering why is the CS arc so long? I'm playing through CS III right now and I find that I experience burn out with the CS arc a lot more than Sky or Crossbell arcs, which I think that its tied to how I feel that with the CS arc I've been playing three FC's in a row (CS 1-3 feel like three games of setup with no real payoff yet). I get that the draw of Trails is the world building, which I love, but its getting to be a drag at this point.
Hey, so I was wondering why is the CS arc so long? I'm playing through CS III right now and I find that I experience burn out with the CS arc a lot more than Sky or Crossbell arcs, which I think that its tied to how I feel that with the CS arc I've been playing three FC's in a row (CS 1-3 feel like three games of setup with no real payoff yet). I get that the draw of Trails is the world building, which I love, but its getting to be a drag at this point.
Sky FC-SC and CS 3-4 were both intended to be single games, but got split in two when they turned out to be too big. Falcom have since stated that future arcs won't go above two games each to avoid this happening again.
Hey, so I was wondering why is the CS arc so long?
It was originally conceived as being shorter but they had to split the games for technical and timing reasons. Also, CS1 was a big pressure point due to the combination of making a whole new engine and the first game in an arc. Kondo has mentioned that they know the arc got long and they want to avoid it happening again in later ones.
EDIT: This is what I get for not checking for new replies first, or what floofy's streams would call an ARCUS Crosslink. xD
I'm sort of notorious for drawing pictures on the Map of Zemuria. This one I did for the primal grounds works surprisingly well. Don't click if you haven't played at least CS3.
As for why I chose which color in which place, know that it has nothing to do with the Big McGuffins.
Edit: Oof, I have Space and Mirage flipped. Also clockwise or counterclockwise doesn’t matter so it could be a perfect flip about earth
Thanks for the speedy replies you two. 🙂 I'm interested in what you mean by "Technical Reasons" Yotaka, are you simply referencing having to work with a new engine? Or more the limitations of the PS3 and PS4?
I'm sort of notorious for drawing pictures on the Map of Zemuria. This one I did for the primal grounds works surprisingly well. Don't click if you haven't played at least CS3.
As for why I chose which color in which place, know that it has nothing to do with the Big McGuffins.
I haven't thought of looking at the map this way, but this picture you drew relates to a Crack Theory of mine that is still in its initial stages. I'll say this: don't you find it interesting how it also ends up looking like a Tactical Orbment? xD
Thanks for the speedy replies you two. 🙂 I'm interested in what you mean by "Technical Reasons" Yotaka, are you simply referencing having to work with a new engine? Or more the limitations of the PS3 and PS4?
As I understand it, it was more limitations of the Vita. There was a Ymir sequence that was going to be a part of CS1 but had to be cut and released as a fandisk instead because it just wouldn't fit. Never mind all the entirety of CS2.
I'm sort of notorious for drawing pictures on the Map of Zemuria. This one I did for the primal grounds works surprisingly well. Don't click if you haven't played at least CS3.
Hmmm, interesting idea there. We don't know how many of the things there are...
Thanks for the speedy replies you two. 🙂 I'm interested in what you mean by "Technical Reasons" Yotaka, are you simply referencing having to work with a new engine? Or more the limitations of the PS3 and PS4?
As mentioned, it's more that they didn't have enough space to fit the games on a single disc/cart than the hardware itself.
I'll say this: don't you find it interesting how it also ends up looking like a Tactical Orbment? xD
Remember, there are no coincidences in Kiseki. Except for the name Phantasmal Blue Flowers on The 3rd's OST, apparently. 😋
I want the theory to be true, just because I like drawing pictures on the Map of Zemuria.
I really don't mind CS being so long so far minus the fact that CS2 is relatively 'filler' to me. I don't blame CS for that though because cs3 is great and...it's the portion that accidentally needed extension, not CS2, so I feel like CS2 was just worse by design. I could probably word that better though. In any case though I don't mind CS as a whole being longer despite the fact I'm not really a big Rean fan (though I guess I like him in cs3 more. He isn't so predictable with his existential moping+epiphany by loli cycle over and over, which is surprising since he has a loli glued to him like the whole game in 3. Maybe that just prevents the moping phase I guess lol).
I suspect Falcom wont keep their word though and manage to make a >2 game arc again. Falcom is about as good at keeping the number of games in a series to its planned number as Adol is riding boats.
He isn't so predictable with his existential moping+epiphany by loli cycle over and over, which is surprising since he has a loli glued to him like the whole game in 3. Maybe that just prevents the moping phase I guess lol).
About Altina, there is this joke that all male Eight Leaves one Blade practitioners are single dads with a daughter. Different than Arios or Cassius, Rean simply skipped the marriage and conceiving steps and landed himself a homunculus daughter directly and that's pretty much the way I see their relationship.
Cold Steel being super long compared to the other arcs doesn't make it automatically bad, though length can start to be a detriment after a certain point. Been going through CS 3 with my friend and he's been really starting to dislike the entire arc. To be fair on the game, he doesn't always pay attention since he skips through some dialogue quickly at times so when I know he's misunderstanding due to missing or forgetting something, I explain that to him and usually he's good at being more charitable to the game. That said even for me 3 games in where it feels like very few questions are really getting answered it can start feeling like a drag.
Personally, my biggest problem over time has been my lack of interest in Oroboros over all as a organization and their role. I'm not the biggest fan of super mysterious figure/organization since there have been many times in other stories once they get around to them being in the forefront with all their plans laid in plain sight I just don't care and it's not well done. In Sky it worked fine enough since it was the start but now 8 games into this series with so many figures not shown and still practically nothing known about them outside specific members I am burnt out on them. I prefer the actual antagonists introduced in the arc as they are more prevalent and have build up and pay off in a timely manner.
That said, there are individual members of the Society I love, just the whole mystery of the organization is something I'm not terribly interested in.
Another thing with Cold Steel is there have been times, especially in the 3rd game, where many things are reexplained, or there are moments that they feel like they are going to make some big revelation when most of the info has been explained or could easily be presumed. The biggest one for me was when Celine was telling Rean about Emma's past. Outside of who Emma's mother was, It felt like most of the info was already known or something from what we already knew could be easily figured out. Of course playing all these games multiple times I might have an easier time remembering details so a person who only played the games once might enjoy a scene like that more.
I didn't think you were saying it was automagically bad because it was a longer arc but I'm just saying I don't even feel like the length is hurting it at all based on the fact that CS3 is one of the strongest games in the series for me personally, and I'm looking forward to CS4 quite a bit.
That's a good point about Oroborus though, you WOULD think there would be some kind of high level investigation or even multi-national alliance organized in trying to suppress, or even just learn more about them. I understand with Oroborus' talent and technology it wouldn't be easy for a nation (even big ones) to suppress them or whatever, but you think they would at LEAST have some kind of task force to try in investigate them or SOMETHING. Maybe there is one, but never bumping into them or hearing about them once in the series when you generally play as parties who REALLY get around and know people? It is a hard sell I never really considered. Hell, even just a simple respectful interview with Rosenburg would probably go a long way.
edit:
That said someone said awhile back it would be interesting to play an arc where you're a member of Oroborus, maybe if Falcom doesn't want to do that but want a similar idea they'll have an arc where you're part of an organization dedicated to investigating Oroborus.
Fair enough, and was just putting in my two cents, not trying to imply you were talking about me when it comes to length. Not sure where to put CS3 but somewhere to middle to upper part of my list. Small things here in there in my replay that stick out a little more that can be annoying. That said, much like CS I even though it's very lengthy the pacing isn't a problem at the very least.
As for Oroboros, there seems to be one group that at least has a better idea about them compared to the rest of the continent, however said group is just as shrouded in as much mystery as Oroboros.
Also, something I have been wondering with CS III is why the layout of Stargazer tower is so different in that game. They really nailed the look and layout of all the other places you get to visit in chapter (sans the apartment that was different to account for a character added into the universe). I'm guessing they didn't want people going through the exact same place again for a third time even if it was in 3D instead of 2D.
