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I'd say the Steam version should be used as the x6 speed up is a godsend for a game like this. Though I did patch in Evo's voice acting when I played FC and plan on doing the same for SC, I'd rather have no voice acting than whitewashing Schera, especially with the Japanese voices showing how much barren the OG script was that the localization gave more flair. It's insane that the localization is so rich with added flavour despite the absolute hell it was for Xseed
I'd say the Steam version should be used as the x6 speed up is a godsend for a game like this. Though I did patch in Evo's voice acting when I played FC and plan on doing the same for SC, I'd rather have no voice acting than whitewashing Schera, especially with the Japanese voices showing how much barren the OG script was that the localization gave more flair. It's insane that the localization is so rich with added flavour despite the absolute hell it was for Xseed
Yeah. I wouldn't mind the Steam version being the one they pick for a Switch port. I mean I loved Sky FC and SC but I have a hard time imagining going back and playing both games with normal speed. Mostly for combat animations, which usually are slow.
Though, now that I think about it, I guess the Evo version had speed up as well? I don't know. If that's not the case I guess the ideal scenario would be porting said version, adding speed up and the possibility to change between the old art and the new art.
The original versions of Cold Steel 1 and 2 didn't have Turbo Mode. Instead, they added it when they ported them to the PC/PS4. Cold Steel 3's High Speed Mode(it's the same as Turbo, just a different name) was actually added for the localization of the PS4 version(I'm not joking, it wasn't in the original Japanese version). They also made sure to have it for the Switch version as well.
In other words, if they did port the Sky games to the Switch then there is an extremely high chance that Turbo/High Speed Mode will be included. And they probably don't even have to port the PC versions to do it. Of course, the same is true for Zero/Ao and CS1/2. I also think it is reasonable to assume that a "Skip" button will be included as well.
I don't think this is as crazy as you think it is. I mean, you could be wrong, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility. Consider this: From December 2019 to now, they have announced 6 out of 10 of the mainline Trails titles for the Switch(although only 2 of them are confirmed to have localizations at this time). The only ones we are missing on the Switch now are the Sky trilogy and Hajimari. In less than a year, they've announced ports of more than half of the series. And it is safe to say that if the Sky games were ever announced for the Switch, all three would be announced at once.
Furthermore, there is an interview with Falcom's president that I'd like to draw your attention to. Note that the interview MIGHT contain spoilers for CS4(I don't know for certain since I kind of just skimmed), so I'll link the source and quote the specific part I want you to read in case you want to avoid any potential spoilers:
Gematsu recently had the chance to chat with Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo regarding the upcoming The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki, the PlayStation 4 versions of The Legend of Heroes: Zero…
www.gematsu.com
—With the release of Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki for PlayStation 4, the Trails in the Sky series will be the only games in the mainline Trails series not playable on PlayStation 4. Given that they were re-released for PlayStation 3, do you plan on making these titles available for PlayStation 4 as well? Is there any hope of playing the PSP-only Nayuta no Kiseki on a modern console?
Kondo: “Both users who own modern consoles and platform holders often request Trails in the Sky, so I have some homework to do. Personally, I’d like to recreate everything in 3D. Nayuta‘s gameplay is also extremely well received, so I think it would be a waste to bury it as a PSP-only title.”
Setting aside his 3D comment for a moment, he is aware that people want the Sky games on the PS4 at the very least. Given how suddenly they announced just about every other Trails game for the Switch recently, it's safe to say that he should also be thinking about having the Sky games on the Switch as well. Which begs the question: Why wait to announce the Sky games for the PS4? Or the Switch for that matter?
I can think of a potential possibility, of course: They've actually remade(or are remaking/going to remake) the Sky games in 3D. They've remade Ys games in the past, so I wouldn't put it past them to do it for the Sky games. IF they are doing it(or intend to do it), it would explain why they haven't released them on the PS4 yet at least. Another explanation is they are waiting to announce ports of the Sky trilogy alongside an Estelle reveal. It could be a mix of both things. Regardless, whatever they end up doing, it is very suspicious that we don't have the Sky games announced for the PS4 or Switch yet. Him admitting to being aware of the demand makes an already suspicious situation even more suspicious. And when you combine that with other suspicious elements(like avoiding any mention of Estelle in that interview when he was asked which character he would want in Smash), it all just becomes so... suspicious.
So, yeah, your idea may not be far off the mark. Thanks for sharing this, BTW. =)
You're correct. All of them are indeed Trails characters. That said, there is going to be more than just Trails there, as they intend to do a concert of some kind with both Ys and Trails music. I think the picture was chosen because it is related to Falcom's most recent game(Hajimari no Kiseki), but it is also possible that it's some kind of celebration of Trails in the general(I mean, Hajimari does mark the end of the first half of the Trails series). It is also very possible that an Ys 5 remake or Ys 10 is going to be revealed at this event(since they announced they were working on "something" related to Ys earlier this year, but they didn't say if it was a remake or the next main Ys title). When put through a translator, the site says something to the effect of it being a "must see special event for Falcom fans". So who knows what is going to happen, lol.
Falcom will release several titles in celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2021, including the next entry in the Trails series, the company said in its latest financial report (2).
www.gematsu.com
2021 will mark the 40th anniversary of Falcom.
Falcom plans to release multiple titles for console(s) in commemoration of its 40th anniversary, including an all-new entry in the Trails series.
With over five million copies sold and winner of various awards including the Japan Game Awards, Famitsu Award, and PlayStation Awards, the Trails series is one of Falcom’s flagship franchises.
Falcom will expand its game content to multiple platforms such as PlayStation 4, Switch, PC, and smartphone worldwide (Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia).
Falcom will continue to provide appealing new game content while actively utilizing in-house IP to produce new titles that act as new challenges, including the Trails and Ys series.
Nice to see they will still supporting the Switch, besides PC and PS4, of course.
Yep, you can see how much they're focusing on Trails. And these awards they have received are great news - 2020 has been an incredible year for Falcom and it isn't over yet. Excited to see what they have in store for us in December
I'll say that with all the attention they're giving Trails, it's safe to say they're picking a Trails rep for Smash. That is, assuming we get a Falcom rep at all which by now I'm pretty confident about, but, you can never be TOO sure. Just a hunch.
Falcom will release several titles in celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2021, including the next entry in the Trails series, the company said in its latest financial report (2).
www.gematsu.com
2021 will mark the 40th anniversary of Falcom.
Falcom plans to release multiple titles for console(s) in commemoration of its 40th anniversary, including an all-new entry in the Trails series.
With over five million copies sold and winner of various awards including the Japan Game Awards, Famitsu Award, and PlayStation Awards, the Trails series is one of Falcom’s flagship franchises.
Falcom will expand its game content to multiple platforms such as PlayStation 4, Switch, PC, and smartphone worldwide (Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia).
Falcom will continue to provide appealing new game content while actively utilizing in-house IP to produce new titles that act as new challenges, including the Trails and Ys series.
Nice to see they will still supporting the Switch, besides PC and PS4, of course.
Thanks for sharing! I actually found out about this earlier this morning from Coconattsu. The great thing about this is the following:
1 - The next Trails game WILL be releasing next year. I thought it would be too soon for them to actually do this. At best I was expecting 2022 release for Japan, and then having to wait until 2023 before getting it over here. Mainly because of the new engine/battle system. Hopefully they aren't rushing things.
2 - Falcom "expanding" their game content worldwide suggests a couple of things. Such as localizing the games that aren't localized on the PS4(Zero/Ao/Hajimari) and also having localized versions of the ones releasing on the Switch(Zero/Ao/CS1/CS2). I think it is also safe to say that more Ys titles will also start getting ports next year as well.
3 - Ys getting a new title is pretty awesome. Whether it's a remake of Ys 5(technically it already had a remake a long time ago on the PS2, but that was Japan-only), or Ys 10... I'll be happy either way to see what it is!
4 - Nayuta no Kiseki remake or port anyone? Just saying...
5 - Last but not least, it's pretty obvious at this point that something is going on with the Sky trilogy. This more or less confirms it in my opinion. Otherwise, they would have announced the PS4/Switch ports for them by now.
Anyways, this was already a pretty good year for Falcom(despite everything else), but next year sounds like it'll be even better.
5 - Last but not least, it's pretty obvious at this point that something is going on with the Sky trilogy. This more or less confirms it in my opinion. Otherwise, they would have announced the PS4/Switch ports for them by now.
I could be wrong. But to answer your question, I mentioned in a previous post that Falcom's president is aware that people have been asking for the Sky trilogy to get ported to modern consoles(in this case, the assumption would be the PS4, but the Switch is applicable now as well).
In 2019, they ported Cold Steel 1 and 2 to the PS4. CS3/4/Hajimari were made for the PS4. Zero/Ao were ported to the PS4 earlier this year in Japan(with some updates like adding characters that weren't in the original/evo versions of those games). Sky games are nowhere to be seen. That means every mainline Trails game is on the PS4 except the Sky trilogy.
CS3 was ported to the Switch this year, and CS1/2/4 along with Zero/Ao were announced for the Switch as well(all coming out next year). CS3 and 4 are the only titles confirmed for localization at this time unfortunately(but the new article suggests that the rest of them will also be localized next year). Again, no sign of the Sky trilogy. Hajimari is new enough that it is reasonable to assume that they wouldn't announce a Switch port so soon. So the lack of Sky ports here is suspicious because every other Trails title is now on the Switch as well.
As for whether or not I think they'll be ports or remakes... that is up in the air. On the one hand, they could be ports of the Evo versions, with an English dub included. Or it could be the remakes that Toshihiro Kondo said he'd like the make(refer to the quote in previous post I linked to above).
Anyways, we'll see soon whether or not I'm wrong. But I have a feeling that I'm right on this one. Keep in mind that for this to be true, it doesn't mean it'll be related to Smash in any way. It just means that we'll most likely be getting Sky ports/remakes on the PS4/Switch(and PC if it is remakes).
I haven't seen the whole thing myself, so I can't say anything about how faithful the plot is to the games, but I've seen clips of a fight or two, and they look really cool.
Also while idk about how the dubbed version as a whole is, this gem has been floating around Twitter:
Really had to sit and ponder life for a bit when Estelle dropped this philosophical line in the fantastic Trails in the Sky OVA. Truly hard-hitting stuff.https://t.co/fJjHSoClzshttps://t.co/l6653OU6Y3
I've never watched it to be honest. Given the length of the games, it is pretty obvious that it leaves out a lot of details. I've also heard that some details have been changed as well. That said, I've seen some clips on youtube, and one of the things that stood out to me is how Arts are used(they actually show the process of activating the Orbment). Which I thought was cool.
I really should watch it eventually, lol. Anyways, I don't think there is any harm in watching it if you're interested. I've seen some people say that they actually got into the games because they watched the OVA first.
I haven't seen the whole thing myself, so I can't say anything about how faithful the plot is to the games, but I've seen clips of a fight or two, and they look really cool.
Also while idk about how the dubbed version as a whole is, this gem has been floating around Twitter:
Really had to sit and ponder life for a bit when Estelle dropped this philosophical line in the fantastic Trails in the Sky OVA. Truly hard-hitting stuff.https://t.co/fJjHSoClzshttps://t.co/l6653OU6Y3
It is not great IMO, it's pacing is too fast, There are many small changes that make me go ??? (Estelle is too weak Joshua is called josh etc.), The story was handled poorly. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen it just kinda lacks in most departments.
I watched the OVA but personally I didn't think it was good. The animations and characters looked off to me. Also important characters like Kevin and Weissman are absent nor does it go far enough for the final dungeon to make an appearance.
I watched the OVA but personally I didn't think it was good. The animations and characters looked off to me. Also important characters like Kevin and Weissman are absent nor does it go far enough for the final dungeon to make an appearance.
I see. I think I'll watch the OVA anyways, I'm honestly curious. Obviously it will lack a lot of things and details, I mean... To properly bring the story and worldbuilding of the games you'd need, I don't know, at least 10? chapters or something like that. And even in that case it probably would lack some things.
I think the OVA is a fun watch personally, I watched the Japanese voiced one though, which I believe is a bit harder to find than the English dub (at least he's called Joshua there). It really isn't that faithful and changes a lot of things, but despite that - I just loved to see some of the scenes in SC animated. And hey, it's short too so, why not?
I didn't even know the OVA was dubbed. I thought it was alright, pretty nice to see some SC scenes animated. It's just that though; a short OVA that goes through some parts of SC, so if I were to recommend it it'd be just as a little thing to watch after playing through that game. Don't expect a full adaptation or anything of the sort, especially given the length, but it's alright otherwise.
Damn, didn't know Estelle had her own support thread.
Gotta say that of all the Falcom reps, she is by far my most wanted. I love the fact that she is the optimistic heroine type but Falcom have done with making her feel grounded as well.
Plus her over Rean, who despite having almost played four games with, is just an ok main character compared to her.
Also Silver Will is one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever listened to.
Yeah I get what you mean, Rean is a great protagonist all things considered especially in the later games, but if we're talking Trails protagonists it's just hard to compare him to Estelle
And yes, Silver Will, along with other classics like Sophisticated Fight and Fateful Confrontation, remixed or not, would be such a treat to listen to in this game
Estelle is one of those characters I know nothing about, but when I look at her, I see a character that I immediately want to choose in a fighting game. She has a really cool design and looks like a spunky character full of personality, but the most important thing is her weapon of choice, the staff. The staff is probably my favorite weapon type in video games. I love watching the animations of characters skillfully swinging and twirling it around and whacking enemies with it from mid-range. It's so satisfying to hit things with in the games I've played that have this weapon. (Interpretations of the Monkey King are my favorite.)
I really hope you all get your character, if only so I can get a new Smash character with a playstyle that really appeals to me. Haha!
Estelle is one of those characters I know nothing about, but when I look at her, I see a character that I immediately want to choose in a fighting game. She has a really cool design and looks like a spunky character full of personality, but the most important thing is her weapon of choice, the staff. The staff is probably my favorite weapon type in video games. I love watching the animations of characters skillfully swinging and twirling it around and whacking enemies with it from mid-range. It's so satisfying to hit things with in the games I've played that have this weapon. (Interpretations of the Monkey King are my favorite.)
I really hope you all get your character, if only so I can get a new Smash character with a playstyle that really appeals to me. Haha!
Yes, Estelle has a very spunky personality. This image is just some of the examples of Estelle's personality shining through:
And Estelle is actually more than just a bo staff user. She is also a mage(although not a dedicated one). In Trails, there are Arts and Crafts. Crafts are basically just fancy names for techniques unique to the individual character. Arts are a form of "science-magic" within the world of Trails, which characters gain access through via equipping something called Quartz. With the right Quartz setup, Estelle is capable of having almost any Art in the game(although that doesn't mean she can have them all at once, just that you can make her into any kind of Art user that you want her to be). So, if she were to get in, she would be a bo staff wielding mage. Probably. At the very least, you could expect to see at least one or two Arts from her, whatever they may be.
But yeah, her main fighting style would still be utilizing her bo staff in various ways.
Estelle is one of those characters I know nothing about, but when I look at her, I see a character that I immediately want to choose in a fighting game. She has a really cool design and looks like a spunky character full of personality, but the most important thing is her weapon of choice, the staff. The staff is probably my favorite weapon type in video games. I love watching the animations of characters skillfully swinging and twirling it around and whacking enemies with it from mid-range. It's so satisfying to hit things with in the games I've played that have this weapon. (Interpretations of the Monkey King are my favorite.)
I really hope you all get your character, if only so I can get a new Smash character with a playstyle that really appeals to me. Haha!
Yeah I have a similar feeling for certain characters that despite not knowing them that much, I think I'd enjoy their playstyle based on what I've seen of them.
A bo staff user would be really cool. Random thought but I guess that if she managed to get in Sakurai would use Palutena as a base? Even if Estelle uses her staff in a very different way. I can't imagine a more fitting base for her than Palutena.
Actually, there's an even better base for Estelle, but it's not a fighter but rather an Assist Trophy, and that one is ... Krystal. It's literally the perfect base because of how she wields her staff.
Actually, there's an even better base for Estelle, but it's not a fighter but rather an Assist Trophy, and that one is ... Krystal. It's literally the perfect base because of how she wields her staff.
A bit unrelated, but do you think Sakurai would take some inspiration from Ys vs Sora no Kiseki for a Estelle moveset? I mean I haven't played the game (waiting for that patch from the amazing crew of Geofront) but from what I've seen it seems there might be some cool stuff Sakurai could use for her.
Obviously everything or almost everything she does in that game are abilities she's able to use in the Trails series.
Yeah I have a similar feeling for certain characters that despite not knowing them that much, I think I'd enjoy their playstyle based on what I've seen of them.
A bo staff user would be really cool. Random thought but I guess that if she managed to get in Sakurai would use Palutena as a base? Even if Estelle uses her staff in a very different way. I can't imagine a more fitting base for her than Palutena.
I think they would go with someone who closely resembles her body type, so one of the more human-looking female characters. Palutena, maybe, but I'm thinking of Zero Suit Samus. ZSS seems like the prime candidate for the slender female build. After the proper adjustments, attach a bo staff to her and she's good. But, you never know. It surprised me to learn Min Min was based off Captain Falcon. Maybe they'll base Estelle off Pit!
I really wanted Krystal playable. I was rooting for her in the Brawl days, but she's been entirely ignored by Nintendo. At least she's recognized highly enough by Sakurai to make it as an assist trophy, so I can't be too upset.
A bit unrelated, but do you think Sakurai would take some inspiration from Ys vs Sora no Kiseki for a Estelle moveset? I mean I haven't played the game (waiting for that patch from the amazing crew of Geofront) but from what I've seen it seems there might be some cool stuff Sakurai could use for her.
Obviously everything or almost everything she does in that game are abilities she's able to use in the Trails series.
I do think so, like the dash attack for example which you don't see in the Trails games
I think I'll need some time with the game to say for sure but, from the video alone I could see some of those attacks easily translated to the game... with a couple changes, so yeah, as inspiration, definitely.
Some things I've noticed regarding Sky and ports of other Trails games:
1 - The PS4 has every mainline Trails game on it except for the Sky trilogy. Even if Zero/Ao Kai and Hajimari are all Japan-only for now.
2 - The Switch will soon have every mainline Trails game on it... except for the Sky trilogy(and Hajimari, but that is new enough that I wouldn't count it yet). While it's true that most of these are Asia only for now(in particular Zero/Ao/CS1/CS2), it should still be noted anyways.
3 - Finally, there is Steam. Clouded Leopard Entertainment(or CLE for short - the group porting Zero/Ao/CS1/CS2 to the Switch in Asia) is making their own ports for Steam. And those ports include Zero, Ao, CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4... but they are missing the Sky games(and Hajimari). Again. Here is the Steam page for Falcom games. Look at the bottom of the page(note that CS4 is listed twice, once for the English release, and once for the CLE release):
NOTE: There could be spoilers for Cold Steel/Crossbell in these links, so don't click them if you don't want to be spoiled!
Keep in mind that these ports are completely separate from the ports that are already on there(like the English releases of CS1/2/3, as well as CS4's English port as I noted above). Which makes the omission of the Sky trilogy that much more obvious. While this may not be indicative of a Smash reveal, it SHOULD be indicative of "something" happening with the Sky trilogy soon. There is literally no reason for all three platforms(PS4/Switch/CLE's Steam ports) to be missing them at this point.
Haven't checked those links because I don't want to be spoiled, so maybe I didn't get the whole picture. Though I think I'm getting what you're trying to say.
I do think not having the Sky games in current consoles is a bit strange. They could 'just' port the original versions (or the Evo ones, I guess) if they don't wanna complicate themselves that much with remakes or something like that. Though if I'm not mistaken, Falcom's president did say, maybe a few years ago? that they would like to properly update the Sky trilogy instead of doing a re-release. Or at least that's what I remember.
I recall reading about that here, maybe you LucKekkai
were the one who brought that up. Forgive my bad memory
Haven't checked those links because I don't want to be spoiled, so maybe I didn't get the whole picture. Though I think I'm getting what you're trying to say.
I do think not having the Sky games in current consoles is a bit strange. They could 'just' port the original versions (or the Evo ones, I guess) if they don't wanna complicate themselves that much with remakes or something like that. Though if I'm not mistaken, Falcom's president did say, maybe a few years ago? that they would like to properly update the Sky trilogy instead of doing a re-release. Or at least that's what I remember.
I recall reading about that here, maybe you LucKekkai
were the one who brought that up. Forgive my bad memory
Yeah, Falcom's president did indeed say that he would like to remake the older Trails games in 3D eventually. He also said in an old article that people had been asking for Sky ports too.
It's hard to say for sure WHAT they are doing. I just think that it is strange that the Sky trilogy is the odd one out at this point in time.
I agree it's odd that there's nothing announced about the Sky games, so there could be bigger things planned for those games, which is why they haven't announced anything about them yet, that is what I'm assuming here. You can let your imagination run wild with what this could mean... I know I did.
Either way! I think we'll get answers for this soon enough in less than 2 weeks from now. Talking about the Falcom day, of course. If not then, then not long after that.
I agree it's odd that there's nothing announced about the Sky games, so there could be bigger things planned for those games, which is why they haven't announced anything about them yet, that is what I'm assuming here. You can let your imagination run wild with what this could mean... I know I did.
Either way! I think we'll get answers for this soon enough in less than 2 weeks from now. Talking about the Falcom day, of course. If not then, then not long after that.
Asking this because I honestly don't know,, have they announced meaningful things in past years during the Falcom Day? Asking because if that has been the case then yeah, maybe we could get an interesting announcement, like Sky ports/remakes.
As far as I'm aware, this is the first time they have an event like this, well, the first of its kind with that name. Could be wrong though. So there's no prior history to go with for this, but they did mention that they were going to reveal plans for the upcoming year.
There's also the shareholders meeting just a few days before that event, which could also have some sort of announcement in there. I think Hajimari was shown in there last year, but I cannot confirm if it was shown in there first before it was shown anywhere else. So it's possible they show off the next Kiseki game in there
As far as I'm aware, this is the first time they have an event like this, well, the first of its kind with that name. Could be wrong though. So there's no prior history to go with for this, but they did mention that they were going to reveal plans for the upcoming year.
There's also the shareholders meeting just a few days before that event, which could also have some sort of announcement in there. I think Hajimari was shown in there last year, but I cannot confirm if it was shown in there first before it was shown anywhere else. So it's possible they show off the next Kiseki game in there
I see. Didn't know this was the first Falcom Day, to be honest. But if they have said they will talk about plans for the next year then yeah, seems like getting at least a teaser could be possible.
Yeah, Falcom's president did indeed say that he would like to remake the older Trails games in 3D eventually. He also said in an old article that people had been asking for Sky ports too.
It's hard to say for sure WHAT they are doing. I just think that it is strange that the Sky trilogy is the odd one out at this point in time.
Aren't the Sky games already 3D? The characters look like sprites but the 360 rotation and stuff has me doubt that, though I know you mean the Cold Steel style.
Actually, quick question. I beat FC a while ago and I plan on trying SC eventually but are there any tips for the combat? I mostly just bashed my head by mashing attack due to disinterest in the combat so I didn't really experiment much with orbments and that. Despite that I still enjoyed the game lmao
Aren't the Sky games already 3D? The characters look like sprites but the 360 rotation and stuff has me doubt that, though I know you mean the Cold Steel style.
Aren't the Sky games already 3D? The characters look like sprites but the 360 rotation and stuff has me doubt that, though I know you mean the Cold Steel style.
Actually, quick question. I beat FC a while ago and I plan on trying SC eventually but are there any tips for the combat? I mostly just bashed my head by mashing attack due to disinterest in the combat so I didn't really experiment much with orbments and that. Despite that I still enjoyed the game lmao
Lol, yeah. It's true that the Sky games are already 3D, haha. XD
As for tips... it depends, really. If you feel like it's too easy, bumping the difficulty up is an option. Keep in mind though that Sky SC and 3rd are both more difficult than FC, so if you bump the difficulty up too high it could cause you issues later on. If it's a matter of figuring out what Arts to use, that is a bit more complicated.
For boss fights that are giving you trouble, getting two dedicated "Earth Guard" and "Earth Wall" users in your party as soon as possible is a good idea(they don't have to be your mages, even non-mages like Zin are good for this). Earth Guard is easily accessible early on and is the single-target version of Earth Wall. Characters with these two arts should also have the following Quartz: EP Cut, Cast, and Action. This ensures that they can utilize it effectively. If you don't know what Earth Guard/Wall are, they are Arts that can put a status "Guard" on your party members that blocks all attacks for one hit. Keep in mind that Earth Wall's range is a bit short, so you will want to have your characters positioned close to one another via the Tactics menu.
As for attack Arts... my personal favorites are the ones that can be "Set". Knowing which ones can be "Set" is important because, unlike Arts that require you to target a specific enemy, "Set" arts can be put anywhere on the field, which can sometimes allow you to hit more enemies with them(or none if the enemies move before you get the chance to cast the Art). Some of them target an "Area", and others a "Line". Here is a list of Arts that can be "Set":
The two most accessible/useful "Set" Arts are Aerial and White Gehenna(in my opinion anyways). Aerial is the one you will be able to gain access to early on, as the elemental value needed to get it is low(only 3 Wind and 1 Space on the same Orbment line). White Gehenna is the one I suggest aiming for eventually, as the status ailment(Faint) that it inflicts can be useful in both normal fights and boss fights.
Eventually you may want to start using Arts that target all enemies. Death Scream is good for that, as it has a 20% chance to insta-kill normal enemies, and is actually pretty easy to learn(compared to the other Arts that target all enemies, anyways). As for single target Arts... I rarely ever used them. But if I did, it was usually the cheap ones, like Air Strike, Fire Bolt, Soul Blur, etc... as they still do a decent amount of damage despite being cheap to use.
Clock Up(25% Speed buff) and Clock Up EX(50%) are also very useful buff Arts. Clock Up only requires 1 Time element value, so as long as you have a character equipped with a Quartz that has a Time elemental value, they'll have access to this as well. Speed can be important in these games, sometimes even more so than other stats. Especially for your Earth Guard/Wall users. Likewise, Clock Down(50% Speed debuff) is also useful for obvious reasons, as it can slow down enemies/bosses.
I don't really have much more to say, lol. I hope you have fun with Sky SC!
Falcom has announced The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki (Trails of Black), the latest chapter in the Trails (Kiseki) series. It will launch in 2021 in Japan. Platform(s) were not announced.
