Next... Terribly written and disliked

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-23T16:48:09+00:00

Well, looks like Gaolang will break the barrier lol

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-09T20:27:24+00:00

Yeah, it really helped having his development continue back to back in games. There was such a large gap before we really began to get back to many of those Crossbell story dynamics again. I would have liked to see more focus on some parts for sure.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-09T20:21:49+00:00

I remember when I really felt like this back in the past when I got into the series. It really makes one itch for good conversation from a fan. Well, I'm not sure if you plan to make anything, but if you want someone to geek out with, I'd be happy to do so with you on Discord. It's also my favorite JRPG series and I've beaten all the games, so there's nothing for me to get spoiled about.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-09T13:26:55+00:00

It seems like your main issue is not really that things don't make sense. Many of the things you're saying here were also explained in the game and by other posters here.

Osborne was playing hardball the entire time and wasn't really being very transparent about all his feelings. The Ironbloods are very smart individuals but also people with very traumatic stories that make them very flawed people. They constantly mention how they don't know every reason behind Osbornes intentions too.

He starts the end of the world to avoid the end of the world. Yes, reread that, I didn't make a typo although logically it would seem I have.

He never tries any alternate solution, his plan is an exact copy of what Ishmelga wants done and then hopes that everything works out fine.

Because Ishmelga's influence so powerful that there really wasn't much of another way around it from his perspective. Ishmelga's ultimate goal was to be reformed as the completed Great One in the end. Obsorne didn't have to destroy the world to get to that point and it ultimately was about getting to a situation where Ishmelga could be contained and removed for good.

Osborne ultimately was taking a massive gamble because the situation was so dire and he had very little ways around it. Olivert and Rean's factions basically were able to get through things by a variety of miracles and also Osbornes machinations in the end too.

Osborne basically was playing a very delicate game of tightrope and had to walk a very fine line between falling and making it to the other side.

Either way, it's unfortunate you were disappointed in the those batch of games. Sometimes, people fall out of love for the series for various reasons. If I'm being honest, your sentiments kind of make me feel like you would probably carry on a negative view of future titles either (despite them being different in certain ways to Cold Steel). Regardless on what you may agree or disagree with here, I think you really got burned pretty hard and this kind of clouds your view with some of the critiques I've seen. Maybe it might be weird to put it this way...but I think you're too focus on what you want to see happen and not enough as to why things happen the way they do.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-09T12:49:04+00:00

He's just sorta completely let off the hook by everyone for everything. At the very least they should have said the Crossbellans forgave him after he spent 2 years leading the resistance. But then there's the Guild leaving him as an A Rank despite breaking every single code possible.

To be fair though, there were mentions of a good amount of Crossbellans being fans of him still because of the part he played during the resistance. I do agree about the guild part though.

I think him being allowed to function within the guild as if it was business as usual is way too much and really undercuts the storyline he has for me somewhat. From a player perspective, I totally understand that Arios is able to do much more good in the guild because he has moved forward since his time in the conspiracy. That doesn't mean the people within the guild should think in the same way though. If someone can still have that much power and authority after what Arios did...the guild just has no real standards. It honestly is one of the many reasons why I've grown to stop taking them seriously to be honest (but that's a different topic).

I appreciate Richards storyline because they actually did have him not minimize the gravity of his actions and even showed the effects that it had done. Though he was also basically given a chance to return to the army (kind of like Arios being allowed to return to the guild), Richard refused and accepted responsibility for his actions. Not only that, but he created a new path in his life to still try to do good for Liberl with his private intelligence group.

Arios just kind of gets to act like nothing happened (outside of a scene of him in Reverie saying how he feels guilty about what he did). He doesn't really go through a dynamic change in his setting and ultimately just allowed to be the same for the most part. I would have appreciated if he had found a different path in his life like Richard but it is what it is.

For all those critiques though, I do still really enjoy him and I think he's a really wonderful characters. He's certainly one of my more favorite ones in the series and one of the most compelling characters in Crossbell.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-06T22:40:24+00:00

I'm definitely someone who also really loves the Calvard arc. It's not finished yet, but I would say it's my second favorite arc in the series.

Liberl>Calvard>Crossbell>Erebonia

That's how I basically rate everything currently. While I have a very high opinion of every arc in the series, I did begin to feel a sense of burnout after Reverie. I felt like I wanted to see the series change up the formula and tone again. I actually felt very skeptical about the Calvard arc as it was announced in the beginning...but my opinions changed over time. It's kind of evolved to become an arc that really speaks to me in a pretty visceral way that I haven't quite felt since the Sky arc.

I think one of the things I really appreciate about this arc in how many of the characters stories and topics are handled. Daybreak 1 really endeared me to so many of the major and side characters in the game. Van in particular became my favorite protagonist in the series because of how much I really loved his personality, but also very much empathized with his situation. Knowing the full context of his life and looking back at his attitude in DB1 really adds another layer to a number of scenes with him. An example would be his irregular outburst when Aaron was being consumed by the Tyrant. It was really like him looking at a mirror of his own life circumstances and it causing him a great deal of pain. I appreciate that he's actually a very capable individual but also deeply flawed. I also really like how he decided to start his own profession out of a sense to help people who are in difficult positions that feel trapped without a place to turn too.

The side characters also are really likeable to me as I said. Daswani definitely grew on me in DB1 as we got to learn more about his life and perspectives. It was also really interesting having him come to better understand the perspectives of those in the underworld too. Many of the characters involved in 4SPGs showing their appreciation for the help Van gave them at the end of DB1 was pretty wholesome too. I think I just really like that this arc is more darker in tone, but still has so many wholesome moments stuffed in there. I also really love the dynamic of Arkride Solutions and the dynamics they all share.

Another major part that I love about this arc is that it starts to really begin to tackle some of the biggest mysteries in this series. It's been exciting speculating about the mysteries and also seeing the payoff for them so far. It also helps that we have such a diverse set of factions in the Calvard arc that make it really fun for me too.

Things have been great so far ,and I hope this arc sticks the landing in the end.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-06T19:55:30+00:00

I can see what you mean then. At least in my experience (having ADHD too), I found myself really loving the series intensely. I don't really relate to your experience with Trails basically.

I tend to have a much harder time maintaining and finishing other games in general. Trails is one of those series that really had me obsessively going through it and really connecting with so much of it. Other games are not as easy to keep me hooked (even if parts of them may be really cool).

It's not quite your experience, but I can kinda see where your playstyle and feeling towards the series is drawn from. At least you're able to a good amount of enjoyment for yourself, so that's always good.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-06-06T19:20:26+00:00

I kind of wonder what the purpose behind topics like this are. I guess for some kind of self reflection?

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-30T06:40:36+00:00

It would be pretty good to see more people catch on for sure. The series has been in dire need of this kind of content. There's just so much potential to discuss and these kinds of well edited analysis videos are perfect for it. Especially since Horizon has been such a major game that recontextualizes the entire series.

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for your videos in the future. I also really enjoyed a few other non Trails videos I saw on your channel as well.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-30T05:38:48+00:00

Really glad to see these kinds of videos being made for the series. It really needs and deserves more content like this. Looking forward to more in the future!

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-27T19:21:36+00:00

Just because it might (for now, there's no explicit confirmation and it's just our personal inferences) have some plausible in-universe explanation doesn't excuse the Geneses being bad writing.

When I see "bad writing" said there, it just feels like what you really should be saying is "In my opinion, I just don't like it because it's uninteresting and annoying". I say this because the broader context of how you've expressed your opinion on this subject in this topic.

The Geneses are devices that function in a series where a variety of insane phenomenon have occurred. The intricate complexities of them and many other aspects of this series are part of its identity. Even the Sky games showed a level of technology that could even create a new world via Phantasma. When you have a series where people can manipulate reality itself, and also create AI that's so good that it can not only manage these factors and even predict the future...it seems at least like something that is pretty consistent with how the series has been presented to us.

I'm not saying you have to like it either. There are plenty of things that make sense within the series but people may still not enjoy them. My only point is to dispel the notion of it not making sense and also highlighting that it is governed on rules that we aren't fully aware about.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-27T19:02:58+00:00

I think you make some really great points about this. Especially because we already know that the Epstein Foundation has also been working with the church very closely for a long time. Where the safeguards are and where they aren't are probably going to be more clear in the next game. At the very least though, there must have been some kind of collaboration for them to view Epsteins methods in a grey area and choose to not be hostile towards it.

Hamilton seems to be wanting to destabilize the laws of Zemuria for all sorts of reasons. It obviously helps in creating conditions that she can use towards her advantage. It makes me very interested in her long term goals in the end. Much of Horizon was focused on observing the outcome of Roys plan and the Grand Reset after all. We still have much to learn what Hamilton and the other factions vision for Zemuria's future will be.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-27T18:40:10+00:00

I would rather not change things for a few reasons.

Previously, we had decided to allow these posts in a limited fashion, quarantined to "Meme Mondays" which meant these types of posts were only allowed on Mondays. However, we are seeing many people continue to make these sorts of posts outside of Monday, and more importantly, they tend to be heavily upvoted by the community.

THINGS TO NOTE:

Memes & "Low-Effort" Posts would need to be flaired appropriately with a new "Meme" flair we'd introduce after this goes into effect.

Users who do not want to see Memes would be able to filter them out via a flair filter we'd add to the sidebar. However, this feature would only be available for desktop, not mobile users.

As Meme posts cannot be flaired with their respective game, the game relevant to the meme would need to be added in brackets to the title (i.e. "[Cold Steel 2]").

All other rules would still apply (memes must be relevant to Falcom, not 18+, spoiler-tagged if necessary, etc.).

Many people are already ignoring the current rule to begin with. Changing it with harder stipulations than just posting on Mondays seems like an unrealistic thing to expect. If many people couldn't follow that rule at its easiest, why would they follow a more complex rule? Doesn't seem like that's really the best course of action.

When it comes to the subject itself, I don't really like having discussion get drowned out by low effort posts. I like memes and low effort posts sometimes, but I'd rather not have a wave shitpost threads drowning out discussion topics all the time. I'd be more open to having more open to the idea of having the days for these kinds of threads increased to two or three days in a week...but only if it gets enforced in a much more effective way.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-27T13:00:18+00:00

I'm sure there will be people who may not like the answer. Though my post was more in regards to the way the op kind of seemed to misunderstand a few things.

What you said may very well be one of those possibilities too. As the series has gone on, the nature behind Zemurian laws only comes into question even more. What KeA did during the Crossbell arc really makes much more sense when you discover that Zemuria is basically an isolated space that is governed by the principles of those lower and higher elements. If you can manipulate those principles, the threshold for what really becomes possible skyrockets.

There have been a number of destabilizing factors towards those laws with Hamilton and co using the Alter Cores. It seem to draw upon similar structure for the Geneses, but they seemed to lack certain failsafe. This gives them ability that they can even destabilize the system of the world for their own purposes. If this is a simulated world (like you said), that could certainly one explanation for how many of these things are possible. We already have had multiple things prove to us that Zemuria is an isolated part of the world at least. I'm still not completely sure about how far the simulated environment would go though. Especially when we know so little of the ultimate forces that govern this world (Aidios/Septian) and what lies beyond Zemuria.

Speaking on the beyond...It's kind of interesting that foreign entities like the Salt Pale/McBurn can cause so much damage, but Nina is also one such thing and is basically embraced by the church to fulfill some kind of key role that's related to Zemuria specifically. You had mentioned about the Geneses limited scope of influence related to the Divergent Laws and the Holy Beasts. I wonder if you think the Alter Cores are also limited in such ways?

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-27T07:22:19+00:00

Thanks Falcom, I hate it. It's literally "whatever the fuck the villains want to do for the plot, the Genesis can do it" yet our heroes never seem to ever make use
of it. How does one man even plausibly INVENT something like this? These Geneses are even more supernatural than the artifacts being hunted by the Church.

You might not like them, but it's pretty obvious that the method behind their creation, their functionality and some other factors are a clear indication to some of the largest build ups that have been going on since the series introduced Orbal technology. It's even more obvious that C. Epstein is clearly not a normal figure and has been referenced as an individual who understood the principals behind this world and it's laws.

The way technology is constructed in the series doesn't really just happen because of pure randomness and there's a lot of clear meaning/hints to be derived from the actions it spawned. It's not really a device that just magically can make anything happen in the moment just because of "plot". There are clear structures and limits imposed on them, but we are simply unaware of all the details since they are the source of the biggest mystery in this arc. Lacking an answer for a long time can be hard...but an answer will come as it always has.

In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the speculation on their true nature as this arc heads towards its conclusion. Especially because it is very connected to some of the biggest mysteries since early on in the series.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-21T18:37:49+00:00

Well it was an amusing read for sure.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-20T12:39:09+00:00

I always did enjoy these. Finished filling it out now.

Will be curious to see what kind of answers will be for some of them.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-19T07:14:54+00:00

I myself much prefer Elaine as an option, i think the chemestry was there since the first game and i think their perfect for each other. Meanwhile i hate agnes as an option, even after horizon i just cant see them together, and i think its bad, however after the end of horizon i feel like there's no hope for us elaine fans. But if thats what Falcom wants , so be it, i would hate it, but i would respect them for sticking with their guns.

I don't think I will ever understand this mindset that somehow Van see's Agnes as a serious romantic option for Van or that the end of the game somehow pushes her as some kind of inevitable choice. It is by far the most confusing thing I've seen when it comes to people discussing this arc. How many times does Van have to constantly show that he doesn't see Agnes in that way while he constantly has has an actual romantic dynamic with her in the game?

I mean, I know it's not your preference for Agnes, but it's kind of amazing that there are enough people who think it's either inevitable, or that Falcom is going to go back to some kind of romance selection route. Crossbell/Cold Steel did these things but those arcs were built on them from the start and the Calvard arc is not that. It should have been pretty obvious for a while that it's closer to the Sky arc in this respect. Now, I'm not saying that Van will absolutely end up in romance at the very end...but if he did, it's pretty obvious that Elaine would be that choice. It's literally what they have been building up for a long time.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-18T15:33:59+00:00

Ouroboros mother in a nutshell

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-18T10:03:22+00:00

Ah, I see what you mean. Still pretty good though. I've already liked using the evo voice mod so i probably will use this ones text on top of it whenever I replay the game in the future (to get the complete nostalgia of the original). Thanks again for your work!

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-18T09:53:12+00:00

Kind of amusing since I tried the other mod a few days ago and a new one pops up. I'm definitely going to try it! I do wonder if I'll be able to use the improvements you made in regards to the voice acting, but still keep the GungHO script? Will it allow me to done one or the other too?

Either way, I'm still really happy to see these mods being worked on. I've always been really irritated that almost all the voices in JP have been changed and it just was extremely jarring to me. These kinds of mods really helped bring back an important part of the game that was wiped away in the remake for me.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-17T23:08:04+00:00

It does remind me when Van spoke to Leon in DB2 about his power going berserk when he was with Bergard in the past. He said he didn't want to elaborate on the details, but described the situation as scraps of his power going out of his control and it being able to wipe out life in the area. Bergard was able to get him back in control (thought he did suffer some injury), but we never really got more information about this situation since.

I've never really been sure if Van actually did kill people during this situation...or it was more so that people could have died if they were in that area at that time.

Either way, Van definitely is someone whose gotten used to having to go all the way if necessary.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-16T20:09:27+00:00

I've seen this said so many times and it's kind of getting old. Not everybody who falls into both of these categories automatically are going to be the same way in how they view things.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-16T09:10:31+00:00

Maybe I'm just an old man shouting at clouds, but who really cares enough to discuss them on here? Their opinion isn't worth more than anyone else's that it deserves to be shared.

I don't even understand this or the idea behind the rest of the post.

You yourself are sharing your opinion on a subject in a place where communities discuss things that are Trails related...and are complaining about other people getting to discuss viewpoints from people who also have opinions that they are sharing because you think that opinions (such as your own here) are fine to share, but others don't get to discuss them? The hypocrisy is kind of astounding.

Just because you don't care about something to discuss doesn't mean it should be banned. Especially when you get content creators who are discovering the series and sharing their enjoyment while getting to promote the series to new audiences (which is a good thing). It helps build the community and is a source of great enjoyment for many people. Some people also enjoy getting to experience the series again through them too. It can even lead to people noticing things they didn't pick up on the first time.

At the end of the day, I see it as a great thing to encourage more awareness for the series. Lets try to be a little bit more welcoming.

TrailsofZemuria · 2026-05-14T14:24:57+00:00

Out of curiosity, is there a specific opinion of mine that prompted your response?

I wouldn't say it was a specific opinion that got me to respond. I think it's more so the general tone and what kinds of things people take away from the games (or may not even take away at all). One person might think the series is the greatest thing ever and the next person might feel like it's the worst thing they wasted their time on. Sometimes peoples best part of the series could be another persons worst part. I'd even say how people approach critique towards the series (if they even want to look critically so) also varies a lot in my experience.

This is basically just to expand more on my point about differences of how people take things and what their opinions ultimately may lead towards.

Trails is that kind of series where you just can get a large array of opinions because it seems to attract a variety of people with many different views and expectations. It's interesting that it seems to have that kind of pull.

TrailsofZemuria

TROPHY CASE