Trails in the Sky or FFIX?

[Pikoki]

Can someone help me make a decision between 'Final Fantasy IX' and 'The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky'?

I've always loved RPG systems, classes and progression, but I've slowly come off them because of the grind. I know that FFIX on Steam alleviates a lot of this with boosters to remove random encounters and speed up battles, but I also have heard really great things about Trails' writing and character interactions and I only want to commit to one of them at the moment.

Any thoughts guys? Other game suggestions with great progression (I've already been enthralled by the non-really-RPG Stardew Valley...) would be appreciated too. Thanks!

[Gabby]

I never did say Trails FC. I said Trails.

But even FC alone is a substancially bigger game then FF9. FF games are built around the idea of either allowing a quick casual playthrough or huge hours of grinding. The actual stories and doing the basics of everything only take a short time. It's when you do their impossible grinds that they actually get hours added into the average. Whereas FC... you're just playing the game to get all those hours.

[terry309]

Grandia 2 Anniversarry Edition is the only JRPG on steam worth playing, go get it now if you haven't already!!!

[Gabby]

Just so we're clear I'm not like, anti-Final Fantasy or anything...

http://imgur.com/KKlVDSC

Plus check my games list.

[Missilepom]

Oprindeligt skrevet af terry309:

Grandia 2 Anniversarry Edition is the only JRPG on steam worth playing, go get it now if you haven't already!!!

Yeah right, a subpar port of a 16 yr old game is the only JRPG worth getting on Steam... You can stop with your fanboyism

To the OP:
I'm not sure about the quality of the FF9 port on Steam, but the Steam version of this game and its sequel (and upcoming third game) are the definitive version of Trails in the Sky. It started out as a PC game back in the mid-2000s so this isn't even a port like 99% of all the other JRPGs on Steam. It also has all the added features from its PSP/PS3 ports backported in (HD assets, moster guide, animation skipping, etc). Just a factor to consider when you make the decision

[Pikoki]

Thanks for all your thoughts guys, I bought FFIX first for now and I'll probably get Trails once I've gone through most of it and when it's on sale again (maybe SC will go on a deeper sale next time too).

[Cid]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Seraphna:

Just so we're clear I'm not like, anti-Final Fantasy or anything...

http://imgur.com/KKlVDSC

Plus check my games list.

Your arrogance throughout this thread is astounding, and constantly trying to assert your opinions as fact only makes you look childish. Some players may take 30 hrs to finish FF9 and 120 for FC and SC, but many won't. I know that personally, on a first playthrough, my times were roughly 50, 35 and 55 for FF9, FC and SC respectively (with an A/B+ rank in FC/SC). Also, with regards to speedrunning, I've completed a segmented run of FC in 10hrs (there's actually a thread about it in this very forum).

[Gabby]

Whatever you say. I'm glad you felt insults were needed to back all those fallacies.

Hate to note it but your outburst here actually agrees with my conclusion still. There's more game in FC/SC then FF9. Your speed run, if it's true since it's a world record, proves it too.

[Khronikos]

Trails graphical style holds up ten times better than FF9 sadly. Even with an emulator FF9 is pretty meh IMO.

[Cid]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Seraphna:

Whatever you say. I'm glad you felt insults were needed to back all those fallacies.

Hate to note it but your outburst here actually agrees with my conclusion still. There's more game in FC/SC then FF9. Your speed run, if it's true since it's a world record, proves it too.

You may think them as fallacies, but that is only your opinion. And regardless of your relationship to this game or it's developers, your opinion doesn't carry any more weight than anyone elses.

The average playtime of FF9 compared to FC in a first playthrough is arguably higher, which is what the OP was asking about. Your attempts to use the speedrun length as a yardstick to gauge a blind playthrough time are, in my opinion, questionable at best. Especially when comparing a well-optimised run (such as FF9) to an extremely non-optimal one (such as FC).

[Gabby]

I'm sorry but parroting your own response, your opinions don't count as higher than anyone else's. I'm afraid that's just your opinion.

[Oguzhan]

Trails if you can also buy the second chapter and HAVE A LOT OF TIME! I love trails its my fav story soundtrack writing etc etc in any rpg but thats the thing the writing is SO FLESHED OUT that you WILL want to talk to every NPC after even making a sing progression (or talking to someone else) these NPC's have their own stories even if they are not related to the plot. Their stories start with FC and then end with SC (some of them continue even to this day with trails of cold steel thats how much fleshed out these NPC's are) meaning you will need a lot of time.
Also trails in the sky is a game where you want to take time in general , looking at the scenery while drinking your coffee or reading the books that are in the game.

So yeah if you don't have time right now go with FF9 which is also a fantastic game but IF you do have the time and can buy SC too go for Trails.

[Nico]

I completed FC 55 hours. Not a speed run (clearly) and not skipping dialogue. Doing as many side quests as I came across but not going out of my way to 100% it (as you can see from my achievements I missed alot). My brother has logged 80 hours and considering he doesn't have kids or a spouse he has more time to spend completeing the game and putting more time in.

I can't judge FF9 because I originally played the playstation version on its release and I don't remember my child selfs time. I would guess I would finish FF9 in less time than FC though.

[Kai]

This year they have the Japanese 'Evolution' versions of the Trials in the Sky series, the third one was released in 2016. We don't get these 'evolution' variants without localization having to voice over many lines since the evolution series of Sora No Kiseki is a 'remake' in a sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RvcCCsutUE

[Gabby]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Kai:

This year they have the Japanese 'Evolution' versions of the Trials in the Sky series, the third one was released in 2016. We don't get these 'evolution' variants without localization having to voice over many lines since the evolution series of Sora No Kiseki is a 'remake' in a sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RvcCCsutUE

Considering the overall quality and the responses these versions have gotten, we may be better off.

[xXiaoDrag0n]

I played both and I have no regrets, FFIX would be a decent warm up for Trails in the Sky in my point of view.

I took 80hrs and more than 160 hours but less than 180 hours <--- (You will understand why if you played SC in Nightmare with just the bonus items from FC) to complete FC and SC in Nightmare w/o NG+ respectively