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Oh! That actually makes sense, now that you say it. Thank you. So I'm guessing if I want to keep everything relatively fresh, it's best to play Sky 1-3 and then Cold Steel 1-3.
I'd say so. The decision to jump straight into SC might be easier than you think.
3 will probably take a while. May want to try Zero which has a fan translation.
Zero's fan translation is kinda rough and especially overly literal, there will be a better one releasing in summer hopefully, but perfectly understandable.
Ao's fan translation is much better, there are some issues but pretty minor so far.
I'd recommend release order I guess, but both the Crossbell games (Zero, Ao) and the first two Cold Steel games overlap with each other so they spoil some of each other's major events. But from Zero/Ao -> CS I/CSII it's more on a higher level, as the Cold Steel games didn't exist at that time, whereas the Crossbell games did when they made the Cold Steel games, so they're more detailed in showing the major events of Crossbell.
Also in general the Crossbell games are considered better than the first two Cold Steel games.
Whatever you do, don't pass over the Crossbell games as they are important for CS III onwards too.
FC-SC-3rd-Zero-Ao-CS 1- CS2- CS3 and finally CS4
Zero and Ao take place closely at the same time with CS1 and 2. Since they are parallel to each other.
Sadly we don't have official translations for Zero and Ao BUT there is already a very good translation for Ao and Zero is getting a fantastic fan translation soon. CS3 is being localized by NISA soooooo take that for what its worth.
One thing about this series is that, not only do they have really consistent and detailed dialogue for the main characters but the NPCs as well. Every NPC whether there is a quest centered around them or not has an arc that starts in FC and ends in SC.......for the most part. There are some NPCs that have arcs that are still going AND crossing paths with other NPCs. Lemme put it this way, the writing is so detailed that Falcom has a notebook that helps them keep up with every NPC in the games. Also if you show respect to these NPCs and talk to them you will learn some really interesting stuff. My big example is the Lighthouse Maintenence Kit quest. If you do that quest normally you just deliver the parts and thats it. BUT if you pay attention to the dialogue you would know that the old man at the lighthouse used to go to the casino and have his favorite drink with fish. If you go to the casino the employe there will give you a drink to give to the old man because they miss him. And on top of that if you get the guy some anchovy (you can buy it) the old man will be so happy that he will give you one of the best accessories in the game, the gladiator headband. Which increases the amount of CP you get from attacks. He also acknowledges your heart as a bracer. Cause a bracer should always think for the citizenry after all as their protector (guild protocol)
And also because that would be jumping out of some storylines right in the middle of them, and then jumping into new storylines in a different game, and then (when you switch back again) jumping out of those storylines in the middle of them too, etc. There is no good reason to do that, and plenty of great reasons not to.
The games are intended to and should be played in the order of their Japanese releases.
However, that isn't actually possible to do since the two Crossbell games are missing English versions. Some people say play fan translations, but that doesn't take care of the problem of acquiring or installing the games themselves, which are very difficult problems to solve.
So the best order that can realistically be done in English version might be:
Trails in the Sky FC, then SC, then the Third...followed by Trails of Cold Steel 1, then 2. Note: 3 is not out in English in any form, and may never be released on the PC in English.
This is not nearly as difficult as you make it sound, it's a bit more involved than buying them on Steam and installing them and Ao is more involved than Zero, see this thread.
The instructions in those threads are ridiculously convoluted and incomplete. They don't even provide decent screenshot-based install guides. The only semi-decent text-based install guide at those links is for Linux and Mac even though almost everyone uses Windows instead.
Most of the posters subsequent to the OP in the second thread about buying Ao No Kiseki say that the guide in that OP no longer works. A single poster replied and said he bought it from a different site which apparently is the only one that now works, yet he provided no amended instructions to explain how others could follow what he did and also do the other steps within the OP that have apparently been rendered obsolete.
As such, trying to buy the games by following such guides seems like an exercise in gambling. Who knows if the English-speaking end user who gives those sites money will actually be able to make the games work after having done so.
If buying & installing those games in English were a simple thing to do, then there should be comprehensive, easy-to-follow, simple guides that demonstrate it being done. Yet apparently no such guides exist. The guides within the links we are discussing certainly are not simple/easy-to-follow nor comprehensive.