Valkyria Chronicles

[BobbyBesar]

VC 2 is not great. The setting is a little more anime-y (Academy), and the characters are a little more anime-trope-y, which irritates some people. Although they did a pretty good job getting the VC experience on a handheld, the clear technical limitations of the PSP hurt the game a lot. Maps are very small. To mitigate this, each missions uses up to 5 maps linked together (you can transfer from one map to another at capture points). This means that you see the same mini-levels a lot, and since they're self-contained, each iteration of the same map plays out almost identically, which gets tedious.

 

The core of the game is still there, but it has some obvious problems. They mitigated some of the more easily abuse-able mechanics (Super-Scout Alicia problem), but didn't solve them entirely. There are some major issues with the character progression system, too (several branches are useless, and traits are random procs, so you need to grind a lot to max out a specific character).

 

VC 3 is apparently much better, and considered the true successor to VC 1, but wasn't localized to the west. I haven't had a chance to try the fan patch above, but I intend to soon.

 

If you loved loved loved VC1, you'll probably find something to like about VC2 (I was in a similar situation, and played most of VC2, but stopped at the final mission because of the character level up grind). It's not essential though, I'd probably wait for another iteration or 2 on the VC3 translation, then try to play that.

[Sno]

Valkyria Chronicles' PC port just went up on Steam, the buzz seems to be that it's a decent port.

[Smart Jason]

Yeah, been playing this most of today (minus a break due to the surprise launch of Massive Chalice - not a bad day at all for tactics). The port's what you've heard. Cutscenes run at PS3 resolution, the graphics options are basic and configurable only outside of the game itself, but they're there. Japanese language option - I forget if that was in the console version. If is wasn't, that alone makes it a worthwhile port, in my opinion. I find it completely satisfactory. (I also find it charmingly novel that the save screen recreates the PlayStation 3's system standard save screen; I may be the only one in the world.)

 

I got, I'd estimate, about halfway through the original game back in 2008 and I find it appropriately challenging coming back to it now. I definitely didn't remember just how poor the pacing can feel, at least early on. I can normally deal with slow starts and narrative-heavy openings (i.e., Persona, Metal Gear), but I think the fact that I'm literally scrolling through a list of cutscenes just to get to the next gameplay segment turns me off. I do consider the cinematics well-directed, though.

 

Right now I'm just trying to balance the difficulty curve of the game with my reluctance (and my 2008-era natural indulgence) to grind skirmishes. I assume the game doesn't expect me to do so? Anyone with more experience, feel free to correct me. Feel free to make this thread bristle with gameplay tips, because I could use 'em.

[kaputt]

I bought it as well, it's a pretty decent port, the 1080p resolution does wonders to the image quality, the watercolor art looks way better than I remember on PS3. 60 fps also improves things a lot. Those are basic improvements, but considering how console exclusive games from Japan usually end up being terrible on PCs, this is a really great port by Sega.

I only played about 2 hours of the game on PS3 and quit, didn't have much time to complete the whole campaign back then. But the improvements on PC really makes the experience better and now I feel like finishing it. I do recommend this new version to anyone interested.

[kaputt]

It seems that the game sold way beyond their projections on it's first day on Steam:

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/six-year-old-rpg-valkyria-chronicles-tops-steam-sellers-list/0141295

If that means Sega will release other titles on PC, like Vanquish and Bayonetta, then it's definitely awesome news.

[Bjorn]

Great news on its sales, these are the kinds of games I want to see coming to PC.

That said, I'm not going to buy this for awhile. There's soooo much stuff out right now that I want to be playing.

[aprettycooldude]

Yeah, been playing this most of today (minus a break due to the surprise launch of Massive Chalice - not a bad day at all for tactics). The port's what you've heard. Cutscenes run at PS3 resolution, the graphics options are basic and configurable only outside of the game itself, but they're there. Japanese language option - I forget if that was in the console version. If is wasn't, that alone makes it a worthwhile port, in my opinion. I find it completely satisfactory. (I also find it charmingly novel that the save screen recreates the PlayStation 3's system standard save screen; I may be the only one in the world.)

 

I got, I'd estimate, about halfway through the original game back in 2008 and I find it appropriately challenging coming back to it now. I definitely didn't remember just how poor the pacing can feel, at least early on. I can normally deal with slow starts and narrative-heavy openings (i.e., Persona, Metal Gear), but I think the fact that I'm literally scrolling through a list of cutscenes just to get to the next gameplay segment turns me off. I do consider the cinematics well-directed, though.

 

Right now I'm just trying to balance the difficulty curve of the game with my reluctance (and my 2008-era natural indulgence) to grind skirmishes. I assume the game doesn't expect me to do so? Anyone with more experience, feel free to correct me. Feel free to make this thread bristle with gameplay tips, because I could use 'em.

 

*cracks knuckles* *does the yakuza head tilt thing*

 

Re: language - Japanese language options were in the original game, but I think as free DLC; VC already had a large install for the time (4GB?).

 

Re: cutscenes - the unskippable cutscenes and mission intros remain my biggest pet peeve with VC1 (I think they were skippable in 2, but I'd have to fire it up).

 

Re: skirmishes and battle tips

 

The game expects you to run each skirmish at least once after it's unlocked. It does not expect you to run each Skirmish to an A/S rank (did they change that in the PC port? S-Ranks were removed in the US PS3 version, with an A-Rank now being perfect), but it does expect you to at least knock it out. It expects you to do the same for any bonus missions you unlock along the way. As a general rule, if you unlock something extra before the next Story Mission, you should probably do it first. I have a *terrible* habit of running skirmishes into the ground to grind my classes up 3-4 levels above what I imagine is required, which I don't think the game necessarily expects, but that's the ol' JRPG instincts kicking in. After two or three runs you can usually finish a skirmish in one or two turns, and then it's just a matter of putting on some alternate tunes and going to town. When bosses and the like start showing up (SURPRISE A TANK), that grinding becomes extremely useful.

 

Classes unlock skills in a relatively straightforward order (every 2 or 3 levels), and get their Second Weapon in most cases at level 10. This is *huge* for Scouts, who I honestly recommend grinding up ASAP, because they get a grenade launcher that drastically improves their ability to take care of clusters of Shocktroopers without getting murdered. Scouts in general are probably your best class for the majority of the game, and you should abuse them as much as you can. Shocktroopers are your second best bet, if only because Rosie is an unstoppable tank beast who can single-handedly grind most skirmishes solo. Snipers aren't really effective outside a few missions, and the same applies to Engineers.

 

You'll also want to grind skirmishes for Big Bucks, since guns are *awful garbage* until you grind them past the first three upgrades. Similarly, enemy Aces that drop weapons drop 100% trash garbage since you'll probably outpace their upgrades by the time you run the missions.

 

I'm sure I'll think of more stuff as I play through the game. It's still incredible.

[Smart Jason]

Snipers aren't really effective outside a few missions, and the same applies to Engineers.

 

Start

New Game

Overwrite previous save data

[Smart Jason]

Am I a tactical monstrosity for finding the tank a horribly inefficient waste of two action points in any given turn? I remember feeling this way in 2008 as well.

[BobbyBesar]

Honestly, if you're into min-maxing your playthrough, this game isn't going to provide all that much challenge. It's very, very exploitable (no spoilers, it's pretty trivial to look up elsewhere), and I doubt they implemented any balance changes.

 

The best way to play it is naively: do what the game narrative says, role-play various characters so they get to hang out with their bros (and lady-bros), level up the people who you think are cool, etc.

 

Much like Jagged Alliance, the little bits of characterization that drip into you via the in-mission interactions are what make the game shine.

 

I haven't played it in years, but as I recall there will be times when the tank makes sense. IIRC, it rolls over anti-personnel mines without taking damage, it can reveal people hiding in tall grass by running over them, etc. Plus, some of the tank's later weapons are kind of cool.

[aprettycooldude]

The tank is pretty trash until late game. I think Chapter 5 has a mission where it wants you to use the tank to BREAK DOWN THE WALLS while you have a covert team go around the other side (I think this same map turns into a skirmish later). I don't think I've ever touched the tank side unless there's an enemy captain over there, and I just run scouts and shocktroopers along the other side.

 

I am very bad at the "roleplaying" part of this game.

[Henroid]

I'm glad the PC / Steam version is selling well, but it doesn't teach Sega the lesson that Valkyria Chronicles was acclaimed, just that they have another avenue to make money (re-releasing stuff).

 

VC gave me hope that Sega from the early and mid 90s had returned, because it's pretty damn great at every level / aspect of its design and creation imo. But then they put the sequel out on the PSP, and on top of that, changed a lot of the themes and tone. And in part 3 they swung the pendulum back too far in the other direction to try and correct that error. Also, still on the PSP.

 

Edit - Also I just realized I'm working for a living and can buy it so I did. Cheaper than getting another PS3 and seeking out a copy.

[BobbyBesar]

I've heard tell that VC3 was rather better than VC2 (which I played, but never finished), but unfortunately, it was never translated.

This seems as good a time as any to mention that the VC3 Translation Project actually completed and released a real thing. You'll need a copy of the Japanese game, as well as a modded PSP (is there a good PSP emulator that could be used instead? I have no idea).

 

Anybody try it? I should find my PSP and give it a spin.

 

I also just downloaded it, in case this release means Sega decides to crack down on the translation.

[aprettycooldude]

I just grabbed it as well. The PSP remains notoriously easy to jailbreak if you can find one; I'm pretty sure that's a large part of the reason it tanked. Valkyria Chronicles 3 is a relatively cheap import from Play-Asia, but I'm not familiar with other game import sites that might have it cheaper. I'm not familiar with any PSP emulators and I'm pretty sure that's against forum rules anyways (I would be surprised if it wasn't).

 

And then I saw this and snorted at work:

 

"changelog:

 

• Changed occurrences of Alright/alright to “All right/all right.”"

NOW LADIES

[BobbyBesar]

Yeah, noted. The question about PSP emulators was meant as an academic one. The PSP is cheap enough and easy enough to jailbreak that I can't see there being much demand for an emulator for it.

[aprettycooldude]

I mean, the emulator exists, it's the ROMs and BIOS for the emulator that fall into "not good, very bad" territory. Well, assuming on the latter, since I remember that being a big thing with PS2 emulators, and also a part of the "Connectix Virtual Game Station" scandal of the 90s.

 

I've heard good things about VC3; Henroid's statement that they swung the pendulum in the other direction is an interesting one to me.

 

What really grinds my gears (HAHA TANK PUNS) is that the CANVAS engine is absolutely gorgeous and SEGA has done *nothing else* with it.

[Nachimir]

Valkyria Chronicles' PC port just went up on Steam, the buzz seems to be that it's a decent port.

 

Ooh!

 

If that means Sega will release other titles on PC, like Vanquish

 

OOH!

 

I'm almost never interested in replaying games, but these two, yes.

 

Regarding the Canvas Engine: Yeah, it's maddening how uninspired Sega seem to be. Yesterday, a bunch of independent developers voiced the idea on Twitter that Sega let them take a crack at Sonic, and I'm sad that's not likely to happen. There are people out there who'd value having a publisher and could do really good things for them, if they'd just frigging talk to them.

[Valorian Endymion]

Yep the port is very good - japanese/english audio, some good options on configurations (nothing that fancy, but will do the work and does have more options that many other ports*) - I have been playing, the game is just amazing. Hope that Sega bring more goods to table (by the way, the said the game was a sucess on steam, even far beyond what they could expect in sales).

 

I really like the part where you choose your squad members and how each one have different traits, because I really love jrpgs which have that.

 

 

* As a side note I too have been playing FF XIII, despite everything, the game is running fine for me.

[YoThatLimp]

I am really digging this game on PC, but there are a few things that stop me from absolutely loving it:

 

- The way the story is told, why give me three 1 minute vignettes in a row? I would prefer a longer cut scene than having to load up the next 30 second scene. I just think it is a flawed delivery method, I think the story is fine though. 

- I wish the personality traits were available to you during the deploy screen where it would be most handy. I am not going to remember the traits for 20 different soldiers.

- I am experiencing some slow down during the actual battles which is a little annoying

[Dewar]

Hmm, looks like the PS3 version of this is fairly cheap on Amazon. Are there any particular reasons why I might want to pick up the PC version instead of PS3, stuff like better frame rate or resolution? How's the controller support in the PC version?

 

Edit: Answered my own question. Load times seem to be the main benefit. http://www.pcgamer.com/valkyria-chronicles-pc-port-analysis-durantes-verdict/

[Henroid]

I am really digging this game on PC, but there are a few things that stop me from absolutely loving it:

 

- The way the story is told, why give be three 1 minute vignettes in a row? I would prefer a longer cut scene than having to load up the next 30 second scene. I just think it is a flawed delivery method, I think the story is fine though. 

- I wish the personality traits were available to you during the deploy screen where it would be most handy. I am not going to remember the traits for 20 different soldiers.

- I am experiencing some slow down during the actual battles which is a little annoying

You monster, these are people, not just names on a sheet!

[Smart Jason]

You monster, these are people, not just names on a sheet!

 

Are all of these people supposed to suck at first? Do their shitty potentials eventually get replaced by good ones?

[Apelsin]

Yes, once you research the biotech lab you can replace as many of their potentials with new shiny metal ones as you like!

[TheLastBaron]

I just played through this on PS3 a year or two ago so it's still probably too soon for me to give it another go, but I really liked it. I always feel bad in games like this when I have a group of people who I always use and the rest I never use and they suck. When I played through this I made an effort to use a lot of people because I was in the mindset from XCOM at the time of trying to make sure I wasn't relying on someone too much in case they died. I really hated some of them though.

[Smart Jason]

So if you can replace their talents and they warm up to each other regardless of their Likes, is there any reason to choose one character over another and not just pick the most sugoi senpai or kawaii kohai?