Battle Field Valkyrie: Gallian Chronicles (AKA: Sega trying an RPG? LOOKS GOOD!)
 

Article with Details!

Storyline Trailer!

Tutorial Trailer!

Cell-shaded graphics, but the shading technique looks fucking AWESOME. The story is set in a different universe of course, but the technology and setting obviously is akin to World War 2 (the European Campaign in particular).

Gears of Desu, it seems~ Headshots, tank units, anti-tank units, soldier units, snipers, heavy machine guns, etc. This looks like a god damn blast. To top it off?

NO FUCKING SONIC. No butchering classic series (I'm looking at YOU, Shining Force). Something fresh.

The fact that it has minds from the Sakura Taisen games in addition to the director from Skies of Arcadia makes this an instant must-buy for me. If the PS3 doesn't pick this up, it'll be almost as big of an atrocity of Front Mission 5 getting swept aside. The system needs an RPG (and this is a healthy mix of that and other genres), and this is just what is needed. I look forward to this coming to the states (assuming it gets announced).

I hope this is a turning point for Sega. Their games have been laughable after the Dreamcast fell through, but this is the first interesting game of theirs since that has intrigued me.

Edit -- This game is a nice amalgamation of genres. If someone wants to get antsy about it, just move it to general video games. But it's strategy/action/RPG/etc =O

See, I'd have preferred Shining Force IV (bundled with Shining Force III complete, of course)... but, I have to say, I've been watching this since I first heard about it, and I like what I see. The mechanics look fun, the graphics look sweet, and in general, it looks like something worth keeping an eye on.

Yeah this is one I've been intently keeping my eye on. It's showing a heck of a lot of potential and I think a solid story is all that will be needed to pull this one together.

Can't really comment on the game itself 'cause this is the first I've heard of it. Awe-inspiring graphics, though. I may as well keep my eye on it too, given its from the creators of Sakura Taisen.

(Knowing Sega it's probably just an awesome yet misguiding mini-game from something like this)

I had/have a game idea which features some of the same things going on (The tank, WWII-level of Tech, Army fighting in a rustic village) ... for that I'm a little saddened, but hey, the game might be fun.

This definitely looks interesting; I hope Sega entertains the thought of bringing this to the 360 as well... which raises the general question: given the process' costs and all other considerations being equal, what incentive is there to a develop a game for just one console? Conversely, I imagine a console company would have to lay out some serious incentive to land an exclusive.
Given that, historically, tanks (along with APCs and IFVs) succeeded horse cavalry, it is amusing that the anti-tank weapon resembles a lance or pike. In a similar vein, I am interested in how all this development took place, and nobody thought to implement camouflage... the player characters' uniforms are nice and all, but they seem more suitable as 'dress blues' than actual field wear.

PS3? Nooooo :(

This looks fucking awesome. Cel-shading isn't done enough on these newfangled consoles.

Be wary of Ryutaro Nonoka. The Nightshade and Shinobi games are notorious for being visually pleasing... and having questionably enjoyable platforming and objectives. Granted with minds from other games, I imagine he might be able to shake that problem. It looks great, these days it's amazing how any sketch can now be rendered near perfectly in 3D when given the proper effort.

Sega's doing fine to me... because, well, Virtua Fighter 5 and Iplugmyearswhenitcomestoothergamesbythem.

I love it when they mix various game elements like this! This makes it another game making the PS3 look even more interesting in my eyes. If this keeps up there's only a matter of time until I buy a PS3.

I'm glad to see that el-shading hasn't been completely abandoned by next-gen consoles. White Knight Story makes some use of cel-shading, but this looks to be full-blown cel.

Looking forward to hearing some more information. I'll try and keep you guys updated as to when this gets a date in GameStop's reserve list.

BUNCH OF MOST-EXCELLENT SCREENSHOTS + TRAILER + LIMITED EDITION STUFF

Game looks pretty hot so far. I hope it delivers, because I think I'm gonna buy it (JP version) on day 1 or damn close to it.

Here's hoping when they bring this over that they have the sense to keep the name as Valkyrie of the Battlefield.

I'm a little unclear as to how exactly is this going to play though. Real time or turn based? Traditional or tactical? Do you command troops or one character etc. Either way, the color-sketches-brought-to-life visuals are lovely, and should they keep the name, it could mean the rest of the game will have a similar sense of sweeping epic grace.

Here you go.
It's a big download, but it should give you a pretty good idea of what's up.

Even after viewing the video, I'm a little stumped. It looked like "Command Mode" had you go RTS-style and order specific characters to a location, at which point "Action Mode" had you control them briefly, like a drastically scaled-down RTS you could take direct control of -- something like Savage, actually.

Still couldn't tell whether or not the combat was turn-based or real-time though.

What's that, Baby's First Photoshop Sketch Filter: The Game?

Well that does clear it up a tad bit. Not quite clear on the command points system, but the action mode seems clear enough. Movement and shooting use up your AP, so you can only do so much during your turn with each unit.

Though I have a feeling I'd be more comfortable if the game did away with the command mode view entirely and made the whole game turned based, from the action mode viewpoint, Silent Storm style.

Either way, It certainly looks a lot more interesting than any of the other next-gen RPGs I've seen so far. Let's just hope the two systems fit together well enough.

Thanks for the heads-up, Hindman. I'll have to watch that video later, but here's a quick bit of speculation on command points...
They could serve as a cap on force size, maybe with - as is the case with SJ Games' Ogre and GEV - larger, more powerful units 'costing' more to field.
I reiterate my comments on the player characters' uniforms: I can dig the cut and style, but the coloration still seems better suited for ceremonial functions than actual field work. The in-universe explanation for this is hopefully interesting.

Sega announced today that the game is coming to the US this fall under the name Valkyria Chronicles.

So I uploaded the previously linked video and a couple others to the Youtube dealie. (Hindman gets with the times, oh snap :O ) The bigger, better-quality/higher-res versions are the downloadable, but you know the 'Tube -- it at least gets the point across, heh.
YouTube - RPGLand's Channel

Yep, it's coming:
MAXCONSOLE - Playstation 3 - Valkyria Chronicles announed for the West

Made my day =D

New gameplay promotional trailer detected.
Aside from showing off more boots-on-the-ground gameplay (notes here: some cover is destructible (4:43) - or, at least, can be rammed through by tanks - and certain things explode violently under rifle fire (0:55)) and expounding a bit on the backstory (the invasion of Gallia seems to boil down to grand theft writ large), some aspects of character growth are made clear. Experience points seem to be awarded to a pool, from which you draw to develop the various unit types (5:39); further, new and improved tools of the trade become available as the game progresses (an incenerator is seen at 4:13; a mated GL seems to be evidenced at 6:25). Speaking of tanks: first, facing seems to matter (4:55 - exposed engine systemry + AT weapon = insta-kill); and second, given that tank armament can be upgraded, I cannot help but wonder if it's possible to field a flame tank (these were common in WW2's Pacific theatre with good reason)...
This said, with arrival on this side of the Pac scheduled for autumn, shouldn't Sega be getting started on raising interest early? A subtitled version of this trailer would be an easy and relatively cheap first step.

Given that Sega does, in fact, plan on bringing this Stateside later this year, I saw fit to share with them my concerns with respect to the marketing thereof...

As an example of 'how not to do it'... compare and contrast the Japanese website for Operation Darkness with its US counterpart.

Holy crap Hitoshi Sakimoto is composing the music for this. We could have another Dragon Quarter here.

Tuneage
 

And we'll be able to nab our own copies of same in late May, according to this particular page at CDJapan.
Interestingly, while the tracklist is not provided there, you can get it direct from the proverbial horse's mouth. That's 57 tracks, including music not used in the game, divided between 2 discs.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/a...8933479038.jpg

So I was informed Vyse and Aika are in the game, as can be seen here as well. In before dozens of kotaku rumors on ETERNAL ARCADIA SEQUEL???????

Anyway, cameos are awesome. Especially if they come with Sakimoto music. This game is looking better and better each time~

You're not wrong there my friend (also a Skies of Arcadia sequel would be welcome :p).

I also see that Wikipedia has this down as a 'Fall 2008' release for both North America and Europe. Woo.

Hoping for dual language track =V

That was the immediate Deni-Reaction, too. And I know Miles has been whining about this forever. But, for now, this will do. I SUPPOSE.

Thought folks might want to know...
 

Someone already got their tentacles on this, and has been kind enough to chronicle his impression in this GameFAQs thread.
A different someone, using the handle DjMizuhara, has been sending Gamersyde actual gameplay footage here...

So, apparently there's two amazingly awesome cameos in this game. I hope to God it's a taste of what's to come.

Yes. Skies of Arcadia 2 will be revealed this year at E3 and the whole universe will rejoice. Oh man. :gonk:

If by the whole universe you mean: you, me, and like thirteen other people on this board.

Thirteen other AWESOME people. :bigeyes:

And another couple hundred in the entire world?

Game in question is looking amazing though. I really hope to have a triple by the time it comes out.

I'll welcome Skies of Arcadia 2 IF this game is as awesome as it looks. Props to the creator for the awesome cameos ='D

News from the front...
 

Reconnaissance of YouTube has revealed that someone is being kind enough to share the game's music. He only has one track available as of now; if I had to guess its precise origin I would call a toss-up between a direct extraction from the game disc or use of a music player which might be among the beat-the-game unlocks (as is the case with Ace Combat 4 and its subsequent iterations).

Good find! If the song is a good representative of the OST, I can't wait!

EDIT: Here's an .mp4 download of that video/audio file for anyone that wants it.

Additional Spam:
Triple post for the win.

I have good news! It seems that a copy or rip of the album has been leaked. More information here!

The youtube user you linked now has 10 Valkyria Chronicles OST videos up. Just thought I'd let you know.

Here's the playlist:
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Oh man Sakimoto sounds like he's on top of his game. His music was made for this style of game.

Just another update. Using that same playlist link, the entire first disc is up.

Woah thanks, I didn't know I was awesome enough to be called awesome in capital letters.

Silliness aside, if they'd announce Skies of Arcadia 2 I would jump out from the second story balcony screaming RAIN OF SWORDS with (plastic) sword in hand. Even if I'd break a leg in the process.

The man who was kind enough to assemble this apparently needs to be introduced to the likes of Sharebee; having had to deal with the resultant hassle in downloading it, I have seen fit to infect Shively's server (thread) with it.
I note again this has to be a game extraction - it does not include the extra track on the album.

Indeed, it is a hassly download, but worth it. I'm about halfway done, and I'll put it up on a filesharing site when I am.

EDIT: Here we go. No more hassle! Valkyria Chronicles Original Soundtrack (rip by rpgmm)

Whoa, great minds do, indeed think alike. So I've been listening to this, and can't help but agree with Cetra: Sakimoto has delivered. I recommend this soundtrack for purchase, and will lead by example.

That would be promising if just about every preview ever didn't talk positively.

Perhaps an end-user review (albeit of the Japanese) might prove of some use.

Still hoping for dual language tracks =I Weeaboo, Japanophile, whatever. I just don't want the came to be ruined by horrid (and common) voice acting.

I submit for the consideration of the court the last paragraph of this IGN preview:

omfg <333333333333

My god that is beautiful. And if they try to remove this feature from the European release I can just buy the US version. Everyone wins!

Anyone know who the character designer of this game is? I am having the most difficult damned time finding out lol. Thanks :).

What's so fucking funny about it?

If you cannot answer my question then go elsewhere.

Look, I'll tell you what you want to know, but in exchange you have to tell me what's so funny. I don't think that's an unreasonable trade.

I'm a filthy liar. I'd completely forgotten about this one until a day or so ago, when a friend mentioned he'd be getting it when/if it's released over here. I just got caught up through numerous videos etc, and am thoroughly impressed. I might even look into purchasing it if I get a PS3 one day.

Also, you should go to the "Posts by Musashinden" page and do control+F for "lol". It boggles the mind, it does.

If you have some expendable income at hand, you probably won't regret getting a PS3 in the coming month or so. There will be a bunch of games coming out; I have more than 10 titles to take note of, just for the next 3 months alone. Valk is definitely a purchase for me.

Just did. LOL

lol! anyone know where I can find the art? Thanks. Muzza im glad i've given you something to do.

I can't help witht eh art question, just bumping this thread.

RPGamer > PAX 2008 > Impressions

Looks like the title has promise. And Vyse and Akia in it? Oh yeah, count this fanboy in!

Hey, fellas. A demo of this game will be hitting the US PSN with the October issue of Qore, which is set to come out next week. I will be paying for the issue because I am an impatient fuck who absolutely must play this game as soon as possible.

On top of that, Japan already had a DLC difficulty level, Hard-EX, to play, and now they've released a whole extra story in the form of letting you play as the bad guys. Pretty awesome.

Everyone's in for a real treat with the demo -- I got to play it at the Vendor Show a couple weeks ago. Everything's really fluid and very easy to pick up, with a decent amount of challenge to it (although I'm a newb at tactical/strategy RPGs so take that however you want).

OK, that is definitely 'pretty awesome'. This is a game I've been excited about since seeing the first footage and I can't wait to get hands on with it when it finally hits. Bring it.

I can say, as a non-newb to strategy RPGs, that the game provides a solid challenge from beginning to end. For that and other reasons, it'll be my vote for GotY 2008.

I've had access to the game for months because of my friend's roommate, but I never saw or felt anything that would indicate this is better than the many, many excellent games to come out this year.

Perhaps it's the fact that it's an interesting new combination of genres and not Generic FPS 3086.2? Or perhaps the fact that the game's palette features more than three colors? Maybe how it's an welcome RPG to a very RPG-starved platform?

It's certainly one of the most appealing games of the remainder of the year.

Seems for us lot in Europe we are getting a demo anyway, without the Qore vidzine thing:

[ source ]

Woot. Might have to give that a go.

Legendary out of ten.

Hah. Awesome =D I wish it came out a bit earlier in November, since I'll end up getting it midway through my time off =x Still, I am very much pleased with the game's press coverage. I was concerned that this would pass under many radars, but it seems to be getting some good attention (well-deserved it seems).

Anyone know how long the game is?

The length is something I'm curious about as well. There have been some great-length games recently like Tales of Vesperia which had me at over 50 hours by the time I beat it, and then there are games like Infinite Undiscovery which you can beat in under 20 your first time through.

I've also heard that the upcoming demo will be voiced in English, and I'm curious as to who the cast is. If Welkin is Johnny Yong Bosch and Alicia is Michelle Ruff it may be one of the few games that I just skip the English track entirely for (mostly in favor of Marina Inoue).

Gech: It doesn't have a timer, so this is a pure guess, but I'd place it between 25 and 40 hours on the first go round. Depends how much you grind and experiment in the skirmishes and how many times you die, largely.

Also, not to keep imping my own schwack here, but there's also this assload of videos if anyone's interested:
Valkyria Chronicles: Everything You Need to Know | RPG Land

Demo came out today on the US PSN in Qore and for free on the European PSN. I grabbed it and gave it a whirl, and it lived up to all of the hype I'd been building for myself.

Solid controls, great graphics, great soundtrack, challenging. The english voice track was thorougly "meh," so I can enjoy the Japanese track once the game hits, as well.

Yeah... everything about the demo is terrific except for the voice acting (which is just average). It's great having Sakimoto back doing a solo project.

After waiting 5 hours for Qore to download and another hour for the demo to download, I finally got to sit down with the demo. This one's different from the one I played at the Vendor Show (which was far harder than the demo's scenario, but then again I suck at tactical RPGs) but no less entertaining. It only further cements my decision to buy this game at launch.

I finally got to try the demo tonight, and while it took a little getting used to, I definitely enjoyed it overall. I'll probably keep playing over and over until the final game comes out so I can get a better feel for it. Definately still a day one purchase for me.

Also, I noticed the release date has been pushed up to Nov. 4th, which is awesome. I still need to get in my preorder though so I can get that artbook.

A good idea to get a solid feel for it, but beware not to get *too* used to that level; the strategies of that battle are not the same in every one, and it's a way easier battle than the rest, for sure.

Yes, awesome. I am glad to see that they are using DLC to flesh out the storyline of this game; that one of these releases is of the 'Red Flag' variety is a nice bonus.

That DLC is also coming early next year. Equally awesome.

I'll be getting this tomorrow immediately after class, sealing myself away, and playing it nonstop. I cannot wait.

I have to say the DLC planned sounds brilliant. Provided it's not stupidly priced that's going to be a definite get for me.

I'm hardly far into this game at all, but got to say, loving the absolute shit out of it. It's pretty beyond words and I could sit and drink in the visuals for days on end, but beyond the pretty is a really entertaining tactical RPG (at least so far, and only seems to be getting better). I'm just annoyed that there's so many good games to be playing right now as I really want to sink hours into this.

Wow this completely excited all my expectations. I admit that the main driving force behind me buying this game was the music and the fact that I hardly own any games for my PS3.

I actually am not a fan of SRPGs and FFTactics was the only one that I really enjoyed and I've played a lot of them. This game has a lot of the elements that I loved in Tactics, the main one being that the battles are heavily story driven and the characters feel alive rather than just feeling like fighting pawns to be thrown at the enemy. Overall this has many of the traditional RPG elements that tend to be lacking in SRPGs even though it a tactical and mission based game.

I'm absolutely loving the game. My only gripe with the game at all is the dubtitles; Sometimes there will be voiced english dialogue when there is no japanese, or vice versa. Since I'm playing this in japanese, it can lead to a few gaps in the subtitles.

That aside, the rest of the game is simply amazing. The first few chapters were pretty easy, and I was worried that the game would suffer from a lack of difficulty, but now I'm at Chapter 10 and the difficulty has been skyrocketing up over the past few chapters to the point where I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to win the map I'm on.

When I picked up my pre-order though, Gamestop already ran out of the bonuses; apparently Sega only sent the store here 4. I've seen scans of the book and it looks really good, too. ;_;

I didn't get an artbook either :(

Glad to hear the game is living up to expectations. I just picked it up today before work, so I'm still waiting to get a shot at it.

Edit @ Gech regarding thread title: "Sega trying an RPG?" Does this mean you have never experienced the joy that is Skies of Arcadia?

I got the artbook, and it's pretty nice. I wish it was hardcover, but other than that it was totally worth preordering the game for. Now I just wish I had time to play the game. :(

You're talking to a man who can't be bothered to download Cave Story free on the internet.

Does anyone get a MASSIVE lag right before the "intro" starts? (intro as in if one of those "screen saver" mode)

Not I.

Neither I. Then again, I installed the game right off the bat.

I didn't install it yet, and it seemed to run ok through the couple of chapters I played.

Getting good ranks on these missions is surprisingly difficult. I've gotten an A, a D, and a B so far, and the B was after getting killed a few times for being too reckless. Anyone tried going back to redo missions yet? Does it just add the higher winnings to your save or what?

You can't replay story missions, at least not until New Game+. Skirmishes are the only maps you can redo as many times as you want each playthrough.

No lag for myself either. It's interesting so far. And no artbook for me either. Nuts. Got one for Eternal Poison but not for this.

I'm getting close to the end of the game, though I haven't really gone back to watch most of the Reports or done more than two or three Skirmish maps. Past chapter 4 or 5, the game has been consistently challenging, but never unfair. Some maps seem helpless when you start off (Chapter 16 I think in particular), but how much control you have over how you move your characters really makes planning out stages flexible and amazingly fun.

I'm not sure how I'm going to go back to regular Strategy/RPGs after this game. Fortunately I'll be able to delay returning to them (or at least take a break from them) when the Edy and Selvaria campaigns come out.

Not to mention the "Hard Mode" that is unlocked after you beat the game.

Dude, it is BRUTAL. I haven't had the guts to cue up the EX-Hard mode that was released as a download for the JP version yet, even. The one already in the game is crazy enough.

So how was the story throughout? Did it stay interesting all the way or was it somewhat cliche but saved by the strategy aspect? I'll probably be devoting a bit more focus to this game after finishing up a few other things I'm working on. Until then it'll be more of prodding at it a bit in between other games.

Well, it's a Japanese RPG. You shouldn't go into it expecting amazing storytelling or a groundbreaking plot or set of characters. That being said, though, the plot is still enjoyable, and it works well enough to flesh out the few main characters of Squad 7. I guess it leaves the recruits open for DLC campaigns (see: Edy and co.), but as far as the main game goes, if you're not Welkin, Isara, Largo, Rosie, Alicia, or Zaka, the plot doesn't care about you.

I pretty much agree with this:
The story does have a checklist of cliches, but they're used well for the most part, and I really enjoyed the story. I say this as a person who generally doesn't get into game stories much.

I'm actually enjoying the English voice acting quite a bit. They got some good voice talent in this game. I haven't looked up the credits to confirm, but the presence of Steve Blum seems pretty obvious. I think Tiffany Grant (Asuka Langley) and John Di Maggio (Bender) are also in it.

I'm also loving how the profiles of squad 7 members are updated after the news woman interviews them. I'm especially amused by the profiles of the Skies of Arcadia crew.

I like how the weapon upgrade system changes the physical appearance of the guns every couple of upgrades. Now I'm tempted to get them all just to see what they look like. I just bought the first sniper rifle with an aim of "B." Maybe my snipers will stop doing everything they can to miss their targets' heads now.

Additional Thought: If this is a WWII alternate universe, then where the heck are the airplanes?

That's actually a very good question. While the scale and mechanics make their being controllable units out of the question, it would not be totally implausible to see them as a support ability (airstrikes).

As if the plot wasn't anime-y enough, they've sealed the deal by turning the game into an anime series. At least all of the cliches will be in their proper format now, though they'll probably give the stupid winged pig thing more screen time. Ugh.

I guess the game was popular enough, though. Here's hoping that means a bright future for a series of games, or at least games that play similarly.

Game from Japan... anime-ish? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN.

Lith called, he wants you to stop shitting up his shtick.

But it's not his schtick, I totally didn't act like I hated hip hop there. I'm actually quite fond of it.

Seriously, Mo0, you guys aren't even trying to hide it, are you?

But Mo0 can't even hide himself he's so fa-- NOT EVEN TRYING TO HIDE THE WEIGHT THING :cmb:

(Couldn't resist throwing a joke in there)

As far as how the game goes, I've only been up to Chapter 5 at this point. Was able to get Vyse in early, but no Aika yet.

Jesus fucking Christ, could we not derail every fucking thread with petty bitching, please.

Back on topic: game still rocks, and I still haven't made it very far in. I've got to chapter 7 I think, and have been distracted by Gears 2 and LBP. Will make an effort to put some time into it this weekend though.

I'm currently dead stuck at Chapter 17. The field is full of enemy tanks and anti-tank weaponry, and it's at the point where enemy Lancers are practically being used as rocket snipers. They're stupidly accurate and can one-shot anybody not in cover/at a base. This is the only map in the game so far that I've found downright frustrating.

That being said, the rest of the game has been a blast.

Stuck on chapter 9, will suck cock to get Vyse.

Amazing game, chapter 7 was all whoa and chapter 8 was all Baw.

Oh, wait, so the recruit selection is random in everyone's game? I had Vyse and Aika in my first batch of recruits.

It seems that way. I got Aika first, then Vyse awhile later. Also my roommate got Catherine in their first batch of recruits and I didn't get her until much later on.

Is Catherine supposed to be a character from another game?

The Medic is from another game o'course :3 Note the bio's later entry that the medic is actually a set of triplets, named Mina, Gina, and Fina. Often seen chatting with Aika & Vyse. Sup Skies of Arcadia :3:

Mine has ended up this way too, so I have them both in my squad now. Not sure if I have anyone called Catherine available. So yeah, appears to be a little random how people appear (apart from any story characters, if there are any beyond Rosie and Largo).

I didn't know acquiring characters was random. I had Vyse and Aika from the start. I guess Zaka is the only other character that you get at a set point, then.

Lately I've been intentionally using characters that haven't been interviewed yet, just to find out their hidden potentials. Unfortunately, from what I've seen so far, most of those are negative potentials.

Oh, and the game answered my previous question about airplanes. I guess aviation tech is only at Wright Flyer level, probably because engineers are too busy making ridiculously huge tanks.

You know what this means: if the war goes on long enough (if I understand correctly, Gallia is just a piece of it) some bright spark is likely to conclude - just like in our own WW1 - that the best way to break the armor stalemate is to work that third dimension.
Because the other side will have to play catch-up in developing their own aircraft and triple-A systems) whoever makes that leap will find a window of opportunity wherein analogues to aircraft like the Shtumovik and G-variant Stuka (the latter's most infamous pilot, one Hans-Ulrich Rudel, racked up over 500 tank kills over the course of his combat career) can rain death on armor pretty much without contest. And let us not forget the myriad of other advantages command of the sky brings.
While the anime adaptation is likely to follow and develop a bit upon the game's events, the above scenario would, I think, be interesting to look at in a treatment of the larger war.
On a lighter note, was anyone else tempted to make humorous comparisons between ragnite and tiberium...?

I dunno, I think they excluded airplanes intentionally, which is a shame since aircraft done in the alternate universe styling they have going would be pretty awesome.

Also lollin at anime adaptation. Just watch, Edy and Aisha will suddenly be main characters.

Edit: Oh great, the chapter I'm on has an episode after the battle with a picture of most of the main plot characters looking solemn at a cemetery. No good will come of this.

Given that - as we have, I believe, proven - most people find the idea of WW2-approximate tech that somehow skipped aircraft a bit difficult to believe, I believe it would be interesting to read the developers' own rationale.
To reiterate: if the writers are going to do more with this universe they've created here, folks cluing in to the advantages offered by command of the skies would be good material.

A WW1 styled air combat game in the canvas engine could be awesome, or it might leapfrog to WW2 styled fighters/bombers(with glowing weakspots oh shi) due to ragnites awesomeness.

OK, I mentioned this in #xblive, and I'm going to say it here: watch the fucking spoilers!

Thankfully nothing thus far has jumped out to me as spoilerific, but we've come awfully close now a few times and I don't really want the story spoiled for me, however unimportant some people consider it. If you are going to post something you think might be spoilerish, put it in spoiler tags, it's not that difficult.

Well, if you're talking a 'Wings: VC Edition' game (for want of a more fitting title), you can't go too wrong following, mechanicswise, the path defined by the likes of Blazing Angels or Ace Combat. Complete with impressive boss fights... with something like the land battleship Marmot proven to exist, an analogue to the Aigaion and its task force is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Of course, just to be annoying, the weak spots on said boss units almost certainly have shrouds of some sort (hello, Chandelier)...

Just finished the game. Very nice the whole way through, will definitely be giving it multiple playthroughs eventually.

The ending, in a word.


Now to wait for the DLC.

Also

Taking a good look at Crimson Skies would also be apt, that universes mechanics for flight and aircraft customization lends itself well to the VC universe. It even has big giant blimps that function similarly to the Aigaion.

Are there other continents in this universe besides Europan(Europa?)? If not make up another one and we have us a hot cold war.

Good call there; I'd forgotten about that franchise.
I take this opportunity to address a veiled comment above: given their treatment of both sides, it would appear that the writers have taken some cues from UC Gundam - this is a good thing.

So the empire = Zeon, Federation = Feds, Gallia = ???

I wasn't trying to spoil. I'm just griping. I can see the depressing plot twist coming from a mile away and now I'm putting off the battle because I don't want anyone to die ;_;

Guess I'll go try the new skirmishes I got.

Gallia would, from what I understand of the storyline, be the poor sods caught in the middle, what with having the misfortune to lie astride a convenient line of attack or atop valuable resources.
On another note, imagine the mechanics of Endwar being applied to this setting... it seems to me a logical scale-up if you want to make a game taking a look at the larger war.

I really didn't get a good look at Selvaria's tits until tonight. Holy shit!

Yeah... and she's what, 22?

I started a Hard Mode skirmish, and holy shit they do not mess around. Starting in a corner completely surrounded by enemy elites (this was Skirmish 1), complete with Destroyer tanks and Gatling Guns? Ouch.

Still have yet to get to the end, but I'm emjoying the ride immensely. I would so get a swquel if they made one - they could improve on a lot, which is saying something given that the game's a blast to play. Also, in tandem with what was stated above, I'd love to see stories of other fronts, other wars explored in said potential series. One can dream...

Ok, finally beat the regular playthrough. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

And now, some observations:

1.) Playing as the empire in that DLC pack is gonna suck. The aim stats on their weapons are absolutely terrible. I can't imagine how frustrating trying to use any type of troop except shocktroopers is gonna be.

2.) Those LANCAAR-SH mortars still 1-shot tanks if you hit the radiator. Their aiming method actually makes them easier to bullseye the radiator with than if you were using a regular lance at the same distance too.

3.) I wanna see a DLC campaign of Radi Jaeger fighting a guerilla war to take back Fhirald. Mainly because his story seems incomplete, and he was the only Empire commander I actually liked.

Bit of a bump to this here thread, but there's DLC news afoot:

[ source ]

Good enough excuse for me to finally beat this shit.

Well, I can't confirm, but that DLC was supposed to be released today.

Bought the game at Gamestop the other day for 30 bucks. As many people noted, it was the only decent deal in their Game Days promotion, and I was curious to try it. I don't own a PS3, but I decided to borrow one to play it.

So... yeah. Wow this is awesome. I was mildly entertained for the first two missions, but obviously the Headquarters opens up the real meat of the game and now I'm in love. I remember skimming through this thread ages ago and hearing that Vyse and Aika were random in some way, so I wised up and reloaded when they gave me my pool of recruits. Got them both on the first reload, so I'm pretty giddy. Shocktrooper Vyse = <3

I like World War II history, so I've also been getting a kick out of poking fun of the corny parallels. From the brief mentioning of Darcsens, I'm assuming they're like the in-game equivalent of gypsies or something. Sort of silly, but I don't expect much from these stories anymore.

Great game, though. A steal at 30.

No, Kotaku got it wrong. Follow the link to the Playstation blog and you'll see that the DLC comes out next thursday, not today.

Works for me. I don't plan on buying it until I have my own PS3.

Shocker.

And yes, it's next week that the VC DLC hits:

[ source ]

Man I really need to get back to this game sometime soon.

Okay, guys, seriously.

Did a pig with wings just join my squad?

Yes it did!

I really wanna play the Edy and Selvaria missions. Should be a blast.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, too. Just need to beat it again - I lost my data when I sent my PS3 in for repairs - and I can't get it until I get paid Friday anyway, so oh well.

Okay, now I can confirm that the DLC is out. Checked the store personally.

File sizes are 220-something for Selvaria's pack, 120 for the Hard EX mode, and 80-something for Edy's pack.

Here's DLC that isn't just unlock codes.

Unless they're really, really big unlock codes.

I found the new update annoying, as it seems to only add an "Extras" option to the main menu to advertise the add-ons.

Oddly, Selvaria's mission is the one that least interests me. Edy Detachment sounds a lot like Seven Samurai (minus one person), and Hard EX mode sounds fun for the removal of the Edelweiss (which I often find a hindrance).

Keep in mind you lose your biggest mobile cover for your units, as well.

I nabbed the DLC today, only had time to try out the Edy mission once. It's rough. Very rough.

Also, this came up a few days ago, but is always good news to hear:

From Joystiq.

Please make a sequel, and please get it translated. I will buy it nine times.

Fuck that, get these guys to work on a Skies of Arcadia sequel. We can really only expect Overworks/SegaWOW to stay consistently good for so long before Sega's taint finally ruins them too.

Considering there's still a hell of a lot to wrap up with Valkyria, I think keeping the machine going when it's still fairly popular in japan wouldn't be a bad idea. Announcing it in the wake of the anime series would make sense, and that's wrapping up fairly close to when Tokyo Game Show hits.

Here's some more good news:

from Sega Blog.

Well, it was a late starter, but it looks like VC's starting to do a little bit better for itself.

This has been one of the only PS3 games that I'd get if I had the console, but I guess it couldn't hurt to ask: Does the continued sales and DLC success indicate a possible 360 port in the future? I had heard of a rumor about such a thing in early march but I chalked it up to just speculation and/or preemptive April fools nonsense.

I think the rumors stem from the fact that it was originally going to be a 360 title, but was canned for that system and was released on the PS3 instead.

Other than that I haven't heard about anything regarding a port. I'd take a sequel over a port, anyway.

Oh goddammit I so called it. At least Selvaria gets to kick ass with the Ruhm. She's pretty much the only imperial than can actually deal any damage.

Watch the horizon...
 

...because more DLC is on it, according to this IGN article. The 'bad' news? It's caused the resurfacing of those folks who've taken to whining about its lack of trophies - as if the various meals and unlockables weren't tangible reward enough. Take a gander at some of the comments in the related Joystiq entry.