The Legend of Heroes Trails through Daybreak 
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NIS America says Trails and Ys RPG fans won't have to wait so long for future English releases: 'We want to bring that timeline down'Aug 7, 2024 - PC GamerFew game communities have had to learn patience like Japanese RPGs fans. Series like Nihon Falcom’s Ys have historically taken well over a year to see an official English translation. Yet the latest entry in the series, Ys 10: Nordics, is slated to launch worldwide three months quicker than its predecessor Ys 9: Monstrum Nox did compared to its respective Japanese release. According to publisher NIS America, it's a sign of things to come... Read more.Anime Expo 2024 Trails Series Overview Panel with Toshihiro KondoJul 30, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsWatch the full recording of NIS America's Anime Expo 2024 panel, Tracing the "Trails" of Trails with AX Guest of Honor Toshihiro Kondo! This panel consists of an overview of the Trails series along with fan-submitted questions, offering exclusive insights into the Trails series that you won't want to miss. Series Overview Trailer and AX 2024 Daybreak II Announcement w/ Toshihiro KondoJul 23, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsCommemorate the 20th anniversary of the Trails series with a special look back at all the incredible titles. With The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak, the first title in the latest arc has just been released, there has never been a better time to jump in! Additionally, you can watch the full recording of NIS America's Anime Expo 2024 panel,【Big Reveal】The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak Panel Discussion feat. AX Guest of Honor Toshihiro Kondo with Voice Actors! In it, The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is announced for an early 2025 release, and Nihon Falcom President Toshihiro Kondo offers insights on Trails through Daybreak and Trails through Daybreak II alongside voice actors Damien Hass and AmaLee. Version 1.3.5 Patch NotesJul 16, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, a few weeks ago Valve announced the Steam Game Recording feature, which is currently available in the Steam Beta, Introducing Steam Recording Timeline Support While basic recording works automatically, this also comes with a very cool timeline interface that allows games to programmatically add more information to the recorded timeline. And with this update Trails through Daybreak becomes one of the first large-scale games outside Valve to actively support this timeline API. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43729251/1fe4e8db351567767e9d929317c4fce6733387b9.png It works like this: The timeline mode (which affects its color/shading) is set according to whether you are in a battle, in menus, loading, or playing the game normally. The timeline description is derived from the current area name. A number of different events are marked, including the start and end of battles, interactions like talking to characters and shopping, opening treasure, S-Breaks and more. We hope you enjoy this new feature! Further Changelog In addition to timeline support, version 1.3.5 also makes the following changes and improvements: Make the caching of assets in GPU memory safer across a wider variety of hardware and software configurations. This should solve some crashing issues. Unify how mouse interactions work with some popup messages. This should now always allow you to dismiss such popups with the mouse. Improve the material setting for some reflective materials in the Weston Department Store. Fix the Japanese description of the shadow caching option, and improve a few other Japanese PC menu translations. Implement some additional error logging to allow us to more accurately identify reported issues. As always for our releases, in the unlikely case that you experience any regressions you can revert to prior versions of the game using the Steam "Beta" feature. - Peter "Durante" ThomanVersion 1.3.4 Patch NotesJul 11, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, today we are releasing an update which includes the following new features and bug fixes: Add a new setting to customize text reveal speed. Improve the safety of the "asset caching" feature across different hardware configurations, and make changes to it apply while the game is running. Fix mouse menu navigation when a script is waiting for a prompt or a button upon displaying a help message. Disable camp menu shortcuts when text messages or help notes are open, to prevent getting into an unexpected state. Fix an issue with saving that could lead to instability over long play sessions. Extend error logging in some cases to allow us to more efficiently investigate bug reports. As always for our releases, in the unlikely case that you experience any regressions you can revert to prior versions of the game using the Steam "Beta" feature. - Peter "Durante" ThomanLong-awaited JRPG Trails Through Daybreak finally arrives in EnglishJul 7, 2024 - PCGamesNAlmost three years after its original release in Japan, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak is finally out on Steam with an English-language release. The detective JRPG is already racking up an excellent Steam rating, with early reviews sitting at a very positive 95% score. In even better news, publisher NIS America celebrates the launch with confirmation that it plans to bring the sequel to English-speaking territories in "early 2025," making now a fantastic time to start. Read the rest of the story... Daybreak II Coming Early 2025Jul 5, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsAbout The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II + Wishlist today and stay tuned for updates leading up to the game's release! No longer threatened by the mafia organization Almata, the people of Calvard have returned to their peaceful lives. But one day, a shocking series of murders involving a mysterious crimson beast sets the wheels of fate in motion once again. Various factions spring into action – both those who abide by the law to uncover the truth and those looking to capitalize on any new developments wherever possible, no matter how sinister. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/36616022/35e0e427722e1b5d7bcefde9d66bef960cbd8cab.jpgWith chaos once again looming on the horizon, the spriggan Van Arkride receives an unexpected visitor, prompting his own investigation. Who is behind the murders, and what is their goal? The sands of time bring old and new faces together for this thrilling second installment in the Trails through Daybreak saga. STORY Year 1209 of the Septian Calendar. The threat posed by Almata has passed. Peace has finally returned to Calvard. And, for a time, that peace goes uninterrupted—until a CID special forces unit is slaughtered by an unknown assailant. With authorities working to contain the situation, criminal forces take the chance to make their own moves. Meanwhile, a spriggan by the name of Van Arkride begins his own investigation—after prompting from an unexpected visitor. Who could be responsible for this massacre? What was their objective? And how does it all relate to Agnès' search for the eighth Genesis? {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/36616022/a4b522ebb6694a5b91879220cce64ce6c8788967.jpgA crimson beast's roar. A chance meeting with a boy and girl, both embroiled in a mysterious search. These are the circumstances that lure Arkride Solutions down the trail of an inescapable fate. SYSTEM Battle System The game builds on the seamless transition between field battles and command battles introduced in the previous game with new mechanics that can be used in both: Cross Charge & EX Chains! Mastering the use of these two combo mechanics can provide you with overwhelming firepower to use against your opponents. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/36616022/79edba96a3a4637b00d9b8e3cb7595b120d4b04f.jpg - Cross Charge If you manage to Perfect Dodge an enemy's attack during a field battle, the Cross Charge icon will appear! Pushing the correct button while the icon is on-screen will swap in another party member, who will simultaneously execute a charge attack on your foe! As a bonus, the party member that you swap in will have enhanced attack power for a period of time. - EX Chains EX Chains can be activated by fulfilling specific conditions during command battles. Once these conditions have been met, using a craft or normal attack against a stunned enemy will automatically activate an EX Chain! This allows party members with SCLM activated to launch a simultaneous attack that will also impact nearby enemies, dealing massive damage. Choose Your Chapters {STEAM_CL...Special Patch Notes - The English Release And So Much MoreJul 4, 2024 - Community Announcements*The English language support update is scheduled for July 5, 2024, at 10 am PDT. Hi everyone, with Kuro no Kiseki turning into Trails through Daybreak, we are also happy to release all the improvements we made to the PC version while the localization was in development. We might have gone a bit overboard with this, so the full list is... sizeable. As such, we've extracted some highlights to talk about in more depth -- you can find the full unfiltered list towards the end of this post. Highlights Improvements to Previously Discussed Features As you might know, Trails through Daybreak has been out on Steam for quite a while now in Japanese. Back when we released this port, I posted about various features of the PC version here. This included things like arbitrary resolution and aspect ratio support, support for high frame rates up to 360 FPS, a field of view setting, and various new graphics options for things like increased draw distance, shadow quality and resolution, volumetrics, screen-space reflections and so on. For the current release, we've further improved the arbitrary aspect ratio support, fixing quite a few corner cases, and also made physically-based animations at high framerates act much closer to the 60 FPS baseline. You can find the full details towards the end of this post. Further Graphics Improvements On top of everything we included in the Japanese PC release, we've added quite a few new graphical features. Improved Shadow Caching Let's start with something that benefits everyone, and not just those with GPU power to spare. In this version of the game, with the new default shadow caching setting, you'll see improved shadow quality at no performance cost (or, potentially, even slightly better performance). {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43729251/9f9ab7fc48b218efd07efab6aadf6c1177259dea.png This image actually shows the same shadow resolution (and performance) on both sides, with the old behaviour on the left and the new one on the right. MSAA and SGSSAA Anti-aliasing Options One issue with the previous release (and all versions of Trails through Daybreak, really) is that there is no effective way to combat some of the specular aliasing in the game, especially in motion. We've implemented MSAA and, in particular, SGSSAA in order to change this. While these settings require significant GPU performance, they do a very good job in greatly improving image quality and stability in motion. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43729251/847988b47beb446efbc61a8fe32724a215ee8b3e.png The difference is much more extreme in motion than it is in a still image. Note that I believe that Trails through Daybreak might be the first full game ever to actually offer a hardware SGSSAA option. (Do let me know if I missed something!) Improved Static Reflections The game features two types of reflections: dynamic screen-space reflections (for which we already offered several quality options in the original release), and static reflections based on cubemaps. For this release, all the ...Trails through Daybreak's cozy sense of place delivers more of what makes The Legend of Heroes RPGs greatJul 3, 2024 - PC GamerMy favorite moments in Trails through Daybreak were, somewhat ironically, all set at night, when frosty protagonist Van Arkride would slip away from the boisterous party of teens and young adults growing under his wing to get some quiet—and drop the act. He goes to the movies and bumps into an old friend, now flourishing after he helped her find a new family years ago. He drops in on his old flame and they dance around their desire to spend more time together. He does a sidequest for the ghost of a long dead child... Read more.Meet the Voices Behind Your Favorite Characters!Jul 1, 2024 - Community Announcements*Owners of the Japanese version of "The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak (Kuro no Kiseki)" will automatically receive English language support in an update scheduled for July 5, 2024. Van Arkride is a spriggan who takes on jobs that can't be brought to the police or the bracers, and has cultivated a wide network of contacts due to the nature of his work. But little does he know that his latest job will be his toughest one yet! Agnès Claudel is a first-year student at Aramis Academy who seeks a stolen orbment that belonged to her late great-grandfather. For this critical job, she turns to the Arkride Solutions Office, which is said to accept any kind of request. Aaron Wei is the leader of a local gang in Langport's Eastern Quarter, as well as a practioner of the Gekka school of swordsmanship. His skill and charisma have drawn the attention of the crime syndicate Heiyue, who seek to recruit him as one of their executives. Feri Al-Fayed is a young jaeger belonging to the elite jaeger corps, the Warriors of Kruga. Though naive in the ways of the city, she is relentless in battle. When a fellow jaeger corps suddenly goes missing, Feri seeks out the help of a problem-solver in Edith who is said to accept any job. Risette Twinings is a maid who works as a service concierge for Marduk Total Security Company. She supplies Van with special weapons and apps for his orbment from Marduk in exchange for his help testing said products, and despite her elegant appearance, is a formidable force in battle. Quatre Salision is a researcher enrolled in the Basel Institute of Science's master's program, despite only being fifteen years old. He specializes in the research, development, and operation of orbal drones, and commands the drones FIO and XEROS in combat. Judith Lanster is one of the top actresses in the entire orbal film industry, known for her acting skills, work ethic, and sense of justice. However, she also seems to have another, behind-the-scenes job that she pursues between acting gigs... Bergard Zeman is a master of the Kunlun style, one of the East's three great martial arts schools, and has a number of disciples scattered across the continent. He was also Van's former master, and taught him proper martial arts. When the war between the Erebonia and Calvard began, Van received news that Bergard had lost his life in an incident, but that seems to have not been the case... English Launch Purchase Options The English release is almost here! To mark the occasion, enjoy better discounts on the Deluxe and Ultimate editions, and limited-time bonuses until July 11, 2024! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43729251/937a14cb52cb049a12d3dfc79eea70d03f901d9e.pngEnglish Launch Purchase OptionsJun 27, 2024 - Community Announcements*Owners of the Japanese version of "The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak (Kuro no Kiseki)" will automatically receive English language support in an update scheduled for July 5, 2024. The English release is almost here! To mark the occasion, enjoy better discounts on the Deluxe and Ultimate editions. Take advantage of the limited-time bonuses and get your copy today! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43729251/e73fe8d6bee5cab02c4f50b63970ff297fcb8e2e.pngVersion 1.1.4 Patch NotesOct 6, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, today we are releasing an update which includes the following changes: Improved a subset of map textures with new, higher-quality sources. Note that this increases the game's storage requirements by ~1 GB. Improve the shutdown behaviour of the game in some circumstances. Fix some unexpected cursor behavior in camp/tactics menu. Fix the "At Bonus" alignment for non-16:9 aspect ratios. Increase the safety margin for the "auto" p3a caching option. As always for our releases, in case you experience any regressions you can revert to prior versions of the game using the Steam "Beta" feature. - Peter "Durante" ThomanVersion 1.1.2 Patch NotesMar 13, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, today we are releasing a minor update for Kuro no Kiseki, in order to solve an issue introduced in 1.1.1 which affected the handling of "clear saves", preventing them from being visible in some saving and loading UIs. As always for our releases, in case you experience any regressions you can revert to prior versions of the game using the Steam "Beta" feature. - Peter "Durante" ThomanVersion 1.1.1 Patch NotesMar 10, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, today we are releasing an update for Kuro no Kiseki with the following changes: Fix a select few instances of animations in scripted scenes not playing back correctly at high framerates. Yume can now hug Van just as well at 200 FPS as she can at 60 FPS! Fix the very first frame the game ever renders during initial loading being gray instead of black. Improve the Japanese descriptions for some game settings. Add an indication of the actual render resolution to the graphics settings menu render scale selection. Focus on the most recently manually created save in the loading dialog even if a newer autosave exists. Colorize the PlayStation-style controller button prompt face button glyphs. Automatically load "*.p3a" files found in the "mods" subdirectory. More precisely, the game will load the content of all p3a archives in the "mods" subdirectory (if such a directory exists), after loading the essential archives shipped with the game. The archives will be loaded in lexicographical order, with files from subsequent archives taking precedence. As such, it would probably be a good idea for mod authors to prefix their files with a numeric code, e.g. "13_bla.p3a". Note that we cannot officially offer any support for modded games. Please cleanly uninstall all mods before reporting a bug. As always for our releases, in case you experience any regressions you can revert to prior versions of the game using the Steam "Beta" feature. - Peter "Durante" ThomanVersion 1.0.1 Patch NotesMar 5, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, today we are releasing an update for Kuro no Kiseki with the following changes: Add a special feature to (optionally) handle GPU data transfers differently. We have observed this to significantly improve performance on some systems with AMD GPUs. See below for more details. Fix fade effect not spanning the whole screen in non-16:9 aspect ratios when skipping events Adjust chapter start screens for non-16:9 aspect ratios Regarding the GPU data transfer change, in our testing this improved performance by a significant degree on some AMD systems, but was neutral or slightly negative in its performance impact on other systems. As such, by default we enable this behavior only on systems with an AMD GPU and disable it on others. If, for any reason, you want to override this automatic selection, you can do so by changing the "extra_host_write_buffering" setting in the game's "settings.yaml" file found in "%LOCALAPPDATA%/Falcom/Kuro". This setting will show up in the file after launching the new version once and accessing its settings. The default is "Auto" and selects the behaviour based on the GPU vendor. "Never" forces the prior behaviour even on AMD. "Always" uses the extra buffering even on NV and Intel GPUs. We do not recommend changing the default behaviour. As always for our releases, in case you experience any regressions you can revert to prior versions of the game using the Steam "Beta" feature. - Peter "Durante" ThomanOur Version of Kuro no Kiseki does Not, in Fact, Have a Memory LeakMar 1, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsHi everyone, Today is the release of the Japanese version of Kuro no Kiseki, and it is the first port to use a lot of new infrastructure we at PH3 built up over the past year or so. That infrastructure includes things like asset compression and platform handling, mundane features like logging and crash reporting, and dealing with game settings. But what does any of that have to do with the strange title of this article, and why should you care? Well, if you are not one to worry about technical details, then you probably won’t notice anything, and can get to playing right away. However, if you are inclined to observe what games are doing a bit more closely, then – depending on your PC hardware and software setup – you might very well get the idea that our version of Kuro has a severe memory leak issue. And that’s primarily what I want to clear up with this post on how we purposefully use all that memory. The p3a Archive Format In Kuro, we are using our p3a archive format, which contains compressed assets. If you want to read a more general deep-dive into game asset compression, storage and loading then we have a more technical post up on our company blog here. I’ll quickly summarize the main ways in which this affects Kuro: We are able to ship the entire game while requiring only ~9 GB of disk storage space – perfect e.g. for owners of one of the more affordable Steam Deck versions. Modders need not worry: you can still access individual files easily. We purposefully included “p3atool” with the game, which is our internal tool for building these archives (and can of course also unpack them). By using ZStandard with dictionary compression, and optimizing loading in general, we can achieve this file size reduction without a heavy impact on loading times. Specifically, after playing for a while and getting the caches warmed up, you might see map loading times of roughly 500ms, or half a second. That final point is what the title is about: caching. Using all that Memory Quite a few years back, I noticed that the amount of memory available in a decent fraction of PCs was quickly outstripping what the vast majority of games are actually using. While most games have some sort of internal caching, they generally do not seem to scale that with the amount of memory available. As you might have guessed by now, the default setting in Kuro does exactly that: it uses up to 80% of the available memory to cache loaded and decompressed assets. And this does mean that when you play for a very long time, and have a lot of main memory, you might actually see the game process using 20 GB or even more of it – and hence the title of this post. This memory is not wasted or leaked – it is kept on standby to make the loading times even shorter, especially when revisiting maps. However, if for any reason you dislike this automatic behavior, you can also set a fixed cache size limit or turn off caching entirely in the game’s general settings menu. A Very Brief Feature Tour T...
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