英雄传说：空之轨迹 The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky p.354

星球大战：旧共和国武士 2 - 西斯领主 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords p.356

在日式 RPG 中，通常来说大量的时间与精力会花在主线故事上。《空之轨迹》在这一点上很特别，因为我们在角色对话和其他附加元素上花了同样的，甚至更多的时间与精力。这种做法让这个世界变得活灵活现，也创造出了一种既充满幻想，又让人感觉真实的氛围。

Normally in Japanese RPGs, a lot of time and effort is spent on the main story. Trails in the Sky is unique in the sense that we spent as much or perhaps even more time and effort working on character conversations and additional elements. By doing so, it really makes the world come alive, and creates a setting that's both fantastical and realistic in equal parts.

近藤季洋（Toshihiro Kondo）
Nihon Falcom 总裁

Toshihiro Kondo,
Nihon Falcom's President

《空之轨迹》系列采用了回合制战斗方式，战斗发生在网格地图上。除了传统日式 RPG 都会有的攻击、道具、逃跑指令之外，本系列中还有两类特殊能力：魔法（Art）和战技（Craft）。

使用魔法需要消耗能源（mana）^[2] ，魔法系统与《最终幻想 7（Final Fantasy VII）》中的魔晶石系统很相似。每个角色需要装备形如宝石的结晶回路（Quartz），结晶回路可以提供一定的属性增益，同时根据当前装备中的结晶回路颜色组合解锁可用的魔法。

另一方面，战技是每个角色的独特能力。使用战技需要消耗技力（Craft Point），在战斗中造成或受到伤害时会获得技力。如果有足够多的技力，那么你可以在任意时间点进行特殊攻击——即使是在敌人的回合^[3] 。

这一点很重要，因为行动次序意义非凡：每隔几回合会有特殊的增益效果出现，效果包括治疗或者强化该回合的活跃角色，所以操纵行动次序来获得这些增益很重要。

在 FC 之后还有两个续作：2006 年的《空之轨迹 SC》（Trails in the Sky SC，即 Second Chapter，第二章）和 2007 年的《空之轨迹 The 3rd（Trails in the Sky The 3rd）》。SC 的故事紧接着第一部游戏，除了新增加的连锁攻击（Chain Attack）之外游戏系统几乎是一样的。

总得来说，FC 和 SC 更像是一个大游戏被切分成了两个小块，艾丝蒂尔和约修亚的故事在 SC 中暂时告一段落。

Combat in the Trails in the Sky series is turn-based, set in a tactical grid. Besides traditional JRPG commands like Attack, Item, and Run, there's also two types of special abilities: Art and Craft.

Art uses mana and closely resembles the Materia system in Final Fantasy VII. Each character equips gems called Quartz, which offer several stat bonuses and can unlock magic spells depending on the colour combinations currently equipped.

Craft, on the other hand, is inherent to each hero and uses Craft Points (CP), which are earned by dealing or taking damage in combat. By storing enough CP you can unleash special attacks that can be used any time – even if it's the enemy's turn.

This is important, as turn order plays a big role: special buffs are granted every few turns, healing or strengthening the active character, so it's important to manipulate the turn order to get those buffs.

FC was followed by two sequels: Trails in the Sky SC (Second Chapter) in 2006 and Trails in the Sky: The 3rd in 2007. SC takes place immediately following the events of the first game, with almost entirely identical gameplay (save for a new Chain Attack feature).

Overall, FC and SC feel like one large game broken up into two smaller chunks, and SC resolves around Estelle and Joshua's story.

2015 年，《空之轨迹》在 PS Vita 上推出了高清化重制，还加入了语音演出和重编曲的配乐。你可以使用Evolution OST Mod 来游玩使用新配乐的 Steam 版本。

Trails in the Sky was remastered for the PS Vita in 2015, featuring voice acting and a reworked soundtrack.
You can use the Evolution OST Mod to play the Steam version with this new soundtrack.

《空之轨迹 The 3rd》把主角换成了 SC 中引入的一个人物，凯文· 格拉汉姆（Kevin Graham），他是七曜教会（Septian Church）的一名神父。凯文和他的儿时朋友莉丝· 亚尔珍特（Ries Argent）被卷入了一个神秘领域——影之国（Phantasma）。他们需要查明影之国背后的秘密，于此同时凯文必须解决自己的心魔，不仅是比喻意义上的，也要在物理上消灭。

《空之轨迹 The 3rd》继承了前两部游戏的传统日式 RPG 风格，同时还混入了地牢探索以及《女神异闻录（Persona）》系列中常见的恶魔与宗教意象。这一部游戏还处理了 SC 遗留下的一些线索，同时为此后的《闪之轨迹》等游戏做了引子。

轨迹系列给人的感觉像是传统的九十年代日式 RPG：回合制战斗、史诗故事线、接近于动画的美术风格以及难以忘怀的音乐（其中有着多个流派的影子，包括爵士、古典、日式摇滚和流行乐以及前卫摇滚）。但与此同时，这个系列又有着现代游戏的便利功能，例如随时存档，地图上可见的敌人，而且能够回避任何遭遇战。这正是轨迹系列的有趣之处，而优秀的 PC 移植和本地化更是锦上添花。

在我看来，《空之轨迹》系列可以说是传统日式 RPG 设计的巅峰。如果你是 Nihon Falcom 其他作品的爱好者，或者只是回合制 RPG 的爱好者，那么务必尝试一下这个系列。

Trails in the Sky: The 3rd follows a character introduced in SC named Kevin Graham, a priest for the Septian Church, and his old friend Ries Argent, as they are sent to a mysterious realm called Phantasma. There they must figure out the mysteries of this new domain and escape it, while Kevin wrestles with his literal and figurative demons.

The 3rd plays more like a hybrid of the traditional JRPG stylings of the first two games mixed with the dungeon-crawling and demonic/religious imagery of the Persona series. It also seeks to tie up the loose ends left behind at the end of SC, while setting up events for later games like the Cold Steel series.

What makes the Trails series interesting is how it feels like a classic 90s JRPG, with turn-based combat, an epic storyline, anime art style, and a memorable soundtrack (featuring influences from jazz, classical, Japanese rock and pop, and progressive rock), all while containing modern conveniences such as being able to save anywhere, visible enemies on the map and being able to run from any encounter. The excellent PC port and localisation only sweeten the deal.

In my mind, the Trails in the Sky games are the pinnacle of classic JRPG design, and a must-play for any fan of Nihon Falcom's other works and turn-based RPGs in general.

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² 译者注：在游戏中称为 Energy Point（EP）。
³ 译者注：轨迹系列中战技可以分为普通战技和超战技，普通战技只能在角色回合使用，但超战技可以在任意时间使用。使用超战技时技力点需要不少于 100，而且使用超战技会消耗当前全部技力。