Take Trails from Zero to the next level with a few tips and tricks the game doesn't exactly spell out for you. Or, in most cases, even hint toward. Things that can enhance your experience, make tough fights easier, expand your understanding of Zemurian political intrigue, or just plain entertain you.
We've assembled the five finest examples of these obscure oddities. If you're only going to look up one thing about Trails from Zero and you would prefer to go in blind otherwise, consider making this list your handy little exception.
5 The Book Reward
Throughout your adventure, you're bound to stumble upon numerous chapters of a book titled 'Back Alley Doctor Glenn'. There are a whopping 14 chapters to find. Some can be purchased, others come in limited-time, albeit relatively generous, windows of opportunity, and others still are a form of cruel and unusual punishment (the window of availability is razor-thin).
Whether you choose to seek them all out (or die trying) as you press forward in Trails from Zero is entirely up to you, but you should know there's more reason to seek them out than simple literary curiosity. 'Back Alley Doctor Glenn' does tell an interesting tale, mind you, but that's not the reason to gather them.
At the end of the game, if you have found all 14 chapters, you can turn them in to Imelda for not only a fun scene, but a Zemurian Stone that can then be traded for one character's ultimate weapon. There's only one of these things each playthrough, so you'll need to be choosy if you aren't on New Game Plus.
4 Only Ever Exchange Sepith At The Bank
Weirdly, nearly every shop in Trails from Zero offers to accept Sepith in exchange for Mira, the currency of the Trails series world. Why would a general store be in such haste for this stuff? What will the bakery do with Sepith, and do we even want to know the answer to that question?
It's hinted at, but once you've opened up Sepith exchange at the IBC during a Chapter One support request, you should never, ever make an exchange elsewhere again. The pay rates at the IBC are nearly 50 percent higher, and believe us, that adds up to tens of thousands of Mira over the course of the game.
3 Grab Superior Gear In Chapter One
In most chapters, you'll make a certain circuit between the weapon and armor shop on Central Square, and then eventually the weapon upgrade shop downtown once you've got the U-Material needed for the update. This is the general rhythm of advancing your team's fight gear. It works.
In Chapter One, there is significantly better armor and seriously stellar shoes on offer at the casino in the Entertainment District. Paying Mira for it outright will be prohibitively expensive at this stage of the game, but play enough hands of poker or blackjack and you'll quickly rack up what it takes to negate most forms of damage for the remainder of the chapter with this excellent attire.
2 Save Time And Effort On The Field With Tio
You know how it's always a good idea to try to thwack a monster in the field with Lloyd's tonfas before engaging them, so that you can gain some preemptive bonuses in battle? It's a terrific way to make the fights go by more quickly, and against tougher enemies, it can prevent you from dangerous pin-down scenarios.
Tio shoots beams of energy at her foes. Swapping Lloyd for Tio as the party lead while on the field allows players to shoot energy beams from Tio's wand, enabling long-distance strikes. Fire once to get them to stop cold in their tracks. Meandering around them to gain the advantage has never been easier.
Should your opponents happen to be substantially beneath you in level, and you just want some quick Sepith, there's an undeniable satisfaction involved in shooting Tio's orbal wand (or Elie's gun, for that matter), watching the target implode, and calling it a day. You can still do this sort of thing through Lloyd's and Randy's close-range weapons, but it will take longer and leave you more vulnerable in the process.
1 Find Extra Sidequests
Did you know there are more sidequests in Trails from Zero than the ones that pop up in the terminal as support requests? This may seem like common knowledge already, if you've run into one. But some players could feasibly make it from start to finish without ever realizing it, purely from skipping optional NPC chatter.
Here's the earliest example, and the only example from the prologue. Visit Michel at the Bracer's Guild before finishing the main quest. Time it right, and you'll find him eager to quiz you. This is never even alluded to at SSS headquarters, so be on the lookout for more. Best of all, these count toward detective rank promotions just like formal requests.