Chrono Compendium

Zenan Plains - Site Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on November 14, 2016, 02:02:31 pm

Title: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on November 14, 2016, 02:02:31 pm
To My Dear Friends,

I was cleaning out some old boxes in my basement in the Depths of the Night and found a burned CD with the simple text "CT Archive" -- the Sealed Door of nostalgia washed over me. This was a CD archive I had made back in 2003 of all the remixes I'd collected over the years; I've since backed it up to my computer and have been further washed over with bittersweet nostalgia while listening to it (my god, I forgot how good the Zeal Love OC Remix was).

It made me miss the old days. I didn't create this account until around 2007/2008, but before that I lurked for several years beforehand, so even though I wasn't contributing to conversation, I still "felt" like part of the community in a werid way. It wasn't until after *Prophet's Guile* I finally broke down and created an account (I think I was trying to get help with it or something). Anyway...

I miss the days of V_Translanka and his forum naziism. The days of unabashed conversation about whether or not Zeality was a megalomaniac. Of Faust_Wolf's optimism for fanon. Of Kyronea and Lifawolf (I'm still rocking her hekran art) and satoh and sajaintah and justin_3009 and magil and Mauron and Thought and tushantin and themage and alfador and Kebrel and Chrono'99 and maggiekarp and Radical_Dreamer and Romana and Zakyrus and Tact and Vehek and utunnels and TemporalKnight and Shadow Darkman and grey_the_angel and MrBekkler and Lord_J and a thousand others I can't remember off the top of my head. Good times and bad, I miss it all.

I miss Chrono Trigger. These days I can barely get through a playthrough. I am old. I am now a dad with a career... and very little time for fan projects let alone actually playing video games. I used to sit on here and refresh the tab to see what new posts would come in. I'd wake up early and check the forum for new posts. I would scour for new remixes archived here that I may have missed.

It's bittersweet and I miss it dearly. I'm nostalgic. I have Yearnings for the Wind. Time is slipping as it does, the Light of Silence upon my heart.

Thanks to all for the memories. I love and miss you all.

I'm not deactivating my account or anything, just had to get that off my chest.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Kodokami on November 14, 2016, 10:51:01 pm
Boo! Almost scared me there :P

Yeah, the nostalgia is hard. I miss it all too. I joined in 2009, but, like you, lurked for some time. I loved this community. Haven't found anything like it since. Aside from periodically peeking in here, I think I still keep up with ... just one old Compendiumite? Makes me sad.

I'm still rocking Licawolf's art too! (My profile image is part of one she drew for me.) And Zeal Love is still on my regular playlist. Though I never knew it was from 2003.

I hope everything is well with you, Boo. And everyone else!

EDIT: All this time and I only now reached 800 posts. :o
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: utunnels on November 15, 2016, 12:41:32 am
It becomes too quiet recently.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: skylark on November 15, 2016, 02:48:29 am
Even though it's quiet, at least there are still a couple of projects being worked on.

...which reminds me, I still need to finish the story synopsis for mine. =<
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on November 15, 2016, 05:16:12 am
I'm still hacking away at the game - sometimes too slowly.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on November 15, 2016, 10:30:14 am
The old days, huh.

Can't imagine that. I think I joined not that long after discovering this place (late 2008 in the time of CTDS's release)... man, I don't remember how I found this place... :lol:
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on November 15, 2016, 10:41:03 am
@Mauron -- You still working on that POC thing we were working on back in 2014? If so, and you need and sprites, let me know. I don't have as much time as I did back then, but I could manage something like that.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: FaustWolf on November 15, 2016, 10:48:32 pm
I'm glad to see you're still kicking Boo! So it's finally come to this. Here we are, talking about "the good old days" like senior citizens gathering at a Class of '51 reunion, hahaha!

All kidding aside, looking back on those days I think I understand what real nostalgia is now. It's knowing you were there with a special community at a special moment in time, one that we'll never be able to get back quite the way it was then. But it's also looking forward, proud that you'll always carry the spirit of that community with you, and knowing how it helped shape the person you are today.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on November 15, 2016, 11:07:12 pm
And we're not even the old guard 'round here!

But yeah, we were all here during a really creative renaissance for Chrono fandom. I think conversation and theorizing had really been hashed out and that left us with fan creation. But I think you hit the head on the nail with your musings on community, being part of said community, and the changing of things over time.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on November 16, 2016, 03:23:32 am
My hacking time has been on the low side lately - I seem to focus on Hi-Tech or the 8th character patch when I do put in effort. I've been working on the 8th character patch since I started ROM Hacking, back when Prophet's Guile was released.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: utunnels on November 17, 2016, 08:20:20 pm
Well, it seems Chrono Cross turns 17 today.
 :lol:
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on November 17, 2016, 09:11:12 pm
Whoa. That makes me feel even more... old.

I remember about a week before the unveiling of Chrono Cross there were murmors of the game. I first heard the name on the old AOL Antagonist forum and remember thinking of a crucifixion cross and was like, "huh?" A week or so later it was unveiled and the demo disk was said to be packaged with Legend of Mana.

I bought Legend of Mana (I was also a fan of Secret of Mana) and was disappointed that I didn't get the demo disk.

So Chrono Cross ending up being the first time I preordered a game.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: xcalibur on December 01, 2016, 12:00:09 pm
I'm glad to see you're still kicking Boo! So it's finally come to this. Here we are, talking about "the good old days" like senior citizens gathering at a Class of '51 reunion, hahaha!

All kidding aside, looking back on those days I think I understand what real nostalgia is now. It's knowing you were there with a special community at a special moment in time, one that we'll never be able get back quite the way it was then. But it's also looking forward, proud that you'll always carry the spirit of that community with you, and knowing how it helped shape the person you are today.

indeed. in life, there are certain confluences of people and events, which as time passes cannot be reconstructed. I'm glad I at least had peripheral involvement with the Compendium during its height.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on December 07, 2016, 09:09:56 am
Though no era lasts forever, never will its luminaries forget it, after it has passed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pasojkrB_Ds

I think most of us hear you, Boo, and sympathize. I think most of us understand.

And now: Do not let your acceptance of the world as it is keep you from dreaming, Boo. And do not let it keep you from finding ways to bring little shards of that dream alive, here and now. Sometimes it's just a simple matter of your favorite spoon turning up at the top of the silverware drawer for your afternoon tea.

Zeal lives on! Not in the stone towers, or the exquisite filigreed sculptures, but in us. This is the way it always has been, for us humans...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: xcalibur on December 07, 2016, 07:39:08 pm
Though no era lasts forever, never will its luminaries forget it, after it has passed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pasojkrB_Ds

I think most of us hear you, Boo, and sympathize. I think most of us understand.

And now: Do not let your acceptance of the world as it is keep you from dreaming, Boo. And do not let it keep you from finding ways to bring little shards of that dream alive, here and now. Sometimes it's just a simple matter of your favorite spoon turning up at the top of the silverware drawer for your afternoon tea.

Zeal lives on! Not in the stone towers, or the exquisite filigreed sculptures, but in us. This is the way it always has been, for us humans...

I vaguely recall us having differences in the past. But I hope you agree that all that is water under the bridge.

What matters is the dream of Zeal. And yes, it is still alive. As long as we use our minds and imaginations to create, Zeal lives on.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Nangbaby on December 17, 2016, 08:27:42 pm
As someone who was never a hardcore member of this community, I am surprised to find myself in such agreement with the original poster.

I remember when there were spriters galore around here and how fan sprites of Chrono Trigger characters were as common as dirt. There were people not just creating art and remixes, but discussing theories in depth.

At the same time, the busy nature of this place turned me off it early on. Because most of the members knew more bout the game than I ever would, I never really got into this place until after it suffered it's own Day of Lavos (and then only well after the event).

It's weird in how even without any significant other or offspring, that over the years, my life has just gotten so busy that I don't even have time to play my absolute favorite games.  It's reassuring to learn it isn't just me; life has a way of draining us all.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: V_Translanka on August 23, 2017, 12:16:30 am
Oh no, I was a nazi?! Clearly an example of power's corruptive influence. I almost edited the OP (not to edit anything out, but just for old time's sake), but realized I probably wouldn't remember how I used to frame them or anything and then I saw that the forum has thread revival warnings and just laughed at what I would have thought about that back then. The days of forums are long gone, but this one was a gem. Fuck, I can't even remember the name of the other Chrono forum I had tried before the Compendium but they were really strict about thread revivals! As you can see, we let threads around here balloon quite a bit, which I think did turn off newcomers sometimes, but now its all there for anyone to read in its entirety, which is wild...I wonder how many Compendium slogans my anti-game thread that was clearly a game thread made....>_>

-------

EDIT: IcyBrian's was the other forum I was thinking of...though I was also part of CT's section of Square's old PlayOnline forums prior to the Compendium.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on August 23, 2017, 02:17:37 am
I remember the first time I saw that revival warning, and wondered if I should post. Then I saw another thread titled "THREAD NECROMANCY IS PERFECTLY OKAY", and posted.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: ShogunSlug on November 15, 2017, 09:45:31 pm
I see quite a few blasts from the past in this thread. It's very nostalgic. With that being said, I miss the days of refreshing pages for new replies and checking in on new threads. I also miss the "spring time of youth" and "surreal humor" era of this forum.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: froodo on November 16, 2017, 02:16:48 am
Like i said in another post (https://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php?topic=12599.msg225045), we need to join a *fast* messaging plataform, in that case Discord. My BR fanclub was already migrated to there.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: ShogunSlug on November 16, 2017, 07:46:59 pm
Like i said in another post (https://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php?topic=12599.msg225045), we need to join a *fast* messaging plataform, in that case Discord. My BR fanclub was already migrated to there.
We already tried the "fast messaging platform" a while back. We had an IRC server and it didn't last very long at all. There's also not enough activity or discussion on this site to justify having one.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Nangbaby on November 16, 2017, 07:59:51 pm
Agreed, ShogunSlug. Discord is not a magic bullet.

The real problem is two-fold. SE isn't investing into the Chrono series and those of us who still have active fondness for Chrono Trigger are old.

Without SE putting any effort into pushing the Chrono series, the flow of new fans dwindles to a trickle. Yes, gamers may know of and have even played Chrono Trigger, but the game is 20 years old, with Chrono Cross not that far behind. There may be an occasional new fan but that's it.

The other problem is that the existing fan base is older.  Invariably when you grow older you lose time for  personal pursuits. Whether it be family, work, or obligation, life gets complicated as you get older no matter how simple you want your life to be. I would love to get up in the morning, go to work, then come back to the house. However, the rate of complication in my life even as a single, childfree person means that no day I have is like that. Paying bills, going to the store, getting gas, and such nibble away at the cookie of our free time, leaving us with crumbs.

Finally, even time itself is not a substitute for possessing the skillset to create things for others to enjoy. For instance, I like looking at pixel art and rearranging it. For years, I have had the idea to create a purely for fun (non-usable, non-importable) CT-style overworld map creator. It wouldn't be like a built-in editing tool which takes existing assets and reimports them. This would be more of a casual time-wasting tool, for people to play around with, and would even let assets from different eras co-exist (want snow and a volcano on a 1000 A.D.-style map? Here you go!). I even know that for a programmer, this isn't that hard of a project, but do I have the skill to do it? Nope, and even if I had the time, since programming doesn't come intuitively to me and I have other projects of a higher priority at which I have a greater skill, this dream is just a dream.

The more people you have the more skills that you will have and the more the community will create. However without anything drawing people here, it does not matter how passionate we are as we are all slowly dying and moving on.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: froodo on November 17, 2017, 07:20:36 am
I just thought about gather the last members here to chat about Chrono and everything else on Discord, not plans to "revive" the waning fandom.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Redline57 on November 27, 2017, 04:34:33 am
Hi everyone. I actually found out about this forum recently. Huge fan here, my favorite game is Crimson Echoes (yes really.) Hope you guys like my story.

I first played Chrono Trigger in college when I was 25 (dont ask). It hit me. Like hard. I think this was 2010 maybe? Maybe a year or two before. Anyway. I'm not great with the newer games, the SNES controller I find far better than the Xbox one, the 3-handed n64 controller or Wii floaty sticks. I do play games from all Eras, Commodire 64, Megaman 2, GTA vice city, Mortal Kombat 4, that stuff.

When I first played Chrono trigger, it was definitely an experience. I could tell at first this was a game made well, like when they wrote Futurama, the writers conceptualized everything before writing anything. But as the game went on it got better. And I kept playing. It was 5am and I came to 12000 BC. Of all my video game memories, heck of a lot of my life's memories, I know I will never ever forget the first time that music started and I went to the kingdom of Zeal when I walked into Enhasa. I was totally enveloped with the game's graphics at the time, no retroactive shit here, I was enveloped in the game. And when I went into Enhasa with that music and the sense of wonder, I knew right then I'd never forget it. In fact, though I was 25, the memory was so strong, it jumped into my brain's memory box, and wrote in the whole game's memory in my mind at age 8. I guess its cliche to say it made me feel like a kid, but in my mind I have memories of playing the game when I was 8 years old now. Yeah, it was that good.

What I will tell people is more impressive is that by modern standards the game can still impact you that much. The text is just grey text like FF8, not with colorful materia gems like ff7 to pretty up the screen, or icons, or on the fly additions in percentage to stats for new weapons like ff tactics (if i remade the game, the only mods i would make would be making the menu more pretty.) The game for me is still fantastic. I found a coworker of mine seems to enjoy this game too. His recieving text sound is the three notes coming from the organ in the cathedral. When I first heard it it scared the crap out of me. I said to him 'the hell is the matter with you, any sound effect in the whole game and you choose one that's gonna pick at THAT memory of the game.' well we laughed, and I shared with him Crimson Echoes. He's now playing it, enthrawled. I myself write CT fanfics now, started putting em online recently.

So, yeah Chrono Trigger rocks. And this may be old for you guys but I'm overjoyed to find there are at least others out there who are fans like me. I've met in my life...just two people who've ever played the game. So I hope I can find others here.

Oh, and just to keep with what I'm doing tonight...blah blah, screw you Square and your C&D letter, go suck it, etc.

Chrono Trigger rocks, woo!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on November 30, 2017, 02:55:07 pm
Man, was it really a year ago I first posted this?!

There must be something nostalgic about November and the coming winter. Short days, long nights. Cooped up, dreams feel fleeting and then return in the spring. I retreat into nostalgia and wear it like a mask.

So it goes.

Joel, Sean (you know who you are), I miss chatting with you like the old days. Maybe it's time I reach out again.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on November 30, 2017, 03:39:30 pm
I'm getting really close to finishing that tech editor... finally.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 04, 2017, 04:54:11 pm
Mauron, maybe sooner or later we can pick up that short little demo we were cooking up? :D
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 04, 2017, 05:08:48 pm
Absolutely, positively, 100% yes!

I'm closing down work on Hi-Tech, so there will be time sooner for me. I still have everything I had worked on previously.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 05, 2017, 05:13:36 pm
I'd love that. Pick up the small demo, not the full on project we had discussed, hahaha...

I was actually thinking about going back to that flying craft and re-spriting it. I think I could do better. I could put some additional sprites together for the new enemies you had envisioned. :)

My life has been a whirlwind (new baby, new job, etc) the past year, and I've been craving some sort of a creative outlet.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 05, 2017, 05:18:36 pm
Feel free to put any comments on the existing topic about it. I'll add any thoughts afterwards.

How's the baby and job?
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 05, 2017, 11:08:10 pm
They're great. The oldest one is six now, started kindergarten this year, and we had another baby in March. There were some complications during and after the birth, though. Mom and baby are perfectly healthy now, but the medical bills are insane. The whole experience really opened my eyes to some of the dilemmas with the health care industry (which is saying something, because I work in health care).

As for the new job... it's good but super stressful. I've had multiple new jobs over the past 1.5 year, and keep getting shuffled into new roles through reorgs and resource shuffling. For a time I was doing QA, then was helping as an analyst, now I'm now back to project management and I don't love it, but it's stable and decent money. My background is really straight up Agile/Scrum project management, which is what I was doing when we were last working on our "project."

EDIT: Warning, here comes a life rant!

I'm definitely the type that wishes I could find that one job that gets me excited. I actually interviewed with a fairly well-known video game company on a whim not too long ago, but the job was more geared to marketing than actual project management (despite the job post), and the move would have been to CA with an insanely high cost of living and not enough pay to justify. I love the company, though, and even knowing the insanity of the video game industry, I was tempted.

I've toyed with trying to start my own company, but am scared to death of the risk associated with it. My wife is a stay-at-home mom, and being the sole breadwinner for a family of four doesn't really leave much room for risk... And to be honest, I also don't really know what kind of company I'd start. I mean, I know software development from the PM side, and I know some SQL, but by no means am I technical enough to sit down and push out something that requires technical work. I look at things like Black Isle studios (RIP), Stardew Valley, and old game studios that had a dozen people and the idea of it is attractive, but only in theory. I'm revisiting Terrangima by Quintet on the SNES and I am finding it both therapeutic and inspiring.

I dunno, I'm in my 30's now and I'm just waiting for that lightbulb that I fear may never come. All I know is that I hate being tied to a cubicle and feeling like I'm just a cog in a machine. Some days I feel the springtime of youth is fading, hahaha...

/rant.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 05, 2017, 11:34:33 pm
Glad the family's doing good now. I think some of the healthcare stuff becomes clearer once you experience it first hand, unfortunately.

Stress is quite an evil thing.

There's definitely something interesting about making your own games, but you'd definitely need a team for it, even when using simpler graphics. Maybe some hobby creativity will help recapture that springtime of youth feeling?
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 05, 2017, 11:35:56 pm
You and I are thinking on the same wavelength. That's what I was talking about in regards to scratching that creative itch with picking up our little project again.

Sometimes we find clarity in that sort of thing. If nothing else, it's fun and a nice distraction from the day to day grind.

:)
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 05, 2017, 11:58:27 pm
My first goal is the sense of completion from finally getting Hi-Tech in a release state, instead of endless development. I was going to jump into finishing the 8th character patch afterward, but a creative break wouldn't be bad.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Cherenkov on December 06, 2017, 12:08:32 am
I don't want to intrude on you two's reunion, but I wanted to say, don't lose hope on the whole game creation thing! You mentioned needing a team, but remember that Undertale was made by just one guy, and look how big and popular that got! With enough determination, even one person can make a beloved game. :)
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Nangbaby on December 06, 2017, 10:18:25 am
It takes more than determination, though. I can and have been determined to pursue countless projects in the past, but without any skill, you're just banging you head against a wall and going nowhere.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 06, 2017, 01:03:58 pm
Yeah, it's about skillsets. I know SQL, which is only for developmental database work, and even then I'm only a novice. Plus, I don't really have the time to invest huge amounts of time in learning new coding languages and all that. I feel like for anything to get off the ground, I'd have to do the heavy lifting -- then, once you've grown, you can bring people in.

I was moreso casually throwing it out there as something I enjoy and have daydreamed about as a possibility, but nothing that I'd proceed with at this point. It's one of many ideas I've toyed with in trying to get out of corporate America.

The strongest lead I've toyed with and researched is to own and operate a hostel in one of the nearby metro areas. I've done some preliminary research into startup costs, locations that could use one due to tourism, and the property costs of those areas. If I could work around liquor laws in my state, I could potentially utilize nearby (but entirely separate) space for a bar to help raise profits (hostels don't have huge profit margins). I think a true izakaya-type bar atmosphere could do well in the right location (small square footage, simple menu, comfort food). Couple the bar and hostel together and things could look better on paper (financially).

EDIT: Fixed a typo
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 06, 2017, 01:42:22 pm
I've gotten decent at 65816 ASM, but you can't practically make a game using that anymore. 22 years ago, sure, but not today.

That sounds like an interesting plan. Any chance you could throw it together?
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 06, 2017, 02:50:35 pm
I don't know. It comes back to the whole risk element. Interesting idea, but profit margin is low and I'm scared deathless, seeing that I'm the lone breadwinner for my family. I'd probably have to put it together and continue working my 8-5 job while bringing someone on for day-to-date operations.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 06, 2017, 03:14:33 pm
Yeah, that definitely makes things more difficult. Starting a business is easier when you have something to fall back on.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Cherenkov on December 06, 2017, 05:56:24 pm
I think Five Night's at Freddy's was made by just one guy, too, and that was also a huge hit.
But I get your point, and it's a good point. The creators of Undertale and FNaF surely had quite a number of skillsets to work with, and it's not so simple just learning all of that stuff when you've already got a full-time job and a family.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Nangbaby on December 12, 2017, 11:09:00 am
I've gotten decent at 65816 ASM, but you can't practically make a game using that anymore. 22 years ago, sure, but not today.

That sounds like an interesting plan. Any chance you could throw it together?


You can make a homebrew SNES game, and given that people have been injecting roms into  NES and SNES classic this still may be a viable distribution method for a brand new game.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on December 12, 2017, 01:46:57 pm
I could definitely do something in the hobby area, but I don't think anything would sell.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on December 13, 2017, 10:19:12 am
Yeah, ROMhacking as a whole is a wonderful hobby, but there's no career in it.

Even RPGmaker doesn't seem like like any more opportunistic than a hobby.

Not to knock on hobbies, as they're great... but once you have to focus on paying the bills and careers and your future you have to look at it all a bit differently. :)
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Ramsus on January 10, 2018, 06:18:09 am
Yeah, ROMhacking as a whole is a wonderful hobby, but there's no career in it.

Even RPGmaker doesn't seem like like any more opportunistic than a hobby.

Not to knock on hobbies, as they're great... but once you have to focus on paying the bills and careers and your future you have to look at it all a bit differently. :)

ROM hacking skills translate very directly to reverse engineering, which has a lot of applications in the cyber security field. That's a pretty fun field to get into. Unfortunately, my software engineering skills are worth way more at the moment, and in the future I'll probably have more lucrative opportunities in the machine learning realm, so the cyber security thing is something I can't transition to myself.

If you can get through even several levels of the following game, you might have a fairly lucrative alternative career waiting for you somewhere:

https://microcorruption.com/login
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Ramsus on January 10, 2018, 06:20:54 am
Also, if that does pique your interest, look in the Dayton, Ohio area. Much lower relative cost of living with lots of jobs in the security industry. That way you won't get stuck somewhere expensive like me.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Random Factor on January 10, 2018, 05:01:42 pm
I remember when Ramsus commended me on asking questions of one of the decisions made by the administrative team, one of the few places I've been in my life where that's actually happened. I've been kicked out of a lot of other places in between now and then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ProEFvXvW6c
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on January 11, 2018, 05:34:06 am
I decided to give that a try. Four done so far, the next involve encryption.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Cherenkov on January 11, 2018, 01:01:43 pm
マウロン先輩、私に気付いて!(笑 :wink:
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on January 25, 2018, 08:27:00 pm
I just joined here and as I've been reading through the topics it makes me sad on how much I've missed. I absolutely love CT, I would have loved to be here when everyone was really active. :( I don't have kids, but I do have a job and that takes up too much time. (Ha ha!!) I would love to try my hand at some fan art sometime as I am an artist after all! I moved to Florida from Wisconsin and most of my stuff (including all my art supplies) is stored up there so maybe once I get it all done here I'll work on that.... this board in general is making me feel nostalgic, and sad since there will probably never be another Chrono game... :(
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on January 25, 2018, 08:37:07 pm
*add to previous post*

You know what else is up there? My SNES and my Playstation with CT and CC! :( At least I have my DS here but that doesn't help with CC!! :((
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Radical_Dreamer on January 26, 2018, 12:40:21 am
This forum, this community, and the time I spent in it, will always hold a special place in my heart. I've never seen a fan community like this one, before or since. And though I very rarely check in any more, I hope you're all doing well, wherever life has taken you.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: chrono.source on January 26, 2018, 02:58:03 pm
Regardless of how late you join the game, it's always great to see there's still new people interested enough to continue the conversations. Welcome!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on January 26, 2018, 03:40:12 pm
Thank you! I am happy to be here, it's awesome to connect with fellow Chrono lovers. Hubby and I are both gamers (we met in Game of War ha ha!) but I'm not sure if even he gets my obsession with the Chrono series.  :o :o :o
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on January 28, 2018, 02:10:38 am
I'm the same way -- none of my peers in the real world understands my obsession with Chrono Trigger. Sometimes even I don't understand it, hahaha...

Chrono Trigger was my first RPG. I had two best friends growing up, and they were both playing it before I was and I remember one of them trying to describe it to me in a car on the way to a baseball game. He was specifically describing the domes of 2300AD and killer robots and all I could picture was a Mega Man-esque sidescroller with some Legend of Zelda II elements.

It sounded rad, so I begged my mom to rent it from the local Giant Eagle supermarket (which also rented movies and video games). She did, and I spent an entire night exploring 1000AD, before traveling to 600AD.

I've been in love with the game ever since.

My friends quickly moved on, and they never understood why I couldn't. I don't talk to them much anymore, but I saw one of them last year at a funeral. I told him I was still obsessed with Chrono Trigger -- 22 years later -- and all he could do was shake his head and laugh.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on January 28, 2018, 02:39:59 am
Chrono Trigger was my second RPG, after Super Mario RPG.

I'm still slowly working on the process of making everything in the game editable, and fully documenting the code.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on January 30, 2018, 05:45:56 pm
Chrono Trigger was my first RPG too. Super Mario RPG was actually my second. My best friend in high school and I used to stay up all night playing it, although back then, we never got beyond 65,000,000,000 BC. Then one of my close internet friends had known how much I loved Chrono Trigger sent me a Playstation with that version of Chrono Trigger. It was with that version that I beat it for the first time and I still have that copy of Chrono Trigger and the Playstation. My friend in high school that I used to play with isn't even into video games anymore. That makes me sad, because video games are awesome!

I wish I could help with the code but I have no idea how to do that. I learned some coding in college, but you guys are waaaaay more advanced than I am!!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on January 30, 2018, 05:59:44 pm
I spent years trying to time my hits in RPGs thanks to Super Mario RPG.

I doubt you learned any kind of assembly in college, which is necessary for any documenting in Chrono Trigger. I'll get there eventually!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on January 31, 2018, 02:22:45 pm
Oh yeah, I can see that! LOL

You are correct on that. I did used to do my own HTML coding back when I did Xanga. Not the same, but I learned a lot for sure!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on January 31, 2018, 02:44:26 pm
Especially with confirmation bias fun: Oh, it worked that time!

I remember Xanga. I don't know exactly what they did, but it was probably a lot of fun with <font>, <marquee>, and <blink>.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on January 31, 2018, 05:49:29 pm
They did blogs, when they were simpler. LOL I had so much fun doing that and I learned a lot! Perhaps I'd be a bit more advanced had I continued to pursue it... ah well. Now I have annoyances like work and responsibilities. LOL
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on January 31, 2018, 05:56:15 pm
I had one back in the day. I don't remember if I bothered to modify it or not.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on February 01, 2018, 12:48:48 am
Xanga, MySpace (when it was only bands), the whole shebang. I'm guilty of also doing the whole HTML-lite and whatever customization Xanga offered back in 2002(ish).

Learned SQL after college, and only ended up using it for a year. Would love to sit down and learn C++ but so little time, and what little time I do have has gone to learning Japanese. Picked it up as a hobby about a year ago, but didn't get serious until I went to Japan for three weeks back in August.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on February 01, 2018, 04:07:36 am
Japanese would be a useful language.

How was Japan?
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on February 01, 2018, 11:20:50 am
Amazing. Far exceeded my expectations. I spent a week in Tokyo, five days in Osaka, five days in Kyoto, a day in Hiroshima, and three days on the Izu peninsula (Numazu and Mishima) for the oban festivals.

I'm not quite a weeb, but I looooove Japanese culture. I have since I was a kid. Being there only enhanced my love for the people and country. I would move there for a few years if my wife and kids would be willing, but alas, my wife is against the idea.

Great food, cool people, and I can't wait to go back. Already trying to plan a trip in 2021 or so.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on February 01, 2018, 03:11:06 pm
Sounds like a fun trip!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Random Factor on February 02, 2018, 05:50:26 pm
It's hard to truly miss what's still around. You spend too much time dwelling on 'glory' days and good times, then you might be holding your selves back from moving on to enjoy new ones as they come without comparing them to the past.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on February 02, 2018, 06:35:50 pm
My brother lived in Japan for a year and before that I know for sure he took one trip there, possibly 2. I can't remember. He loves it there. I would love to visit there too, I love Japanese and Chinese writing and art. And I love cats and Hello Kitty. LOL

Honestly I feel the best games were in the Chrono Trigger era, when they had to rely on gameplay and storylines instead of graphics. Now everyone put the money into the graphics which, in my opinion, has led to more lackluster storytelling. This is just my opinion of course, but it's why I keep playing games like Chrono Trigger even if I've beaten them hundreds of times.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on February 03, 2018, 03:07:20 am
Quote
It's hard to truly miss what's still around. You spend too much time dwelling on 'glory' days and good times, then you might be holding your selves back from moving on to enjoy new ones as they come without comparing them to the past.

I mean, I get what you're saying, but I don't think it's really the right context for what kicked this thread off. Sure, it's nostalgia. But I don't think anyone missing a golden era of activity here on the forums is causing anyone to miss out on other opportunities. It's not like there's a forum monopoly on the internet, hahaha...

But I do get what you mean as a general fact, and in that it can absolutely be true!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Random Factor on February 03, 2018, 04:26:54 pm
Quote
It's hard to truly miss what's still around. You spend too much time dwelling on 'glory' days and good times, then you might be holding your selves back from moving on to enjoy new ones as they come without comparing them to the past.

I mean, I get what you're saying, but I don't think it's really the right context for what kicked this thread off. Sure, it's nostalgia. But I don't think anyone missing a golden era of activity here on the forums is causing anyone to miss out on other opportunities. It's not like there's a forum monopoly on the internet, hahaha...

But I do get what you mean as a general fact, and in that it can absolutely be true!

You might be right, but I think it's important to say it anyway even if only one person feels the way I responded to. It's a precedent of 'the needs of the few; the me; outweigh the needs of the many', and certainly, I might have simply felt the need to express the sentiment whether anyone needed to hear it or not. It might have just been for my own selfishness.

Or, maybe, I'm just being another twisted sadist in an existence that seemingly has too many. It's really hard to tell some times.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 07, 2018, 04:59:31 am
Hah, this thread is going stronger than ever lately! Nice.

You know something I miss about this place, and the era it belonged to? Back in those days, on the "message forum" model, you would compose your piece, post it (thoughtfully, one hopes!), and move on to another thread, or step away entirely and go about your other business of the day. And you'd come back a few hours or even days later, and if you were lucky there'd be some interesting replies. No "likes," no instant gratification. Just old-fashioned text: Your reward for a good or interesting post would be interesting replies from other people. Today that kind of engagement is far from the norm. Social media has made most folks a lot more passive in the way they interact with each other. (Not a dig; I like social media; but it's not the same at all.)

Like Radical_Dreamer said upthread, I've never seen another message forum culture like this one, before or since. More than half my friends today are Compendium alumni of one stripe or another. I've earned thousands of dollars as a writer and artist from people I met here directly or indirectly. The Compendium even got me laid--a whole relationship that lasted several years! This was the place where I changed people's minds (not an easy thing to do!), honed my skills of writing and debate, and fleshed out many details in my worldview. I wasn't as active of a poster as ZeaLitY or as committed to updating every facet of the Chronoverse as he was, and I was not easy to get along with if you got in my way (I'm better about that nowadays, in my mid-30s, than I was as a young 20-something), but I was one of the most substantive posters here, and it felt really good to belong to a community where I was part of the core glue. I've only had that experience a couple times in my whole life, and it's really something.

Time passes, seasons change. I've had some high highs and low lows, myself, and I bet some of you have too. There's no going back to the golden era of the Compendium. I'm actually a little surprised (if relieved) the Compendium is even still online at all. I suppose we owe Ramsus for that, and his inscrutable consistency. But what we can do is look back on a truly exquisite Kingdom of Zeal that we actually belonged to--at least the few old-timers who might be seeing this. Though it fell as kingdoms eventually must, visitors from the future can and do look back upon it with awe and great affection!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: skylark on April 07, 2018, 02:17:41 pm
Holy crap, we hooked a marlon this time! :o

Nice to see another alumni back.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 07, 2018, 05:00:53 pm
Quote
Just old-fashioned text: Your reward for a good or interesting post would be interesting replies from other people. Today that kind of engagement is far from the norm. Social media has made most folks a lot more passive in the way they interact with each other. (Not a dig; I like social media; but it's not the same at all.)

This is a great assessment of current social media formats/trends. I was lamenting elsewhere that the only social media I use is Reddit (although I do have an anonymous Instagram account), and the format is frustrating for me. It's *too* impersonal, there's very little depth and when it there is it is very impersonal and disconnected (although clearly that is not *always* the case). Upvotes and downvotes and all that jazz.

I had a Facebook from 2006 until about 2011, and got off once it started to have a wall filled with clearly placed ads and insane arguments about politics/religion/etc. With all the recent hubbub with Cambridge Analytica and Facebook data, boy am I glad I got out when I did. I know it's saved me a lot of personal angst, and not just from the lack of a digital footprints -- the research shows a clear increase in social angst and depression tied to Facebook and similar social media outlets.

Granted, there's no avoiding it altogether.

I think that's what made me come out of my Compendium retirement. I disappeared for years and only became really active again six months ago or so. This post made me realized that I may have come back craving the feeling of community this place offers, even if we are a smaller party than we once were.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 07, 2018, 09:26:38 pm
DID SOMEONE SAY INSANE ARGUMENTS ABOUT POLITICS AND RELIGION?!?!?!!

* carries in a big stack of phone-book-sized documents *

I've prepared eight years' worth of notes on why you're wrong about everything!!! Ahem, Volume 1, Part 1, Book 1, Chapter 1, Section 1, Subsection A: ... ... ...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 08, 2018, 02:24:16 pm
I actually remember a few people going toe-to-toe with you back in the day. You tore them up, hahaha... I can't remember if it was worldview philosophy or religion or what it was, but it would have been ripe for r/murderedbywords.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 09, 2018, 03:04:17 am
It was all of the above. I really cut my chops at the Compendium; I became a much better debater (and honed my own understanding of my principles and convictions) by all the practice I got here. Not that it did me any good: Out there in the real world, most people are still at the 101-level arguments I outgrew clear back in high school. =/
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 09, 2018, 04:01:53 am
They're great. The oldest one is six now, started kindergarten this year, and we had another baby in March. There were some complications during and after the birth, though. Mom and baby are perfectly healthy now, but the medical bills are insane. The whole experience really opened my eyes to some of the dilemmas with the health care industry (which is saying something, because I work in health care).

As for the new job... it's good but super stressful. I've had multiple new jobs over the past 1.5 year, and keep getting shuffled into new roles through reorgs and resource shuffling. For a time I was doing QA, then was helping as an analyst, now I'm now back to project management and I don't love it, but it's stable and decent money. My background is really straight up Agile/Scrum project management, which is what I was doing when we were last working on our "project."

EDIT: Warning, here comes a life rant!

I'm definitely the type that wishes I could find that one job that gets me excited. I actually interviewed with a fairly well-known video game company on a whim not too long ago, but the job was more geared to marketing than actual project management (despite the job post), and the move would have been to CA with an insanely high cost of living and not enough pay to justify. I love the company, though, and even knowing the insanity of the video game industry, I was tempted.

I've toyed with trying to start my own company, but am scared to death of the risk associated with it. My wife is a stay-at-home mom, and being the sole breadwinner for a family of four doesn't really leave much room for risk... And to be honest, I also don't really know what kind of company I'd start. I mean, I know software development from the PM side, and I know some SQL, but by no means am I technical enough to sit down and push out something that requires technical work. I look at things like Black Isle studios (RIP), Stardew Valley, and old game studios that had a dozen people and the idea of it is attractive, but only in theory. I'm revisiting Terrangima by Quintet on the SNES and I am finding it both therapeutic and inspiring.

I dunno, I'm in my 30's now and I'm just waiting for that lightbulb that I fear may never come. All I know is that I hate being tied to a cubicle and feeling like I'm just a cog in a machine. Some days I feel the springtime of youth is fading, hahaha...

/rant.

I swear you wrote another post on this topic, and that's what I had in mind to respond to, but I couldn't find it, so I'll use this one instead.

I was going to write a longer and more thoughtful reply, but I've (ironically but I suppose fittingly) got a big headache and don't want to stare too much at the screen, so here's something abbreviated:

Part of the magic of adolescence is the feeling that we can take our purer, simpler dreams and make them come true--that, basically, we can have all the things we wanted when our minds were new enough to still think on a cosmic scale but mature enough to conceive of abstract and sophisticated ambitions. Dream jobs, dream homes, dream spouses, and complete self-actualization, all set against a backdrop of changing the world and being well-to-do and well-loved. The specifics vary from person to person, but most people who have any ambition in their bones possessed some version of that set of desires when they were young. In fact those dreams are the manifestation of the objective of The Springtime of Youth: they are what's so worthy of persisting toward.

Growing further into adulthood, however, each of us realizes the existence of two unbearable onuses that change our nature forever: The first is an increasing wisdom and awareness of the world that clues us into the fact that none of it is as simple as we'd thought--that life's problems (and the world's problems) rarely have clean solutions, and that many of our dreams are both in competition with one another and actually nonsensical (i.e., impossible) when you look at them closely enough. The second realization, meanwhile, is that the economic pressures of survival are brutal. When we're young, if we're lucky we never had to learn that reality in our childhoods. But for almost all of us (who don't get a fat inheritance or win the lottery or something), we learn it soon enough in adulthood.

Of all my closer friends over the years, only three are even remotely still in touch with their grandiose dreams of Springtime: myself--and that comes with many asterisks; the former Compendiumite Syna, who just completed her master's degree and is still on track to become a professional writer; and another close friend of mine (a former girlfriend, who was never a Compendiumite), who loves horses and still owns her own business working with them. Everyone else who is now or was once dear to me has settled into an ordinary life, having made peace (or been forced into resignation) with giving up their dreams in favor of something more practical. This isn't to say that they're not happy (though some of them aren't), or successful financially (though some of them aren't), but, simply, that they traded in their grander dreams for the aspirations of home and hearth and stable careers. And some of them have made peace with that, and some of them, like yourself, haven't.

People like me are incapable of such diminution. The dream is not severable, for me. But this cuts both ways: Yes, it means I'm still on the star road, but it also means I don't really fit into the "real" world, and that's caused me a lot of misery over the years, mainly of the economic variety. In particular, the years 2015 through 2017 were the worst in my life, where just about everything that possibly could go wrong (other than getting in trouble with the law, I suppose, or being hit by a falling star like Azala), did go wrong, which was so traumatic that it changed me forever. One of the reasons I'm back here on the Compendium now is, in an effort to move on with my life, an attempt to reach back into former eras from my life where things were better, and taste those old ethers in the hopes of recovering some MP. I am trying, to be frank about it, to restore passion, as I have felt rudderless in the wake of those very difficult years. I had good times here at the Compendium, and, even though the halls of this place are mostly vacant nowadays, it still has that warm glow, sort of like the gently pulsing lights of Zeal.

There's no denying the sadness of losing passion, whether by willingly giving up one's dreams in a bargain for "respectability and responsibility" as you did, or by involuntarily having the world beat it out of us, as happened to me, because there's little place for "artists" in a world where you don't eat if you don't work for the Man. A few folks get lucky, and manage to earn a livelihood in full pursuit of their dreams, but most have to accept something lesser. I don't really even have any comforting words for you, except to say you're in a very big boat--that is, you have plenty of company.

If I were to give practical advice, I would say: If there's something you want to do, and you're not willing to give it up forever, do everything you can to make it come true sooner rather than later. Maybe that means giving up your safe job. Or maybe it means keeping your safe job for a while longer but cutting expenses severely enough that you can save enough money to earn true financial independence through responsible investments. I won't dispute your (unspoken) belief that your family's wellbeing is more important than your passions, but I will say that we have arrived at a generation in history--one of the first generations--where life is good enough that we can do something more than just procreate our successor generation. We can also live for ourselves, pursue our desires. It's not easy, but it's on the table in a way it never was before, at least for those of us who have a basic economic footing and legal status, and who live in prosperous countries. Think about the logic of putting your children's welfare ahead of your own: They too will have children someday. And when they do, what do you want for them? Do you want to see your kids give up your dreams for their kids, just as you did for them? Or do you want them to have their own epoch under the sun, to flourish and bloom, and taste a small sip of human potential? Parenthood isn't the abrogation of our humanity. I'm not saying to neglect your children. But don't neglect yourself either. Find a balance, somewhere in between. If they have a dad who's happy, that will make an impression on them.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 09, 2018, 09:22:41 am
Quote
One of the reasons I'm back here on the Compendium now is, in an effort to move on with my life, an attempt to reach back into former eras from my life where things were better, and taste those old ethers in the hopes of recovering some MP. I am trying, to be frank about it, to restore passion, as I have felt rudderless in the wake of those very difficult years. I had good times here at the Compendium, and, even though the halls of this place are mostly vacant nowadays, it still has that warm glow, sort of like the gently pulsing lights of Zeal.

Me too. I wrote this initial post over a year ago in response to a sense of longing. I'm naturally a nostalgic person and

Warning, optional tangent!

I honestly think that's what appeals to me so much about Chrono Trigger -- the nostalgia factor. Sure, it's got great music, great pixel graphics, a fun story line involving time travel (I LOOOOOVE time travel), but at it's heart, it transports me back to the spring of 1996. Life was simpler. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete has a very similar effect on me. Something about it inspired creativity in me that nothing else has. I've literally spent 100s of hours writing Chrono Trigger fangame summaries and notes (none of which have ever made it into any sort of fruition).

there is, as you described, something comforting about this place. I think it ties back to the thoughts you previously presented regarding the current state of social media. Here, generally, there's a "comraderum" (baha) of respect and thoughtfulness. No bombardment of ads and responses are generally thoughtful and respectful. Discourse isn't really welcome here unless it's in the respectful arena of rhetoric.

In all honesty, I credit PrincessNadia78 with helping pull me out of my self-imposed retirement. Even after I first created this post -- in response to feeling overly nostalgic and sappy one day -- I started checking in more frequently. Then, PrincessNadia started posting lots and reviving old threads that it made me *want* to be active... and she embodies that kind of zealous passion that many of us carry.

Quote
If I were to give practical advice, I would say: If there's something you want to do, and you're not willing to give it up forever, do everything you can to make it come true sooner rather than later. Maybe that means giving up your safe job. Or maybe it means keeping your safe job for a while longer but cutting expenses severely enough that you can save enough money to earn true financial independence through responsible investments. I won't dispute your (unspoken) belief that your family's wellbeing is more important than your passions, but I will say that we have arrived at a generation in history--one of the first generations--where life is good enough that we can do something more than just procreate our successor generation. We can also live for ourselves, pursue our desires. It's not easy, but it's on the table in a way it never was before, at least for those of us who have a basic economic footing and legal status, and who live in prosperous countries. Think about the logic of putting your children's welfare ahead of your own: They too will have children someday. And when they do, what do you want for them? Do you want to see your kids give up your dreams for their kids, just as you did for them? Or do you want them to have their own epoch under the sun, to flourish and bloom, and taste a small sip of human potential? Parenthood isn't the abrogation of our humanity. I'm not saying to neglect your children. But don't neglect yourself either. Find a balance, somewhere in between. If they have a dad who's happy, that will make an impression on them.

This is good advice. In a way, I wonder what kind of example I'd like to leave for my children. My daughter is six and she's *just* like me in that she gets really passionate about things others may find mundane or silly (like Chrono Trigger). She's always bouncing on about ocean animals or dinosaurs or Pokemon and I'm trying really hard to help her chase those passions. She says she wants to be an "aquarium girl" which she has not recognized as a marine biologist, so lo and behold, I've forked out several hundred dollars for an aquarium membership and we try to do some of the behind-the-scenes membership stuff when time permits.

So I'm, at the moment, vicariously living through her. I'm helping her immerse herself in her passions. Even if her interests change -- and they likely will -- we're creating memories and I'm helping her learn *how* to chase her dreams. Many people never discover this, and it often requires sacrifice. We live in a society that values money above all, but I'd much rather her (and I, for that matter) chase the pursuit of passion over material.

I'm also trying to do this a bit for myself. I love to write and, after writing 300,000 words of a novel, decided that screenwriting is a bit better of a fit for me. It allows me to dive into stories, create that same sort of palette, and is less time of a time sink overall. I did a few writing competitions back in the late 2000's and did alright, and a few years back I submitted to the Black List on a whim and did above average (while not being top-tier). In the past year or so I've written several pilots with bibles and am slowly working on rewrites in the hopes of putting it out there (sooner rather than later).

It's small baby steps, and if nothing comes from it, I have financial security in my current career, but damn, it would be great to turn this into something with monetary benefit.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 09, 2018, 11:11:21 pm
In all honesty, I credit PrincessNadia78 with helping pull me out of my self-imposed retirement. Even after I first created this post -- in response to feeling overly nostalgic and sappy one day -- I started checking in more frequently. Then, PrincessNadia started posting lots and reviving old threads that it made me *want* to be active... and she embodies that kind of zealous passion that many of us carry.

That's cool that a new user could breathe life into an old forum!

It doesn't take much, you know. At the beginning there were maybe half a dozen of us? Maybe as many as ten? In those days the mysteries of the Chronoverse were mostly undocumented, so that's where most of our energy went--much more contagious than a few old-timers like ourselves recollecting the glory days. Unfortunately, we can't re-document the Chrono series, and there aren't likely to be any new games, so it's like our little forum is at the end of a Mario level after the flag is raised. There's not much to do...except create new works of art, I suppose! That's what I took to doing, but of course I went outside the Chrono IP so that I could own my ideas. Which, again, puts us in the perspective of: What's the Compendium's purpose nowadays? To live on as a museum? To serve as that one old bar where all the old-timers hang out? To serve as a hub for Chrono fan projects? Maybe we could make a lateral move into cryptocurrencies and hamburgers?

Quote
This is good advice. In a way, I wonder what kind of example I'd like to leave for my children. My daughter is six and she's *just* like me in that she gets really passionate about things others may find mundane or silly (like Chrono Trigger). She's always bouncing on about ocean animals or dinosaurs or Pokemon and I'm trying really hard to help her chase those passions. She says she wants to be an "aquarium girl" which she has not recognized as a marine biologist, so lo and behold, I've forked out several hundred dollars for an aquarium membership and we try to do some of the behind-the-scenes membership stuff when time permits.

That's pretty cool. My dad had a big 150-gallon marine aquarium when I was growing up. Our biggest bonding time was when he'd clean it each Saturday. It took a few hours. I'd help him and just hang out.

Quote
So I'm, at the moment, vicariously living through her. I'm helping her immerse herself in her passions. Even if her interests change -- and they likely will -- we're creating memories and I'm helping her learn *how* to chase her dreams. [...]

I'm also trying to do this a bit for myself. I love to write and, after writing 300,000 words of a novel, decided that screenwriting is a bit better of a fit for me. It allows me to dive into stories, create that same sort of palette, and is less time of a time sink overall.

Right on.

Quote
It's small baby steps...

That's the spirit. Sometimes you can baby step your way into something awesome. And even if you don't, you've made some little efforts that have rewards of their own.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: chrono.source on April 10, 2018, 12:13:38 pm
This topic definitely hits the nail on the head. Although I may be newer to the compendium (approx 5ish years, having only signed up a few years ago), I greatly appreciate the community that still exists here. It is nice seeing a passion the exists in people years, even decades later. Even seeing people my own age (30s) still very vividly talking about the Chronoverse and its many facets

I'm not going to lie, I frequent this page weekly. The amount of intellect pouring from every orifice here counter balances the lack thereof I receive from other social media outlets like facebook. The caliber of conversation here lights my mind up like a tree on Christmas. Judging from what other alumni have been saying, I don't think I would have stuck around in the earlier days of the Compendium just based on the sheer immature banter and conflict. I seemed to have join in a time of calm before a slight resurgence. It's great to see that new members are awakening some of the alumni to rejoin the conversation. There may be some life left yet.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 10, 2018, 12:26:39 pm
Quote
Judging from what other alumni have been saying, I don't think I would have stuck around in the earlier days of the Compendium just based on the sheer immature banter and conflict. I seemed to have join in a time of calm before a slight resurgence.

In all honesty, any negative aspects of the populace was appropriate for the active user base of the time. It was a few bad apples, but 99% of the Compendium was pretty much like you see nowadays -- just a lot more active users and thus a lot more activity.

But yeah, I'm happy for the increase in traffic the past few months. Myself included. It's so much easier to be engaged -- and want to be engaged -- when there's that activity.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Kodokami on April 10, 2018, 03:59:41 pm
Hey, it's a Josh! Welcome back! :)

I wonder if we could get those old game nights set up again. Those were fun, playing Catan and others into the wee hours...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 10, 2018, 08:10:55 pm
Oh man, I'd be down! I love me some board games. I'm currently in love with Lords of Waterdeep.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 10, 2018, 08:45:36 pm
I've been playing a little Race for the Galaxy lately. It's a fun game.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 10, 2018, 09:53:30 pm
I would seriously do a Compendium game night. Minecraft or some other sort of multiplayer PC board game.

I don't know if I could do it often due to job/parenting responsibilities, but I would totally be down.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 10, 2018, 09:54:37 pm
We'd have to coordinate something.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on April 10, 2018, 10:10:53 pm
Oh, that sounds fun.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 11, 2018, 02:12:37 am
This topic definitely hits the nail on the head. Although I may be newer to the compendium (approx 5ish years, having only signed up a few years ago), I greatly appreciate the community that still exists here. It is nice seeing a passion the exists in people years, even decades later. Even seeing people my own age (30s) still very vividly talking about the Chronoverse and its many facets

I'm not going to lie, I frequent this page weekly. The amount of intellect pouring from every orifice here counter balances the lack thereof I receive from other social media outlets like facebook. The caliber of conversation here lights my mind up like a tree on Christmas. Judging from what other alumni have been saying, I don't think I would have stuck around in the earlier days of the Compendium just based on the sheer immature banter and conflict. I seemed to have join in a time of calm before a slight resurgence. It's great to see that new members are awakening some of the alumni to rejoin the conversation. There may be some life left yet.

It's nice to have you here!

And, like Boo said, the Compendium was always a radical place to hang out. It was never bad. I mean, we were younger then so maybe it wasn't as mature as we personally are now, but the prevailing atmosphere was always sincere and substantive. Respect had to be earned, but, once earned, it went a long way.


Hey, it's a Josh! Welcome back! :)

I wonder if we could get those old game nights set up again. Those were fun, playing Catan and others into the wee hours...

Hey, Kodokami! I wondered when you'd notice I dropped in. =]

The Catan server was offline for a long time (and the American one is gone completely), but last I checked it came back. If it's still around, that's definitely an option. I'd be up for a weekly game night!

Yahoo! Games, where we played most of our game nights way back when, is completely gone, and I honestly don't know of any contemporary free game sites; I haven't kept up with it. If anyone has any suggestions, let us know.

Let's revive some more Compendium discussion too, though, before we head off to another site to play games. Surely there's still a bit of conversation left to be had here! Let's make a pact to each create at least one new thread, or revive an old one, with some thoughtful discussion on top of everything else that's still active / that we're already doing here!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 11, 2018, 09:32:04 am
Quote
Let's revive some more Compendium discussion too, though, before we head off to another site to play games. Surely there's still a bit of conversation left to be had here! Let's make a pact to each create at least one new thread, or revive an old one, with some thoughtful discussion on top of everything else that's still active / that we're already doing here!

I agree. I can get behind this.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 11, 2018, 01:54:53 pm
Me too. Sign me up!!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on April 11, 2018, 06:49:40 pm
Say, that ain't a bad idea. I remember at times I'd read up old threads, but never thinking on posting on them due to their age. But with activity picking up, perhaps it ain't a bad idea now...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 11, 2018, 09:37:25 pm
Quote
Say, that ain't a bad idea. I remember at times I'd read up old threads, but never thinking on posting on them due to their age. But with activity picking up, perhaps it ain't a bad idea now...

Nothing wrong with thread necromancy. The Compendium has always been okay with thread revival!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on April 11, 2018, 10:08:03 pm
Nothing wrong with thread necromancy. The Compendium has always been okay with thread revival!

This certainly is unlike many other sites I've seen. Certainly an intolerance to thread necromancy, to varying degrees.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: tushantin on April 14, 2018, 01:19:21 am
I've been skimming this thread (couldn't read the entire thing thoroughly in a sleep-deprived state, plus I only have a weekend to myself now that my projects are over, and the next call will be at my clients' office-time, Monday). And it just occurred to me:

Boo, you seem to feel that responsibility takes a lot out of a person -- and I really feel ya, despite the fact that I'm not yet a dad -- and that you still want to feel the thrill, the excitement, of creation and breaking through your barriers.

I need to remind you that the Springtime of Youth was never just about zealousness, enthusiasm and short outbursts of determination (as usually portrayed in Naruto, or often in Gurren Lagann's Row Row Fight The Powah). There's another factor that doesn't get mentioned which were the defining factors for characters like Rock Lee in Naruto that popularized the term: It's term persistence and dedication. That's why Rock Lee, despite having no talents, was still regarded as the Genius of Hard Work.

The Zeal only serves as a rallying cry to motivate, and that enthusiasm can expire pretty quick. But dedication and persistence are stable, driven by sheer force of will to get things done and bring shit to life. It's not something that comes easy to a lot of people. Especially not me. It's something I had to learn the hard way through life, when I started taking paid work as an artist, knowing full well that I owe it to my clients for trusting me with their precious money, time and opportunity.

If I've lost you, then let me get to my point: You still have it in you.  8)

You seem to want to make a game, which you wanna take as a career option. Great news for you, here's a lot of engines (free of cost) available these days that weren't back in the old days. Depending on the programming / scripting language you want to master, there's likely an engine for that. Python is pretty useful, and there are plenty of simple game engines that use it (https://www.slant.co/topics/5004/~2d-python-game-engines).

My pick, regardless of your interests? I'd take Godot (https://godotengine.org/), because it looks pretty cool with great features. If you just wanna make games and nothing more, the native script engine will work fine. But if you want a career in programming, Godot can also use C#, which can be a boon for you if you choose to learn it.

I understand it's going to be hard to just "make your own game" since you have a family and kids and all. So don't think about some long-term project just yet. Learn this as just another toy for yourself. Take 20 mins every day and play around with it, see if you can make simple things work. Once you find yourself making things happen that you may not even have imagined before, before you know it, you will hit a wellspring of ideas that you never thought you had. And you can start small with a very simple game and, heck, even teach your kids how to make em! (I've seen lots of parents recently teach their kids to code, and that seems to be a great habit.)

Anywho, I won't take more of anybody's time if they're reading this. Ciao!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on April 14, 2018, 05:24:37 am
Quote
Say, that ain't a bad idea. I remember at times I'd read up old threads, but never thinking on posting on them due to their age. But with activity picking up, perhaps it ain't a bad idea now...

Nothing wrong with thread necromancy. The Compendium has always been okay with thread revival!

This has always been the single wisest Compendium policy! Nothing has done more, pound for pound, to contribute to this place's longevity than to project the warmth and tolerance that comes from letting members new and old explore the site's history and heritage through thread necromancy. It's pretty much the symbolic icon of the "Compendium Welcome."

Also, tushantin is right (which I don't think I have ever said before!) when he mentioned game software. If you're set on creating a game, there are more tools available than ever before. I myself have played around with Twine and Ren'Py, and there are many other options and avenues. As a game designer myself, albeit not a professional one, the most important thing you can do by far to create games is to create games. Don't worry about learning to code; don't worry about the need to "get gud"; just go string some shit together and fail forward. You will gradually make progress.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 16, 2018, 03:21:04 pm
Ok this has me REALLY excited actually. I troll the coding threads quite a bit, wishing I understood it. I would actually LOVE to know how to do advanced coding. I've always wanted to do animation (and IMO gaming is a branch of that) and this makes me feel like I could actually learn it even though I don't have the time to go to school. I'm definitely going to take a look into these myself as well. Thank you Tushantin for posting that, because I feel like I may be able to actually accomplish this goal in this lifetime.  :D
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 16, 2018, 03:53:56 pm
Quote
Thank you Tushantin for posting that, because I feel like I may be able to actually accomplish this goal in this lifetime.

ROM hacking is always an option. It can get a bit messy because the SNES could be very limiting. I've toyed with it to a small degree.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 16, 2018, 04:22:47 pm
I've watched Youtube videos where they take away layers in Chrono Trigger. It's very interesting! I'm not even sure where to start when it comes to ROM hacking though...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 17, 2018, 12:28:39 am
Mauron is the current resident expert. I know there's some documentation around here for some of the hacking elements. It can be daunting, I won't lie.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 17, 2018, 12:54:17 am
One thing I'd like to do is update the documentation in various places.

Temporal Flux is the best tool for Chrono Trigger hacking, but the biggest obstacle would be using a Mac. The last time it was checked, Mono Project was unable to run Temporal Flux. If that's still the case, you'd need to use Bootcamp to get Windows installed before using Temporal Flux, or any of the Chrono Trigger specific editors.

There are general tools easily available, but that would increase the complexity of the hacking.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 17, 2018, 12:50:55 pm
Well I am looking at getting a Windows laptop or Surface. I've been leaning towards the Surface because I can do art on that too. Would it be ok for hacking or should I get a laptop instead? Thanks!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: tushantin on April 17, 2018, 01:17:23 pm
Well I am looking at getting a Windows....

Hiss! Hiss! Boo! Boooooo!  :o

Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 17, 2018, 01:50:55 pm
Well I am looking at getting a Windows....

Hiss! Hiss! Boo! Boooooo!  :o

I know, right?? I feel like I'm going to the Dark Side.  :o
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: tushantin on April 17, 2018, 02:33:26 pm
Well I am looking at getting a Windows....

Hiss! Hiss! Boo! Boooooo!  :o

I know, right?? I feel like I'm going to the Dark Side.  :o

One of these days, us Linux users are going to rule the world.

Wait, what am I talking about? We already do! Now it's only a matter of taking everyone to task.

You will be assimilated! (https://fossbytes.com/microsoft-introduces-azure-sphere-customized-linux-kernel/)  :lol:
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 17, 2018, 02:44:34 pm
I'm not really familiar with the Surface tablets. A quick Googling shows Windows 10, a keyboard, and a mouse, so it would probably run smoothly. I used to do Chrono Trigger hacking on a 2003 XP machine up to like 2012, and the requirements haven't really changed since then.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 17, 2018, 02:51:14 pm
I definitely feeling like ROM hacking wouldn't be too resources restrictive, especially for SNES-era games. :D
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 17, 2018, 03:26:07 pm
Well I am looking at getting a Windows....

Hiss! Hiss! Boo! Boooooo!  :o

I know, right?? I feel like I'm going to the Dark Side.  :o

One of these days, us Linux users are going to rule the world.

Wait, what am I talking about? We already do! Now it's only a matter of taking everyone to task.

You will be assimilated! (https://fossbytes.com/microsoft-introduces-azure-sphere-customized-linux-kernel/)  :lol:

Well I'm a Mac user so going back to Windows feels icky but for what I'm using a computer for it's the best option, not to mention more cost-efficient. My MacBook died a few months back. It's the motherboard but that thing is over 5 years old, actually closer to 6-7 years old, so it's time for something new. However I still have my pimped-out iMac and I'm hoping that thing last forever. LOL

I'm not really familiar with the Surface tablets. A quick Googling shows Windows 10, a keyboard, and a mouse, so it would probably run smoothly. I used to do Chrono Trigger hacking on a 2003 XP machine up to like 2012, and the requirements haven't really changed since then.

Thank you very much! That is very helpful for me! You rock Mauron!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 17, 2018, 03:28:53 pm
My last Mac was using OS 7, I think.

The biggest challenge is trying to run BSNES/Higan, but that's not entirely necessary for hacking.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 17, 2018, 04:16:19 pm
My last Mac was using OS 7, I think.

The biggest challenge is trying to run BSNES/Higan, but that's not entirely necessary for hacking.

Thank you! OMG I have soooooo much to learn. I'll get there though! I'm so, so glad I found this place!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 17, 2018, 05:05:31 pm
I'll help with whatever questions you have.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 18, 2018, 12:43:30 pm
Thank you very much! You are awesome Mauron!!  :D
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: ZeaLitY on April 24, 2018, 03:39:31 am
I've been avoiding the site because the last time I was here, I had successfully brought a fan project idea to a couple of old users, and I had a secret forum going, and we were all set to fucking do this thing—and as luck would have it I started busy season and my first really serious relationship—and the whole thing just got abandoned. I couldn't, and still cannot deal with the fact that my adult ambitions are utterly preempting the lingering desires I have here. There have been experiences, travels, things that have blown my mind beyond what I could gain by staying in what's comfortable, but it's not enough. I want time enough for both. I want to be able to pursue all my passion projects, as well as radical new growth, and there just is not enough time, and because of it, I committed that common sin of starting a fan project and completely vanishing.

I cannot fucking deal with it. I know, if I really tried, there'd be another ROM hack in me. I've matured so incredibly much since Crimson Echoes—just imagine if we were firing on all pistons! Some kind of ultimate mix of Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Radical Dreamers; imagine us pushing the ROM to its absolute limit of capacity, using everything we've learned; imagine us claiming the mantle of the concept of Chrono Break, making some kind of awesome, definitive godlike work that, like CE did, would bring people out of the fucking woodwork across the Internet to relive the Chrono series and act as some kind of ultimate fuck-you to the total mediocrity plaguing all media these days—fuck!

Even to create something small in the meantime, like Prophet's Guile—just to see those characters come to life; just to have some little glimmer of Zeal in a MacGuffin; just to fucking acknowledge that it's 2018 and human Glenn is still out there somewhere off in our imagination—what an utter nightmare it is to admit that I don't, and virtually never will have the time to create fucking any of this!!!!! It would be that magic point at which we could finally declare victory over the unfinished legacy, over the whole thing that got us in here in the first place—pouring every last viable idea we have into it! UGH!!!!

I'm going to update the site, but what an endless fucking torment and embarrassment it is to admit some kind of limit exists...

Of all my closer friends over the years, only three are even remotely still in touch with their grandiose dreams of Springtime: myself--and that comes with many asterisks; the former Compendiumite Syna, who just completed her master's degree and is still on track to become a professional writer; and another close friend of mine (a former girlfriend, who was never a Compendiumite), who loves horses and still owns her own business working with them. Everyone else who is now or was once dear to me has settled into an ordinary life, having made peace (or been forced into resignation) with giving up their dreams in favor of something more practical. This isn't to say that they're not happy (though some of them aren't), or successful financially (though some of them aren't), but, simply, that they traded in their grander dreams for the aspirations of home and hearth and stable careers. And some of them have made peace with that, and some of them, like yourself, haven't.

I am in this category. I am so tragically close to the goal that has defined me since 2008. I fear that "settling down" like I fear the concept of mediocrity itself, and it's going to ruin me. I achieved that love dream, and ultimately let it go because I still had to fight for something inside—the dream of going abroad; of proving myself; of finally building some kind of total faith and worth in myself. I am so close. One more year of struggle. Then something else will come. Life is only meaningfully lived between what one has already done, and what one might be yet able to achieve, and the goalpost is moved every single time tomorrow burns up into yesterday. That is the springtime of youth—worshiping the satisfaction of curiosity more than the comfort of the familiar. And it unfortunately never ends—if it did, it would lose its meaning to begin with. At some point I can only hope my dreams become bacchanalian and less tied to my own validation.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: xcalibur on April 24, 2018, 03:44:49 am
Dear Leader! you've returned!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on April 24, 2018, 03:48:37 am
Oh, now this is surprise.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: skylark on April 24, 2018, 03:50:00 am
Hey, man. Welcome back. :D
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: ZeaLitY on April 24, 2018, 04:13:30 am
Thanks. Time to get to work. Not looking forward to updating that Albums and Doujinshi page.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Mauron on April 24, 2018, 05:15:47 am
Welcome back.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 24, 2018, 09:31:01 am
Quote
I've been avoiding the site because the last time I was here, I had successfully brought a fan project idea to a couple of old users, and I had a secret forum going, and we were all set to fucking do this thing—and as luck would have it I started busy season and my first really serious relationship—and the whole thing just got abandoned.

Isn't it funny how this happens? Life happens. It can be a fickle bitch.

Quote
there just is not enough time

There really isn't, though. I feel the same way. I think about where my life was when I first started snooping around this place, then when I finally registered and tried to be active, and then compare that to various points over the past ten years, and there. is. not. enough. time. and energy to accomplish all that I want to accomplish in this meek life.

Quote
I cannot fucking deal with it. I know, if I really tried, there'd be another ROM hack in me. I've matured so incredibly much since Crimson Echoes—just imagine if we were firing on all pistons! Some kind of ultimate mix of Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Radical Dreamers; imagine us pushing the ROM to its absolute limit of capacity, using everything we've learned; imagine us claiming the mantle of the concept of Chrono Break, making some kind of awesome, definitive godlike work that, like CE did, would bring people out of the fucking woodwork across the Internet to relive the Chrono series and act as some kind of ultimate fuck-you to the total mediocrity plaguing all media these days—fuck!

Funny you should say that; there's a thread around here about making some minor tweaks and updates to the Compendium charter, and one of the things I'm passionate about doing is finally fully implementing the Aegis concept again.

Quote
Aegis System - Many modding communities are crippled because participants each try to put out their own project with little help; in the end, none of these myriad projects is completed in a timely fashion. Also, expert experience acquired in development is spread out and kept disintegrated in this fashion. In order to facilitate fan project quality and completion, the Chrono Compendium always supports one fan project with special infrastructure.

We haven't gotten that far yet, but that's something I know I'd love to see. And it feels attainable. I think we're standing up a group of passionate, capable hackers and writers to do just that. One step at a time.

Quote
Even to create something small in the meantime, like Prophet's Guile—just to see those characters come to life.

Funny you should say that, there are a few projects in the works in the quiet. Some of outside the compendium. PM me if you want info.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on April 24, 2018, 01:08:30 pm
I've only been here since January but I've been a huge Chrono fan ever since the series came out. I've actually been wanting to really meet you ZeaLitY, so hello!!  :D
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: chrono.source on April 24, 2018, 01:45:04 pm
Welcome back exhalted leader.

It appears as if there's been a Life spell cast recently onto some KO'd members.

Although as many have stated, life itself is taking up the majority of my time. I would love to band together to create a beautiful Chrono-child with all of you wonderful people.

I have yet to divulge into hacking, but will contribute what I can.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on April 24, 2018, 05:10:46 pm
I'd say, getting the chance to work on such a project, if it happens, would be quite cool.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on April 24, 2018, 06:08:00 pm
The key is consistency. We need this flurry of activity to keep going, both as a motivational force and as a means to legitimize the work.

Crimson Echoes was done in quiet off and on for years, and hackers familiar with Temporal Flux are a dime a dozen.

Just some things to consider.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Kodokami on April 27, 2018, 12:01:35 am
Welcome back to the party, Z!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: ZeaLitY on May 05, 2018, 08:00:26 pm
This forum, this community, and the time I spent in it, will always hold a special place in my heart. I've never seen a fan community like this one, before or since. And though I very rarely check in any more, I hope you're all doing well, wherever life has taken you.

Wow, I somehow missed R_D posting the first time around. One of the absolute day-1 originals with Ramsus, me, Ybrik Metaknight, and In...Ing...I want to say Inosanto, but it's not...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: V_Translanka on May 07, 2018, 04:17:47 am
Member List by Date Registered (https://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php?action=mlist;sort=registered;start=0) is like a trip down crazy lane...er, memory! I'm not sure if the person you're trying to think of is there though, ZeaLitY...
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on May 07, 2018, 08:25:29 am
R_D = Radical_Dreamer
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on May 16, 2018, 01:02:21 am
I've been avoiding the site because the last time I was here, I had successfully brought a fan project idea to a couple of old users, and I had a secret forum going, and we were all set to fucking do this thing—and as luck would have it I started busy season and my first really serious relationship—and the whole thing just got abandoned.

It's embarrassing, yeah. I made a pledge in April to contribute something to the upcoming Dream Splash, and then I looked away for a minute, and suddenly it's the middle of May and I haven't thought about it since! Life is the ultimate B, by which I mean "Busy," the true B-word.

But hey. I've been humbled enough times over the years that I'm used to losing face. Most of it grows back, and the scars are just conversation pieces. It's one thing to fail to live up to our own standards for ourselves, but that's a personal thing. Meanwhile, most people around us are just happy to see us, even if we goof up like fucking peasants and don't turn in our sugar cube cathedrals on their due date.

I cannot fucking deal with it. I know, if I really tried, there'd be another ROM hack in me. I've matured so incredibly much since Crimson Echoes—just imagine if we were firing on all pistons! Some kind of ultimate mix of Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Radical Dreamers; imagine us pushing the ROM to its absolute limit of capacity, using everything we've learned; imagine us claiming the mantle of the concept of Chrono Break...

Yes we do have another hack in us. And it's very appealing to imagine giving the Chrono series the sendoff it deserves.

Naturally I'd be on the story team (because of course I would), but I'd like to think the art team would come calling frequently, too, after my outstanding, award-repelling contributions to Chrono Comix. ^_^

It would be that magic point at which we could finally declare victory over the unfinished legacy, over the whole thing that got us in here in the first place—pouring every last viable idea we have into it! UGH!!!!

That's our ZeaLitY!

Of all my closer friends over the years, only three are even remotely still in touch with their grandiose dreams of Springtime: myself--and that comes with many asterisks; the former Compendiumite Syna, who just completed her master's degree and is still on track to become a professional writer; and another close friend of mine (a former girlfriend, who was never a Compendiumite), who loves horses and still owns her own business working with them. Everyone else who is now or was once dear to me has settled into an ordinary life, having made peace (or been forced into resignation) with giving up their dreams in favor of something more practical. This isn't to say that they're not happy (though some of them aren't), or successful financially (though some of them aren't), but, simply, that they traded in their grander dreams for the aspirations of home and hearth and stable careers. And some of them have made peace with that, and some of them, like yourself, haven't.

I am in this category.

If so, then that's awesome! You deserve the hellish heaven of caring, like few artists do!

That is the springtime of youth—worshiping the satisfaction of curiosity more than the comfort of the familiar. And it unfortunately never ends—if it did, it would lose its meaning to begin with. At some point I can only hope my dreams become bacchanalian and less tied to my own validation.

Well said.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: ZeaLitY on May 16, 2018, 12:44:10 pm
The Radical Dreamer mirror world concept is still out there. In whatever vague sketches of a new chapter I've had, I've retained that idea from you, although you presumably hold the full details of what you'd planned for its scope.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on May 16, 2018, 03:06:45 pm
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The Radical Dreamer mirror world concept is still out there. In whatever vague sketches of a new chapter I've had, I've retained that idea from you, although you presumably hold the full details of what you'd planned for its scope.

I'm curious about his, Lord J! What sort of ideas did you have in mind?

I keep coming back to this idea of doing a Compendium wide-Aegis project (which could go underground if necessary). Every time I dip my toes in the water I pull it back out. Part of the problem is time, part of it is direction.

Interquel? Sequel? Gaiden/Side Story? Alternate universe?
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: PrincessNadia78 on May 16, 2018, 06:05:00 pm
I have also wondered what direction to take. So many options! I have thought it would be cool to have a whole game around the Fall of Guardia. But then you already know I'm rather fanatical about that. LOL
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on May 16, 2018, 10:47:20 pm
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I have also wondered what direction to take. So many options! I have thought it would be cool to have a whole game around the Fall of Guardia. But then you already know I'm rather fanatical about that. LOL

Yeah, this got me thinking and I HAD to create a new post to see what others thought would be a fitting concept for another Chrono game.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on May 17, 2018, 01:06:39 am
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The Radical Dreamer mirror world concept is still out there. In whatever vague sketches of a new chapter I've had, I've retained that idea from you, although you presumably hold the full details of what you'd planned for its scope.

I'm curious about his, Lord J! What sort of ideas did you have in mind?

[...]

Interquel? Sequel? Gaiden/Side Story? Alternate universe?

Ah, yes! My Radical Dreamers story. I haven't thought about it in quite a while. However, I still have all the old documents. I actually wrote many notes and even did some early story chapter outlining!

It's a gaiden, focusing on the character Merkid, who was mentioned only in passing in RD:

Quote from: The Mystery of Merkid Manor Story Outline
General Merkid was once an Acacia Dragoon Deva under General Viper, a wealthy Porrean governor. Viper stole an artifact called the Frozen Flame from Guardia Castle in the chaos of that kingdom's collapse. Another Porrean aristocrat, Lord Lynx, learned of this and befriended the General in hopes of getting to the Flame. He ultimately succeeded, as, in 1012, with the help of another Deva, Radius, Lynx killed Viper and most of those in his power structure, taking Viper's mantle for himself—and the Flame, too.

Merkid escaped, along with her young nephew Artie and the goblin Kirsik. They made their way toward Regiorra, but didn't get far: Instead, a red rift in the air opened up directly before them. None of them had ever seen anything like it, and it wasn't similar to Lynx's magic at all. It was something else entirely. It waited there for them, patiently, and eventually they decided to step into it. They emerged in the forest near the town of Greanst.

Most of my ideas for external projects have long since been absorbed into my proprietary works, though I do still hold out hope of eventually writing that Fat Celes Final Fantasy VI fanfic one day.

That said, I do find Merkid (or at least my idea of her) to be an extremely compelling character, but I don't know how much energy I would want to put into actually creating the story today, unless it were a part of the one feature-scale Chrono project I would absolutely work on: a worthy Chrono Brake to give the series the sendoff it deserves!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on May 17, 2018, 02:07:09 am
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It's a gaiden, focusing on the character Merkid, who was mentioned only in passing

I challenge you write a short story about Merkid for Dream Splash. I'm serious. Only do a chapter, one small chapter in the overall story you have in mind. A small slice that is content to it's own story, but could easily be fit into the larger mythology you've dreamed up.

If you sit down and write 1000 words, you could easily manage that in two hours or less.

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... Fat Celes Final Fantasy VI fanfic ...

Now that's something I'd be interested in reading. That is so out there I'm intrigued. I must know more. Is it like a story about Celes being young and overweight (before she gets all fit and skinny as a magitek knight or whatever the hell she was)? Is it an alternate reality where events play out differently because she's large and in charge?

I must know these things.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on May 17, 2018, 03:22:12 am
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It's a gaiden, focusing on the character Merkid, who was mentioned only in passing

I challenge you write a short story about Merkid for Dream Splash. I'm serious. Only do a chapter, one small chapter in the overall story you have in mind. A small slice that is content to it's own story, but could easily be fit into the larger mythology you've dreamed up.

If you sit down and write 1000 words, you could easily manage that in two hours or less.

You're right. I could probably do it. I also, however, have so many other, arguably worthier creative demands on such a tiny amount of available free time that, conscientiously, I have to decline. I am just on the cusp of being able to finally work again on my central projects; I can scarcely afford any diversions right now, no matter how much I might like to.

And sadly I've never been one of those types of prolific writers who can churn out a bunch of stuff, switch hats, and immediately churn out a bunch of different stuff. Some people can do it but I never could. My creative work is always a difficult birth.

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... Fat Celes Final Fantasy VI fanfic ...

Now that's something I'd be interested in reading. That is so out there I'm intrigued. I must know more. Is it like a story about Celes being young and overweight (before she gets all fit and skinny as a magitek knight or whatever the hell she was)? Is it an alternate reality where events play out differently because she's large and in charge?

I must know these things.

Hah, yeah. I think I may have mentioned this in the Compendium way back when, but I'm very much an activist for fat acceptance and body positivity more generally. I'm also fond of fat partners and being fat myself (even though I have generally failed to actually get there over the years!). So it comes up a fair amount in my creative work, in a variety of themes.

The fanfic I have in mind is what I would bill as a definitive sequel to FFVI. So many fanfics--basically all of them--that tried to do a FFVI made the same mistake: They tried to outdo the antagonism of the original. They tried to make a bigger villain than Kefka. Or they tried to bring back magic and propose an even greater conflict surrounding it. And all of that stuff was doomed to fail. You're never gonna outdo the FFVI storyline in the FFVI universe, just like you're never gonna get a better Star Wars villain than Darth Vader. FFVI isn't something that needs to be topped or outdone.

Instead, what I think is the fertile ground for a sequel is to consider that the end of FFVI was unwarrantedly jubilant. People were so delighted when Kefka was defeated. The color palette turned green again. Hope was restored. It was as though the world had healed.

That's not even remotely realistic. When empires fall, and when something as consequential as magic fades from the world, and most definitely when the world is ravaged by a natural disaster, the recovery is extremely long, bloody, and grim. Kefka ruined everything. Cultures were uprooted, generations of people were wiped out...the social order than most of us depend upon for our very survival was utterly ravaged. Our heroes in FFVI liberated the world from a malevolent tyrant and force of chaos and destruction, but even that is child's play compared to rebuilding a broken world full of desperation, scarcity, poverty, incompatible opinions, and competing priorities.

So my idea for a FFVI sequel focused on the weight of oppression that came to settle on our heroes in the years following their victory. I figure the story would pick up roughly twelve or fifteen years after the conclusion of FFVI, and would center on Celes, the commander of the military of the largest remaining power in the world (Figaro)--a society with some semblance of normalcy compared to how things used to be, but nevertheless a land constantly wracked by internal upheavals, famine and sickness, and crime, and by external attacks, raids, pillaging, assassination plots, and even the occasional war. As a surviving general, instilled with great military knowledge--perhaps the most knowledgeable surviving military leader on the planet--she would have been virtually forced to take up the sword once again, if not personally then as a leader.

Celes' happy ending in FFVI was to find acceptance--to "be loved" as opposed to Terra's happy ending of being the one to do the loving. People like that never truly achieve their sense of belonging. Their odyssey never ends. Even with Locke, and the support of Edgar and Sabin, Celes would have continued to be a lonely and withdrawn person, incapable of truly bonding with the world, because it's simply not in her nature the way it is for most of us.

I figure Celes would have gotten comfortable over the years, physically speaking, no longer having to fight to survive. But she would have remained aloof and seeking, and the stress of running a constantly besieged and under-funded military would have taken its toll, as stress eventually will do on anyone.

I've also intended this story to lack a comparable epic plot to FFVI itself, because, after all, the original can't be outdone. I want to focus much more on a handful of characters, and especially on Celes herself, who was always my favorite. I want to know and to tell her human story in this grim world she's found herself in.

This is where the "Fat" Celes angle comes in. It would be very clever if I were to say that the fat angle is a metaphor for the weight of oppression on her, and I'm sure one could argue for such a metaphor based on what I've already described. But that isn't actually where the idea comes from. Rather, my thinking is--as it often is for this stuff--that we don't permit fat characters to exist in our storytelling very often, unless they're old, villainous, intended to disgust, or intended to be comic relief. This is especially true of female characters. It's very rare to get a fat female protagonist. I want to increase the representation of a large demographic of our society--people who are legitimate and have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness like all the rest of us, regardless of how many rolls of flab they carry.

Celes was always beautiful to me, and that wouldn't diminish (in fact it would only improve) if she were very heavy. Moreover, she's a natural candidate to be one of those people who fills out: a former athlete and military veteran whose physical labors and toils never ended. Many people like that end up getting heavy when they inevitably slow down later in life. We can also infer from her character design in FFVI that she appreciates luxury, refinement, and indulgence, which could be modified easily enough into a strong appetite. And of course, on top of all that the stress of living in this wrecked world, and running a constantly on-fire military in a country whose very survival remains tenuous, would certainly lend itself to some stress eating (and so in that respect we can say that the very clever metaphor is at least a little bit applicable). Hence, fat Celes.

I envision the story beginning with an assassination plot against the Figaroan royalty. Celes, who over the years has become overly comfortable and timid, and has always remained insecure, is so big and unfit that she can barely get around the palace, and the fear of the assassin being loose somewhere therein, and Celes being helpless to defend herself if she should be made a target, terrifies her, which in turn inspires her to stop living in fear and take back control of her life. And from there the story truly commences, to reveal the answer to the great question of what happened to her, Locke, Edgar, and some of the others after the end of FFVI.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on May 17, 2018, 10:55:52 am
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And sadly I've never been one of those types of prolific writers who can churn out a bunch of stuff, switch hats, and immediately churn out a bunch of different stuff. Some people can do it but I never could. My creative work is always a difficult birth.

Wait. You're a writer? That's your career? I know your first name IRL since others have called you that, but we never really crossed paths much back when you were active. Now I have to hunt you down and read some of your stuff.

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I envision the story beginning with an assassination plot against the Figaroan royalty. Celes, who over the years has become overly comfortable and timid, and has always remained insecure, is so big and unfit that she can barely get around the palace, and the fear of the assassin being loose somewhere therein, and Celes being helpless to defend herself if she should be made a target, terrifies her, which in turn inspires her to stop living in fear and take back control of her life. And from there the story truly commences, to reveal the answer to the great question of what happened to her, Locke, Edgar, and some of the others after the end of FFVI.

I think this is a fun take on the post-FFVI landscape. Because you're right; the world is never this black and white realm of sunshine and rainbows. Empires crumble and there's chaos and strife; new empires rise up and replace the old ones. Same with people; we overcome one obstacle and another one eventually catches up to us. The story never ends until we're dead.

The realist in me likes this approach to the FFVI world.

Although if you don't have Sabin Suplexing the Phantom Airship (a la the fight against the Phantom Train), I'd be horribly disappointed in you.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on May 17, 2018, 07:11:06 pm
Hmm, sounds like a very interesting premise. I wish I could have ideas as ambitious. Then again, writing ain't my main thing, I think.

Although, personally, I wouldn't really read it as a sequel work. Interesting as it could sound to envision the post-FFVI world like that, to me it's... more of a detractor. Maybe it's just me, but fiction is fiction for a reason. When it gets too realistic... well, it defeat its purpose. So a happy (or bittersweet/hopeful/downer/etc) ending should remain so, not derailed because in real life it wouldn't be the case.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on May 21, 2018, 01:35:46 am
Wait. You're a writer? That's your career? I know your first name IRL since others have called you that, but we never really crossed paths much back when you were active. Now I have to hunt you down and read some of your stuff.

I am indeed a writer! Not a very financially successful one (yet?), but I published my first novel in 2015, right before my life imploded and I spent three years in hell, but it is always foremost in my mind to get back to the point where I can resume work on my next novel. I have a lot to say! You can check out my site (http://curioustale.org/) if you like, but beware that my work is for a relatively niche audience. I would not expect most people to be interested in it.

That's the big feather, but really I'm a writer not because of a published novel but because I write. I've written thousands of pieces over the years, including some really exquisite essays here at the Compendium. It's just what I do: I write.

And there's also the external employment and contract work. I do freelance writing and editing, and am currently employed as a copyeditor and copywriter.

Although if you don't have Sabin Suplexing the Phantom Airship (a la the fight against the Phantom Train), I'd be horribly disappointed in you.

Definitely! =]

I always have to remind myself, when I'm in Serious Writing mode, that materials like FFVI had a fun side too, and good fanfic needs to encapsulate this as well, or at least be aware of omitting it. I'd love to take a crack at writing this relatively grim work that nevertheless has a good sense of humor to it, and the caricatures from the original game are great springboards for that!

Which brings me to this excellent point by Acacia Sgt:


Although, personally, I wouldn't really read it as a sequel work. Interesting as it could sound to envision the post-FFVI world like that, to me it's... more of a detractor. Maybe it's just me, but fiction is fiction for a reason. When it gets too realistic... well, it defeat its purpose. So a happy (or bittersweet/hopeful/downer/etc) ending should remain so, not derailed because in real life it wouldn't be the case.

That is indeed a great point, and something I'm aware of myself as an artist: I like to honor the spirit of original works by respecting their tonal decisions in anything derivative I do with them. That doesn't mean I'll slavishly uphold those decisions, but I do make it a point to justify any departure therefrom.

So, deviating from a "happy ending" (or another type of ending) by introducing a new direction, even though sequels have made this their bread and butter since time immemorial, is something I like to be fully aware of and deliberate in. I don't like wrecking other people's resolutions.

Likewise, when an original story has a certain flavor to it--in this case epic adventurism--I like to respect that tonal decision and only depart from it for good cause. I do tend toward realism in my writing, and so your specific point is salient, and I have definitely spent energy thinking about this facet of the fanfic, as this is one of only a tiny handful of fanfics (maybe the only one!) that I definitely intend to eventually write.

Think about it like this: I didn't necessarily say that my fanfic would be a "bad ending" to FFVI, or that it would ruin FFVI's ending. It is, simply, a continuation of what I think of as the natural storyline that FFVI began. The pain and difficulty of recovery were glossed over in the ending sequence, but it wouldn't violate the tonal flavor of the original game to introduce new hardships even after the defeat of Kefka. And my premise is actually carefully designed to fit within precedents introduced in the story: An assassination plot, for instance. And Celes having a physical hardship as well as a psychological one that are relevant to the progression of the story--well, different forms of these ideas were present in Celes and other characters in FFVI itself. There's even room for the same style of exaggerations that tended to mark FFVI and other JRPGs of that era, which were forced into the heights of theatricality because of their many hardware limitations.

I actually envision my fanfic as one with a positive message, despite its bleak circumstances. Celes' progression in the story isn't a tragedy. Nor is it to recreate the circumstances of the original: to slim down, get back on the front lines, and fight and win the day. Her progression in the story isn't to become a fighter, but to stay fat (and if anything get even fatter, since people need to be shown through our storytelling that getting fat isn't the end of a person's humanity or their potential) and instead reclaim her self-confidence by developing non-physical outlets for her inner strength of character. While my personal style of writing may be more realistic than the game's, I think the themes of such an effort are very much in keeping with those of FFVI.

But, yes, your point is a great one and it's something I am very thoughtful about!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Acacia Sgt on May 21, 2018, 02:46:02 am
I'll admit, I don't feel that way with every sequel; but it's still something that on principle I don't quite feel happy about it. As such, I ensure I tackle this on a case-by-case basis.

That said, I still stand the same regarding your sequel idea. The latter half of FFVI had presented a hardship: Kefka keeping the world in a state of misery. Hope was a theme during the World of Ruin, both the giving up of it and clinging to it, but with the latter almost always being the one winning as the game progressed. By the game's end, with Kefka gone, the scenario presented was that of hope in a new beginning. That things should now turn for the better. In your scenario, though, that seems to not be the case. To me, that's not something I'd enjoy, as good as it could be on its own. I still find it intersting, my dislike is more on its impact on the work its meant to be a continuation of than on the work itself.

To give another example, I remember when people were thinking FFX-3 was going to be a thing. Mainly because when the HD Remaster of FFX/FFX-2 was released, a small audio drama was added in as a bonus. It seemed to be setting up yet another continuation, which is why people thought FFX-3 was going to be a thing, though that has been long corrected. Anyway, that audio drama... it's true to its name, I'd think. Since it included details like Sin comming back, but also, Tidus and Yuna were apparently going through a relationship break-up as well. Being honest... it bugged me. Like, bugged me so much.

Like, seriously? X had a bittersweet ending, and while some things were for good, like Tidus's departure, the flip side was that Spira had a new future to look forward to with the Eternal Calm. Kinda like FFVI, actually. Then X-2 happened, showing that no, Spira was now tearing itself apart in their newfound freedom, and then throwing in another world-ending entity with Shuyin and Vegnagun. But at least they deemed to reward Yuna this time around with an actual happy ending, with Tidus's return, making it seem like it was really worth it having Spira be in danger again. And now you tell me not only Sin came back again, but Tidus and Yuna's relationship is now in the dumps despite everything that happened prior?

I just...  :picardno

Personally, I'm glad there hasn't been any continuation to that audio drama, whether X-3 or otherwise. I already feel X-2 wrapped things up nicely, giving it a pass since it at least decided to "correct" the way X ended. But now it seemed like they wanted to undo stuff, and I feel like that's just now derailing what should be a wrapped up conclusion. Can't comment much about Sin, but Tidus and Yuna I found it even more unnecesary their break-up. Like, I get it, it's not realistic if they just go "Happily Ever After", but this is a fictional world, not reality, dammit. Although if I were to guess, chances were they would've gotten back toguether if that thing ever gets an actual continuation. Maybe.

Anyway, well, that's how it is with me. As much as I could enjoy a sequel work, official or not, I'm always wary on the way they go on with it. Sometimes undoing what was done in the prequel work, even if things recover or get better at the end, just for the fact they had to go through with it in the first place. Perhaps I'm just too used or tired in dealing with that in other ways, like in real life, than to want to keep going through with them while pursuing fiction. Something like that.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Lord J Esq on May 21, 2018, 03:07:47 am
The latter half of FFVI had presented a hardship: Kefka keeping the world in a state of misery. Hope was a theme during the World of Ruin, both the giving up of it and clinging to it, but with the latter almost always being the one winning as the game progressed. By the game's end, with Kefka gone, the scenario presented was that of hope in a new beginning. That things should now turn for the better. In your scenario, though, that seems to not be the case.

Even though I think the eventual conclusion of our discussion is that my fanfic premise just isn't suited for you, I will say this:

One thought that has occurred to me over the years, when thinking about this fanfic premise, is that I personally found the happy ending of FFVI cheap. To me it wasn't actually a happy ending. They defeated Kefka, but it was a little bit like taking the bullet out after being shot: The world was still wrecked, and, yes, people had mustered the will to persevere in it, and rebuild, and now with Kefka out of the picture the notion of a recovery was suddenly a possibility. But the ending sequence implied that this recovery was very rapid, and I don't buy that. I think it's cheap.

Part of my motivation with this fanfic premise--not my main motivation, but part of it, given that FFVI is in an eternal ballet with Chrono Trigger and Ocarina of Time for my favorite RPG of all-time--is to give FFVI the ending it deserves: To give their hopefulness at the end of the game the legitimacy that only comes from actually fleshing out the ideas. Instead of hand-wavy "They all lived happily ever after" stuff, my fanfic says "Here's how it really was; here's how they eventually managed to finally recover."

Because, without spoiling too much, my goal with this sequel isn't to blow up the world again. Like I was saying earlier, there's no point in trying to outdo anything that FFVI already did so well. I want to explore what recovery and healing actually look like. To me, that would take the cheap, tacked-on "everything got better" message from the end of FFVI and flesh it out to a degree where there's enough substance that this superficially implausible concept of recovery after a worldwide disaster becomes believable.

To give another example, I remember when people were thinking FFX-3 was going to be a thing. Mainly because when the HD Remaster of FFX/FFX-2 was released, a small audio drama was added in as a bonus. It seemed to be setting up yet another continuation, which is why people thought FFX-3 was going to be a thing, though that has been long corrected. Anyway, that audio drama... it's true to its name, I'd think. Since it included details like Sin comming back, but also, Tidus and Yuna were apparently going through a relationship break-up as well. Being honest... it bugged me. Like, bugged me so much.

Personally, I think FFX never needed a sequel at all. As you say:

Then X-2 happened, showing that no, Spira was now tearing itself apart in their newfound freedom, and then throwing in another world-ending entity with Shuyin and Vegnagun. But at least they deemed to reward Yuna this time around with an actual happy ending, with Tidus's return, making it seem like it was really worth it having Spira be in danger again. And now you tell me not only Sin came back again, but Tidus and Yuna's relationship is now in the dumps despite everything that happened prior?

I just...  :picardno

I agree with this wholeheartedly, and to the extent you're channeling this same frustration with my FFVI fanfic premise I can't argue with you (I can only say we have different interpretations of FFVI).

Anyway, well, that's how it is with me. As much as I could enjoy a sequel work, official or not, I'm always wary on the way they go on with it. Sometimes undoing what was done in the prequel work, even if things recover or get better at the end, just for the fact they had to go through with it in the first place. Perhaps I'm just too used or tired in dealing with that in other ways, like in real life, than to want to keep going through with them while pursuing fiction. Something like that.

No, I hear you. I don't have much patience for prequels and even sequels either. They are overdone and often befoul the original. The fact that I really want to give FFVI my own sendoff is just a testament to how much of an impact that game made on me, and how I really feel there's more story to be told.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Schala Zeal on February 09, 2020, 06:21:22 am
Aye, it's been three years hiatus for me. I've been binging on 'Tales of', 3D and coding a lot more. Lost my grandma in 2017 to a stroke, started playing with a new toy called VRoid Studio, and me and the old man are planning to present an animated short 3D film to DreamWorks this year.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Boo the Gentleman Caller on February 14, 2020, 05:27:48 pm
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Aye, it's been three years hiatus for me.

Welcome back! And it sounds like you've got big plans in the future; good luck to you! Keep us updated!
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: chrono.source on February 26, 2020, 02:33:32 pm
Welcome back!

Care to share the premise of the short film?
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: Schala Zeal on February 27, 2020, 01:52:39 am
I... do not know. My dad wants to make it about a baby-fied version of an ex girlfriend of his or something.
Title: Re: God, I Miss This Place
Post by: CptOvaltine on February 27, 2020, 05:46:38 pm
Glad to see all of the new activity...it's been a while for me, as well.

Interested in hearing how the short film comes together!