Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
1
Chrono Cross Modification / Re: Want to use Gameshark to alter a few things. Need help. (SPOILERS for the game)
« on: February 25, 2019, 02:34:13 pm »
Its big endian in the code, little endian in RAM.
0x1000 in a code is 0x00 10 in RAM.
EDIT:
Ok, I tested, and this is the deal.
Add up the 0001 ~ 8000 value for each character you want to have in your party, but pay carefull attention to the 719A0 / 2 / 4 address. Only add up numbers that share the same address.
So add any characters from Serge to Orcha together, but don't add Radius to Serge. Radius belongs in the second code.
I hope that makes sense.
0x1000 in a code is 0x00 10 in RAM.
EDIT:
Ok, I tested, and this is the deal.
Code: [Select]
800719A0 0001 - Serge
800719A0 0002 - Kid
800719A0 0004 - Guile
800719A0 0008 - Norris
800719A0 0010 - Nikki
800719A0 0020 - Viper
800719A0 0040 - Riddel
800719A0 0080 - Karsh
800719A0 0100 - Zoah
800719A0 0200 - Marcy
800719A0 0400 - Korcha
800719A0 0800 - Luccia
800719A0 1000 - Poshul
800719A0 2000 - Razzly
800719A0 4000 - Zappa
800719A0 8000 - Orcha
800719A2 0001 - Radius
800719A2 0002 - Fargo
800719A2 0004 - Macha
800719A2 0008 - Glenn
800719A2 0010 - Leena
800719A2 0020 - Miki
800719A2 0040 - Harle
800719A2 0080 - Janice
800719A2 0100 - Draggy
800719A2 0200 - Starky
800719A2 0400 - Sprigg
800719A2 0800 - Mojo
800719A2 1000 - Turnip
800719A2 2000 - NeoFio
800719A2 8000 - Skelly
800719A4 0001 - Funguy
800719A4 0002 - Irenes
800719A4 0004 - Mel
800719A4 0008 - Leah
800719A4 0010 - Van
800719A4 0020 - Sneff
800719A4 0040 - Steena
800719A4 0080 - Doc
800719A4 0100 - Grobyc
800719A4 0200 - Pierre
800719A4 0400 - Orlha
800719A4 0800 - Pipnote that each of these codes will set the player's character list to exactly ONE character. The character whose name is listed.Add up the 0001 ~ 8000 value for each character you want to have in your party, but pay carefull attention to the 719A0 / 2 / 4 address. Only add up numbers that share the same address.
So add any characters from Serge to Orcha together, but don't add Radius to Serge. Radius belongs in the second code.
I hope that makes sense.
2
Chrono Cross Modification / Re: Want to use Gameshark to alter a few things. Need help. (SPOILERS for the game)
« on: February 25, 2019, 05:10:54 am »
regarding the latter, Unlocking specific characters:
if these three codes actually work
800719A0 FFFF
800719A2 FFFF
800719A4 FFFF
then its a simple matter of convering each FFFF field to bits, and finding which bits belong to which character. I'd assume they are in the same order as listed on the character index page, but actually adding up the bitmask would take a bit of testing.
For example, 800719A0 0003 is, (without having tested as its late and I'm tired but want to say this before I forget to post at all) probably "unlock only Serge and Kid"
As bit 0 = 1 and bit 1 = 2. Both bits turned on adds to 3 in hexadecimal.
if you wanted to add another character lets say Karsh, he's probably bit 7. Bit 7 = 2^7 = 128. So bit 0, 1, and 7 together = 1+2+128 = 131 = 0x83.
making the final code 800719A0 0083.
That's assuming all the bits for the characters are in the same order as listed in the character index. I'd test this all but as I said, I'm tired.
The general form of a gameshark code is:
AABBBBBB CCCC
where AA is the type. Common types are
30 for 1 byte write continuous
80 for 2 byte write continuous
D0 for 2 byte if equals do next, else do not do next
BBBBBB is the address you are either writing to or testing the value of
and CCCC is the value you are writing, or what you are testing for. These values are Big Endian, so 9999 = 0x270F, NOT 0x0F27. The least significant byte goes on the right.
if these three codes actually work
800719A0 FFFF
800719A2 FFFF
800719A4 FFFF
then its a simple matter of convering each FFFF field to bits, and finding which bits belong to which character. I'd assume they are in the same order as listed on the character index page, but actually adding up the bitmask would take a bit of testing.
For example, 800719A0 0003 is, (without having tested as its late and I'm tired but want to say this before I forget to post at all) probably "unlock only Serge and Kid"
As bit 0 = 1 and bit 1 = 2. Both bits turned on adds to 3 in hexadecimal.
if you wanted to add another character lets say Karsh, he's probably bit 7. Bit 7 = 2^7 = 128. So bit 0, 1, and 7 together = 1+2+128 = 131 = 0x83.
making the final code 800719A0 0083.
That's assuming all the bits for the characters are in the same order as listed in the character index. I'd test this all but as I said, I'm tired.
The general form of a gameshark code is:
AABBBBBB CCCC
where AA is the type. Common types are
30 for 1 byte write continuous
80 for 2 byte write continuous
D0 for 2 byte if equals do next, else do not do next
BBBBBB is the address you are either writing to or testing the value of
and CCCC is the value you are writing, or what you are testing for. These values are Big Endian, so 9999 = 0x270F, NOT 0x0F27. The least significant byte goes on the right.
3
Chrono Compendium Discussion / Re: Encyclopedia needs Editing
« on: January 17, 2014, 05:29:34 pm »
Well much to my embarrassment, I forgot there was a resource.
Most of my changes were typos like missing L's or ]'s.
Perhaps I should go through and undo the changes?
EDIT:
Alright. As far as I can tell I've removed all vital changes. I'm not touching it again for a while.
Most of my changes were typos like missing L's or ]'s.
Perhaps I should go through and undo the changes?
EDIT:
Alright. As far as I can tell I've removed all vital changes. I'm not touching it again for a while.
4
Chrono Compendium Discussion / Re: Encyclopedia needs Editing
« on: January 17, 2014, 03:12:39 pm »
Well, alright.
I'm looking through now.
I see what may be a problem here but I can't tell.
Amphibite and Croaker are both labeled the same for their DS name and Jp names
The Jp translation is correct for the word, but I find it odd that two generic enemies would have the same name.
Can anyone confirm this?
EDIT:
Black Tyrano's listing is attributed to Azala.
This could be accurate, but I don't know the original name of Black Tyrano is.
EDIT2:
Well aside from the aforementioned uncertainties, I've finished looking through the Monster listings for Chrono Trigger. I fixed a few typos and misreadings.
I'm looking through now.
I see what may be a problem here but I can't tell.
Amphibite and Croaker are both labeled the same for their DS name and Jp names
The Jp translation is correct for the word, but I find it odd that two generic enemies would have the same name.
Can anyone confirm this?
EDIT:
Black Tyrano's listing is attributed to Azala.
This could be accurate, but I don't know the original name of Black Tyrano is.
EDIT2:
Well aside from the aforementioned uncertainties, I've finished looking through the Monster listings for Chrono Trigger. I fixed a few typos and misreadings.
5
Chrono Compendium Discussion / Re: Encyclopedia needs Editing
« on: January 16, 2014, 11:52:41 pm »
Some of the kana readings in a few pages are terribly wrong...
Leaper is an example. I know it's a largely trivial thing, but 「エイシトサウルス」 can not in any way be read "Aycit Snix." Instead it should read Eishitosaurus, or Aicitsaurus depending on your pronunciation preference. But the point is that it is definitely -saurus, not 'snix.'
Rust Tyrano is similarly attributed:
「ルスト」 is pronounced roosto or loosto (long U sound) meaning it is more likely Roost Tyrano than Last Tyrano.
"Last," and "Rust," in katakana DO however have the same spelling: 「ラスト」
My guess is that a lot of the Japanese represented needs some TLC.
Apologies if this has been brought up before...
Leaper is an example. I know it's a largely trivial thing, but 「エイシトサウルス」 can not in any way be read "Aycit Snix." Instead it should read Eishitosaurus, or Aicitsaurus depending on your pronunciation preference. But the point is that it is definitely -saurus, not 'snix.'
Rust Tyrano is similarly attributed:
Quote
Japanese: ルストティラノ
Translation: Rust Tyrano (can phonetically be "last" Tyrano, but the spelling doesn't suggest this)
「ルスト」 is pronounced roosto or loosto (long U sound) meaning it is more likely Roost Tyrano than Last Tyrano.
"Last," and "Rust," in katakana DO however have the same spelling: 「ラスト」
My guess is that a lot of the Japanese represented needs some TLC.
Apologies if this has been brought up before...
6
Lavos, the Planet, and other Entities / Re: Lavos is Real (Theory)
« on: January 15, 2014, 10:03:56 pm »
The End of Time fits into this as a sort of subconscious aspect of the Dream.
It observes all points in time, yet isn't really a part of them. It is aware of the conscious mind, but doesn't directly contact with it.
Likewise it helps to explain just why there is a limit to the number of people moving through a gate. Perhaps the Entity can only coherently observe 3 individuals moving back and forth through the Dream, while the maintaining the continuity of the Dream.
That is, the Dream has a solid foundation as it is somewhat autonomous, but at the same time the Dream reflects the Entity's state of being. (As dreams do)... and when several characters in the Dream begin doing complicated things, say, 4, the dreamer becomes confused, and the extraneous details (the 4 travelers) wind up receding into the subconscious, so it can sort them out without jeopardizing the Dream.
Just another thought I had. It seems this is all more plausible than I originally thought when I started musing.
It observes all points in time, yet isn't really a part of them. It is aware of the conscious mind, but doesn't directly contact with it.
Likewise it helps to explain just why there is a limit to the number of people moving through a gate. Perhaps the Entity can only coherently observe 3 individuals moving back and forth through the Dream, while the maintaining the continuity of the Dream.
That is, the Dream has a solid foundation as it is somewhat autonomous, but at the same time the Dream reflects the Entity's state of being. (As dreams do)... and when several characters in the Dream begin doing complicated things, say, 4, the dreamer becomes confused, and the extraneous details (the 4 travelers) wind up receding into the subconscious, so it can sort them out without jeopardizing the Dream.
Just another thought I had. It seems this is all more plausible than I originally thought when I started musing.
7
Lavos, the Planet, and other Entities / Re: What's Up With The Frozen Flame's Eyeballs?
« on: January 15, 2014, 04:10:00 am »
I believe that the Frozen Flame does not have a static appearance.
It appears in a way that is based on what is expected of it.
The Dragonians depicted it as a spiky crystal shape.
Radical Dreamers shows it as a spiky crystal of a much different shape, and Serge understands it (on some subconscious level, having contacted it before) as a living thing, probably also understanding that it is strange and alien(in the sense of not normal), so it appears as a transforming flame shaped object with eyes.
How it appears is affected by how we perceive it.
The Flame has an effect on people, and people have an effect on It.
This is the truth.
This is what I believe... at least for now.
...but yeah, I knew about the eyes... They bug me. I don't like this depiction of the Flame at all.
It appears in a way that is based on what is expected of it.
The Dragonians depicted it as a spiky crystal shape.
Radical Dreamers shows it as a spiky crystal of a much different shape, and Serge understands it (on some subconscious level, having contacted it before) as a living thing, probably also understanding that it is strange and alien(in the sense of not normal), so it appears as a transforming flame shaped object with eyes.
How it appears is affected by how we perceive it.
The Flame has an effect on people, and people have an effect on It.
This is the truth.
This is what I believe... at least for now.
...but yeah, I knew about the eyes... They bug me. I don't like this depiction of the Flame at all.
8
Lavos, the Planet, and other Entities / Lavos is Real (Theory)
« on: January 15, 2014, 03:58:54 am »
Don't let the title confuse you. I'm not mad. Stark? Maybe. Raving? Probably. But mad? No. I'm totally....mostly sane.
So, recall that Dreams are very much real in the chronoverse. If they are strong enough dreams they can take shape and affect the world around them.
Masa, Mune, Doreen, and the Lagoonates from CC are such dreams.
Also, it has been mentioned that we are all a part of the Planet's dream.
My theory is that the reason Lavos exhibits strange temporal behavior, is that it is not part of the dream.
The world we see is part of the dream. All things living in our world are parts of the dream.
Lavos is an outsider. It came from space, outside of the Entity's influence.
As the world is part of the dream, the Gates can be considered moments of lucid dreaming that allow parts of the dream to exit the normal 'dreamspace' to move forward of backward to different memories of the dream.
The dream we are in exists on a separate temporal axis from the Reality that the Entity and Lavos inhabit. Not disconnected from it, but not normally affected by it.
'Lavos space' is actually more akin to how a Dream perceives Reality.
Lavos' appearance marks the beginning of a nightmare for the Entity. Lavos' arrival was a traumatic event in Reality that caused ripples in the Entity's dream, and the frantic panic state forced the Entity's consciousness to exert itself on the dream, creating Gates as it tries to understand what is happening, why, and what to do about it.
There are a few things that this means for us.
Lavos' arrival on the planet, and the eventual apocalypse, the death of the planet, may actually be happening very quickly. We as parts of a dream that intersect Reality but are not part of it experience the death of the planet very differently from the planet itself.
Lavos almost never directly contacts humans or does anything in the world at all really. The reason for this is that Lavos is not keen to the dream's mechanics. Rather than manipulating time as we know it and having strange pocket dimensions, Lavos is actually ignorant that the dream is happening until parts of the dream interfere with it directly.
Understandably Lavos is confused by this, and attacks the strange things it is seeing. Lavos is not extracting DNA from US so much as it is siphoning something of import from the Planet, which is killing it. The planet's fear of this echoes in the dream, which is how we understand it.
Lavos does not directly understand the dream, but it is capable of understanding it and interacting with it. You can sort of imagine we are swirls on the surface of a soap bubble... our whole world is. We never experience the interior of the bubble, the volume of air inside it, not normally. That voluminous space inside and outside of the surface of the bubble are Reality, and we are merely the image on the surface.
Lavos penetrated that bubble from the outside, and is now inside with the Planet, where the Entity exists and has influence. We experienced this incursion as Lavos crashing into the Tyrano Lair. (This is probably one of the few moments we experienced alike with the Planet)
Being inside the bubble, the Entity and Lavos are capable of affecting its surface.
Lavos for the most part doesn't notice the surface, as its goal lies in the volume, where the Planet is.
Being that Lavos and the Entity are both capable of influencing the dream on the bubble's surface, the Entity tries, in brief moments of panic or lucidity, to enlist help from its dream. (Just as a person having a nightmare would seek help from a dream character)
1999 is the realization that the Planet is being attacked, 2300 is the understanding that it is dying. 65mBC-1000AD are for the most part, just different parts of the dream. Dreams are discontiguous. Dreams are mutable.
The Frozen Flame is one of the few direct interferences Lavos and the dream have on each other. Lavos contacting the dream changes the dream; changes us.
The dream becomes aware of Lavos through this, and Zeal is born. Being aware of the Reality outside the dream, though not understanding it, Zeal tries to harness Lavos' power. Lavos is understandably startled when what seemed like an image on a soap bubble, exerts a Real effect on it, and so it destroys Zeal.
So too does it destroy Crono. Crono has exited the surface, (due to the Entity's incredible strength of dream) and entered Reality, to attack Lavos.
I'm sure there's plenty wrong with this theory, but it was an interesting thought I had. It changes things a lot when you consider that instead of Lavos being the exception to logic, we are in fact exceptional to a fictional logic dreamt up by a dying planet whose ken is beyond our capacity to understand.
We are extraordinary dreams of such urgency that we become manifest, if only for the briefest time. It didn't enter our space, we left the dream and experienced Reality for the first time... but we couldn't comprehend it because the common sense of that world was alien to us. So we saw it as strange time outside of time, when it was our time that was strange instead.
So, recall that Dreams are very much real in the chronoverse. If they are strong enough dreams they can take shape and affect the world around them.
Masa, Mune, Doreen, and the Lagoonates from CC are such dreams.
Also, it has been mentioned that we are all a part of the Planet's dream.
My theory is that the reason Lavos exhibits strange temporal behavior, is that it is not part of the dream.
The world we see is part of the dream. All things living in our world are parts of the dream.
Lavos is an outsider. It came from space, outside of the Entity's influence.
As the world is part of the dream, the Gates can be considered moments of lucid dreaming that allow parts of the dream to exit the normal 'dreamspace' to move forward of backward to different memories of the dream.
The dream we are in exists on a separate temporal axis from the Reality that the Entity and Lavos inhabit. Not disconnected from it, but not normally affected by it.
'Lavos space' is actually more akin to how a Dream perceives Reality.
Lavos' appearance marks the beginning of a nightmare for the Entity. Lavos' arrival was a traumatic event in Reality that caused ripples in the Entity's dream, and the frantic panic state forced the Entity's consciousness to exert itself on the dream, creating Gates as it tries to understand what is happening, why, and what to do about it.
There are a few things that this means for us.
Lavos' arrival on the planet, and the eventual apocalypse, the death of the planet, may actually be happening very quickly. We as parts of a dream that intersect Reality but are not part of it experience the death of the planet very differently from the planet itself.
Lavos almost never directly contacts humans or does anything in the world at all really. The reason for this is that Lavos is not keen to the dream's mechanics. Rather than manipulating time as we know it and having strange pocket dimensions, Lavos is actually ignorant that the dream is happening until parts of the dream interfere with it directly.
Understandably Lavos is confused by this, and attacks the strange things it is seeing. Lavos is not extracting DNA from US so much as it is siphoning something of import from the Planet, which is killing it. The planet's fear of this echoes in the dream, which is how we understand it.
Lavos does not directly understand the dream, but it is capable of understanding it and interacting with it. You can sort of imagine we are swirls on the surface of a soap bubble... our whole world is. We never experience the interior of the bubble, the volume of air inside it, not normally. That voluminous space inside and outside of the surface of the bubble are Reality, and we are merely the image on the surface.
Lavos penetrated that bubble from the outside, and is now inside with the Planet, where the Entity exists and has influence. We experienced this incursion as Lavos crashing into the Tyrano Lair. (This is probably one of the few moments we experienced alike with the Planet)
Being inside the bubble, the Entity and Lavos are capable of affecting its surface.
Lavos for the most part doesn't notice the surface, as its goal lies in the volume, where the Planet is.
Being that Lavos and the Entity are both capable of influencing the dream on the bubble's surface, the Entity tries, in brief moments of panic or lucidity, to enlist help from its dream. (Just as a person having a nightmare would seek help from a dream character)
1999 is the realization that the Planet is being attacked, 2300 is the understanding that it is dying. 65mBC-1000AD are for the most part, just different parts of the dream. Dreams are discontiguous. Dreams are mutable.
The Frozen Flame is one of the few direct interferences Lavos and the dream have on each other. Lavos contacting the dream changes the dream; changes us.
The dream becomes aware of Lavos through this, and Zeal is born. Being aware of the Reality outside the dream, though not understanding it, Zeal tries to harness Lavos' power. Lavos is understandably startled when what seemed like an image on a soap bubble, exerts a Real effect on it, and so it destroys Zeal.
So too does it destroy Crono. Crono has exited the surface, (due to the Entity's incredible strength of dream) and entered Reality, to attack Lavos.
I'm sure there's plenty wrong with this theory, but it was an interesting thought I had. It changes things a lot when you consider that instead of Lavos being the exception to logic, we are in fact exceptional to a fictional logic dreamt up by a dying planet whose ken is beyond our capacity to understand.
We are extraordinary dreams of such urgency that we become manifest, if only for the briefest time. It didn't enter our space, we left the dream and experienced Reality for the first time... but we couldn't comprehend it because the common sense of that world was alien to us. So we saw it as strange time outside of time, when it was our time that was strange instead.
9
General Discussion / Re: Are Games Crippled By Easy Modes?
« on: January 13, 2014, 01:42:58 pm »
I think I'm sort of on the fence with what Venks said...
I like a game that can be fully experienced on any difficulty, but at the same time I don't like it when a game tries to shove hints and ridiculous powerups in my face so I'll "JUST HURRY UP AND FINISH THE AREA ALREADY."
I'm that weird sort of gamer who can play a game well enough without cheating, but gets little to no satisfaction from it because the real challenge isn't in breaking minor rules like "use this powerup for this type of puzzle" but in fact breaking the laws of physics by "using the powerup that was removed from the game."
I'm the type of person who creates my own difficulty curve as I like. If I feel like a challenge, I change a few values and make things harder. In some games in fact I've even decided that having party members is a serious crutch, and then removed all their data from the savegame, making it a truly solo crawl.
(You'd be surprised how much unbalanced difficulty a solo Ayla run of CT is. It all seems fine when you start out at level 15 with a healing move... but then you realize you have to find a way to cheese magical enemies without actually having magic...)
I'm ALSO the kind of gamer who loads up a game on any difficulty and plays through with infinite stats on all characters because I only feel like witnessing the story.
Of course in newer games all of these things are increasingly difficult to do because the hacking itself as well as the method behind it are harder to come by, AND the fact that modern games have only about a tenth (1/10) of the content older games had, meaning there's really less to do no matter what difficulty you choose, make, or are stuck with.
Easy mode doesn't cripple a game, easy GAMES cripple themselves. Even when all it is is stat modding, easy and hard modes add to the experience of the game.
However, my opinion of difficulty mode controlled -content- is a bit difficult.
I don't like being punished, and denied content, simply because I'm not NEShard-core. (Likewise, not everything can be cheated). I like having more content, but I don't like it being locked away behind a wall of some kind.
Making a unique story for HELL mode on a game is cool, but it may as well be the same thing as making a unique story for expensive DLC... Neither HELL mode nor paid DLC are worth the time and effort. That is, the ends don't justify the means.
One thing people forget is that a game can have incredibly fun gameplay, WITHOUT difficulty in the traditional sense. Some action RPGs are fun to play not because they're hard or the plot is great (which the ones I'm thinking of do have entertaining plots, but anyway) the combat system itself is fun.
Even when you cannot. Literally. CAN. NOT... lose a battle, it is still fun in these games. Because you ARE in control, and you ARE doing really cool things.
Super Press Space to Win Adventure probably isn't very fun. It isn't because it isn't hard enough... its because you don't really have any control over what happens.
Control is why we play. We want to DO, not just watch. (that said, quick-time-vents can go screw themselves. They are bad gaming. Don't do it anymore. Please. They're just press space to win, but more frequently, and during scenes I'd probably enjoy more if they WERE video.)
Another note, as an aside, is mandatory minigames. They suck. Minigames are cool, its something to do other than the same ol' same ol,' but the problem is that they also require a skill that the player isn't necessarily going to have, or even want. That is, when I boot up an RPG, my thoughts don't wander to "Y'know, this game could use more RACING SIM, or BOXING GAME, or FOOTBALL, or WIN THIS CARD TOURNEY." See... if you had all of those in the game as options, that would be pretty cool.... but if you HAVE to become an expert at them to progress... well you've interrupted our regularly scheduled boxing match with an impromptu hockey game. No one expects or even wants that. Both end with bloody players, but in the end you paid for boxing and had to sit through a bunch of ice skating.
Minigames should be one of two things... Integrated with the game proper so they become a feature, (and not just a RECURRING minigame, but actually something you do during the normal gameplay) or they should be optional.
FF7's bike chase is a classic mandatory minigame... and much as I love it, I hated it the first time, because I couldn't clear it and move on with the game, because my health which carried over from the minigame, was dangerously low for the immediate boss fight thereafter. It was excellent player-involved storytelling, but it was terrible gameplay execution.
The bike race in Chrono Trigger isn't really HARD, but it is long, sort of boring, and you need to be pretty careful at the end and can still lose if you happen to be in the wrong part of ping-pong acceleration mechanics which sort of haphazardly push one character in front of the other.
Its somewhat satisfying to win the race, but I'd say its more satisfying because you don't have to walk and hear Johnny be an ass to you, rather than you feel like you accomplished anything.
Now, while it is mandatory to do it at least once, you can walk across the map after.... except that you're actually punished for doing so, by placing large numbers of enemies with large amounts of health in your way. No matter what you do to pass through this one area, the game is determined to punish you for still playing.
Anyway, it isn't the "easy mode" that makes the game worse, its taking away control from the player.
That's my longwinded feeling.
I like a game that can be fully experienced on any difficulty, but at the same time I don't like it when a game tries to shove hints and ridiculous powerups in my face so I'll "JUST HURRY UP AND FINISH THE AREA ALREADY."
I'm that weird sort of gamer who can play a game well enough without cheating, but gets little to no satisfaction from it because the real challenge isn't in breaking minor rules like "use this powerup for this type of puzzle" but in fact breaking the laws of physics by "using the powerup that was removed from the game."
I'm the type of person who creates my own difficulty curve as I like. If I feel like a challenge, I change a few values and make things harder. In some games in fact I've even decided that having party members is a serious crutch, and then removed all their data from the savegame, making it a truly solo crawl.
(You'd be surprised how much unbalanced difficulty a solo Ayla run of CT is. It all seems fine when you start out at level 15 with a healing move... but then you realize you have to find a way to cheese magical enemies without actually having magic...)
I'm ALSO the kind of gamer who loads up a game on any difficulty and plays through with infinite stats on all characters because I only feel like witnessing the story.
Of course in newer games all of these things are increasingly difficult to do because the hacking itself as well as the method behind it are harder to come by, AND the fact that modern games have only about a tenth (1/10) of the content older games had, meaning there's really less to do no matter what difficulty you choose, make, or are stuck with.
Easy mode doesn't cripple a game, easy GAMES cripple themselves. Even when all it is is stat modding, easy and hard modes add to the experience of the game.
However, my opinion of difficulty mode controlled -content- is a bit difficult.
I don't like being punished, and denied content, simply because I'm not NEShard-core. (Likewise, not everything can be cheated). I like having more content, but I don't like it being locked away behind a wall of some kind.
Making a unique story for HELL mode on a game is cool, but it may as well be the same thing as making a unique story for expensive DLC... Neither HELL mode nor paid DLC are worth the time and effort. That is, the ends don't justify the means.
One thing people forget is that a game can have incredibly fun gameplay, WITHOUT difficulty in the traditional sense. Some action RPGs are fun to play not because they're hard or the plot is great (which the ones I'm thinking of do have entertaining plots, but anyway) the combat system itself is fun.
Even when you cannot. Literally. CAN. NOT... lose a battle, it is still fun in these games. Because you ARE in control, and you ARE doing really cool things.
Super Press Space to Win Adventure probably isn't very fun. It isn't because it isn't hard enough... its because you don't really have any control over what happens.
Control is why we play. We want to DO, not just watch. (that said, quick-time-vents can go screw themselves. They are bad gaming. Don't do it anymore. Please. They're just press space to win, but more frequently, and during scenes I'd probably enjoy more if they WERE video.)
Another note, as an aside, is mandatory minigames. They suck. Minigames are cool, its something to do other than the same ol' same ol,' but the problem is that they also require a skill that the player isn't necessarily going to have, or even want. That is, when I boot up an RPG, my thoughts don't wander to "Y'know, this game could use more RACING SIM, or BOXING GAME, or FOOTBALL, or WIN THIS CARD TOURNEY." See... if you had all of those in the game as options, that would be pretty cool.... but if you HAVE to become an expert at them to progress... well you've interrupted our regularly scheduled boxing match with an impromptu hockey game. No one expects or even wants that. Both end with bloody players, but in the end you paid for boxing and had to sit through a bunch of ice skating.
Minigames should be one of two things... Integrated with the game proper so they become a feature, (and not just a RECURRING minigame, but actually something you do during the normal gameplay) or they should be optional.
FF7's bike chase is a classic mandatory minigame... and much as I love it, I hated it the first time, because I couldn't clear it and move on with the game, because my health which carried over from the minigame, was dangerously low for the immediate boss fight thereafter. It was excellent player-involved storytelling, but it was terrible gameplay execution.
The bike race in Chrono Trigger isn't really HARD, but it is long, sort of boring, and you need to be pretty careful at the end and can still lose if you happen to be in the wrong part of ping-pong acceleration mechanics which sort of haphazardly push one character in front of the other.
Its somewhat satisfying to win the race, but I'd say its more satisfying because you don't have to walk and hear Johnny be an ass to you, rather than you feel like you accomplished anything.
Now, while it is mandatory to do it at least once, you can walk across the map after.... except that you're actually punished for doing so, by placing large numbers of enemies with large amounts of health in your way. No matter what you do to pass through this one area, the game is determined to punish you for still playing.
Anyway, it isn't the "easy mode" that makes the game worse, its taking away control from the player.
That's my longwinded feeling.
10
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: The long night is upon us
« on: January 13, 2014, 12:46:09 pm »Most importantly, abandon your swear-filled apathy and believe in a better future. It's what Crono, Marle, and Lucca would do.
Not to derail, but I rather think they'd drop what they were doing and shape the future with their own hands, no matter who or what got in their way...
And doing that would put us at odds with the series creators.
Not only would they create new things, but also change what was already there to get to the end of their goals. ("This future sucks, lets change the natural order of things.")
So using the example of Crono, Marle, and Lucca, and what they would be doing to end the drought of Chrono games... they'd be doing exactly what Squeenix has time and time again threatened us to not do.
There are basically two ways to ensure a Chrono filled future...
We can take the Trigger example and execute a huge hostile takeover of the Chrono IP, (which none of us have the money for) or,
we take the Cross example, and act as a Prometheus circuit to Squeenix's FATE and begin making unauthorized works under their noses, and not getting caught.
Neither of these examples are to Squeenix's benefit, but likewise they are the only ways to be certain that the series has not died already.
In the long night, we are the only company we can expect to have, and its up to us to decide what to do with our time. Some paths lead to destruction, others to salvation, but none are immediately known to us.
Its not as simple for us to just do the Crono thing. Hope isn't what saved them, but its the safe thing we can do.
Would you like to save the game_
Y/N
11
Other Topics and the Prerelease / Re: Extrapolations for Chrono Break
« on: January 10, 2014, 01:45:46 am »
When I think of "break" I imagine all the temporal entropy that must be generated by time travel and dimension crossing...
I mean, if you think about it, the universe has a specific amount of matter and energy at all times, which can neither be created (added) nor destroyed (removed) yet that is exactly what CT and CC are all about.
Take for instance, the simple wooden sword, (of if you prefer, the legendary wolf-lobe sword
) when it is removed from the present, the universe becomes smaller, which should have a cascade effect on the future, decreasing the lifespan thereof.
If perchance the sword is brought to the past, and left there, an even worse problem is created, of the universe having too much matter and energy, or in effect, too much net entropy.
Simply having items displaced from their proper timeline in any way creates a paradox of the entropy being doubled or cancelled. It all becomes okay again once the object returns to its proper point in time, because the equation balances.
The Chrono Break serves to solve the problem generated by permanently displaced items (which threaten all of space-time, even if not immediately... much like a being existing outside of time and space threatened once to -eat- time.)
All of the devices thusfar have been used to save someone and in general theory were originally designed to skew, balance, or re-balance something in time and space.
Or to put it in simple terms:
Time travel and dimension crossing of any kind cause wounds on the skin of universal physics, similar in effect to the time devourer, or Serge's paradox. The Chrono Break would be something to suture the universe, and nullify the impending omniverse-cide created by good people with good intentions.
The biggest disasters always start with good intentions.
And who do we have unaccounted for, wandering throughout time and multi-space?
Well there's Magus, then there's the White-dress Schala Kid Zeal... They're still doin' their universe dooming thing at the end of their games.
Anyway, that's my musings.
I mean, if you think about it, the universe has a specific amount of matter and energy at all times, which can neither be created (added) nor destroyed (removed) yet that is exactly what CT and CC are all about.
Take for instance, the simple wooden sword, (of if you prefer, the legendary wolf-lobe sword
) when it is removed from the present, the universe becomes smaller, which should have a cascade effect on the future, decreasing the lifespan thereof.If perchance the sword is brought to the past, and left there, an even worse problem is created, of the universe having too much matter and energy, or in effect, too much net entropy.
Simply having items displaced from their proper timeline in any way creates a paradox of the entropy being doubled or cancelled. It all becomes okay again once the object returns to its proper point in time, because the equation balances.
The Chrono Break serves to solve the problem generated by permanently displaced items (which threaten all of space-time, even if not immediately... much like a being existing outside of time and space threatened once to -eat- time.)
All of the devices thusfar have been used to save someone and in general theory were originally designed to skew, balance, or re-balance something in time and space.
Or to put it in simple terms:
Time travel and dimension crossing of any kind cause wounds on the skin of universal physics, similar in effect to the time devourer, or Serge's paradox. The Chrono Break would be something to suture the universe, and nullify the impending omniverse-cide created by good people with good intentions.
The biggest disasters always start with good intentions.
And who do we have unaccounted for, wandering throughout time and multi-space?
Well there's Magus, then there's the White-dress Schala Kid Zeal... They're still doin' their universe dooming thing at the end of their games.
Anyway, that's my musings.
12
Submissions / Re: Chrono Trigger: Legacy of the Masamune (Working title)
« on: July 19, 2012, 12:31:44 am »
I've seen silent protagonist successfully done in a movie once... sadly the movie itself eludes me.
I remember thinking it was brilliant how they managed to get all the dialogue away from the character without making it obvious...
Point is, it CAN work, but it will be extremely difficult.
I remember thinking it was brilliant how they managed to get all the dialogue away from the character without making it obvious...
Point is, it CAN work, but it will be extremely difficult.
13
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: If I am correct ( Chrono Brake/ Break expiration date)
« on: July 19, 2012, 12:26:07 am »
Yeah, I'll never get over the MML3 travesty... and honestly I think they only started on it to appease Inafune-san... when he left they cancelled it first thing... Japan's business industry has to be the closest thing to hell on earth.
still though, it's obvious they want the name for something, otherwise they wouldn't keep reserving it. If I can piss even ONE GUY in Squenix's dev office off, I want that chance.
still though, it's obvious they want the name for something, otherwise they wouldn't keep reserving it. If I can piss even ONE GUY in Squenix's dev office off, I want that chance.
14
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: So, are the bonus endings supposed to be semi-canon?
« on: July 18, 2012, 04:07:14 pm »
Age has nothing to do with monarchy. You can be queen at 12 so long as you're married to an eligible male...
And besides that, the presence of a chancellor points to the fact that they may not actually be running the country at all. They're figureheads on the throne while someone else acts in their interest.
Just being a king or queen doesn't mean you're worth anything really.
And besides that, the presence of a chancellor points to the fact that they may not actually be running the country at all. They're figureheads on the throne while someone else acts in their interest.
Just being a king or queen doesn't mean you're worth anything really.
15
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: If I am correct ( Chrono Brake/ Break expiration date)
« on: July 18, 2012, 04:03:52 pm »
That's not the point. The point is to do more than simply act like mosquitoes with a bunch of pointless petitions they never take notice of.
They'll take notice of someone buying what has been their intellectual property for the past what, 10, almost 20 years now?.. right out from under their noses.
They'll take notice of someone buying what has been their intellectual property for the past what, 10, almost 20 years now?.. right out from under their noses.