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Messages - Rocky

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1
QuizUp is a really fun and free trivia game that pits you against a random person in the world, within any number of topics - from TV shows to books to video games, etc. It already has topics on more mainstream stuff like Mario and Zelda, but also on some more obscure solo games. Chrono Trigger isn't currently one, so I just offered it as a suggestion on the suggestion page. Basically topics get made once enough people vote for them to exist (up to 3 votes per person per suggested topic).

So I just thought I'd mention that here, for any who happen to play that game. If you'd care to put some votes in for it, this is the link:

http://suggestions.quizup.com/forums/242990-topic-suggestions/suggestions/6936819-chrono-trigger

If nobody here plays that, then never mind, and sorry for wasting your time.  :) Just thought it would be fun to have some CT trivia in the game.

2
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Your "Chrono" collection?
« on: August 18, 2014, 01:14:36 am »
Okay, here's my collection. Tried to squeeze it all in (laid out on the floor), so the shot is panned out, enough to possibly make it tough to see everything clearly. But it's good enough. A few things I'd forgotten about in my last post, mostly music-related:

- Chrono Trigger Original Soundtrack
- Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack
- Chrono Trigger: The Brink of Time CD
- Chrono Cross: Music Selection CD (bonus included with Chrono Cross game)
- Chrono Trigger piano score book (learned to play about 5 tracks in the last year)
- Chrono Cross piano score book (learned about 5 of these, too)
- Cinema Anthology CD (compilation containing all the CT and CC cut scene videos from the games - made by Custom DVD Creations)

Oh, and I even still have the receipts from my purchases of CT in 1996 and CC in 2000, so I included them in the photo, too, 'cause why not?

I believe that's everything. I tried to attach the photo, but it kept saying "413 Request Entity Too Large" - not sure why, since it was only 2.7 MB, and the max allowed is 6 MB. So I'll just include a link to it. If anyone knows why it won't let me attach it, let me know.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f241/rocky2418/ChronoCollection_zpsd3d7d422.jpg

3
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Your "Chrono" collection?
« on: August 15, 2014, 09:57:55 pm »
Wow, ayabrea, sweet collection!  :o

You said to mention it if anyone knew of anything not in that picture. Several years ago, I bought a Radical Dreamers music box on ebay, for $100 or $150. (I ended up selling it after a few years, to get some money. It sold for over $400, so I didn't really regret it, awesome though the thing was.) Here's what it looks like:

http://csd.varlew.net/cc/ccmerch/ccorgbg.jpg

Maybe you already knew about it, but just thought I'd mention it in case you didn't.

As for my personal collection . . . I don't have a digital camera on me right now - should tomorrow, though - but I'll just list what I have. (It certainly pales in comparison to your pic, but that's kind of a given, heh.)

- SNES copy of Chrono Trigger, complete with box and everything with it, bought in '96 (played to death, but still working; I now use the Wii VC to play it, though)
- Chrono Cross, purchased on launch day, complete with everything
- DS copy of Chrono Trigger, with everything
- promo CC clock (now broken, though - I used it for a LONG time)
- Nintendo player's guide for CT (had for about as long as the SNES game)
- all 5 CT Formation Arts figurines, proudly on display
- Marle keychain, currently on my everyday keychain
- red Chrono wall clock, in use
- 4 different fan-made CT t-shirts (one is of the campfire scene, for example), purchased recently and worn regularly
- 1 CC t-shirt (Serge and Kid), which I've had for probably 12 years, and still wear

I also used to have the Serge Kotobukiya statue that's in your picture, for a long time, but eventually sold it.

I think that's everything. I'll try to get a picture of it all, soon, just for fun.

4
Yeah, that is quite interesting.  I haven't played any other Mana games, I don't think, but I've played through SoM many times - and to be honest, I had always noticed the similarities in looks between Crono & Marle and... well, Boy & Girl.  :)  To me, the SoM ones just seemed like less interesting, dumbed down versions - both in appearance and in character development.  So yeah, interesting to learn there's a reason why they have similar design.

5
Yeah, giving them to Marle and Lucca is purely for show.  That said, all 5 of the other characters naturally reach ** in power by the time they reach level **.  (So I personally do give them to the girls.)  Hence, Power Tabs are the least useful of the three - by far.  Yet they're the only one you can get an infinite supply of in one playthrough (via the Tubster method you already mentioned).  Go figure.

6
I had no intention to dig out this topic, but I just came across a fairly short article that echoed my feelings expressed in this topic; so I thought I could avoid unnecessarily starting a new topic.

Here a few quotes from the article:

"People are upset with Chrono Cross because it is a departure, in every single conceivable way, from the beloved journey of Crono, Marle, and Lucca."  (After listing some of the ways, he adds...)  "Oh, right: And all the characters from Chrono Trigger are either confirmed dead, believed to be dead, or just plain missing from the story..."

"What does this scene, which takes place in Lucca’s house from Chrono Trigger, tell us about its sequel as a whole? Everything burns.

"Everything burns. Remember that uplifting quest from the previous game? It only takes one fluke in time’s flow to undo all your efforts."

"There is no scene more telling of the nature of how Chrono Cross operates than the entire Dead Sea sequence... Even Johnny, the futuristic robot that never did any harm, could not be spared. Seriously, the plot of Cross is ruthless when it comes to denying or taking away things, people, or places that the player once held dear."

"But there is honestly no greater sense of loss than when Lynx approaches a lone, fallen bell in the middle of the screen that reads 1000 AD, Nadia’s Bell, May our prayers for peace ring on for eternity."

"Beyond all the artistic integrity of Chrono Trigger, it offered implicit messages of hope through the actions of Crono and his friends. But Chrono Cross is in stark contrast of this notion: Miguel’s point of view, when stripped down, is very explicit, in your face philosophy that amounts to nihilism at best... Everything burns. And according to Miguel, we are all Prisoners of Fate."

"Chrono Cross is truly the darkness to counter Chrono Trigger’s light... Chrono Trigger ended on an ultimately happy note…but because of the way Chrono Cross ends, the player is more likely to take away its darkest moments than its resolution that offers a peek at light once again."

"Essentially, Chrono Cross embodies hopelessness."

The full article can be found here: http://operationrainfall.com/analyzing-the-chrono-games/2/

(I certainly don't agree with his theory on Miguel's identity, but I agreed with the rest.)

He admits, near the beginning, that Chrono Cross is a fine game in its own rights - a sentiment that I, too, can yield to.  Rather, the clear point of the article is that Chrono Cross was pretty much the opposite of Chrono Trigger.  So if Chrono Trigger is my all-time favorite game, and I especially love the positive spirit exuded by the group of friends, then wouldn't it only be logical that I would find Chrono Cross very unenjoyable, since its core theme is just the opposite of that?

I know I already expressed nearly the same thing.  I just stumbled upon this while searching for Chrono Cross pics, and wanted to share it, since it was in line with what I'd already said.

Oh, and he ended by attaching a YouTube video - the Chrono track from the Symphonic Fantasies concert/CD.  He said that from 9:13 - 12:30, they fittingly melded "Prisoners of Fate" with "To Far Away Times."  What better contrast of hopelessness and hopefulness could there be, eh?

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Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Re: Order of events in CC
« on: October 24, 2012, 02:28:43 am »
it's possible to have both Tears and access to the Falls and still not be able to combine them into the Chrono Cross.

Yes.  I think I inadvertently found that out, in one of my first playthroughs long ago.  I remember actually putting both tears on the pedestals, it started to make a sound, but then it died out and Serge was forced to take them back.  Like I said, it's been a long time, so I may be not be remembering it fully.  But that's what I recall.

8
Yes, that's correct.  Whenever she hits ** in magic (whether it's at level 40 or 50 or whatever), she is permanently at the one and only max for magic power.

9
I recently lost my laptop, and had to replace it.  Among the many things that were lost were my Chrono folders with pictures, quotes, etc.  I originally got them over a decade ago, to use in a web site I created in college (which I also still had, until losing the laptop).  So I came here first, looking to replace the pictures.  The CT ones were easy, as this site has every scene picture there is - and in a very good size.  However, there's a lot more out there for CC, since it has beautiful FMVs.  Pretty much all of my favorite pics from that game come from them.

So I went to the Official Art section here, and the Scenes section had some of the ones I had, like Kid, Harle, and the Frozen Flame.  But there were more I had that I'm hoping to find.  Doing a general internet search, I found some, but very small in size.  Here's an example of two I'd like to find in a better size and quality - they're my favorite for Serge and Lynx, what I'd choose as their main pictures:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gh1-SxRMzgk/TKo32tko2YI/AAAAAAAAAE4/N3SIdY0GgAY/s1600/serge_cc.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q6_k0MU_cjg/TC4VZkB9-pI/AAAAAAAAAU8/Yq4YeH6CTl4/s1600/lynx.jpg

The Serge one seems to be less prevalent than other Serge ones; and the picture of Lynx looking back in the burning orphanage is all over the place, while the one in the link is harder to find.  Oh, and that Lynx one is an okay size, but I was hoping for one closer to a laptop screen size, to use as one of many backgrounds.  Likewise, some of the ones at this site - like the Kid one - were a little small for me (as opposed to some of the CT ones, which were insanely huge), so I was able to find a larger one.  It's tougher with some of these more obscure ones.

So, I thought I'd ask if anyone knows a place (or places) to look for other CC pics, and at a larger pixel size.  Thanks in advance for any help.

10
Yeah, I was fortunate to have seen the Water Dragon Isle scene on my first playthrough back in 2000.  I saved Kid - couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't.  :)  However, I unintentionally skipped the Razzly rescue.  I just didn't even find that area while going through the Marshes, instead happening to go in the direction of the Hydra right off the bat.  I didn't even know, for a long time, that the WDI scene could be missed.  That it can it be is a dumb programming decision.

And I don't actually hate Leena, either.  I suppose it goes back to the issue of face time (with so many characters), and the need for a counter-intuitive choice in order to recruit "Another" her (turning down Kid, with no way of knowing that you'll get another chance for her - not on the first time anyway).  So, the only sure time you'll spend with her ("Home" her) is right at the start, when she orders Serge around and seems a bit superficial with the great importance she places on this Dragon Scale fad.

As I've often said before, the least likable character in Trigger can still be very likable - because you get to learn about and see a lot of all of them.  When your attention is inevitably divided by so many faces in Cross, you might only catch a glimpse of a lot of them, and just one glimpse probably won't be enough to make you care about them.  That's just how it is for me anyway.

11
Yes, the accent system is a joke to me.  It sounds ridiculous, and is yet another way in which it tries to be nothing like CT.

I liked that idea of copying the fetch quest later in the game, to prove you're really Serge.  That's pretty ingenious, and I would've enjoyed it.

Yeah, Leena is an extremely bossy brat, and there's nothing substantial between her and Serge, IMO.  However, I personally felt like there was something to the Serge/Kid relationship.  I agree that it didn't make sense to let the player choose to turn her away time and again.  I mean, she's extremely central to the story.  As for the nature of their relationship... Yeah, it's definitely a rocky dynamic, but to me it didn't feel like Kid treated Serge like he was inferior, as it felt with Leena.  It was different, maybe more like they were equals or something, even during the moments of anger.  I guess it's like the occasional TV romances that are filled with bickering and banter, like Sam and Diane on Cheers.  Anyway, I thought their scenes on Water Dragon Isle, by the bed in Guldove (when she's sick), and outside the burning orphanage, etc., showed some meaningful moments between them.  (And digressing back to the start of this post... Yeah, the accent detracts from what's going on a bit too much...)

12
I haven't played Xenogears.  I actually started FF7 with a friend of mine about...2 or 3 years ago.  Due to his life getting busier and the frustratingly disjointed translation job, we stopped playing in the middle of it.  (I later learned that there is a version with a far better translation, so I would play that one if I ever tried it again.)

I actually kind of liked the game, overall.  It's funny - the reason I even grew interest in and started it in the first place was that I watched the movie sequel (Advent Children, right?).  And though the movie was okay, what piqued my interest was the 20-minute or so summary of the game, using in-game footage.  I don't know, it just stuck with me.

From what I did play of the game, the aspects I liked the most were the ones it had more in common with CT than CC - mainly, a smaller intimate group of characters, and a story that was interesting yet also easy enough to grasp and follow.  What I wasn't crazy about was the fairly frequent bizarre and distracting sections of the game.  And as for the "spirit" of the game...dunno, somewhere between CT and CC - I guess closer to CC.

In Chrono Cross, I most enjoyed the Serge & Kid storyline - again, an intimate relationship between characters that have a lot of face time.  So whatever the game, those are the things that stick with me.

13
Quote
no extra dialogue, no extra story, no other changes at all) the game wouldn't necessarily be better, but you can bet your ass it would have been better received by hardcore CT fans

Though I would prefer the changes, I'd have to say that with no other changes, I still wouldn't receive the game very well at all.  Those changes would be basically superficial to me.  I can be okay with new characters, and a new visual style.  It was the incredibly different feel and spirit of the game that turned me off to it.  So with those still there, within the same story...nah, not for me.

14
Wow, those are some bold and plentiful changes.  I like most of them - not surprisingly - even if most wouldn't.

15
Quote
I actually like that aspect about it. Not so much the depressing part, but how complex the storyline is.

And that's a great demonstration of each of us having unique preferences.  I enjoy stories more on the simple side (or more specifically, not difficult to grasp), and you enjoy them complex.  So both types have a place in stories.

Quote
But, of all the games I've played, Chrono Cross is the only one that actually made me think about its plot, confuse me, and seek answers.

That last part is where I got left behind, with regard to CC.  I sought answers to no end, and just never found any that didn't seem to defy unreasonable amounts of logic.

As I've said before - and it was the point I highlighted in the original post - the general mood and game elements found in Chrono Cross are perfectly fine, even if they're not for me.  What leaves me bewildered is that it was the sequel to a game that featured practically none of those things.  A sequel that felt incredibly foreign to my favorite game.  That's all.  It was just a deflating turn of events to me, and so unlikely when it came to subsequent stories in a series.  Oh well - it is what it is, and I'm happy that Chrono Cross is enjoyed by so many.  We all have our favorite.

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