Author Topic: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?  (Read 1147 times)

Balroth

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Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« on: November 18, 2018, 12:06:01 am »
Hello!

I just finished Crimson Echoes, and I'm honestly dying to play CC (I have heard of the so many horrible things, no need for warnings)

My question is this, since an "HD Remaster" definitely won't be a thing, emulation is likely. Hence, what do you suggest for the first playthrough?

Like, any "mods" like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kFqUBwTeJk

And with the whole "40+ companions", which companions should I "focus"/stick with?
In CT, it didn't really matter because they are all fleshed out and interact with the story (tbh, I stuck with marle/lucca even to the CE, even though it's not a good party combination)
But in CC, I can imagine a lot of them will barely have meaningful sidequests ( like lucca's mother  :shock: ) or will just reply with generic lines on important moments like boss fights.

btw No Spoilers please, I have intentionally avoided so many spoilers/videos
Although, I may play Radical Dreamers first, because I'm very curious.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2018, 12:55:25 am »
Hi Balroth! Welcome tot he party and welcome to the Compendium!!!

So first off, there's no warning necessary with Chrono Cross. It is a wonderful game in it's own right; just don't look at it like a Chrono Trigger sequel and your expectations will, out of the gate, be considerably lower and will overall do you good. This is a game that takes place in a post-Chrono Trigger world. Much of it will seem foreign and un-Chrono-ish at first, but in time pieces will start to paint an image that ties it back to Chrono Trigger. Loosely. It's moreso a sidequest in the same world rather than a sequel.

As for mods and emulation, you could use a post-processor to help smooth out the lines or adjust saturation (like the video you showed), but I haven't played on PC and can't speak to it. I've only played on emulation via tablet and/or PSP.

Now... As for companions, most can be acquired on a single playthrough. There are two points in the game where you have very minor branching choices that cause a few characters to be blocked off. Without giving spoilers...

1.) There's a point in which you must choose between of of three characters to be your guide to get to a certain location. All three choices are equally fine. I tend to choose Nikki, because his side quests have the biggest impact to me from a narrative perspective. Many others choose Guile because he reminds them of Magus (haha). In all honesty, my advice is to just talk to all three guides first to see their designs and then pick the one you like the most. They each have their own unique scenario, but it's very small and you aren't missing anything by picking one over another. :)

2.) You also have a mid-game branch that ultimately merges back into the main storyline with no impact, so there's no worry here, either. Both branches have three alternate characters and a slightly different scenario. This branch occurs when you CHOOSE TO HELP SAVE SOMEONE OR NOT. I choose NOT to save them (despite my better judgment) simply because the characters in this path are WAY cooler. Night and day difference in how much better the characters are on this branch. No joke.

Also, the cool thing about this game is that once you beat it once, you unlock New Game + and can use a tool to auto-recruit all characters from your previous playthrough, so after three times through the game you can recruit all of the characters in the same game.

Also -- DON'T PLAY RADICAL DREAMERS FIRST. It will spoil some of the big spoilers of Chrono Cross. Chrono Cross is moreso the expanded revision of Radical Dreamers, so I recommend it first. Then you can go back and play Radical Dreamers.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2018, 12:59:01 am by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

Kodokami

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2018, 12:55:38 am »
(Boo, you beat me by 13 seconds!!)

First off, congrats on completing Crimson Echoes! I hope you enjoyed it.

I'd suggest any emulator that can enhance resolution like in the video you linked to. There really aren't many "mods" for Chrono Cross out there, unfortunately.

As for characters to focus on, there's not really a main cast to speak of. They can mostly be interchanged at any time (with the exception of the protagonist, Serge), mainly for their innate "element" and their unique techs. Also, I believe most side quests will be pretty straightforward with you when it requires a certain character.

Do note, it's impossible to recruit every character in one playthrough. Some can be missed. A popular character, Glenn (not Frog from Chrono Trigger), is one of these. In fact, to recruit a number of neat characters, my non-spoiler advice would be to avoid Kid.

If you liked Ayla and her Charm technique, you might want to keep a certain pirate around when you get him. He's one of only two characters in Cross with a similar "steal" tech, and he has quite a fleshed out story as well. Personally one of my favorites. Also, if you don't mind some immersion-breaking but downright hilarious one-liners, keep Pip and/or Poshul.

Ultimately, for your first playthrough, I'd suggest playing with whichever characters you find most interesting, yet don't be afraid to swap them out to try someone new and refreshing.


Finally, enjoy the music. It's wonderful.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2018, 01:01:08 am »
Quote
(Boo, you beat me by 13 seconds!!)

 8)

Quote
He's one of only two characters in Cross with a similar "steal" tech, and he has quite a fleshed out story as well.

I will agree with this, but point out that there are actually three characters with a steal technique. But the third one sucks so much we all pretend that s/he doesn't exist. S/he is pretty much one of the most obnoxious characters in the entire game.

The pirate and the other cool character with steal also have a very productive dual tech.

Razig

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2018, 04:31:02 am »
I would say don't worry about optimizing your party for maximum dialogue. If someone has something important to say, it'll usually be obvious who you're supposed to bring along to trigger the scene. Just sit back and enjoy the story as it unfolds. And re-folds. And ties itself in knots... It's pretty convoluted, is what I'm saying. However, each playthrough makes it a bit easier to grasp, so I would definitely recommend playing it at least twice.

Also, don't worry about optimizing your party for battle. Aside from one or two bosses, the game is extremely easy (although YMMV on who gives you trouble). Consequently, everyone is more or less interchangeable in battle. Just pick whoever seems the most fun to you.

One caveat to the previous point: Pierre is kind of a wimp compared to the other two guides (at least early on—he gets better). If you choose him, you'll only have to fight one battle to get into Viper Manor, but it's a doozy. It's also very easy to recruit Pierre without meaning to, because the process to recruit him just seems like the natural RPG thing to do. So if you don't want him, I'd recommend "locking in" one of the other guides before interacting with Pierre.

Balroth

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2018, 10:00:22 am »
Wow, a lot of feedback! :o

I had no idea that you can't recruit all characters in a singular playthrough, so this sounds interesting. I will note down irl the names you guys mentioned while I play so I don't end up with characters I hate

Thanks for the NG+ tip, I didn't think I would need 2 playthroughs to get the story (makes sense with how convoluted it sounds) but I guess the new characters/branches will make it fun, so I will play it when I have more than 2 days off it seems
Also seems like I won't play Radical Dreamers until then haha (I knew it was spoiler-ish but had no idea it was an "draft" version of CC, I thought its story was more of a Arc 1 of CC)

Thanks guys! Now, to find some time to play  :cry:

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2018, 12:51:21 pm »
Awesome! Stay active and let us know your thoughts before/during/after your playthrough. :D

Balroth

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2018, 02:13:41 pm »
It will take a while until I play it, but will do!  :D

I don't have much time, so I will probably lurk around this site until then as well, there is a lot of interesting content!

Redline57

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2018, 04:49:50 am »
I was not a fan and played it soley because it had the word Chrono in the title. My suggestion is to not have any expectations. Don't consider it a sequel, its not. So consider it a separate game, and let the few Trigger references be a bonus :) As it is with most playstation games, save at every save point!

CptOvaltine

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Re: Optimal Chrono Cross Experience?
« Reply #9 on: December 19, 2018, 05:16:22 am »
Just curious if you ever got around to playing it? I love CC so much almost more than Trigger.  (Braces for extreme beatings)