Firstly, someone brought up the idea that Schala's barrier simply stopped the gate from expanding. If that is so, then what if an imp wanted to pass through it? They wouldn't need a large gate. And that's also the same as saying that a being like Lavos wanted to pass through it. They should if they want to.
Uh...maybe because the barrier would work both ways, as most barriers tend to? Just because a brick wall keeps one from exiting a house does not mean one can enter a house through that same brick wall.
But then whats the point of the game making an explicit statement about there having been a GIANT gate in Magus' castle. If the gate opens up proportionally to the people's size, then there would be no point in having different categories of gate magnitudes.
...because it doesn't open up proportionally to people's sizes. You just defeated your own argument by invoking the incident at Magus' Castle. The fact that Gate was larger than normal proves that Gates have a set size, possibly determined by their function and how they are able to continue existing.
Furthermore, gates have a tendency to move people through time, as once you go inside the gate, you're being wooshed in the time steam.
This is evidenced by how in the beginning, you see the time stream pass.
This is also shown in the fact that in the Ocean Palace, the gates appeared underneath Janus and the Guru's and began to carry them away.
Okay, I'm with you here, since you're correct.
Why then does the game show Crono and co stepping inside the gate, then closing it, whilst they're standing in the time stream? Since when is the time stream static enough to let them just stand there.
...yes, because we're always seeing things from the point of view of Crono and friends. It's not possible the camera lingered longer to show the casting of the barrier!
Come on, Zaper, you can't possibly be this stupid about this. Obviously they were wisked through time the instant they stepped through the Gate, as they normally are. We simply did not see it immediately because there was a cutscene we needed to view.
The reason is because it's another gameplay thing. Just how the world doesn't reflect the entire inhabitance, just how Lavos doesn't look that big in his fight, just how Schala's barrier appears in both times (though you can't rule out the fact that she could have blocked the timegate, maybe doing a counter blackhole spell or something).
Not exactly. More like a storyline thing, but you're interpreting the event incorrectly.
Either way, you can't say that gates are seeable.
Visible. Under normal conditions, no, they are not.
When Crono went to 600AD the first time, no gate appeared.
It was there, but Crono could not see it.
The whole reason why we see it later is because Lucca made a gatekey, and for the player, we need to know where the gates are anyway.
Yes...but remember, every single second we have the Gate Key, we can see the Gates. When we don't have the Gate Key, like when it is missing in 65,000,000 B.C., the Gates disappear from sight. This, to me, means that Lucca programmed something into the Gate Key to excite the Gates into existence whenever they step near, allowing them to see the Gates as a visible, though not physical, distortion. It would make sense, as it is just a limited version of what the Gate Key does anyway.
As I was saying, most likely anyone could stand in the spot where the gate is, but for it to actually open up physically or w/e, you need something like a gate key to activate it, just as SolidSnake_8608 said. Otherwise think what the other characters in the game would have tought of a big blue orb just hoving there -.-
What's your point? This is completely and totally obvious. As I keep saying, the Gate Key is used to excite the Gates into revealing themselves. Without it, the distortion is invisble and cannot be interacted with on any level. Even when visible it still cannot be interacted with, unless you exert the full effects of the Gate Key and open it manually. Otherwise Gates would just open up whenever the party stepped near them rather than waiting till the party intentionally touched the Gate.
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