How would I change the Chrono games to make them better? This is a question I have become rather obsessed with in recent years. They are two of the greatest games ever made, and yet they can still be so much more. This question is the foundation of all of my fan-fiction work, in fact. Here are the most important changes I would make, in addition to what other posters have already mentioned:
#1: Give Crono and Serge fully developed personalities
Mute heroes are so 1990's. They're old hat - an RPG cliche' that would be the subject of ridicule if introduced in a modern game. All we could learn about these characters was what little we could discern from how other characters reacted to them. Wouldn't it be better for the story if these characters radiated a life of their own? How much more might we learn about the hero's companions if we saw and heard his reactions to them? The concept of "you are the character" doesn't lend itself well to an ensemble cast - which Chrono Trigger definitely is.
#2: Lose the Conservation of Time Theorem
Obviously, this rule was made up for gameplay purposes. There could be no more than three player characters on screen at once. From a story perspective, this is extremely limiting. I mean, are the benchwarmers at The End of Time supposed to just twiddle their thumbs waiting to be called on? Yawn! We can easily get around the three-man party dynamic by introducing a character-swap system similar to what was used in Final Fantasy X. You can also create plot devices to split up the party at certain points of the story to develop particular characters.
#3: Show us the future we are trying to save
Any new Chrono Trigger should explore 1999, or the years leading up to it, in some depth. It's not just a question of why should we care. Exploring the future is important because it will give us more insight into the characters witnessing that future. In fact, it should be a major part of the overall story.
#4: Develop the world more fully
Why is Guardia so important? That question was never really addressed in the original game. It took a dedicated group of fans to expand on the world's history and create the character Cedric Guardia. The world of the year 1000 should also be expanded on to give us a clearer view of how Crono, Marle, and Lucca look at life. Is everything really peaceful? Or is there conflict brewing under the surface?
#5: Give Marle more to do
A lot of fans dislike Marle because she comes off as little more than a spoiled princess who happens to be Crono's love interest. She needs to be more than that. A lot more. Giving her more opportunities to be heroic will go a long way toward accomplishing this.
#6: Develop Lucca the most
Most of us consider Lucca to be the emotional core of the party. A lot of that has to do with her eventual role in the events leading up to Chrono Cross, but her actions in Trigger also speak volumes. She has the makings of being the main protagonist, and perhaps she should be in the story's later half. There's something about this lovable geek that just screams heroine.
#7: Focus on the relationships
In all things Chrono, I have a simple rule: If you don't laugh or cry, there's something wrong. CT and CC have heart, and the core of that heart are the relationships between the characters. We all know the relationships of Crono and Marle, Lucca and Robo, Glenn and Cyrus, Ayla and Kino, Schala and Janus, and Serge and Kid. A new Chrono should see even more relationships - including ones you might not expect.
#8: Give us the chance for a happy ending
Thanks to Chrono Cross, things didn't end well for the Chrono Trigger crew. But who says that future has been set in stone? Does the future refuse to change? Maybe something will happen that will make it possible to save everyone and reunite Serge and Kid. Don't they deserve it?
