* * * * * Chrono Trigger - Week 5 * * * * *

(Plain English: Scroll down to the bottom of the "OP" if you're lagging behind for previous weeks)


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue:
i Okami Club
ii Fire Emblem Club

Epic Center:
01 Ogre Battle
24 Secret of Mana
39 Phantasy Star IV (cont'd)
67 Earthbound (cont'd)
99 Breath of Fire II (cont'd)
110 Paper Mario (cont'd)
123 Golden Sun (cont'd)
136 Chrono Trigger

(ALL VINTAGE EC GAMES ARE CONTINUED IN THEIR OFFICIAL DISCUSSION THREADS!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Hello, true believers! Welcome to Negative World's newest RPG-centric Club Hub, springing off the heels of the Fire Emblem Club. Way back when, Nintendo Power introduced a monthly walkthrough / in depth Role Play Game section (right around the beefiest SNES RPG era), but since they aren't around anymore to use it, Negative World will bring it out of the ashes, dust it off, and roll with it (two things of note: #1, this is not in reaction to Nintendo Force Magazine at all -- I know that because I thought of it in the shower this morning, so THERE; and #2, I just looked up "Epic Center RPG" on Yahoo, and there is apparently another RPG-based site that has that, ugh. I guess we're looking at a "Ghostbusters" / "Real Ghostbusters" thing now... Whatever..).

For anyone who grew playing SNES RPGs, and were a fan of them, they surely resonated to the point where they still hold office as some of your favorite games of your entire videogame life, systems, generations, and decades later. The NW Epic Center (run primarily by myself, with the aid of some special friends occasionally) will help to expose some of those games that didn't quite get the recognition they deserved, and also to relive some of the greatest games EVER as we play through them again -- together -- and open up a whole new dialogue on these lost treasures.


Next up..



Chrono Trigger is held by many (myself included) as The Greatest RPG of All Time, pun not intended. It is a benchmark title in the genre, and even after 20 years the game is discussed daily and held in high regard, even in the face of juiced-up, HD "masterpieces." Is simpler sometimes better? Sure, but we're not talking "Dragon Warrior" simple here; we're talking 16-bit perfection at its finest. I'm personally a bit worried about pursuing this game once more; it's been a long time since my last jog through it, and I'm afraid I might have the rosiest pair of glasses that any shot of nostalgia could ever produce. We find out later this month, for better or for worse. (C'mon, it's gonna be fine -- we're talking Chrono Trigger here!! THE BEST, JERRY, THE BEST!!)

Sunday, August 30th marks the start of Week 1 (if you prefer to start your own quest AFTER Sunday, like Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, thats fine!). Golden Sun ran 6 Weeks. GameDadGrant will be our DUNGEON MASTER for this one, and we figure the playthrough to run about the same length. Less than two months. I'm told the total quest should last you between 20 and 30 hours.


See ya soon!!


CHRONO TRIGGER

Dungeon Master: GameDadGrant

You Did It! Chrono Trigger Complete:
VofEscaflowne
Scrawnton
Mop it up
Ludist210


Week 4 Complete:
GameDadGrant
mrbiggsly
DapperDave

Week 3 Complete:
Mr_Mustache (and Mrs_Mustache!)

Week 2 Complete:
Smerd
Dark weres
warerare
sirmastersephiroth

Week 1 Complete:
Anand

Triggermen:
HammerLord
Koovaps

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

--------------------------------

Okay, I still haven't started Area 2. I need to stop playing Lufia 2...

@gojira

What are you trying to do? Just use it? Equip it? Simply press 'X' and bring up your menu. Select the little Pouch icon, and it'll bring up your Items. Click on an Item (like Cure, or something; something without an icon); it'll tell you to select a unit, and then it'll tell you to select a character. If you're trying to Equip an item, same deal, and I don't believe you even need to be at base (as I initially though). You definitely don't have to be in a town to use one.

The Unit will be "Slow" when a large character, or too many characters, have died. Think about it; they gotta drag that dude around!

Ogre Battle is a definite step down from 64, no doubt, in nearly every (probably every) aspect, unless you're some sort of Tarot Card freak. Not sure about Ogre Battle 64 being easier with unit management, but it does use that 3x3 grid instead of what we have here.

As you mentioned, some pretty funky units that shouldn't work, do work. Its fun to experiment (and it is encouraged) to find something that really works for you, especially when it is a little off the beaten path. Do it up!

Wow, hold onto that Crown. It is like..the ultimate Item. A Princess allows each character in the unit she is leading to attack AN EXTRA TIME. EVERY TIME. The Amazon you select should have a high INT (and a good name? They'll be a Unit leader foreverrr). I just looked it up, and apparently you should make that Princess ASAP. Look over your people, find your lady with the highest INT, revert them to Amazon, and go from there. Also, with her, you can recruit characters you haven't even encountered yet that can be pretty awesome (later on, after promotions). Congratulations!! The Dragos / Stone of Dragos is for after you promote a Beast Tamer; he has to be a Beast Master, and THEN you use that.

Sounds good, man, glad you're getting your feet under you and encountering some luck, too!

@Pokefreak911

C'mon, Pokefreak!! Get your stuff done on Saturday night and play Lufia all week! I've been bored since Sunday, the only thing I look forward to Ogre Battle-wise is seeing how my buddies are doing..

Oh man, I don't think this game is for me. I can't even get past Scene 2. It's like, I liberate a temple, and then some super-speedy bad-guy flies across the map to the north and takes over my stronghold, and I fail the mission.

I don't know how to stop him, and I've gotten a 'Game Over' about 7 times in a row now. It's getting frustrating and annoying, and I'm not sure my tolerance for this game is going to remain much longer. Especially with a new Fire Emblem game on the horizon...

@GameDadGrant

Are you...deploying other units? You can deploy up to 10. Sounds like you're only using your Lord's / Main unit, which will be a complete disaster every time, constantly (in Fire Emblem terms, you're trying to beat the game ONLY using Ike...before he gets all of his awesome stuff where he is, you know, invincible..). Steve was doing this, too. Pretty sure I explained this stuff up there (grumble grumble), and the game itself explains it to you, too. I'm not being mean, but..do you guys read anything that the City people tell you?? Really, I'm not being mean. I know its easy to go "yeah yeah yeah, A, A, A" and move on.. Unlike other games where the NPC's tell you trash (for the most part), nearly every city (especially early on) is incredibly useful information. It spreads out a bit later where it isn't so important, but the story is fed to you in this manner, too.

Soooo, with that new information; do you have your Save file from BEFORE the first time your lost? I'm guessing your Reputation would be in the crapper if you saved after that.. If it IS rock bottom, all is not lost yet (though it doesn't help). If you DID Save over it, maybe it would be in your best interest to just start over and re-do that first 10 minute stage..

If I wasn't clear about something, I apologize. How can I help?



EDIT- If that IS the problem, and you really don't know:
-As soon as your stage starts, Pause it (Pause / +)
-Hit 'X' (This brings up a menu)
-The first icon is Deploy Unit.
-Pick one.
-Tell it where to go.

Everything else I've typed a billion times. Click the linkos (Week 1, and then A Little Help stuff at the bottom) in the "OP." Treat yourself to the stage-appropriate spoiled-out stuff.

@Mr_Mustache

I knew it was totally obvious I was just doing something wrong. I kept going through the 'A' button menus, not the 'X' button one looking for the items.

I also finished up scene 6 tonight. Deployed my units I want to get action to capture towns and what not. Usually I run into the enemy while doing that. This time it turns out the enemy basically headed straight for my base totally missing the units that need to battle. I worked around it and did well enough. I also found another crown, so that's cool.

@gojira Yeah they kept heading through the mountains for me, bypassing the units I had prepared to deal with the ghosts / skeletons.

But I managed.

Okay, I finished up the lake and forest tonight. The forest went much better. Everything went smoothly with only a few hiccups. Now I just have to squeeze some time in for the next 2 chapters.
It also seems my rep is in the crapper. Not entirely sure why. (well, I used a couple low ALI guys to liberate cities by accident, and I lose a few back to them. that might do it) I was offered an evil item on Pogrom Forest to give to somebody else. I didn't, and just got rid of it. I may have to change a few things.

@Mr_Mustache
It depends on how i'm feeling as well. And as most of gaming is a night, how awake I am.

@Mr_Mustache

Oh! You can deploy more than one group at a time!

That might help me. Thanks, I'll give it a shot!

@gojira

Have you considered buying some lottery tickets? Thats like....ridiculous impossible luck.
--You should use one now, and save one for later.

@Koovaps

If someone gives you something (Toad, right?), its ok. Mrs_Mustache's Rep was like 2/3 when he gave it to her, I guess I must've been *THAT* much better because I didn't get the offer. And yes, Low ALI liberations (possibly called Captures? Those may be in 64 though) will drop your Rep, as well as turning them back over.

@Pokefreak911

Did you play at all last night? I saw you on MiiVerse in the wee hours of this hemisphere's morn!

@GameDadGrant

Yeah dude! Warren hooked you up with some troops after you took him down!

@Mr_Mustache
I didn't play anything last night. Way too hot over here for late night gaming.

Golly, anyone else make progress?? I'm rounding up Week 2 tomorrow myself (along with the Mrs_); I certainly hope others will join us soon as a new Week will make its appearance on Sunday. thats 44 hours, friends! Forever moving forward..


Pokefreak911 said:

@Mr_Mustache
I didn't play anything last night. Way too hot over here for late night gaming.

You guys complain about the weirdest things. Meanwhile, the plows will be out in a few hours to clear our roads of snow..

@Mr_Mustache
It was 42 degrees celsius yesterday!! Do you know how hard it is to do anything in weather like that!!

Done with this week's chapters. That last one was probably the easiest for me. One or two units ran into some trouble, but it overall went pretty well.

@Pokefreak911

42 CELSIUS?! That sounds awesome!! It was 20 FAHRENHEIT here yesterday!
In any event...not much time left! C'mon, Pokefreak, hop to it; Hawk Man style!

@gojira

Good job, brother! See ya soon!

@Mr_Mustache
It's not awesome when you have two fans in the entire house and no air-con.

Hmm... I think I can finish up this week tomorrow.

I really don't know if I can keep up at 4 stages a week in general though! How many total stages are there?

Pokefreak911 said:

@Mr_Mustache
It was 42 degrees celsius yesterday!! Do you know how hard it is to do anything in weather like that!!

It was 45 here yesterday. Begone with you. (I hightailed it to my parents for dinner. Aircon FTW)

And it's freaking 20 degrees today. I'm actually cold. Stupid weather.

@Mr_Mustache

We have fires over here. Like, always. I *wish* it was snowing.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/space-station-engineer-photographs-australian-bushfires-from-space/story-fncynkc6-1226553458564

@Shadowlink
Yeah it is rather cold today. And wow, 45, I would melt in that weather.

Done w/ 7, two gaming days only. Attack the week early, and the rest completes itself. Rad.
Sunday is up soon, woo! Can't wait to do more!

@Zero

Uhh, like 30 max? We'll be doing 3 stages in Week 3, though some have 5 (but some of those are special, and 'you' may not even be able to do them based on your path). Scene 7 was pretty long. I was "grinding" on the Bosses dudes, too (without killing him) for like an hour. I wanted to get a Mage (Lv 10 Wizard, ALI 10-35) and Black Dragon (Lv 7, ALI 0-35), and when the stage started they were around 50 somehow (never had that problem before..I usually had trouble bringing him up from 0, which is near IMPOSSIBLE). I should never have benched Warren. So yeah, I got those guys (and a Demon, hoo-ah!), and I slapped my Undead STAFF on Warren (as a Mage) to bring him up to Sorceror now, too. Just awesome. That group is READY.

@Shadowlink
@Pokefreak911

You guys are wild.