* * * * * 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

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I'd like to join! My first Epic Center game - is there anything I should know?

I've played BoF2 a few times, but never finished. My favorite is BoF3.

So how does this work guys. Is it just kinda friendly comp to see if you can beat it first and help each other along the way? Or is it this week we all plan to get to this point in the game, stop there and next week we go to the next point?

Eh I'll do it. Whether or not I finish is a question but I'll try.

@r_hjort

Its cool man, enjoy your other stuff!

@DapperDave

Awesome! Is Zero going to yell at you for not finishing your super-awesome game?

@SeVeN CDN

No race! I'll put up "goals" that you'll want to hit during the week, not really "challenges" so much as "only play this far." It should run about 8 weeks (possibly 7, I doubt 6, doubt 9). Sooo, pretty much the 2nd thing you said. Just check in after you do it, maybe share some thoughts, what you thought was cool about a certain part, something that bugged you. You can swing in before the week is over too, ask for help, etc. I'll be the DUNGEON MASTER (if you're unfamiliar with the term, thats the guy from Dungeons & Dragons who says what happens, an experienced person with the game so people who are unfamiliar, ie: playing for the first time, are able to go in fresh and experience the game at a good pace without stuff being spoiled. And yes, keep in mind that if you're one of the first guys done in any given week that some folks might still be going, and you don't want to ruin it for them, so you spoiler tags. Like this!

Hope you have a good time, thanks for joining up!

@chrisbg99

Oh, pfffft, you'll TOTALLY finish. You're a machine!!

---


Week 1 will be up in a few minutes..

Put me on the "maybe" list. I don't know if I'll be able to play during the first few weeks, but I may be able to catch up later and go from there. This isn't really the best time for this game, but at the same time, I feel if I don't use an excuse like this to finally play the game then I'll never play it.

WEEK 1 - The Destined Child

Zing zong, lets get this party starteddd!

-1.1 Start your game! Name your guy, he'll be "Ryu" if left blank. Enjoy the title screen in a little bit!
-1.2 With Bow now in your party, you will accept your first job as Rangers. Complete it.
-Fish at fishing spots w/ TreePole (buy Worms) for some easy dough, have Bow in front at Grass spots to Hunt.
-Your Travels will bring you through Mt. Fubi. Proceed through to some Ruins.
-Make sure Ryu is loaded for Bear after going home and back again, because you've got a long, lonely walk ahead.
-1.3 In Coursair, you learn of an awesome Colisseum and a dude named Baba. Seek him out.
-With your new secret alias, head to the Colisseum for an awesome fight. A note about pre-fight stuff next..
-After talking to Augus, you'll be shown to your locker room with a box full of 1000c. After you get this, don't talk to the soldier at all and go deposit all of your money in the bank of Coursair. Go back and talk to the soldier you didn't talk to, and the game will proceed. If you talk to the solider prior, the next sequence will be activated, and when you give your money to Rand, he'd take it all. If you don't have any, you'll still get what he gives you. Hooray for free cash! (Alternatively, you can open the chest after you talk to the Soldier -and- Rand)
-With a foul plot afoot, at crunch time (!!) Ryu will have to decide to SAVE KATT, or simply let her get knocked out.. The choice is yours...save Katt..
-Returns to the Ruins per the game, and Week 1 is complete!

Should be 15 (I THINK) Treasure Chests this Week throughout. I can tell you how many per "Chapter" if you'd like.


No idea how long all of this will take. I'll try to get going on it shortly. As always, first person done (or 2nd, 3rd..), let us know how long it took ya. If this is TOO LONG for someone, let me know. If this is TOO LITTLE for someone, let me know. I'm using a Walkthrough that is broken up into sections; this was 3, and I think we'll do 3 again next week. Also, if my spoiler tags are TOO MUCH / TOO ANNOYING, let me know. I'm not nuts about this first installment myself.

For our new friends, after a Week is complete, do NOT advance the story at all (read: don't go anywhere *NEW*), but you are free to grind and get fat stacks of cash all you want. Might I suggest the fish? Ooooh, Mendy's!


I guess thats it? Good luck out there, and I hope you like the game!!

I might attempt this. I'm working two jobs currently until January 15th, so i don't know how much game time ill have.

(EDIT- Make sure you check Dressers and Shelves! Find a TreePole and an Herb as a little squirt!)


Alright, I'm done with 1.1, and on my way in 1.2. Caught 13 Fish at "the spot" which netted me some dough. Just played less than an hour total, and I've already earned enough money (mostly from the Fish) to upgrade both Weapons. Haven't started on Armor yet, I'll get that next time. Hang around below the town near the Beach / Tent and pounce on the fish when you see it! (Cast REAL short and the fish'll be jumping in your net. Dum-dums.)

Will resume later!

@SeVeN CDN

You can do it, mannn! Just budget your time and everything will be coooool.

Well I finished the week. Took me just shy of 4 hours with grinding and a few game overs.

I keep getting hammered when I enter the ruins. Vicious. I'll try again tonight.

@chrisbg99

Did you fish it up at all? Just spent another hour walking around and banked over 2500 extra after my Weapons / Armor.
(Upgrade to the StickRod whe you can, folks! And I'm carrying 90 worms, CONSTANTLY)

@ludist210

What Lv are you going in at? Walkthrough suggest Lv6. I'm Lv4 right now, just around HomeTown.

@Mr_Mustache

I think Lew is level 4, Bow is level 3. I'll level up a bit and try again...it's not because I can't defeat enemies, it's because they end up coming in groups of 5 leeches (plus other monsters) and I get creamed.

@ludist210

Yeah, the Corpses can do the Slammed move over and over. Thats no fun. Did you get your best Weapons and Armor?

Also, what "setup" do you use? If you go to "Swch," there are some options in there. I do "Scramble" with Bow in the back.

@Mr_Mustache Nah I never yell at anyone for not doing things. Sony might yell at him though, ha ha.

But I'm sure he shall get it finished.

1.2 complete. Took me about another half hour. Not much.

Scored back-to-back 70 SPECIAL attacks w/ Ryu on the Giant Cockroach for the win, haha!
What a machine. Saved in Coursair.

@Zero

You tore him up, Willard-style in the Nuzlocke thread!

I completed all things except returning to the ruins. I did not know about fishing/hunting until I came and read the stuff here.

Overall, so far, very frustrating. I died at least a dozen times in the woods, because there's no good way to stay on top of the ogrebeast/harpy combination. Losing all that dough every time sucked too.

I forgot how much I hate random battles. I miss Earthbound's battle engagement system already.

@Mr_Mustache I did!? Where?!!?!

@TheOldManFromZelda

I was just going to call you. Fishing is the best! Get some wild cassssh.

I'm not up where you are yet, but I've only even had my dude kneeling once (no deaths for anyone..yet). Were you packing optimum equipment or just trying to get through it all?

@Zero

...in the Nuzlocke thread.

Zero said:

I wonder how Dave would feel about having to constrain this to a specific time frame too. He's busy making a super awesome game so he probably has to prioritize that over Pokemon.

Its all like, backhanded/subtle and stuff. Its kinda like you're scolding him? Like he has "BETTER THINGS TO DO."

Well im done laundry almost and cleaned the kitchen. maybe Ill sit down and play this tonight instead of Mario or Zelda. Since I have been working two jobs my poor fiance has been doing most of the house work, so today I figured I would give her a break.

@Mr_Mustache Not sure how you got that from what I said. All I was saying is that I doubt Pokemon is his number 1 priority.