* * * * * 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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@PogueSquadron

Not sure how far you are, but fighting Deadbeard was a bitch to fight. He actually wiped me out the first time (thanks, Suspend Point!), and the second time I beat him quicker than I expected. Hmm. I opened with selectively unleashing Djinn upon him until I had 4 of each out there, and then I rained heavens upon him. Good for something like 3100 cumulative points of damage. Kept Wish Well going w/ Mia (is that her name? Why doesn't that sound right..) and that worked out well enough.

Whats the deal with Cursed equipment? I bought a Demonic Staff or something in Tolbi, thought "hey, this might be cursed," it was, went to the guy who can un-curse you, but that removes your equipment. Sooo..completely useless? IF SO, what the heck is up with Crossbone Isle? Nearly EVERYTHING you get in there is Cursed, including the chest that appears after you beat the boss. I know there was a Fairy Ring or something in there that "removes curse's effect" or something, but I only have one of those. Help?


Not sure which Djinn I'm missing. Only have 2 to go (a Fire -- not Torch -- and a Wind).

I remember hypothesizing that each character effectively has a permanent djinn of their element, for the purpose of determining their class and ability-pool. I also remembering sinking at least 10 extra hours into the final dungeon trying to find the kikuichimonji (and not finding it)

The Fairy Ring (which you get in the puzzle room with the three blue doors and one red door) acts as an elixir in battle, allowing someone to equip Cursed Items without penalty. They might be the only person who can equip those things.

@PogueSquadron

Sooo..what is the ideal Cursed Equipment setup? Do you just sell the rest? Total bummer! Why would they do that??

Correction - the Cleric's Ring lets you equipped Cursed equipment. The Fairy Ring just gives you a free Restore I think (so kind of useless).

I think the general consensus is to give Garet the Cleric's ring and either the Demon Axe or Wicked Mace. Isaac gets a better weapon anyway and the others can't equip the Muramasa or the Demon Axe anyway.

Basically I guess one person can use some cursed equipment, which renders the other equipment useless. I'd hold off on it, who knows. Unless you really need inventory space I would hold onto any cursed equipment. Maybe you could use it in the next game? I'm not sure.

It should be noted that the cursed items have different unleashing effects, which could be why some prefer one over the others.

@PogueSquadron

*sigh*, I'm pretty sure I cleared out the whole Cave. I don't remember a Cleric's Ring. I suspended right outside, so I can go back inside no problem.

I think the Demonic Mace (not the Wicked Mace) from Tolbi paralyzed Mia or something. They don't all paralyze? If someone is getting poisoned, that might be a side effect I could live with. Do you give Garet the Demon Mail, too?

And yes, I'm totally in need of inventory space, haha. I don't know what to do. I spent a lot of time at the 'ol Tolbi Games, and got some Boots and Undershirts. Maybe I'm carrying some Lucky Medals or something right now. I CAN tell you that when I went to get the Demon Mail, they said "but everyone's pockets were full so they put it back," and I S'd my pants. Haha, no problem though, I just moved something and opened it again. Solid.

I think you get it in the room with the Dragon Statue.

There are some good artifacts to get in Lalivero. I don't know what you get in the Venus lighthouse but I think at the very least, Isaac's best weapon is there.

Also be sure to do both paths in the Tunnel Ruins. I think you can get some sweet armor that way. If only getting from place to place wasn't a huge pain in the ass. For what it's worth, I think once you're between Suhalla and Lalivero, you really shouldn't need to go back much except if you missed a Djinn, since most of the best equipment in the game is in this area anyway.

@PogueSquadron

I'll try to get a list on here tonight of the two I'm Djinn missing (for asky help!). I don't know if they're included with the four you put up there.

Well as a reminder there's one in Crossbone Isle, and one in Suhalla Desert. There's also one in Lalivero and one in Babi Lighthouse - I think both are kind of hard to miss.

@PogueSquadron

I may not have got to Lalivero yet, I think I got the Babi Lighthouse one. I'll check later tonight (via name cross-reference).

The Babi lighthouse one sticks out like a sore thumb. So much that I took it for granted and forgot to get it entirely haha.

edit: Finished it up last night. Not nearly as hard as I remember the end being, but I'm not sure if I did the Crossbone Isle stuff on my first playthrough.

All in all, I have mixed feelings about this game. It obviously looks and sounds awesome. My main gripes are:

1.) It takes forever to get anywhere
2.) The game isn't very clear about where you're supposed to go sometimes
3.) It's WAY too talky
4.) It feels like it's only half of a longer game, with the "good part of the story" residing more in the second half.
5.) Torn on the story. Will explain if Lost Age ever comes out

@PogueSquadron

Hey, good job! Wish more people played along with us, but what can ya do? Sorry, bud.

Conked out last night, I'll get those missing Djinn up tonight! I'm sure at least one of them are beyond where I am currently, so I'll run into him. I don't know if it was the Babi one yet. Dig it.

Yeah I'd say get the last Djinn and take it to the house. The lighthouse that is. I'm sure we can pick bits about armors and stuff but IMO the only thing you'd really be kicking yourself for is missing Djinn.

Djinn collection:
Fire- Forge, Fever, Corona, Scorch, Ember, Flash (so I AM missing Torch??..hmm)
Wind- Gust, Breeze, Zephyr, Smog, Kite, Squall (so I AM missing Luff?? CONFUSING.)

Weirdness is afoot.

Thankfully they're both pretty easy to get, and both of them are on your way back to Venus Lighthouse. If you haven't, you can take the path through the Tunnel Ruins you haven't taken.

@PogueSquadron

I'll be picking up from outside of the Crossbone Isle dungeon, taking a Pink Tornado back to the desert, and progressing from there. Tunnel Ruins, have I been there before? I think I'm confused about that, or don't know what you're talking about. Have I been there yet? I'm thinking of Tolbi stuff. This game blends together a bit for me.

Speaking on what you mentioned earlier, yeah, I can't believe that the ability to WARP never showed up, haha! What is this?! They were doing it back in Dragon Warrior, c'mon Golden Sun!

@Mr_Mustache I thought you did the Tunnel Ruins already? Maybe not. Head to Babi's Lighthouse north of Lalivero and you'll be on your way. This will be the final part of the game, and home to your last two Djinn (which would explain why you didn't get them yet. I thought you had been there already). It's confusing because of how the Venus Lighthouse is laid out. As you probably have already figured out, you can't really progress through the Venus Lighthouse yet (but you can progress in there enough to grab the Carry Psynergy).

@PogueSquadron

I have Carry already, and I went through that..moutainside looking place. I have no idea what I'm doing. Not sure when I'll get around to it. I'll pay more attention to the names of the locations. There were dead or dying people/scholars? all over the place at the lighthouse I was in.

Right. It's important I suppose not to get Babi's Lighthouse confused with the Venus Lighthouse. Unlike the elemental lighthouses, Babi's Lighthouse is basically an ACTUAL lighthouse - he had it built not only to help ships at sea (I think storms were created to shield the civilization of Lumeria) but also to help him FIND Lumeria (since he is running out of the draught that keeps him young).

Babi's Lighthouse (north of Lalivero - it is the last place you can walk to on the map in that region- is the one with all of the dying soldiers. Saturos and Manardi etc passed through on their way to the Venus Lighthouse, which is only accessible through the ruins connecting Babi's Lighthouse to the Venus Lighthouse(you've no doubt noticed that the Final part of the Venus Lighthouse is only accessible from the tunnel ruins). Babi's Lighthouse was built on top of these ruins, either on purpose or by accident. I think it was on purpose so the researchers could study Psynergy or something. Babi's people back in Tolbi talk about Kraden's help in their research, so he may have had something to do with it as well.

It's a little confusing but the basic idea is that you can do a little bit of the Venus Lighthouse from the main entrance, but the final part of it is only accessible through the ruins from the north.

@PogueSquadron

Confusing is an understatement. Once I get those Djinn, I'll worry a little less.

Tonight or tomororw, probably.