Chrono Cross Newbie

1) My element levels never go above 3, how can I have more? Also, since the grid gets bigger as you go through the game and you can place spells on higher spots for + effects, does it really matter whether you actively use an element like with materia in FF7 in order to improve it or not at all?

2) How come I can't assign Consumable Elements to empty spots in the grid for use during battle?

3) How do you see in a store if the weapon you're trying to build is better than your current one before purchasing it?

4) I understand that using elements of opposite colors against an opponent are more powerful. I just don't get the circle in the upper left. Why is there green in the middle of the circle if my character is white and the enemy is strictly yellow? If the circle is fully green (which is supposed to make attacks of that color more powerful) would that hold true against a green enemy?!

1) I don't know what you mean by 'your elemental level never goes above 3'. You can put spells on higher levels for + affects but bewary of how you do this. Cure is a level 1 or 2 spell so putting at anything above that will make it more powerful. HOWEVER a spell like Inferno is a level 5 spell and if you put it at anything lower then the spell will be weaker. It also does not matter how much you use a spell because it will never get strong by more uses.

2) Same way you assign any other spell

3) There are not many weapons in the game so odds are that the weapon you are trying to build is better than whatever you have. I am not sure if there is a way but I think there are only 7 weapons you can buy through out the game. A good way to tell is if the materials you find in treasure chests(like bronze) is in the name of your weapon. If you are finding that material in treasure boxes and your weapon doesn't have that material in the name then a new weapon is most likely stronger.

4) That oval thing is for the field effect. All green will make green spells more powerful as well as green based enemies more powerful. At the same time since yellow is opposite green, yellow spells and enemies get weaker. It isn't a very significant change though. To summon spells the field effect must all be one color(the color of the summon). Also the field changes according to the spells cast. Example: Yellow was cast, then green and then blue. The field oval would have blue in the middle then green around the blue and yellow on the outside. If black is cast next then the field would change to black, blue, green. Enemy spells also affect the field.

Maybe people can elaborate more on the shopping but thats the jist of it all.

Thanks! That was very helpful.

What I mean with the 1st question is how do you actually gain higher element levels?

EDIT: Also, I have HP replenishing elements (Heal and Cure) on two different chracters, yet now using the option to use non-consumable elements after battle to heal no longer works. I didn't use either of those in battle. Shouldn't they be replenished in every battle and thus available after the fight as long as you didn't use them during it?

If you want to use non-consumable Cure spells after battle...

1: you shouldn't have used em during this battle

2: your element-lvl at the end of the battle have to be equal or even higher to your Cure-Element level...
in other words: if Serge's ele-lvl after a battle is on lvl.1, you're able to use Cure Spells you put into his lvl.1 grid (like Cure or Heal-1), but you're NOT able to use lvl.2 grid cure-spells (like Heal, RecoverAll etc...)

I hope you get what I'm talkin about...

I see. Thanks!