What if?... and this is a big IF...

[Vice Nebulosa]

Its not too difficult to write a story that could place a quiet and utterly aloof main character. Geddoe from Suikoden 3 is a prime example of how to do it well. He hides several major secrets and his involvement in the events from his own team. Even by the end of the game, its obvious he still hasn't told all he could really tell. The Manga adaption makes his mystique even greater.

Not familiar with it. It seems to me that only/best way for such a thing to work with a character like Magus would be to have the spotlight periodically roam away from him, thus allowing others to become the protagonists in his stead. I am still somewhat opposed to the idea of Magus having "his own game" (despite the suggestive wording in my previous comments, all I am looking for is Janus' greater involvement), and am wary of the concept of his being "the protagonist".

The main Chrono series (Radical Dreamers operated a bit differently) has historically gone with the storytelling vessel of a "silent protagonist representing the player". Now, granted, this style is of questionable effectiveness, as there are few opportunities in either Trigger or Cross to make decisions that represent one's own "personality", and it might be problematic to implement the system in a fully voice-acted title, but it works remarkably well in other ways. While the sense that one is "speaking" through one's own persona is never present, the fact that all dialogue is offered by other characters does allow for a unique writing style (major characters in Cross speak clearly, about themselves or about something, without carrying on prolonged conversations with "you", because they lack input). Magus as "the protagonist" would disrupt this pattern, and furthermore be very "un-Magus-like"; it would need to be done exceptionally well to work for me.

I highly doubt we would see Magus droning on about how much he misses Schala or all he needed was a hug or some bull plot twist about a father figure who magically appears in flashbacks to give some better understanding on how Magus is purely a "victim".

God, one hopes not. :yuck: But then, who expected that Sephiroth's Advent Children ambitions could be expressed in ten words or less?

To do it right, I see Magus as more about action and little talking. I can also see him joining forces with he old CT team on occasion for his own reasons. Obviously, he will help Ayla and Robo in their scenarios cause he needs Balthazar.

He needs Belthasar why, again?

The story would be more about his actions than his comments.

Oh, certainly, but the Chrono series has always maintained a certain enforced ignorance by having the player represented by an in-game vessel who is more a watcher than a participant, thus making the sudden actions of characters like Magus totally unpredictable (because so many details are unknown to us). To actively control Magus, however, we would either need to know what is going on in his head (bad idea for any scenario developer to attempt this), or simply be another uninformed watcher without an in-game vessel, which in itself would be very "un-Chrono-like".

I only see him showing any sign of emotion when dealing with Schala or Kid directly; and only if its to protect her.

Indeed. And about that . . . there are two very different versions of Magus from which a hypothetical Chrono Brake could derive its own Magus -- that of Chrono Trigger, and that of Radical Dreamers. The former was the indomitable, ruthless Janus we know and behold with awe (), and the latter was a considerably more regal, playful presence who showed genuine dedication to his allies. Here is hoping that they remain true to the man's original, self-obsessed roots . . .

We still have no idea who the "entity" is, ( My theory is Schala)

Whoa, hold on. That is a hell of an interesting theory (it would involve Schala manipulating not only the whole of Chrono Trigger, but her own merge with Lavos to become the Time Devourer, a personal hell she must have had a damned fine reason to endure); could you explain that further?

If that isn't good enough, its Magus... All we need is a McGuffin (probably some piece of the Mammon Machine still glowing with a bit of "Lavos juice" or even just a remnant of Lavos himself similar to the Frozen Flame) and Magus could theoretically use his vast knowledge and power to rip a hole in time with it.

Oh, totally.

There is also the possibility of Balthazar or Gasper trying to get in touch with him. Oddly enough, he knows all the right people.

Well put, actually (referring to the wording of those sentences as much as the content; just worked well; make of it what you will <_< >_>).

I think it would be fun. I happen to enjoy what little of Radical Dreamers I have read and I would love to see Magus protecting Kid from the shadows under the guise of a new facade.

They should certainly drop the "mysterious masked gentleman" persona by this time, though; Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross both attempted it to some extent, and methinks it is time for Magus to adopt something more appropriately . . . sinister.

The funny thing about this is that everyone wants to make it. Kato, Mitsuda, Sakeguchi, most of the "Dream Team" wants to make it. Only Yuiji Horii has expressed no interest. SE is the other hold-up. The SE VP remarked it would come if people bought more The real problem I feel is that most of the Dream Team doesn't work for SE anymore and the one who does has no real interest. Yet most are freelance so they could hire them. I feel the CC team at least has a good chance of being reformed for a sequel.

Mm. What concerns me is Enix itself; my confidence in it to allow such a project to develop unhindered by its bizarre business priorities is virtually nonexistent. 'Soft and Enix are extremely disparate entities; whether something of the scope of a third Chrono title can properly grow in such climes remains to be seen. And, frankly, I would rather not see the result of failure in this.