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

[Wolf Kanno]

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.

This is the reason why I felt the short Chapter scenario would work better. It is too easy to smurf up a Magus story, but he's one of the few major characters with an unresolved story and with the exception of Ayla and Frog, we have idea what he may be doing by the time of CC. He has a lot of selling points for a game. Still, I feel the Chapter scenario works better as a story.

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

His ambitions were more interesting in his game and even then I didn't care for it. Moving on...

He needs Belthasar why, again?

For the scenario I am presuming, Magus will need a means to travel through time efficiently. As the only person to build a time traveling device, it stands to reason he may need his help. Magus may have the means to open a Time Gate but I highly doubt he would be able to control where the gate leads to... He can't just be warping in and out of time haphazardly with no direction and no means to create direction. Granted, he would need a break to even find Belthasar but he's due at least one lucky strike...

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 feel having the game be episodic format would lessen the fan outcry. Especially in the story I propose as it is a piece that fills in the blank spots of the story. I doubt it would be called CT2 or CC0, nor would it even have to be called Chrono Break. It would be a story that fills the gaps but not necessarily stand as an individual piece in the Chrono lexicon. Thus I feel its plausible to have a few characters star as some "un-Chrono-like" characters. As long as the plot made sure never to give Chrono or Serge a voice, I feel they could avoid most of the fan ire.

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 . . .

I could see Magus be "softened" by his sister, if he were to watch over her from the shadows but perhaps not to Radical Dreamer's level. Perhaps something in-between. Even this softness itself would be difficult to discern whether he is really being changed or whether its just a clever facade to hide his identity and true motives. That to me would still retain his "Magus-ness"

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?

That will take quite awhile... I'd need to recollect my thoughts as the theory has changed since I originally conceived it. Though I feel CC does help to add some clout to my theory. I may need to start an entire new thread as I wish not to derail this one.

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'll take it as a compliment and call it a day.

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.

As stated above, I feel it would work to have him come across as somewhere in the middle if we were to tell this story. It would not siuffice to alienate one fanbase over another and I feel Magus has the ability to pull off this balancing act rather well.

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.

After you stated this, I regretfully feel I may need to agree with you. Knowing my luck, they will revamp Chrono as a collection of games and stories similar to the disastrous VII Compilation and the Mediocre Ivalice Alliance. I've yet to touch the World of Mana set as I'm afraid to watch a series I loved go down in flames.

Chrono deserves better and I agree that I have little faith in the people of Squenix to pull it off. Even if they got some of the team back, I'm sure Squenix would exploit the hell out of the series.

From what I remember, Dalton's cronies are some of the weakest enemies in the game. Also, there is no way that he would rule Porre without renaming it. He could only be the one to defeat Guardia if Guardia was defeated by "The Empire of Dalton".

There is the chance the citizens of Porre just refer to themselves as their former name cause "The Super Special Awesome Empire of the Totally Bad-ass Emperor Dalton God-King" is too long to say and it would be difficult to even pronounce TSSAEOTTBAEDGK.