Triggers and Crosses, the wonderful and horrible universe of the Chrono series.

[MeshGearFox]

Glenn's actually kind of middling in terms of stats, you just don't notice it because the game's so easy. But it's a Chrono game so a crippling lack of difficulty is pretty par for course I guess.

[Gen Eric Gui]

Hot damn! Perhaps I'll give it a try once I'm done with FFX. XD

Now, to be completely honest, we're talking about the JRPG genre here.  Outside of SMT games (and even including many of those, given the recent Persona games), pretty much the entire GENRE is very user-friendly and easy to complete.  If we were talking about fighting games or RTS games or anything slightly competetive, you'd have a reason to hunt out the simplest games to start on, but in JRPG land you can pretty much grab anything and go, it's a very simple genre.

To the point where playing one means that you've pretty much played them all. There is VERY little variety in the genre thanks to experiencing no evolution in gameplay mechanics at all.

That may be slightly true within certain series, but to say that "if you've played one you've played them all" is a bold-faced lie.

[Lard]

Hot damn! Perhaps I'll give it a try once I'm done with FFX. XD

Now, to be completely honest, we're talking about the JRPG genre here.  Outside of SMT games (and even including many of those, given the recent Persona games), pretty much the entire GENRE is very user-friendly and easy to complete.  If we were talking about fighting games or RTS games or anything slightly competetive, you'd have a reason to hunt out the simplest games to start on, but in JRPG land you can pretty much grab anything and go, it's a very simple genre.

To the point where playing one means that you've pretty much played them all. There is VERY little variety in the genre thanks to experiencing no evolution in gameplay mechanics at all.

No. Just...no.

You can argue about sameness between a lot of stories and protagonists, especially in the current era, but to say playing one means you've played them all? No.

Grandia is not the same as Suikoden, which is not the same as SMT, which is not the same as Star Ocean, which is not the same as Chrono Cross, which is not the same as Jade Cocoon, which is not the same as Dragon Quest.....

Do I need to go on?

[Archendrus]

JRPGs are still my favorite.  I don't care if they're full of cliches, re-hashed story settings, or linear gameplay.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I see so many games bashed for not being innovative.  A game doesn't need to reinvent the wheel to be good.  In fact, I applaud Japanese developers for "keeping it real" (well, for the most part anyway).  In my opinion bad stuff happens when you start screwin' around with things that are already good.

Unfortunately, "evolution" in gameplay seems to mean more action, more action, and more action.  Which is ruining one of my favorite things about RPGs, that I can fire one up, kick back with a cup of coffee and a pack of smokes, and enjoy the game.   

[MeshGearFox]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It is broke.

[ZeronHitaro]

Just picked up CC the other day and am re-experiencing it. Gotta ask though...is this game supposed to look this horrific on an HD TV? I don't remember it being quite this pixelated or the text being quite unreadable in some areas. Best I can figure is the High Definition TV is making each pixel stand out like a grainy splotch.

[Starmongoose]

Well...yeah. HDTV tends to do that to all the older games.

[ZeronHitaro]

Really? I bought an SNES a while back and played some vintage games on it. The problem I'm having not didn't exist then. Parasite Eve and my Final Fantasy titles don't do this either. Just Chrono Cross. :-/

[Starmongoose]

Maybe I'm mistaken then and only every game I play on my tv is pixilated.

[Uru]

its isnt THAT bad, yeah it was slightly pixelated but then again, almost every psx game was.

[Mickeymac92]

JRPGs are still my favorite.  I don't care if they're full of cliches, re-hashed story settings, or linear gameplay.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I see so many games bashed for not being innovative.  A game doesn't need to reinvent the wheel to be good.  In fact, I applaud Japanese developers for "keeping it real" (well, for the most part anyway).  In my opinion bad stuff happens when you start screwin' around with things that are already good.

Unfortunately, "evolution" in gameplay seems to mean more action, more action, and more action.  Which is ruining one of my favorite things about RPGs, that I can fire one up, kick back with a cup of coffee and a pack of smokes, and enjoy the game.   

Personally, I'd agree and disagree with this in a way. I don't mind the evolution of the genre, as I like it when games try something interesting and unique. I'm not particularly fond of cliches, but I don't mind them too much, either, provided I didn't expect more. I always try to enjoy a game any way I can, though I don't always succeed. I just find it better to judge a game on what it does rather than lament at what it lacks, including whether or not it has change.

With that said, I don't really care for action-RPGs much either. I don't dislike them, but I do prefer Turn-based RPGs, since not only do they not require you to have good reflexes and can be played in a relaxed state, but they also offer more strategy than most action-RPGs. Luckily, I've seen plenty of JRPGs stick to the old turn-based formula. It seems like action-RPGs are mostly popping up on Consoles, which doesn't bother me much since I prefer Portable games, anyways.

...And I can't remember why this conversation came up in the first place.

Anywho, I played Chrono Cross once and I recall it looking pretty pixelated and the text was hard to read, too. It may just be a problem with the game itself. Starmongoose and ZeronHitaro, what kinda TV were you using, as in the Ratio/size/SD-or-HD, etc?

[MeshGearFox]

Most turn-based JRPGs do not offer much strategy.

[Mickeymac92]

Most turn-based JRPGs do not offer much strategy.

More so than I've seen in an action-RPG, at least.

[ZeronHitaro]

Maybe I'm mistaken then and only every game I play on my tv is pixilated.

Lol, lemme elaborate. When I say "pixelated" I don't mean like Disgaea 1, 2, or any NISA game pixelated; I don't mean MSDOS game on a Windows 95 computer pixelated...I mean I can see ever pixel and someone attacked it with a blur tool...twice.

@Mickeymac92: I'm not sure on the whole ratio thing but it's one of the cheaper HD models. Only about I'd say 1 and a half to 2 foot wide screen.

[badsanta]

I actually just finished Chrono Cross for the first time several days ago. The plot was actually just fine; it was complex and a bit confusing while still being comprehensible enough...until a horrendous info-dump at the end. Not only does it further support the game's poor pacing, but some of these 'revelations' came straight out of left field, (Luke, I...am your Father!) and the fact that it's just three...Chrono Trigger kids/apparitions telling us globs of information that all together were worth the length of an essay at the least, instead of all of this information being shown and told at appropriate points throughout the plot, just boggles the mind. But all of that didn't matter in hindsight, when one of these many reveals came to light; everything just feels less...important, (and far less complex and confusing,) now that the real reason as to everything had been happening, had been revealed; a minor loose end from Chrono Trigger. (Schala.)

All in all; neat original plot which certainly had something(s) it was trying to say, marred by poor execution, (and don't get me started on the Dragons part,) and a plot twist right near the end that makes everything that appeared to be so complex, turn out to be in actuality so...simple.