Dialogue Enhancements Commentary Thread (old)

[Kyronea]

Two alterations I have a problem with:

1. {Queen Zeal}: Come forth, children of this world! I shall lure{line break}
you into the heart of Lavos' slumber...into an enternal{line break}
nightmare!{full break}

I really preferred the black dream to nightmare, because it sounds more poetic, and the nightmare part makes Lavos sound evil, when the whole point is that he's not evil: he just has his own wills and desires to live, same as everyone else. That's part of the new intent to my altered story, to remove the trappings of good and evil and turn it into something much more resembling that of reality: many different shades of grey.

2.  Again I ask you, why do you wish to destroy me? Why do
you wish to destroy your "god"?{full break}

My only complaint with this line is Lavos referring to himself as their god, when the only society that ever called him that was Zeal, and he merely used them to further his own desires. Lavos is not stupid; he knows none of the party would even think to call him a god, so why would he pull that line out of nowhere? He's trying to get them to stop so he can survive. Yes, he thinks he's a superior life form, but he's not that full of himself. He doesn't think of himself as a god. Now, he does think of himself as ageless--NOT immortal. It's a big distinction, because he recognizes his mortality when it comes to being destroyed, but he cannot die from old age, which is where he keeps getting his lines about lasting for eternity from. He's actually somewhat desparate when he tries to stop them because he knows in a fair fight he might not actually win. That's part of why, at the end of both sets of dialogue prior to the fights, he blabs about the natural order, because he recognizes that's how life works. I know this might seem like extrapolation, but these impressions will be supplimented in various pieces of dialogue, the books, and other stuff throughout the game, to expand on what he is.

Other than that, it's fine with me.

[Zakyrus]

1. Black Dream is fine.

2. Lavos aiding ateast some amount in evolution. Those in Heckran Caves considered him a god, deity, or those that didn't know of Lavos's true origin thought of it as a supernatural idol so to speak. "god" is quoted by Lavos because Lavos doesn't consider himself as a god at all but is implying that other various races and radicals practically worship him as one. (Sorry, if I didn't put a footnote explaing this)

[Kyronea]

Ah...I see...that definitely makes more sense. It also makes him seem a bit cynical, which I suppose any sentient planet-destroying life form would be...okay. We may have to rework it ever so slightly so this isn't misunderstood, but it's fine.

So, other than that, how does the Lavos dialogue sound?

[Zakyrus]

That's really good actually. For the Lavos thing, we just need to have more references throught the game by NPCs and books and stuff (especially in Medina) about "Lavos worship". Making Heckran Caves "a shrine dedicated to the almighty Lavos" was a good idea.

[Kyronea]

Aye. No worries there; I fully intend to focus on that when I get to those bits. But first, the sidequest dialogue, unless you need me to script some animations for the various new scenes I've yet to fully script animations for.

Speaking of that, were you able to finish up to Magus' Castle?

[Zakyrus]

Ok. Work on the Sidequest stuff. Then work on all the NPC stuff, (we need lots of new NPCs to enrich the game -- everyone's text should upgrade as events change) After NPCs are done through the whole game (including sidequests), take a break (as it will take me a while to fit get that far) Once I get all that imported, we will see how much room we have left for brand new sidequests. I want more areas in Pre-historic and Last Village for sure (because I feel we were ripped off in those areas) then we'll add the Cleft of Dimensions if we have room after that.

As for getting up to Magus... I may have it done sometime tonight... I am multi-tasking right now.

[Zakyrus]

...and if we *really* have room, we'll add even more sidequests for all eras and even the towns (using the method I said before) -- though it would be a while for this stuff.

[Kyronea]

Understood. I'll get to work immediately. Luckily, the sidequests shouldn't take me all that long...in terms of dialogue there's not anywhere near as much. I think the only scenes that will take me a while are the Fiona's Forest scene(where I intend, among other things, to have them speak of the Black Omen and why it exists--I see it as existing for Lavos to build power to take them out, since they are quite the threat, and will have them speak accordingly--and the Robo flashback scene, which is still in the process of forming since I haven't given it much thought while working on the storyline dialogue. So...probably a few days to a week and I'll have them all done.

I do think that when it comes to adding anything sidequest wise, it should focus on Ayla first in terms of her having a sidequest, since she was shafted, and the Cleft of Dimensions later since that alone will take a LOT of various set up here and there, and the other bits are more important to fleshing out what is already there. I doubt we'll have too much of a problem fitting it all in, but, as you said once before, enhance the old before the Nu.

Don't stress about getting it done really fast, Zakyrus. Take it easy...you've been working so hard on this that you need a bit of a break. I was merely curious, and apologize if it seemed like I was pressuring.

[Zakyrus]

Yeah. Ok. Ok. I don't have alot of middle ages stuff done yet. Magus's Castle is almost a direct version of the Japanese script only cleaned up (I haven't got to Magus's castle yet -- though the old script I have does work very well) I'll post it later.

an example is:

Dance..{delay 04}DANCE!{delay 04}
For tonight our god is to be born!{null}

Ah, here comes the live sacrifice to the
almightly Lavos!{null}


Ayla has the Valley of Giants quest stuff. Which of the sidequests I intend to add first. Those areas will be pretty big unto themselves, with level 75 monsters.
The Cleft of Dimensions comes later but that for Crono's lack of quest (and I don't consider getting him back a quest for him.... it's instead a quest for him.)

[Kyronea]

So, in other words, the Cleft of Dimensions is intended to work as Crono's sidequest...in that case we might want to mess with it a bit so we can integrate some of the original ideas we had for the Denadoro Mountains in 1000 A.D. into it, so we don't overburden the game. I love extra areas as much as anyone, but given that with Chrono Trigger all sidequests involve fleshing out a character rather than just being there for the hell of it a la the GF research facility containing Bahamut and Ultima Weapon in Final Fantasy VIII--as one mere example--I only want to add what will enhance the story, really, when it comes to new areas. Anything that doesn't enhance the story or the characters should not be considered, at least until everything we are doing to enhance them is put into place. (Things like the changed Millennial Fair are an exception, since they're more minigames and the like than actual extra areas.)

[Zakyrus]

Ok, Denadoro Mts 1000 A.D. will not be accessable until level 82 atleast. There will be a gate somewhere in there that leads to the Cleft of Dimensions?

By the way; NPC stuff:

Masamune's Dreamstone made Masa, Mune, & Doreen

Chrono Trigger made Spekkio (Old Man at the End of Time)
 -- I think the Chrono Trigger was made of dreamstone or atleast had dreamstone in it. So the Old Man (Gaspar) holding it, could have dreamed up the area around him as well as Spekkio.

??? made Bekkler (I have NO idea) 

Pendant made Deitus

Oracle - The White Oracle (a white cat) is very connected to the secrets of the knowledge of the timeline. Probably made from the process of schala meditating with mammon machine for the very first time (that is before you even get to Zeal -- meaning that when the Mammon Machine is still in Zeal Palace not the Ocean one!)

We could have other dream species aswell, created by other Zealeans aswell. Was there anything anyone else but Schala & the Gurus, could have made? Ayla clearly can not make anything due to the limited intellect so her holding the dreamstone did nil for her. Though she is very intuitive with mother earth.

[Kyronea]

The Dream Species is something I'd rather not mess with, creating new species wise, with the exception of a certain individual that we've already agreed upon.

That said, I certainly don't see why no one else could create a member of the Dream Species...after all, Turnip is a member and he is dreamed up by a Porrean soldier.

For what made Bekkler...given that Balthasar worked with the Mammon Machine, the Ocean Palace, and so much more than involved Dreamstone--Dreamstone may even be what is powering the Epoch--there's more than enough to account for how Balthasar created Bekkler. Maybe Bekkler was meant as a playful discrationary type person that helped keep Balthasar from losing himself in his work.

As for Denadoro in 1000 A.D....that actually might work well with how we access the Cleft of Dimensions...if we combine it properly we could keep Denadoro as well as integrate everything into Crono's sidequestish type thing.

I don't know what this Oracle character you've created is supposed to be and I don't see why we need it unless it's meant as an NPC somewhere that just blabs about random knowledge and is not considered essential to anything.

[Zakyrus]

I don't know what this Oracle character you've created is supposed to be and I don't see why we need it unless it's meant as an NPC somewhere that just blabs about random knowledge and is not considered essential to anything.

Think of it as useful as the poyozo doll that asks you if you believe in fate. Speaking of the poyozo, I wouldn't doubt that  thing is alive, it seems pretty sentient to me.

[Kyronea]

Ah, okay...in that case so long as it isn't assigned any real importance and is just like the Poyozo doll in Enhasa, then it's fine with me.

[Zakyrus]

Ah, okay...in that case so long as it isn't assigned any real importance and is just like the Poyozo doll in Enhasa, then it's fine with me.

Heh. Alfador could be a dream species for all we know.