Chrono Trigger is one of two games that has...

[BROJ]

What is there to be embarrassed about?
It's not embarrassing in any way to be a gamer who has played an uber amount of games - ESPECIALLY true when you think about the reality of the fact that this is a VIDEO GAME FORUM! =P

Fair enough...

[deviant_ambition]

So under your theory, every Final Fantasy ever made after the original for the NES isn't truly a Final Fantasy? o.O

Actually, Final Fantasy's aren't sequels.  Final Fantasy X-2 is a sequel to Final Fantasy X.  The rest is just a lineage of Final Fantasy titles.  ^.^

Chrono Trigger started my RPG career.  I used to rent SNES games from the grocery store.  Mostly Donkey Kong Country 3 and Harvest Moon.  But one day, Harvest Moon was being kept late by some asshole who didn't return it on time.  So I looked for something else to spend my money on ($3 for 3 days, ftw).  I happened upon a box labeled Chrono Trigger.  Read the back, looked cool, so I rented it.  Little did I know, that asshole, and that decision changed my life forever.

Went home, popped it in my SNES, and I was immediately hooked.  Couldn't tell you how many times I've made use of the New Game + feature.  I even bought the Final Fantasy Chronicles even though I owned both Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy II on SNES.

The story, the characters, the music (which I've been whistling for years, and now has become my ringtones [I am not obsessed...I am not obsessed...I am not--oh look, Chrono Trigger!]), have driven me mad over the years.

Another game that changed my life...hmm...Final Fantasy IX.  I've played that one too many times as well.  I'm basically a human strategy guide for both.  Squaresoft's farewell to the PlayStation is lighthearted with a great soundtrack, and goes back to the class system they left years ago.  It even has a thief as the hero (speed ftw).  The characters are very vivid, and it's just so fun to play.

I started up another file on FFIX recently.  Didn't even finish Disc 1.  I started up Chrono Trigger again WHILE playing FFIX.  We know who is daddy's favorite.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

We know who is daddy's favorite.

I officially find d3viant entertaining.  You better NEVER leave the Compendium or I'll find you and make you say more witty things.  I'll keep you locked up in my basement and...

...What?...Oh.  Yeah.

Final Fantasy IX.  I HATED it the first time I played it through.  But then I waited two years or so and gave it another run and I fell in love with it.  It's my favorite of the Final Fantasy's now.  Everytime I go Terra I have to create a second save file because Terra just leaves me feeling...  I dunno.  It's so "pretty" and alien and I just loved it. 

God bless those sweet little Genomes.   *awwwwwwwwwwww*

[placidchap]

Blah to FFIX.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

Bad, placidchap!  Bad!

You're not gonna be placid for much longer...  Why I oughta...

[BROJ]

Blah to FFIX.

meh... Blah to FF{VIII, X, X-2, XI} is more like it...

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

I actually don't have any complaints with any of the Final Fantasy games.  They all were unique in their own way, and I liked them all.  I just happened to like some more than others.

[placidchap]

I actually don't have any complaints with any of the Final Fantasy games.  They all were unique in their own way, and I liked them all.  I just happened to like some more than others.

Yea, true that.  I'm sure if I played 9 again I would like it more, similar to your situation Boo.  But chances of that happening are slim to none.  The older you get the less time for games it seems, with any game time that I going to using game maker 7.0 rather than playing games...

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

The older you get the less time for games it seems...

I understand that.  I'm trying to play through Final Fantasy VI again and it's taking ages because, as an adult, I've got so much other crap to do.

[Anacalius]

The only FFs I can't stand are X-2 and XI (Though XI shouldn't even be counted as an FF, I think).

As for IX, I liked it a lot, but it really doesn't hold a special place in my heart like the previous ones.
As for VIII, I liked the story tons, hated the junction system (Oh, my God, drawing magic gets so old...).
VII = Win all around
VI = My personal favorite - You can NEVER get tired of that one. 

meh... Blah to FF{VIII, X, X-2, XI} is more like it...

I pretty much agree with this (Except more like DAMN FFX-2 and XI), but VIII and IX are good, just not really holding a special place to me over time. I enjoyed them both tons back when they came out, but today... Meh...

[BROJ]

In order:
{FF}
1. Tactics:GREAT GAME--Need I say more...
2. IX:Revived the series.
3. XII: Battle System and storyline are 'leaps and bounds' ahead of the predecessors and the fact that one can go off 'ahead of the game' and not sequence-break the game.
4. VII-Deep storyline for RPGs of the time.
5. V- the difficulty level(SFj) as opposed to previous installments was enthralling, especially when doing a low-level game-- you actually had to THINK(what a concept...)
Anyways back on topic:
Chrono Trigger is one of two games that has a physical metaphor for will(Masamune); the other being Xenogears(Weltall).

[deviant_ambition]

We know who is daddy's favorite.

I officially find d3viant entertaining.  You better NEVER leave the Compendium or I'll find you and make you say more witty things.  I'll keep you locked up in my basement and...

...What?...Oh.  Yeah.

Final Fantasy IX.  I HATED it the first time I played it through.  But then I waited two years or so and gave it another run and I fell in love with it.  It's my favorite of the Final Fantasy's now.  Everytime I go Terra I have to create a second save file because Terra just leaves me feeling...  I dunno.  It's so "pretty" and alien and I just loved it. 

God bless those sweet little Genomes.   *awwwwwwwwwwww*

Ah, the Genomes.  Terra seems like such a nice place to live.  It's like...the opposite of Gaia.  I had a save for that place too...as well as my master file...Damn Master File Memory Card has vanished.  It's the imps next door, I tell ya.  Damn theivin' imps.

FFX was interesting, but it didn't really have a story.  And story really makes up a lot of the replayability for me.  RPGs (at least how I explain them to people) are like a book.  But instead of reading, you become the character.  You take them through the most epic part of their life.  FFX came across as a pop-up book to me.  "Ooh! Pretty! Whoops, all done."

FFXII is just a big (read: HUGE) pain in the ass for me.  My boss has been playing it (nearly maxed out the 250 hour time clock), and still hasn't done everything.  I'm at like 90 hours?  I just get bored.  It really feels like an online game, but the hunts have gotten old. 

1. Fly somewhere around the guy who placed the hunt.
2. Walk all around to get to his area.
3. Talk to him and find the general area of where the hunt is.
4. Walk past where you landed to find it.
5. Kill it in one hit.
6. Walk all the way back to the guy.
7. Get paid in pennies.
8. Walk all the way back to your ship.
9. Fly somewhere around the next guy who placed a hunt.

It's like reading a Lord of the Rings book every time I do a hunt.

[BROJ]

FFXII is just a big (read: HUGE) pain in the ass for me.  My boss has been playing it (nearly maxed out the 250 hour time clock), and still hasn't done everything.  I'm at like 90 hours?  I just get bored.  It really feels like an online game, but the hunts have gotten old. 

1. Fly somewhere around the guy who placed the hunt.
2. Walk all around to get to his area.
3. Talk to him and find the general area of where the hunt is.
4. Walk past where you landed to find it.
5. Kill it in one hit.
6. Walk all the way back to the guy.
7. Get paid in pennies.
8. Walk all the way back to your ship.
9. Fly somewhere around the next guy who placed a hunt.

Something I found very appealing about that game is how the player *has* to change his/her tactics, as well as equipment, spells--damage, heals, buffs, and de-buffs, and whether to use ranged or melee or a mix so often with the hunts--truly an invigorating experience when you're party is *absolutely* wiped out when you go in all cocky ; you're right--it is very diverse game and one of the best I've played in years!  And that's saying something.

[Boo the Gentleman Caller]

I just wish Final Fantasy XII had a stronger plot.  It's there, alright, and clearly if you read the creature information and all that there's a lot more depth to the world of FFXII Ivalice.  I feel like so much information got left out though.

I did like how Vaan was just an average guy, and was only a background player in the true plot of the game (even though he was the "main character".  The story truly belonged to Ashe.

Does that make sense?  You know how for most RPGs your main character is some uber-human with a sordid past, and somehow they themselves are the key to the planet's salvation?  In FFXII the "main" character, Vaan, was just a background player.

[deviant_ambition]

Something I found very appealing about that game is how the player *has* to change his/her tactics, as well as equipment, spells--damage, heals, buffs, and de-buffs, and whether to use ranged or melee or a mix so often with the hunts--truly an invigorating experience when you're party is *absolutely* wiped out when you go in all cocky ; you're right--it is very diverse game and one of the best I've played in years!  And that's saying something.

Certainly, it has a much more realistic setup than other games.  A master swordsman who uses broadswords isn't going to pick up a katana and just stare at it, thinking "wtf? i don't get it at all..."  You can run around with a high-level mage and swing your spear.  I love it.  If you sit there and learn the entire grid, you can do anything.  It truly is a wonder there.  This is probably the biggest plus for the game.

I just wish Final Fantasy XII had a stronger plot.  It's there, alright, and clearly if you read the creature information and all that there's a lot more depth to the world of FFXII Ivalice.  I feel like so much information got left out though.

I did like how Vaan was just an average guy, and was only a background player in the true plot of the game (even though he was the "main character".  The story truly belonged to Ashe.

Does that make sense?  You know how for most RPGs your main character is some uber-human with a sordid past, and somehow they themselves are the key to the planet's salvation?  In FFXII the "main" character, Vaan, was just a background player.

Yeah, that added to the story quite a bit.  Vaan is certainly not my favorite character (read: Balthier + Bash + Ashe = win), but running around as a simple boy on an adventure with the biggest names in history...it's pretty epic.