Chrono Trigger Holiday Challenge

[Marilink]

From the maker of the FFV Four Job Fiesta, comes the Chrono Trigger Holiday Challenge! Yes, I know it’s not the holidays anymore, but it goes until MARCH 21 (or however long you want it to).

http://fourjobfiesta.com/cthc/

This one is not nearly so involved as the FJF, and should be a lot easier as well as more laid back. Here’s how to participate via Twitter:

1. Register by sending #regcthc to Gilgabot.
2. Use your assigned characters when you can. Sometimes you can't. Do your best. This just a little game. For fun!
3. Send a picture of your #ctvictory to Gilgabot when you are done.
4. Send any questions to revenantkioku.

Gilgabot’s Twitter handle is @FFVForFutures

Or, if you want to participate here without going to Twitter, I can do some RNG dice rolling for you. Just let me know.

Paging the usual suspects— @Valigarmander @smol Kat @ScottyMcGee @Microphone_Kirby

And some people that like Chrono Trigger, I think - @е и ժ е я , @Cravdraa

CTHC UPDATE
ML - Chrono, Lucca, Magus - The Millennial Fair

[Valigarmander]

Looks neat, especially if you end up with a trio of characters you would rarely use together. I'll take a look at this on my weekend.

[Marilink]

I've started my run already, because I've already been putting this off for a while. Obviously, not much is going to be different until the latter half of the game, since you only have 3-4 characters available to you until, like, Zeal. Still, Crono and Lucca are going to be pretty beefy by the time the midgame comes around.

CTHC UPDATE
ML - Chrono, Lucca, Magus - Homecoming
Val - ??, ??, ?? - ??

[ScottyMcGee]

Pretty busy these days doing some personal projects so I'll pass. But thanks anyway. I'd be totally up for it during the actual holiday later this year if people still do it.

[smol Kat]

OOH MAYBE I'll take a look at this in a bit. Wonder if that retrobot site does seeds for this. If not I could probably slap together a (crappy) script or sth

EDIT: retrobravery does not currently generate seeds for this. I'll find a way #twittersucks :P
EDIT 2: lol just saw you were willing to do RNG but honestly I need to practice scripting whenever I can so, yeah, gonna slap together a crappy script haha

[Marilink]

I mean there are only 7 characters, so assigning values of party members to 1 through 7 shouldn’t be too much work

[Valigarmander]

I went ahead and rolled for myself. Marle, Lucca, and Ayla.

aww yeahhhhh

[smol Kat]

I mean there are only 7 characters, so assigning values of party members to 1 through 7 shouldn’t be too much work

this is true <,<

[Marilink]

I went ahead and rolled for myself. Marle, Lucca, and Ayla.

aww yeahhhhh

That’s a very suspicious roll imo

Had my first instance of “not normally how I do this part” in my first trip to the Future. Usually I take Marle into the Derelict Factory, but Lucca had to be my 3rd this time around. I think I actually liked it better.

CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - The Rare Red Rock
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Millennial Fair
Kat - ??? - ???

[Valigarmander]

^ Yeah, I knew right away it would raise some eyebrows.

I could always reroll if you guys DON'T TRUST ME

[Valigarmander]

Well, I went ahead and started. I made it to the Cathedral. It'll be a while before I'm able to get my party together, but in the meantime I can at least think about my strategy.

I know how my core party is going to function. Marle will be support (with offensive Ice magic when appropriate), Lucca will be offensive tech, and Ayla will be the physical powerhouse. Marle's healing abilities (Aura, Cure, Life) make her the obvious medic, while Haste will be important in reducing the time between Lucca and Ayla's attacks. Lucca has a lot of powerful Fire magic, and she'll probably be the secondary damage dealer after Ayla. Protect might be a useful buff in a few situations as well. Ayla will obviously be the main fighter. She only has two techs I'm interested in: Charm, which will allow me to steal items, and Dino Tail, which I can use when Ayla's health is low to deal massive damage.

Marle and Lucca will have access to the Antipode dual techs, which will give me powerful Shadow-elemental attacks if I ever need them. Unfortunately I don't see a lot of use in any of Ayla's dual techs. Interestingly, my party will allow me to use the hidden triple tech PoyozoDance via the White Rock item. I might try it out for **** and giggles since the item is dropped by a mandatory Black Omen boss, but I doubt it'll be worth the accessory space I'd have to sacrifice to use it.

Marle and Lucca's regular attacks apparently don't factor in Power, so I guess that means Ayla will be getting all of the Power Tabs. Magic Tabs I'll probably divide between Marle and Lucca; Speed Tabs I'm not sure yet, but I'll probably either spread them evenly among the three or give them to whoever is the slowest at any given time.

I will definitely be doing the Sun Stone and Rainbow Shell side quests. I think I'll skip the Ozzie, Fiona, Geno Dome, and Cyrus quests since they don't have much if anything to offer my party.


CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - The Rare Red Rock
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Queen is Gone
Kat - ??? - ???

[Marilink]

Good call, I didn't think to share my strategy.

I was somewhat disappointed with my roll because I wanted some characters I don't use as often--particularly, I was hoping for a Crono-less roll. But then I realized that this is going to be a very fun and challenging party.

The obvious challenge with my party of Crono, Magus, and Lucca is that I have no healer. Like...none. This is the only possible party combination that has absolutely no healing tech, except for Life. The biggest shift in style for me is the lack of Marle. When it comes to Chrono Trigger, my end-game party is practically guaranteed to be Crono, Marle, and a third rotating spot. Not the case this time around.

So I'll have to stock up on items, a lot. Which means I'm gonna have to go out of my way to get items and weapons from Chests as much as I possibly can so that all of my G can go toward purchasing Lapises, various Potions, and things of that nature.

Now of course, the obvious strength of my party is that we will be dealing damage like crazy. Crono is getting all Strength capsules for sure. Lucca will be receiving all Magic and Speed Capsules until Magus joins the party, then we'll see how stats are looking from there. As much as I love using Luminaire in regular runs, I think my Gold Earrings will have to go to Lucca and Magus to maximize all damage output and so that I can save Crono's MP for Life.

I've already had my first Game Over, actually. (Haven't had one of those in Chrono Trigger for a while!) I usually don't worry about being item-stocked when entering Magus's castle, but Crono/Lucca/Frog has basically no healing potential. During the Slash fight, I ran out of Mid Potions, and Slurp was just not keeping up. RIP. Gotta go back and re-stock before going back in.

CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - The Masamune
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Queen is Gone
Kat - ??? - ???

[Valigarmander]

^ Ah, I didn't realize you have no healer. That'll definitely make for an interesting run.

[smol Kat]

Masamune's as far as I've ever gotten (I always start the game and forget that I am playing whoops) so...wow, you're making good time

[Marilink]

Got stuck at church for a few hours with nothing to do last night--had everything prepared, and I just needed to be in the building while a baby shower was happening--so I got some real solid CT time in last night.

Slash was by far the hardest boss in Magus's castle, but I realized all-too-late that Frog was very close to learning Heal...and I just needed to grind TP a little to make that fight a whole lot easier than I did. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Flea and Magus were very challenging, but I did get them first try. This game is so good at making the bosses just the right level for you as you approach them. It's very hard to be underleveled or overleveled in Chrono Trigger.

So now I'm...well, I'm almost done with the game. Storming the Undersea Palace very soon. Trying to decide what sidequests I'm going for. I'm absolutely required to resurrect Crono because of my party roll. Since that's the case, I'll probably do both the Sun Stone and Rainbow Shell sidequests. I might as well do Ozzie's Fortress too. By that point, I can't imagine I'll have any equipment or leveling issues to take on Lavos, especially if I decide to do the Black Omen. (Though usually I just crash the Epoch into him. We'll see.)

CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - What Lies Beyond
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Queen is Gone

[Valigarmander]

Played a bunch this weekend, finished the Reptite Lair. Not a lot happening yet, though at least I got to give Ayla all the Power Tabs I was saving for her.

CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - What Lies Beyond
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Masamune!

[Marilink]

Side-quested here and there over the last few days. I've done basically everything but Frog's and Robo's. I've got the Rainbow, the Prism Specs, the Prismatic Dress, the Doom Sickle...I'm ready to go.

These end-game bosses haven't been giving me too much trouble, since Fire Sword II, Flare, Luminaire, and Frenzy (Confuse) are just obliterating things. With the Rainbow and Prism Specs, Crono is dealing about 2200 damage with one Frenzy/Confuse. It's a sight to behold.

Probably the toughest boss at this point, as usual, was Son of Sun, just because the entire fight is so random and frustrating. But naturally, Red Mail and Taban Suit make it a lot more manageable, but no less frustrating. I'm glad I don't speedrun this game, or else he'd make me want to tear my hair out.

As is my custom, I'm going to forego the Black Omen and just crash the Epoch into Lavos. I'm just about ready to do it, once I get a solid block of time to dedicate to the final gauntlet.

CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - The Fated Hour
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Masamune!

[Marilink]

I did the thing.

Crono level 42, Lucca level 43, Magus level 42. Completion time of 11:23.

I Game Over'd on Lavos 2 twice, but with some planning and healthy use of Elixirs, I was able to make it happen.

One of the more intense Lavos battles I've had, since I was actually pretty under-leveled. But man, was it fun. I love this game.

I'm contemplating doing another roll, since I've been having so much fun with this. Maybe getting my time down a little, I dunno. But right now, I'm satisfied to let it sit for a while.

CTHC Update
ML - Crono, Lucca, Magus - Complete!
Val - Marle, Lucca, Ayla - The Masamune!

[smol Kat]

Finally rolled! My results are...

Magus
Lucca
Chrono

Will try to stream for a bit tonight, methinks--ideally starting at 8 EST and going for an hour or two (so not a repeat of last night, lol)

[Marilink]

^Hey, that was my party! Buy lots of healing items.

What’s your Twitch page again? I’ll turn that on!