Chrono Trigger Novel Survey

Welcome to the long and overdue, NEW and improved Novel Survey! If you're a veteran supporter of the project, you'll probably remember the old survey that used to exist on the old GeoCities site. In fact, this one is very similar, but has been reworked to provide me with an even deeper insight to the ideas and thoughts of every participating fan. I hope that you will take this survey seriously and that you will enjoy it. Many of the questions are designed to make you think, so please consider them carefully.

If you happen to be new to the story/game of Chrono Trigger, then parts of this survey will likely give some of it away. In that case, you can look all you want, but the only answers that are really going to help me are those that come from people already familiar with the plotline. With that, have fun and answer away!

Note: All links on this page open new windows, so don't worry about losing your answers as you go along.

Name:
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Nickname:

During the course of this survey, you may submit a comment or idea that is particularly insightful or sticks out in a special way. Such a statement may be quoted on a comments page or other place for project use. If such an instance occurs, how do want yourself to be identified?

1. There is no doubt that the novel works best without too many gaming elements such as Techs, items, redundant small battles, HP/MP and the like. Are there any particular items, Techs, weapons, monsters, etc. that you feel should be a part of the novel?

2. In the writing of a novel, the idea of keeping a "silent Crono" is almost unthinkable. How do you feel about added dialogue and involvement for Crono?

3. The game sticks firmly to the premise of using no more than 3 characters at one time throughout the game. I have deemed this to be little more than a game element that was used to simplify Chrono Trigger as a game. If a reasonable method of incorporating it can be devised, do you feel that the story of Chrono Trigger could be enhanced by eliminating the strict 3-character rule? (Note: In answering, don't worry about its relevance to The End of Time.)

4. If you are a longtime fan of the game, then you have probably seen the image/poster depicting Crono, Lucca, and Frog engaging Magus in battle on top of his castle instead of in the dark hall that we see in the game. You can view this image here. In situations where scenes in the game seem to contradict the scenes depicted in Chrono Trigger artwork, should the novel stay true to the game or to the artwork?

5. Chrono Trigger was released in the US in 1995. Within its storyline, the Apocalypse is said to occur in 1999 on the Day of Lavos. We are now in the year 2003, and the novel's release year is indefinite. The technology depicted for the year 1999 in the game is far more advanced, including domes around towns, than our real-life 1999 was. What are your thoughts about this? Do you feel that placing the Apocalypse in a year that has already passed would take away from the story? Should the year 1999 be changed to something later in the future?

6. Chrono Trigger's story offers constant opportunities to add extra scenes, dialogue, and character interactions that can be used to enrich and enhance (not change) the story told in the novel. Do you agree that such additions would be beneficial, if not essential, to the novelization of Chrono Trigger?

7. The Japanese release of Chrono Trigger gives different names for many of the characters and settings than our US version does. A message post at GameFAQs gives a full list of them. Some characters, like Crono's mom, actually had names in the Japanese release. Others, like Crono, had variations in spelling. Still yet, other names were completely different. What are your thoughts about this when thinking of how this should be dealt with in the writing of a novel?

8. The game gives players the opportunity to win the Crono clone in the Millennial Fair's Tent of Horrors throughout the game. There are basically two fitting times in the story for this to take place: During the fair, while Crono is alive and running around with Marle, or after Crono has been killed. Think about this and tell me what time you feel would be best for this to occur in the novel?

9. Many areas of the game (i.e. Guardia Castle, Terra Cave, Enhasa, Kajar, Zeal Palace, etc.) involve speaking with the various individuals scattered about the structure. In the game, this is crucial to gathering clues about what's ahead, but, in the novel, it may seem a bit strange for these people to suddenly blurt out clues about their homelands.
a.) What thoughts do you have about how locals should communicate with Crono and his cohorts?
b.) Would it be better for clues gained in the game through such dialogue to be obtained in a different way in the novel?
c.) How important do you believe it is to include ALL of the extra character dialogue?

a.)
b.)
c.)

10. In a few parts of the story, it may make sense to allow secondary characters to take on temporary active roles (Ian and Jonas of Chapter 4 of the Demo Chapters are perfect examples). How do you feel about allowing secondary characters to have such roles?

11. Like all RPGs, Chrono Trigger incorporates lots of bosses into the storyline. Many of these bosses, such as Nizbel 2, the Black Tyrano, Giga Gaia, Golem Boss, Rust Tyrano, and a few others may seem a bit extreme or unimportant to the plotline. Do you think that boss monsters such as these should or should not be included in the novel and why?

12. Near the start of Magus's Castle, Ozzie tells Crono, Frog, and the others that they'll have to defeat all 100 of the beasts in the castle to get to Magus, as well as Slash and Flea. In the game, this means lots of fighting action for the player, but, for the novel, this means lots of battles that could, if not handled properly, distract from the main flow of the story. What do you think about the 100 beast obstacle of Magus's Castle?

13. Spekkio, the "Master of War," can take on one of 6 different forms in the game based on your characters' strength.
a.) Should this same premise exist in the novel?
b.) What do you believe is Spekkio's TRUE form? a.)
b.)

14. The game allows the player the option to find special rocks of different colors late in the game so that special Triple Tech attacks can be harnessed without Crono. For the novel, is it worth finding this rocks to obtain these special skills?

15. If it is possible for more than 3 characters to be involved throughout the story, it may be necessary to exclude at least one character from the action. Assuming that all characters have joined the party, what 3 characters (in order of preference), would you prefer to see excluded if necessary? First Choice
a.)
Second Choice
b.)

Third Choice
c.)

16. You may be familiar with the sequel to Chrono Trigger, called Chrono Cross. If you have played this game and can think of any, what ways could a Chrono Trigger novel tie in hints to the story of Chrono Cross?

17. Later in the story, after Marle's pendant is reactivated, the team gains the power to open the mysterious crested doors and black boxes scattered throughout time. Most of these hide precious elemental items that can aide the characters through their adventure, at least in the game. What are your thoughts about noting each of these boxes/doors and coming back to open them later? Does it distract too much from the story, or should it fit right in? Is it worth obtaining these items in the novel?

18. At the North Cape, after Crono is killed, the characters meet Magus for the second time. Here, Frog is given his best chance for revenge. When Frog is faced with this choice in the novel, should he choose to let Magus live or to have his revenge?

19. Based on Frog's decision on Magus's fate in the game, Frog will either be released from his spell and turn back into his human form, or he'll remain a frog at the end of the game. At the end of the novel, should Frog remain in his cursed form, or should he be returned to his human form?

20. Chrono Trigger is a massive and complex story with many twists and turns. There are lots of things that happen in the game that should or shouldn't necessarily happen in a novel. Is there anything that you can think of that should left out of the novel?

21. In the game, the characters have a few options for getting to Lavos. Which option do you feel is best for the characters to meet their fate in the novel?

22. Please add any additional comments, etc. you may have regarding this novel here...

Please don't think that, just because I am asking these questions, it doesn't mean I'm incapable of handling these issues in the novel myself. On the contrary, some of these issues have already been dealt with in the novel's rough draft. I've been at this for years, and I know what I'm doing, but I don't hesitate to utilize the help of others. I fully understand that the story of Chrono Trigger is not my own. It's only legally Square's. No, the story of Chrono Trigger only truly belongs to all of us, the fans, who have allowed it to live on and on and on.

I'm constantly on the lookout for insights and ideas that may not have occurred to me. That's what these questions have been designed to help extract from all of you, the fans. Please be on the lookout for additions to this survey, which will be announced to members of the mailing list and posted on the front page of the site.

Thank you very much for your time in completing this survey! I hope you enjoyed it and that you'll check back regularly for additions and updates to the project as a whole. Take care, have a great day, and God bless!

1. There is no doubt that the novel works best without too many gaming elements such as Techs, items, redundant small battles, HP/MP and the like. Are there any particular items, Techs, weapons, monsters, etc. that you feel should be a part of the novel?
2. In the writing of a novel, the idea of keeping a "silent Crono" is almost unthinkable. How do you feel about added dialogue and involvement for Crono?
3. The game sticks firmly to the premise of using no more than 3 characters at one time throughout the game. I have deemed this to be little more than a game element that was used to simplify Chrono Trigger as a game. If a reasonable method of incorporating it can be devised, do you feel that the story of Chrono Trigger could be enhanced by eliminating the strict 3-character rule? (Note: In answering, don't worry about its relevance to The End of Time.)
4. If you are a longtime fan of the game, then you have probably seen the image/poster depicting Crono, Lucca, and Frog engaging Magus in battle on top of his castle instead of in the dark hall that we see in the game. You can view this image here. In situations where scenes in the game seem to contradict the scenes depicted in Chrono Trigger artwork, should the novel stay true to the game or to the artwork?
5. Chrono Trigger was released in the US in 1995. Within its storyline, the Apocalypse is said to occur in 1999 on the Day of Lavos. We are now in the year 2003, and the novel's release year is indefinite. The technology depicted for the year 1999 in the game is far more advanced, including domes around towns, than our real-life 1999 was. What are your thoughts about this? Do you feel that placing the Apocalypse in a year that has already passed would take away from the story? Should the year 1999 be changed to something later in the future?
6. Chrono Trigger's story offers constant opportunities to add extra scenes, dialogue, and character interactions that can be used to enrich and enhance (not change) the story told in the novel. Do you agree that such additions would be beneficial, if not essential, to the novelization of Chrono Trigger?
7. The Japanese release of Chrono Trigger gives different names for many of the characters and settings than our US version does. A message post at GameFAQs gives a full list of them. Some characters, like Crono's mom, actually had names in the Japanese release. Others, like Crono, had variations in spelling. Still yet, other names were completely different. What are your thoughts about this when thinking of how this should be dealt with in the writing of a novel?
8. The game gives players the opportunity to win the Crono clone in the Millennial Fair's Tent of Horrors throughout the game. There are basically two fitting times in the story for this to take place: During the fair, while Crono is alive and running around with Marle, or after Crono has been killed. Think about this and tell me what time you feel would be best for this to occur in the novel?
9. Many areas of the game (i.e. Guardia Castle, Terra Cave, Enhasa, Kajar, Zeal Palace, etc.) involve speaking with the various individuals scattered about the structure. In the game, this is crucial to gathering clues about what's ahead, but, in the novel, it may seem a bit strange for these people to suddenly blurt out clues about their homelands. a.) What thoughts do you have about how locals should communicate with Crono and his cohorts? b.) Would it be better for clues gained in the game through such dialogue to be obtained in a different way in the novel? c.) How important do you believe it is to include ALL of the extra character dialogue?	a.) b.) c.)
10. In a few parts of the story, it may make sense to allow secondary characters to take on temporary active roles (Ian and Jonas of Chapter 4 of the Demo Chapters are perfect examples). How do you feel about allowing secondary characters to have such roles?
11. Like all RPGs, Chrono Trigger incorporates lots of bosses into the storyline. Many of these bosses, such as Nizbel 2, the Black Tyrano, Giga Gaia, Golem Boss, Rust Tyrano, and a few others may seem a bit extreme or unimportant to the plotline. Do you think that boss monsters such as these should or should not be included in the novel and why?
12. Near the start of Magus's Castle, Ozzie tells Crono, Frog, and the others that they'll have to defeat all 100 of the beasts in the castle to get to Magus, as well as Slash and Flea. In the game, this means lots of fighting action for the player, but, for the novel, this means lots of battles that could, if not handled properly, distract from the main flow of the story. What do you think about the 100 beast obstacle of Magus's Castle?
13. Spekkio, the "Master of War," can take on one of 6 different forms in the game based on your characters' strength. a.) Should this same premise exist in the novel? b.) What do you believe is Spekkio's TRUE form?	a.) b.)
14. The game allows the player the option to find special rocks of different colors late in the game so that special Triple Tech attacks can be harnessed without Crono. For the novel, is it worth finding this rocks to obtain these special skills?
15. If it is possible for more than 3 characters to be involved throughout the story, it may be necessary to exclude at least one character from the action. Assuming that all characters have joined the party, what 3 characters (in order of preference), would you prefer to see excluded if necessary?	First Choice a.) Second Choice b.) Third Choice c.)
16. You may be familiar with the sequel to Chrono Trigger, called Chrono Cross. If you have played this game and can think of any, what ways could a Chrono Trigger novel tie in hints to the story of Chrono Cross?
17. Later in the story, after Marle's pendant is reactivated, the team gains the power to open the mysterious crested doors and black boxes scattered throughout time. Most of these hide precious elemental items that can aide the characters through their adventure, at least in the game. What are your thoughts about noting each of these boxes/doors and coming back to open them later? Does it distract too much from the story, or should it fit right in? Is it worth obtaining these items in the novel?
18. At the North Cape, after Crono is killed, the characters meet Magus for the second time. Here, Frog is given his best chance for revenge. When Frog is faced with this choice in the novel, should he choose to let Magus live or to have his revenge?
19. Based on Frog's decision on Magus's fate in the game, Frog will either be released from his spell and turn back into his human form, or he'll remain a frog at the end of the game. At the end of the novel, should Frog remain in his cursed form, or should he be returned to his human form?
20. Chrono Trigger is a massive and complex story with many twists and turns. There are lots of things that happen in the game that should or shouldn't necessarily happen in a novel. Is there anything that you can think of that should left out of the novel?
21. In the game, the characters have a few options for getting to Lavos. Which option do you feel is best for the characters to meet their fate in the novel?
22. Please add any additional comments, etc. you may have regarding this novel here...