Ever since I first played Chrono Trigger, I've wondered about its theology. The whole concept of some higher power influencing otherwise-normal people's lives in order to describe a story is a pretty deep and powerful message, if you ask me.

I've heard numerous theories about the Entity, but I'd like to hear your opinions. What do you think? Who (or what) set the events of Chrono Trigger in motion? Why would he/she/it do so? Does the concept have anything to do with human religion, or were the game makers just making stuff up as they went along? Perhaps there was no entity at all, and Robo was malfunctioning when he suggested it during the forest-growing sidequest?

Let me know what you think.

:huh: I'm for the conspericy theory personally, just a bunch of secretive mucky muckys who influence the populace. If some god did exist I seriously doubt they'd focus on a select few lives.

Umm..either i thought this discussion was in another post or im going loco.
anyways, i think schala might be the entity, and why you ask? well now i actually remember there was another post kind of like this somewhere so go look it up ;)

Dont take my word on this but i think robo might of been talking about Fate
(Hey I have to try and make a connection somehow with Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross)

I've been browsing through the Compendium recently (GREAT to do on long nights) and have read extensively many of ZealitY's informing articles and the Crono Testament, which discussed biblical symbolism in CT. Masato Kato dismissed any resemblance to the Bible though in an interview, but the article is still very entertaining.

Personally, since I like to take a more abstract approach to things, I think the entity is the player. It would make sense, because you shape the way the game ends based on things you do. In this way CT gives the player more control than most other RPGs because there are so many endings and little things that can change in them. I think that's one of the game's most endearing features.

Excellent idea for a topic.

-Knives

Thanks, Knives. And thanks for looking that stuff up, too. I'll have to go take a peek at the Compendium now, and read those articles you mentioned...

To tell the truth, I always thought the whole idea of the Entity being the Player had some merit. Of course, the Entity might also be the game makers/designers/programmers who control every aspect of the games they make, including what the characters think and do. With this reference, the creators might have been poking some fun at the obscene amount of power they held over the Chrono Trigger cast.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Bleh. :P

EDIT: I've checked my copy of Chrono Cross yet again, and I doubt that Robo was referring to FATE (the computer upgrade of Mother Brain featured in that game). FATE was just a machine, trying to stay alive like anything else would if given the capacity to make the choice. It knew that the way things were, it would be destroyed by the Time Crash and/or Time Devourer (if I interpreted things correctly...) so it set out to alter the past in a way that wouldn't result in its demise. It limited its influence to the El Nido region because 1) That was where it wound up when sent to the past, and 2) There is only one entrance and exit to the area (that stream in the upper-left corner of the map), making it pretty closed-off and remote from everywhere else. Since Chrono Trigger took place on a different continent, FATE wouldn't be able to control what happened there.

Besides, I doubt FATE would want to mess with the series of events that eventually led to its creation in the Good Future which Crono & friends created when they beat Lavos. If FATE did that and messed something up, it could wind up not existing at all! It would also cause a paradox: how could FATE influence the events negatively if it didn't exist?

Whew! I don't know when to shut up sometimes, do I? :)

Btw Knives, I love your avatar! That movie was awesome!

(we just finished talking about this)

Have you played Metal Gear Solid 2? I think you would really like it.

:blink: GASP! Horror of horrors! Being a newcomer to these Forums, I've apparently brought up a topic you guys already went over! As pennance for this sin, I shall now die of mortal embarrassment.

(choke, gargle, collapse, perish)