But all you do in CC is collect characters. And they are so random and have zero back story or relevance. In Suikoden, characters have backstories and are often blended into the main plot. Suikoden V's cast of recurring characters who are included in the main plot borders in 30's or 40's. It has the best character writing I have seen in an rpg considering its scope. Compare to Chrono Cross where I recruit...a talking dog and a strawman. Why, I don't know. But in Suikoden it's usually tied to Chinese/Japanese history or The Water Margin. But either way, even with the smaller character roster in CC, there are so few characters are actually involved in the actual story. It feels so pointless.
As for a CT sequel, I've always envisioned it as a heavy emphasis on adventure just like the original, that's self-contained like Final Fantasy - but with nods of a larger lore ala Dragon Quest, larger emphasis on techs and combos, expanding upon the time travel story by blending it with gameplay. Let's be honest, the time travel didn't really impact CT's gameplay TOO much. But in a sequel, you should be able to do things in any order, and have a different outcome happen in a non-linear manner to usher the urge to replay and make every players individual experience different. That could keep it in line with the trademark CT multiple endings gimmick while also making it more relevant to the players experience. It doesn't even have to be related to Crono and the gang. I don't see why it's so hard, and I don't see why CT is put on such a pedestal. It was a kick ass rpg with a knack for adventure not unlike Dragon Quest. There are a lot of areas CT could have expanded and improved upon: game difficulty and balance (it is pretty fucking easy), more gameplay and story ramifications for dabbling with time, and more sidequests.
