We need to take into consideration that by the time one gets to that part in FF6, a typical Chrono Trigger playthrough is already over. FF6 is approximately 150% as long as Chrono Trigger and the problem is not that FF6 has worse writing, there is arguably even more good writing than in Chrono Trigger quantity wise but the good stuff is spread out over a longer playtime and more sparse in the 2nd part if one plays all the side quests of which not all are equally interesting. Charaterization is deeper and more mature in FF6, although one has to point out that only half of the playable characters are well developed and interesting so the relevant character roster in both FF6 and Chrono Trigger are pretty much the same size with FF6 having an edge due to depth and detail.

The never-ceasing random battles contribute towards bloating FF6's playtime in a major way without adding content so while FF6 does have more total content and takes 50% longer to complete than Chrono Trigger, FF6 doesn't have 50% more content. One big difference between FF6 and Chrono Trigger is that you can see the entire content of FF6 in a single epic playthrough by doing all the side quests and everything whereas Chrono Trigger requires you to restart the game in new game+ mode to see everything. So FF6 caters more to patient and enduring people who like to 100% a game in one take whereas Chrono Trigger caters more to people who enjoy searching for all the different endings via replaying but want each playthrough to be more streamlined and more consistently engaging. FF6 is like a classical opera with some low key subtle parts whereas Chrono Trigger is a classical symphony with more drive and little slack. Comes down to personal preference in the end.

Most of the replay hours in Chrono Trigger are going to consist of content one has already seen during the first playthrough so that balances out with the repetitiveness FF6 players endure with random battles against standard mobs. Chrono Trigger makes the repetition less painful because you can quickly blitz through the game in new game+ mode and focus on the different story options without being held up much by redundant combat. I'd say that in the end, both games provide about the same amount of quality content, FF6 just spreads it out over more hours. Makes it feel more epic but also more of a drain in some parts, just like an opera if I may make the comparison again. This drain builds up tension though so in a way it contributes towards the game's total epicness, even if I normally prefer streamlined content delivery à la Chrono Trigger and consider the latter better design. Especially nowadays where I have reduced patience.

The 25 hour mark seems to be a magical sweet spot up to which point RPG games remain fresh and don't overstay their welcome and Chrono Trigger ends around that mark, perfectly timed. Practically no game can avoid pacing issues, repetitiveness and average player fatigue after that time mark and it also depends on the patience levels of each individual. Final Fantasy titles are generally more drawn out and require quite a bit of personal investment and stamina, sometimes too much. Chrono Trigger is designed in such a way that it delivers its payload more quickly and evenly, and for many players this will be translate to better design and more enjoyment whereas for the slower paced endurance players, Final Fantasy can result in an overall more memorable experience.

Those aspects are not what characterizes an RPG; they could be applied just as easily to action games. Remember, Mega Man games have elemental weapons (which act as that series' form of magic) and elemental systems (many enemies, not just bosses, have resistances and weaknesses to various weapon types). In terms of stat screens, sports games have stats, and those games are generally not classified as RPGs.

To me, for a game to be an RPG, the combat must be RPG combat and not action game combat.

So Terranigma is right out too?

Actually, they do eventually cease; once you get Mog in the World of Ruin and the Moogle Charm, encounters cease as long as you have it equipped. (Note that this will only help one party in multi-party dungeons, however.)

Also, my main annoyance with FF6 isn't the random encounters, but rather the story sequences, which are way too common and drawn out. Chrono Trigger, by contrast, keeps its story sequences short and too the point.

The only major issue I have in Chrono Trigger is a mandatory minigame where you can't continue unless you mash the A button. That one minigame makes me dread replaying the game, and is an example of how a single bad part of a game can hurt the game as a whole.

I agree that CT is bigger than FF 6, but it isn't because of random battles. To be honest, I never was under illusion that FF VI was a big game. FF VI ends abruptly, all of a sudden you are on road to final dungeon. It feels like the whole World of Ruin was rushed, and World of Balance didn't have much content at all.
Where this "25 hours" comes from? Good games are played for hundreds of hours, MMOs are played by some for thousands of hours :)) That "25 hours" is a weakness of heavily story-focused games. Especially when some of those include whole hours of cutscenes - I mean FF IX puts you through whole hour of cutscenes before finally letting you go into newbie forest. Only to end up in Dali with like another 30 minutes of cutscenes, a bit of fighting and another half-hour of cutscenes. In this case even 25 hours will be really stretching it, indeed, as you can participate in passive gameplay only so long. Heck, the whole battle opening was like cutscene on its own.

How you know your hack won't work against online DRM?

I'll repeat what I said.

There is NO always online DRM to begin with in the game. The only DRM that's there is Amazon's own first time check DRM. Playing the app without using Lucky Patcher on it will result in Amazon requiring the internet for the first run of the game, after that you can go into airplane mode or turn off the internet and play normally. I just use Lucky Patcher because I own the game on an account other than my default one.

As for whether the hack itself works against online DRM or not, simply I don't know about that. But in the case of Final Fantasy VI, there is none.
Heh, I agree. The idea of the World of Ruin is great, but in terms of content it just doesn't offer much. Next time an RPG does a World of Ruin, its better to add tonnes more content than there was already, and make it feel like missing half the content a punishment or a challenge rather than an excuse. The game worked fine up until the Floating Continent and that one betrayal.

android is a decent emulator, depending on what phone/tablet you're using. still limited by touchscreen controls.

if you must get a "legit" copy, a 2nd hand PS2 is extremely cheap($50 or less?) if you're really in USA. however finding a legit PS1 copy of CT or FFVI might be tricky & expensive.

a 2nd-hand or refurbished NDS/DS-lite is also very cheap (used: $30-ish, new:$150+) in USA. that will allow you to play both the DS version of CT, and the GBA version of FFVI. but legit copies of old nintendo games tend to be overpriced.

and either choice of "retro" consoles would PROBABLY still be cheaper than the cost of buying a new tablet PC or smartphone, unless it's a real "lo-fi" android phone(which will emulate very badly), so i don't understand your problem.

The problem is as follows: the legit copies of the older versions are probably scarce by now. That and I don't recommend the PS1 version at all. If you don't mind the Ted Woolsey translation, the SNES is a better choice (!!) than the PSX version, but that's if you actually find the cart. So yeah, here you mentioned it; old Nintendo games are overpriced. He just wants the game without paying more for retro consoles, searching for the game then buying it.

As for your touchscreen controls thingy; no problem. Buy a controller for Android; the game works with it. Not that I've ever seen a part that needed overly fast reflexes to the point that a controller is needed. The game is designed to take advantage of the touchscreen like really well.

I deeply enjoyed the Playstation 1 iterations and still love IV and V (haven't played XII yet).

You can buy connectors for many models that basically act as a USB port and hook up a controller that way. Many games automatically support the controller, so I'm sure some of the emulators out there do, too. You can also buy a cheap bluetooth keyboard to use. I use one with my Kindle Fire HD and it works perfectly with the free SNesoid emulator.

I forgot this also works; basically the thing you're talking about is called an OTG (On The Go) port thing. Anyways, FF6 Android also supports game controllers. I just beat it by mashing the A button.

right. best way to experience them is to emulate the snes versions, and plug in a half-decent joypad. unless he has concerns with "morals", and feeding the "poor" developers like square-enix.

Or you know, taking advantage of the better translation among other things in the port that he'll ever find in any other version? Because I don't approve of the SNES translation. Played half the game with it and the whole game with Tom Slattery's translation; needless to say Slattery's translation is superior.

Yes, that! Thanks—I totally spaced on the name.