RPG Discussion (Formerly; Earthbound or Chrono Trigger?)

[Ton]

i'm not talking about the minigames (all of which tend to have actually have a purpose: to break up the monotony and offer something different in a specific event or location where it would be permittable).

Would be a point if Great Glacier, Gold Saucer and Fort Condor weren't all mandatory at some point of the game. Of Cloud cross-dressing. Come on.

But it really depends on how you spin it. Is Cecil's trip to the Dark Elf's cave important for the end to Edward's character arc, or is it just an excuse to lengthen the amount of time before you get Rosa back to create a false sense of drama?
Is Cait Sith 1.0's death important to the plot, as it redeems him to the other party members, or a cop-out used to create an artificial sense of drama?
It's all relative.