They mean more plot than that. All the little scenes of relationship development with the girls are cute, but you have to admit that Riviera has a pretty bare-bones plot.
I could easily find a way to extend the game to eleven chapters or more. All through playing the last chapter, I was like, "No way... this can't be it... it's just way too easy... Hector has to have something else up his sleeve..." and he didn't.
Nothing at all like some of the games I've played--Lufia III for example--in which you're absolutely sure the game is going to end more than once, and yet there's some huge plot twist and the story keeps going, even better than ever.
More major plot events would've been nice, though the whole thing in Chapter 4 with the Sage and the Fool was a fun way to face off with minor "villians" and keep the player interested.
Chapter 5 annoys me sometimes due to its extreme lack of plot, and the menial task you're put to through it.
Very annoying. :) It did have a nice BGM though...