JRPG general discussion

Retr0gamer wrote: »

They just keep showing the demo area in this game, I'm pretty certain that the game is much further back in development than they let on. I actually kind of hope it gets delayed until 2017 because at this stage I could see it being a rush job.

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I need some 3DS JRPGs, what's good?

Famitsu (F): A release date has been announced, so is it safe to assume that development is proceeding as planned?

Kobayashi (K): It’s difficult to gauge, but if we’re talking about development progress, then we’re at around 70% right now. Basic systems are already in place, and we’re currently tweaking battles and dynamic cutscenes*. We’re having a particularly difficult time because the game is essentially all in real-time, is seamless, and, on top of all that, allows for totally free movement. When the camera angle is fixed, we can get away with a few things here and there (laugh). This time we can’t do that.

F: Will it be possible to change characters in the middle of a dynamic cutscene?

K: Since the player is the protagonist, and Fidel is, in a sense, the player’s avatar or alter ego, no, it won’t be possible. In exchange, we’re planning some special actions during cutscenes and on the field. The way things are seen depends on the players. Some will go, “I want to record that!” and others, “If it were me I’d do this.” I hope players will try out different things. Now I don’t recommend showing spoilers, so I’d like for players to have some consideration in this regard.

F: In this issue, we’ve published character introductions**, so could you tell us a little bit about who they are?

K: First, Fidel is a rather traditional character. He fights with a single-handed sword, so as a result, he attacks quickly and chains together combos quite easily. We’ve tuned him so that he’ll manage somehow even when he’s fighting solo against the enemy. First-time players will find him easy to use. By the way, I should also mention that Fidel is an instructor at the “Camus School of Swordsmanship” that’s run by his father. There are certain abilities at this school that, for one reason or other, people who’ve played previous Star Ocean entries will be familiar with.

F: I’d like to ask about a newly introduced character, Fiore. Is there a story behind her attire? (laugh)

K: In order to use incantations in this world, sorcerers must have an incantation mark carved somewhere on their bodies. To show off the strength of her own incantations, Fiore prefers to wear the kind of outfit that you’ve taken notice to. In Randock, the country that Fiore lives in, there are outfits used specially by sorcerers, and you can customize these in any which way you want. I can ensure you they are far from being indecent (laugh).

F: Are you satisfied with the battle style?

K: The image we’re after is using magic as a form of offense. Miki uses fire-based sorcery. In contrast, Fiore’s specialty lies in ice-based incantations. Fiore can also use support incantations, but unlike Miki, Fiore plays a central role in using magic as offense.

F: Our protagonist comes from an uncivilized planet. This is quite rare for the series, isn’t it?

K: That’s true. Besides Rena from Star Ocean 1 and 2, all other protagonists have come from civilized societies. This time, we’ve decided to go with an uncivilized planet. At the very beginning, we wanted the story to start from a place far removed from civilization, and gradually it became “Star Ocean”-like and sci-fi-ish. A grandiose tale involving the universe is basically what Star Ocean has been about (laugh).

F: There are 5 months left until release, and I know you’re headed into the final stage, but do you have any plans to incorporate the feedback given by players at TGS [Tokyo Game Show]?

K: The final product is almost in place, so any big changes would be difficult to implement. We’ve finished revising the action parts and have gone on to fine-tuning the events. But even if I say, “Don’t mess with that,” I doubt getting a feel for the game actually counts as really “fixing” anything. The ones developing the game are Tri-Ace, after all (laugh).

F: I see (laugh).

K: By the way, because the TGS version isn’t the quality that you’ll be seeing when you play the game for long periods of time, the demo ends before you familiarize yourself with the controls, and we’ve prioritized comfort and ease. The full game will definitely be firmer.