Tendo City

so, does anyone with insider wanna tell us about FF:CC? no need to steal the story, just deliver any new info...that'd be rad.

http://cube.ign.com

Here ya go. I don't think the IGN Police visits Tendo City:

Quote:May 08, 2003 - Square-Enix on Crystal Chronicles Director Akitoshi Kawazu spills the beans on Final Fantasy for GameCube in this roundtable Q&A. Nintendo and Square-Enix will publicly debut Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles at the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2003. But readers won't have to wait quite that long to get the goods on the game. Earlier this evening the two companies held a conference call for select members of the press in which details of the game were fully explained.
A short, but informative question and answer session was also held with game director Akitoshi Kawazu. Following we have a speedy transcription of his thoughts on the game along with his answers to various questions about it.



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Mr. Kawazu opened by stating: "I am Akitoshi Kawazu from Game Designer studio and am the producer of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. I think people will find the game to be quite different from all of the FF we've seen up until now. This is a game in which multiple players can participate. I think the interface is quite different, too -- it's a very action-based interface and I think it's going to provide some new flavor to the game.

Developing for the GameCube platform is a new challenge for me; it's something I haven't done before. I am looking forward to how my efforts are received and my fingers are crossed that it goes well.

The game also features a style of play that we've not seen in games in the US or Japan and that is how you connect the GBA to the GameCube and we think the connectivity feature is going to allow for new styles of control in the game.

Unfortunately this year I will not be able to attend E3, but FFCC will be on the show floor and playable, and I would be very happy if you could all check out the game and try it for yourself.

Q: FFCC as you said supports up to four-player simultaneous play. Can you describe some of the elements of that play and how it works with the GBAs?

Kawazu: With the GBA, you actually use that in place of a GCN controller and the GBA essentially acts as a controller for the game. Because each player would have a GBA with their own GBA screen, the GBA screens will have personal information regarding each character on them and we will be using that capability to interact with the standard gameplay.

Q: Please explain the storyline for the game and how it's set up.

Kawazu: Regardless of whether you're playing alone or with four players, you would be playing the same quest and the same story. As for the gameplay style, it is going to be more mission based where you're going from one stage, clearing it, and going onto the next stage. So I think that will provide a different flavor from most of the FF games that we've seen in the past.

Q: Who is composing the music for FFCC and will it support Dolby Surround?

Kawazu: The same composer who did the music for Final Fantasy 11. We are not going to have the game compatible with Dolby Pro Logic II.

Q: How does the battle system work? How do you fight, use magic and items, and things like that?

Kawazu: A very basic battle in the game would be where you face your opponent and swing your weapon to attack. We've also implemented a charge system where you can charge your weapon for more powerful blows. We also have magical attacks. And because this is a multiplayer game, we've also implemented a feature where players can consecutively attack and inflict more damage.

Q: Do you think FFCC will appeal to a different audience than your usual games?

Kawazu: FFCC, I think, has a much higher level of action elements in the gameplay system. I think from that sense it will be easier to pick up and get into the gameplay.

Q: What is the GBA controller there for? Why aren't you just using the GCN controller? And what really does separate CC from other FF titles?

Kawazu: Because this game has a higher level of action than some of our past games, players will not be watching the GBA and playing, but rather the television. Each of the characters will have access to different information and that will appear on the GBA screen. This will introduce different elements of gameplay. A player may have access to information on his GBA and he can choose to share that with his party of keep it to himself.

Q: Is there a lot of FMV or are the cinematics done in real-time?

Kawazu: The cinematics that are in the game are all done in real-time.

Q: When you're playing alone, do you have AI characters in your party or are you simply alone? And how is the multiplayer mode set up? Split-screen?

Kawazu: All of the action, even in multiplayer, will take place on a single-screen -- it will not e split. As a single-player quest, there will be no other AI characters. You will be playing alone. So obviously based on that there will be some adjustments in the game.

Q: Working on this project, how has your relationship with Nintendo been? And what will Game Designer Studio do after this is completed?
Kawazu: [Laughs] I was a little caught off by your question. We have a very good relationship with Nintendo. It has been very supportive. As for our future plans, because we are still in the tail end of development on CC we haven't put forth concrete plans at this point, but I would very much like to continue to work with Nintendo going forward.

Q: If you do not share the info on your GBA with your party, does this have a bearing on the story?

Kawazu: No, there would be no direct affect on the progress of the game if players choose to share or not to share. Obviously though cooperating will help in progressing smoothly through the game.

Q: How does character growth work in the game and are there different classes of characters?

Kawazu: At the outset of the game players would choose from one of four different groupings or alignments and each would have different abilities and strengths with varying weapons and things like that. As for growth, when you go through the game and obtain items, these essentially will add new abilities and things that players can do.

Q: Give us a sense for the scope of the game.

Kawazu: There will definitely be many stages covering many areas -- desert, plains, volcanoes, towns, things like that. So from a scale sense it definitely has what people will be looking for.

Q: CC seems to be a major departure from past FF games. Would you say the game is best suited as a multiplayer title or can it be enjoyed in single-player mode as an action take on the franchise?

Kawazu: You can play the game in single-player or in multiplayer mode and I think players will enjoy both. I think playing with more players will essentially get you to the core and you'll be able to enjoy it more fully. Definitely there are more action elements. The setting for the world is certainly more fantasy like. It is going to be the type of action game that will appeal to final fantasy fans.

Q: Could you explain the magic system? Are there summon monsters and how do they work in the game?

Kawazu: The magic system is based on stones that you will collect. These will give you different spells. Unfortunately, this time there will be no summons. However, because you have multiple players playing simultaneously, you'll be able to combine the individual attacks for greater magical attacks.

Q: Since this is chiefly a multiplayer game, will it have the same length of story as other Final Fantasy games?

Kawazu: I suppose it's true that this game does not have quite the story and dramatic sequences that a game like FF10 might have. But I think that the idea of a FF as an action game will appeal to a lot of people. Our interface is more user friendly and more accessible than some of the other interfaces in FF games, and I think based on that this will appeal to people turned off by the heavy menu-based systems of past FF games.

Q: How have you liked working on the GCN hardware versus working on PS2? And have Miyamoto or Sakaguchi helped in development?

Kawazu: Each hardware system has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. I don't think here is one easier to develop for. GameCube has some very powerful forms of expressing things and we've taken advantage of those. I wouldn't choose one over the other. Miyamoto has been looking at the game and giving us a lot of advice on it. Mr. Sakaguchi actually hasn't looked at the game yet, so I'm hoping to show it to him and surprise him with it.

Q: Will we see cameos from other Final Fantasy games in Crystal Chronicles? Kawazu: [Laughs] That's a good question. Play through the game and see what you can find.

Q: Do you have plans to bundle the game with a GBA link cable? And can you only play with the GBA? Are you concerned this might have a bearing on sales?

Kawazu: For the multiplayer mode, it's true that you do need the GBA to play, but in single-player you can play through using only a Nintendo GameCube controller. As for packing in the cable, we are still considering that. And as for sales, we are still in development of the game so we'll see how that goes.

Q: Multiple players are required then to use the GBA to play? No way to use the GCN controller?

Kawazu: That is correct.

Q: How long is the game?

Kawazu: If you were to just play straight through, there'd be about 30 hours of gameplay. But if you were to travel around and collect everything, it'd be quite a bit more than that.

Crap, other players have to use the GBA instead of the GC controller?? That's really stupid!

At least single player doesn't need a GBA. After hearing it'd use one I was afraid that it would require that...

Oh, and the combat system (button to attack, with charging for power attacks and some magic spells) sounds exactly like a Mana game... as I thought before...

So why FF and not Mana? I'd think it'd fit in that series better...

Because FF is a bigger name.

True. But gameplaywise it seems closer to (not exactly like, but closer to...) Mana than FF... oh well. Either name is fine if the gameplay is the same...

Oh, and requiring a GBA for multiplay is a very bad thing which is very dissapointing.

thanks OB1

this game sounds interesting. it seems like it could be really good, or just not be my type of game. we'll see.

No problem. I too have mixed feelings about this game. I'll have to wait until I read some hands-on impressions.

Would it be so difficult to allow GCN controllers in multiplayer? I just don't get it. What makes the info on the GBA so important that you NEED it to play the game? It's hard enough to get 4 people 'round the television, let alone 4 people with GBAs and link cables (which means that they also have GCN). /rant

Yeah, its very odd to have a multiplayer game and then make the only way to play a ridiculously restrictive one like 'you must have a gba and a gba-gc cable to play this major game mode'...

Yes, it is indeed completely idiotic. All info shown on that tiny screen could easily be shown on the TV screen as a translucent box. Why does it need to be kept private? This is a cooperative effort after all. I figure they will come to their senses eventually and realize such a restriction is idiotic. I am the only one I know who has a GBA-GCN link cable anyway (I went around using it to help others unlock the various Fusion features in Prime, and I still think that the whole idea of using the GBA-GCN linkup as a key like Prime did is idiotic and money grubbing in it's very nature).

Still, I look forward to this game. What I'd like to see is the complicated battle moves in Kingdom Hearts. That would really enhance the fighting experience. I thought Kingdom Hearts would have made a great multiplayer experience actually (though I think the sequal should have a lot, and I mean a lot, more puzzles).

I can't believe IGN made that an IGN Insider article when other sites like Gaming Age have the same chat transcript up. It WASN'T an IGN exclusive, other sites were in on the chat yet they try and pass it off as exclusive info.

:cuss:

Perhaps Nintendo pressured them into doing this because there still isn't a single GC game that needs the GC-GBA link.

That would make Nintendo morons. Don't they realize they can't make it even harder for people to want the system when they aren't number 1? Sony could pull it off, but neither MS nor Nintendo are in any position to do something like that.

Oh and Smoke, completely agree there. IGN has gone to the dogs. They aren't even trying to be honest any more. I think it all started when FM3 went over there.

Soon, they will start doing what many real world news sources do. They will start fabricating horrible or extreme situations and have a huge article saying either "could this happen?" or "what if this happened?". They did that with the whole anthrax scare if you recall, saying "could it happen, and how would your family react if your town was suddenly invaded by an infectious agent that is completely not contageous and thus would only affect those actually directly exposed to it in the first place", but minus my sarcastic addition.

Yeah... pushing connectivity is one thing put pushing it to the point where you hurt sales is another one entirely... idiots!

Though pushing connectivity is the only way I can think of for them to justify forcing people to use the link up to unlock stuff in Prime. A linkup like Pokemon Stadium or Animal Crossing is actually FUNCTIONAL (though you SHOULD have been allowed to visit the island in the main game without the advance), because you take data FROM the game with you on the go, alter it, and bring it back to upload back INTO the game. That is the ENTIRE POINT of the linkup. Using it like a frickin' key (or in the case of windwaker, an UNNESECARY second screen, where an overlayed transparent screen could do the same job just as well) is inexcusible.

Well the whole WW thing couldn't be done as well if it were a little box on the tv. It's definitely not neccessary to play the game with the Tinkle feature, but it's a fun little thing you can let someone else do when you're playing the game.

But then you aren't doing everything by yourself! You haven't earned everything completely by yourself! That ruins it for me! :D

Anyway, they sure could have done it all with a little box. The GBA helps, but that should have just been an option. Let us the player pick how we want to do it, second player on second GCN controller or second player using a GBA, our choice.

GBA connectivity... there are a few uses for it but given the huge limitations (you're stuck with 6 buttons and a d-pad, and the thing costs over $100 to get) just make the limited uses not really worth it... and none of the uses so far have really been all too useful or needed in the games. A few are alright if you like that stuff (like SA2:B's Tiny Chao Garden, or the games which let you play minigames on a GBA...)... but like a key as in MP (BTW, I just got Metroid unlocked... using my memory card and the GBA/MF cart from someone here at college. :) Didn't get Fusion suit though since I'm nowhere near the end of the game.)? Stupid. And while the use in CC could be alright... make it a OPTION. A option somewhere -- on or off. Then it'd be great... make the game better with the option on if you want but don't make it REQUIRED. Not when it'd cost hundreds of dollars for a 4 player game! Insane!

It's much better to use it with the GBA, and it puts my link cable to use.

BTW I never used it while playing the game the first time through.

You don't even have to go into an option menu in that case ABF. They could EASILY just change the flag from checking to see if that particular flag is checked to an already existing flag, the flag for the controllers!

Simple really, whatever ports have a GCN controller are set for GCN controller mode, and the ports with GBAs attached are set for GBA mode, and the option switches whenever someone switches what's plugged in. If there's info shown on that screen, just put it on the main screen.

Can't argue with the desire to actually want to use the stuff you buy OB1 :D. I used it the first time through, but I was the one controlling BOTH, so it was still all me.

Again with the IGN impressions!:

Quote:May 14, 2003 - We know it's hard to believe, but we've seen and played the proof for ourselves: Square is finally developing for a Nintendo home console once again. Well, Square Enix, that is -- whatever. The renowned RPG videogame publisher hasn't been seen on a Nintendo home console (not including the Game Boy handheld units) since the late SNES days nearly 10 years ago. Now, here at the massive E3 2003 event in sunny Los Angeles, CA, the respected Japanese studio is offering exhibit A in its reformed testimony for Nintendo support: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.
As many have recently learned from our anxious coverage of the GameCube-exclusive title, this next instillment in the Final Fantasy series isn't going to be the standard turn-based, menu-driven role playing adventure that die-hard Square fans have come to expect. In fact, the game really isn't even going to hit players with the same level of Hollywood-quality cinematics and story production. Instead, Square Enix is taking a new direction with Crystal Chronicles that it considers to be more custom tailored to the GameCube system and its audience. As you know, this means that the new GameCube RPG adventure will rely heavily on GBA connectivity, real-time action, and multiplayer interaction as opposed to a rich single-player, turn-based experience.

Until now, the most informative details on how the game plays have been limited to translations of Japanese interviews held with the game's designers. But now that the U.S. version of the game is finally playable here in the States at E3, we're able to tinker with the creative yet baffling project for ourselves and attempt to understand exactly how it plays and where the potential for fun and excitement sits.

For readers still trying to grasp the concept behind Square's Cube-exclusive RPG, here's a fair analogy: imagine gameplay mechanics and pacing similar to Phantasy Star Online, but instead of split screen action, all four players exist in the same onscreen space and stick closely together as they travel the fantasy-based worlds. In the limited E3 demo we played, this closeness was encouraged by one player carrying a crystal that projects a circular force field around the group to protect it from the poisonous gasses outside. Players who don't keep up with the group and slip outside of its circumference begin to take damage and eventually die, so paying attention and communicating with your teammates is key. No details were given on whether or not this crystal-generated force field would be a key gameplay component throughout the entire final game.

The reason for the Phantasy Star Online comparison is that Crystal Chronicles' combat pacing is not terribly different. Attacks are very deliberate and walk a fine line between being action oriented and menu driven. Players use the L and R buttons to scroll through and select one of six possible actions and then press the A button to perform it in real-time. In the case of attack-based actions, players must be facing and within range of their targets to land the hit, but other spells and abilities (such as "cure") can be performed from anywhere with a simple hit of the A button. The B button is used for picking up items, which can sometimes grant players added abilities and more powerful attacks. Remember, we're using the GBA as a controller here, so button functionality has been reduced and won't include the standard GCN C stick or Y, X, and Z buttons.

Although we didn't witness any complicated combo attacks in this E3 version, players can also charge their attacks by holding down the A button for a more time-consuming and powerful blow. Charging takes roughly a couple of seconds, at which point a circular cursor appears below your character that functions as a targeting reticle. Control now switches to this cursor on the ground while your character remains still. Players move the cursor to select a specific target and hit the A button again to dish out the charged attack. When used with healing abilities such as cure or Phoenix Down, the charge move lets players heal other members in their party. There are even combined attacks that take place when multiple players carefully execute specific abilities in sync. Again, all of this happens in real-time, so you'll have to get comfortable with the controls and pay close attention to the constant onscreen action to pull it off.
Though little detail on the story behind this new Final Fantasy outing is being offered here at E3, we have learned a bit more on its gameplay structure. The quest will take our heroic party through level-based "missions" instead of the typical overworld wandering found in most RPGs. In the first level we played, our group wandered through a thin forest path collecting items and fighting a handful of scattered creatures before making our way to a large and frightening boss. This arena provided a bit more room for maneuvering, but because the player carrying the protective crystal cannot attack, it must be placed on the ground and then picked up and moved should the party need to regroup. The battle was a tough one, and several teammates were slain in the process. (Fortunately, they were also revived thanks to our Nintendo rep's generous use of his Phoenix Down ability.) Once victorious, the party wandered on its way to the next area. This linear design is understood to be Crystal Chronicles' primary style, though it remains to be seen if the game will offer any branching paths later in the game.

The three selectable areas within the E3 demo are titled "Tida Village," "River Belle Path," and "Veo Lu Sluice" -- don't ask us what that last one means. The four playable characters shown are named Ciaron, Lu'ge, Cyadd, and Hias, and each is styled in that classic childlike adult fashion that Square has used in other titles such as FF IX on the PSX. The style is very artistic, very cool, and quite unlike anything on the GameCube at this point. Credit must be given to Square and its talented team of artists and designers for bringing such a vivid fantasy world to life as only it can. Environments and creatures are equally stylish, though fairly simple in geometry at this point. The style should win major points with fantasy gamers, as we must admit that it's very colorful and appealing.

The version playable here at E3 strictly demonstrates the four-player gameplay that the title has to offer and does not allow single-players to hit the quest alone, though Square states that both adventures will be essentially the same. Kiosks are set up with four GBA SP systems connected, allowing up to four people to join the action at any time. One thing in particular must be cleared up: players are not required to use a GBA system to play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles in its current form. In the private hands-on playtest that we experienced, only three GBA SP systems were available, thus a Nintendo representative was forced to plug in a standard GCN controller to join the party. The previously mentioned Japanese interview had caused quite a stir among Nintendo fans during the past week in regards to whether four GBA systems were required for multiplayer action, but we can confirm that this is not the case in the version we played. Whether or not this will change for its final release remains to be determined, but we consider it unlikely.

So if players can opt for either the GCN pad or GBA system to control the onscreen action, what's the difference? After having compared the gameplay using both methods, we must admit that players truly do need their own handheld GBAs connected to the Cube to get the most out of their Crystal Chronicles experience.
First, the small, handheld screen allows players to view overhead maps and get information about their characters that they can't otherwise access in a multiplayer session (this information should be available to a lone gamer in single-player mode, however). Square's creative talent says that players can choose whether or not they want to share this information, but there's really no advantage in keeping it to themselves -- it's really more a matter of apathy or laziness than anything else. The first player gets the most detailed map of all, while the rest can only see key icons indicating teammates and other important objects. Thus the first player typically takes on the role of the leader by default and must attempt to keep everyone together and headed in the right direction.

This map screen is displayed on the GBA by default during gameplay, but hitting the Select button will bring up the second and perhaps most important GBA function: ability management. As mentioned, each player has six slots (perhaps more later in the game?) to which they can assign specific abilities such as "attack," "cure," or "Phoenix Down." (These are the three we used most often in the demo, but there were at least 20 more standard RPG abilities from which to choose.) After hitting select, your character will automatically follow along with the group as if on autopilot, thus allowing you to focus your attention on the ability management screen alone. Once the six slots have been filled, pressing Select again will resume control of your character and you'll be ready to hit the L and R buttons to choose from your newly selected abilities (now displayed on the Cube screen) and dish them out with the A button. Considering the multi-player focus of the game, the use of the GBA as a personalized screen for managing abilities is a clever means to keep the action flowing without constant pausing from your buddies.

But as one might guess, playing without a GBA in multi-player could prove very tricky and even painful. In addition to losing your map and intel, Square's current solution to the "ability management" problem involves simply removing it altogether. When players without GBAs grab an item, the new ability will be automatically slotted in one of the six spots without any input from the player. Sounds pretty annoying, yes? Now we see why the company is placing so much emphasis on all players taking advantage of the GBA connectivity.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles looks to be a great multiplayer adventure for a group of four likeminded Nintendo RPG fans that each own a GBA system (preferably an SP) and can commit to sharing a 30+ hour gameplay experience. Will this Nintendo/Square collaboration be too niche for its own good? We'll have to wait and see exactly how well the single-player aspect stands up before we're convinced, but at the very least, Crystal Chronicles is certainly a unique and welcome addition to the slim GameCube fantasy-RPG catalog. We'll be hitting the show floor very soon to snag some footage of both the Cube and GBA screens in action, so stay tuned, Square fans.

-- Cory D. Lewis

Check out the movies for this game! It looks great!

Quote:The version playable here at E3 strictly demonstrates the four-player gameplay that the title has to offer and does not allow single-players to hit the quest alone, though Square states that both adventures will be essentially the same. Kiosks are set up with four GBA SP systems connected, allowing up to four people to join the action at any time. One thing in particular must be cleared up: players are not required to use a GBA system to play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles in its current form. In the private hands-on playtest that we experienced, only three GBA SP systems were available, thus a Nintendo representative was forced to plug in a standard GCN controller to join the party. The previously mentioned Japanese interview had caused quite a stir among Nintendo fans during the past week in regards to whether four GBA systems were required for multiplayer action, but we can confirm that this is not the case in the version we played. Whether or not this will change for its final release remains to be determined, but we consider it unlikely.

Great news.

As for inventory management... still one of the best I've ever seen on consoles is Gauntlet Legends. The C buttons are perfect for that kind of thing...

Have you seen the new movie yet? The game looks wonderful. I've been converted!

It looks great!

but that doesn't say anything as to how it will play, which i hope will be really well, since they put so much effort into making it very, very pretty.

They show some of the battle system in that movie.

I'm much more excited for this game than I was before E3, but I still think there are a few issues that could easily be fixed. For example, the menu-based attacks. Sure, once you get used to it, it'll probably be fine, but I tend to think that there might be a better way to pull it off in an action-oriented game.

One solution off the top of my head is to store the techiques in quick-choice menus activated by L and R. Each technique is stored as a direction within either L or R. So let's say "Cure" is stored in L-Up. To activate "cure", you would hold L, press up on the control pad, and release L. While you are pressing L/R, a transluscent compass-like figure shows up near your character's info on the screen to remind you what techniques you have stored at each direction. Some of the techniques would be automatically activated when you release R/L, but others (like cure) would activate when you press A so that you could cure other party members. This option would trade off time/convolutedness with movement. While you're selecting the move, you have no mobility, but the move is selected so quickly that it probably wouldn't matter. In addition, the current manner of selecting techniques is so convoluted (you have to look scroll through a menu to choose a technique in a real-time game) that mobility isn't much of an advantage. The alternative also allows for 8 quickly-accessable techniques instead of 6. I think the advantages of such an option outweigh the disadvantages.

I also like DJ's solution for GBA v. GCN controller issues. It doesn't need to be an option if the GCN can differentiate a GCN controller from a link cable. If a link cable is detected, the current method of setting techniques to the menu is kept intact. If the GCN controller is detected, I think there should be a transluscent-box situation like DJ described. To activate this, you would simply press "Start" on the controller and your character would automatically follow the party, just like your character does when you press "Select" on the GBA. In the box, there would be two compass-shaped icons with your current setup of techniques. The list of techniques would be below(5X4 grid for quick access). To set the technique, you'd move your cursor over the technique you want and press the combination of buttons to set it to it's place. For example, let's say you want to set "cure" to L-Up. You press start, and the box fades in over your character info in the corner. You move your cursor to "cure." When you hold L, the left D-pad glows to indicate that you are setting a technique to the L-button. While holding L (the left compass-shape glows and your cursor becomes grey), you press up to set "cure" to L-up. You release L, the left compass stops glowing, and you can now use the control stick to move your cursor to a different technique and set it to a different button combination.

Uhh... which menu-based attacks?

And there are plenty of ways to do a good inventory system. The point isn't that its hard... its that they don't seeem to want to let you actually *gasp* let the other players see your inventory. It doesn't make sense to me either.

ABF, I don't know if you've read IGN's impressions, but they say that you scroll through a 6-technique list with R and L to set to "A." Some of the techniques are "cure" and "phoenix down." So you'd scroll through the menu until you've got the technique you want, and then unleash it with A. IGN seems to be the only site that has griped about this, so it can't be as big of an issue as they make it out to be.

Techniques, I believe, are one thing. Inventory is another...