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FINAL FANTASY XIII | The Official Import Thread

Sinople

Member
WYWY said:

Thanks for the link. I didn't know I can make one with a Genji no kote, interesting.

desu said:
Just in case, I hope you use the Best Choice accessory?

I guess I got at least one of them after fighting 30 Adamtaimai, but the drop rate really is pretty low.

Where and how do you farm them? Killing 30 of them shouldn't take too long.

Yes; I'm equipped with both Good choice and Best Choice accessories (at level star). But no luck so far... :(
I farm them in the Gran Pulse plain. I used to do the death strategy with Vanilla, but now that I'm stronger I fight them with a regular strategy (enhancer/jammer, aim the legs, break, etc.).
The thing is, it took me days to kill 30 because I can't play more than 1 or 2 hours a day. I'd like to finish this already, it's becoming boring.
Oh well, I guess I'll do the couple of missions I have left (
Spartacus ><'
)
 

JORMBO

Darkness no more
For any of you guys that ordered the LE OST I just noticed they charged my card the other day - preparing order. Forgot I even ordered it :lol
 

mehdi_san

Member
The LE OST just shipped out for me too (finally) from amazon. I hope I'll get it tomorrow :)
Does the drama-CD come with the transcript of the dialogues? I know it supposed the first chapter (chapters?) of the novel right? I just hope there's a transcript so I can try to follow and understand the dialogues...
 

Tigel

Member
Darkness said:
For any of you guys that ordered the LE OST I just noticed they charged my card the other day - preparing order. Forgot I even ordered it :lol
:lol Same here. I found a digital copy of the OST to listen to while my CDs arrive. I must say it is quite good!
 

Sora_N

Member
I got my copy from my friend (picked it up for me when he was in HK) on the weekend, about 4-5 hours into it. Really enjoying it so far. The battle system is neat but kind of boring at first mostly due to the lack of skills/attacks in the beginning but still very cool.

Have a minor question, so basically each character can only assume 3 roles for most of the game? I assume there's probably an optimal role for each char, would I be f*cking up anything if I just levelled up random roles for the time being? (I ask because I just finished watching the Crystarium tutorial
after everyone gets cursed and crashed into the snowy field
, I don't mind messing up but only thing I'm worried about is if I pick and upgrade something now and later on I will have a hard time because I chose random roles.)
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Sora_N said:
I got my copy from my friend (picked it up for me when he was in HK) on the weekend, about 4-5 hours into it. Really enjoying it so far. The battle system is neat but kind of boring at first mostly due to the lack of skills/attacks in the beginning but still very cool.

Have a minor question, so basically each character can only assume 3 roles for most of the game? I assume there's probably an optimal role for each char, would I be f*cking up anything if I just levelled up random roles for the time being? (I ask because I just finished watching the Crystarium tutorial
after everyone gets cursed and crashed into the snowy field
, I don't mind messing up but only thing I'm worried about is if I pick and upgrade something now and later on I will have a hard time because I chose random roles.)

You don't even gain the ability to level up the non-primary 3 roles for each character until much later on and even when you do the CP costs for anything in those non-primary roles is so high you will have very little incentive to even look at them until you max out your main 3 (which you probably won't do until you beat the final boss).
 
I've heard all of the gameplay impressions and asking about them would be redundant. but... how is arguably one of the most important parts of a Final Fantasy: the soundtrack?
 

Zoe

Member
If you fight each enemy on the field, with no grinding, you'll end up with enough to almost max out each of the three roles per level cap.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Alpha-Bromega said:
I've heard all of the gameplay impressions and asking about them would be redundant. but... how is arguably one of the most important parts of a Final Fantasy: the soundtrack?

I am fairly down on the game, but I really enjoyed the soundtrack for the most part. A lot of the new tunes are pretty catchy and there is some really good ambient stuff in the game as well. It is definitely too bad about the classic Final Fantasy fanfare being absent from this title, but I really liked the new battle music.
 

Sora_N

Member
Zefah said:
You don't even gain the ability to level up the non-primary 3 roles for each character until much later on and even when you do the CP costs for anything in those non-primary roles is so high you will have very little incentive to even look at them until you max out your main 3 (which you probably won't do until you beat the final boss).

So from what you're saying I gather that it won't be too hard to max at least 2 of the main 3 roles normally then? I was worried that I had to pick and work on 1.

Is this grid system easier to work with than the FFX one? I remember getting so frustrated with that system since I moved half of my guys to the wrong grid and they seemed so weak, ended up just quitting and giving the game back to my friend.
 

Sora_N

Member
Zoe said:
If you fight each enemy on the field, with no grinding, you'll end up with enough to almost max out each of the three roles per level cap.

Ah yeah, I missed your response. That just answered my first question (can't edit post or I would...). Thanks. :D
 

Mandoric

Banned
Sora_N said:
I got my copy from my friend (picked it up for me when he was in HK) on the weekend, about 4-5 hours into it. Really enjoying it so far. The battle system is neat but kind of boring at first mostly due to the lack of skills/attacks in the beginning but still very cool.

Have a minor question, so basically each character can only assume 3 roles for most of the game? I assume there's probably an optimal role for each char, would I be f*cking up anything if I just levelled up random roles for the time being? (I ask because I just finished watching the Crystarium tutorial
after everyone gets cursed and crashed into the snowy field
, I don't mind messing up but only thing I'm worried about is if I pick and upgrade something now and later on I will have a hard time because I chose random roles.)

CP scales hugely, and the game expects you to build generalists. Boss battles and hunts, especially, expect you to be able to be able to roll out three ATK/BLA, two HLR, and one each of DEF, ENH, and JAM at various times in the same battle.

Edit: Oh wow, that was late. :lol
Up until the game opens up, you'll definitely get enough CP to nearly max everything.
It's sometimes a bit too spot-on, I could reliably predict chapter ends by when I filled up my grids.
 

Miburou

Member
Just finished the game a couple of hours ago. Around 85 hours and did half the missions. I also became a victim of the trophy glitch. :( Well, wasn't going to get a platinum anyway.

I haven't followed this thread for fear of spoilers, so I'm probably just repeating what others have said.

I didn't mind the linearity of the game, especially for the first half, but the streamlining of shops and sidequests really cost the game in terms of charm points. Most of the game (aside from
Grand Pulse
) felt like the last dungeon in RPGs, where you're rushing and don't get a chance to catch your breath. And although I understood most of the story, it didn't really grab me, what with most of it being told through flashbacks and notes.

I have to say the graphics were really amazing. Maybe not technically, but there's some kind of magical filter on the graphics which sometimes makes them look like the CG of other games. Music was also pretty nice, although towards the end of the game I had grown tired of the battle theme!

The battle system, while a bit simplistic (my strategy was basically BLASTER x 3 for weaker enemies, followed by ATTACKERx 2, and BLASTERx2 plus DEFENDER, switching to ATTACKERx2 plus HEALER for bosses with the occasional HEALER/ENHANCER/JAMMER) was a lot of fun and at least I never was in the situation where I was just pressing circle without looking, like in some past FF games. My main characters were Lightning and Fange with Vanille for the first half of the game and then Hope). I like how the summons can't be abused due to the TP management. What I didn't like is how little control I had over the two other party members. I had to wait eons until my ENHANCER finally cast Haste, which is what I really only wanted (and he usually casts it on the leader last!). Some control over the positioning would've been nice, too. Finally, I don't understand the point of ending the game when the leader is knocked out. It's like my AI HEALER is there to raise only one of the 3 characters.

I thought I'd have to grind for the last boss, especially since I had trouble with some of the enemies just before the final boss, but surprisingly I killed it on my second try (on my first try I didn't realize I was silenced until it was too late and couldn't recover quickly enough).

So, overall a nice experience but I didn't really care for the change in direction. I think the first part of the game, with its limitations, tutorials and linearity was the worst. I'm still interested in how versus turns out, though.
 

Sinople

Member
After FFX-2, FFXII Revenant Wing, Blood of Bahamut and FFXIII, I hope someone in SE will realize Toriyama is not a very good game designer...

Ok, I'm done with the game. I have none of the ultimate weapons because the drop rate of the required material is ridiculously low but I completed all the missions, that's enough for me. Post-ending content spoiler:
Am I the only one disappointed by the lack of impressive hidden boss ala Ultima/Omega Weapon or those of FFX Int. and FFXII?

Overall a very disappointing experience. It's still a good game but nowhere near the quality I expect from my favorite series. I'd give it a 7/10 if I was to rate it. Hikari no 4 Senshi was the far better FF released last year, IMHO.
 

JORMBO

Darkness no more
PA shipped out soundtracks this morning. I only did regular shipping for mine, so it'll probably be awhile getting here.
 

desu

Member
YA hasnt send mine yet (but they never ship early so no wonder). The special edition "artbook" booklet contains some Amano art (but I think we've seen that already).


Sinople said:
Ok, I'm done with the game. I have none of the ultimate weapons because the drop rate of the required material is ridiculously low but I completed all the missions, that's enough for me. Post-ending content spoiler:
Am I the only one disappointed by the lack of impressive hidden boss ala Ultima/Omega Weapon or those of FFX Int. and FFXII?

Well I could live with the really mediocre mission bosses, but they at least could have spend some time on more individual designs for them...
 

Cedille

Member
mehdi_san said:
Does the drama-CD come with the transcript of the dialogues? I know it supposed the first chapter (chapters?) of the novel right? I just hope there's a transcript so I can try to follow and understand the dialogues...

Yeah, it has.

I ended up picking up the LE edition but quickly wrinkled it :( The music and even the drama wasn't so bad, and the music has actually great moments. If anyone is interested in the music production, a full transcription is here (it's an advertisement of my 6 hours effort but I'm not ashamed of it!)
 
Only just started this one (exams!), and have a simple quick Q: are accessory abilities applied to the whole party, or only the wearer of the accessory? Eg. for the medicine accessory (&#21307;&#34899;&#12398;&#24515;&#24471; - potion power x2)? Reason I ask is, since it seems only the leader can use items, would it not have to be equipped to the leader to be of any use?

Oh yeah, and: what triggers new areas of the Crystalium to open up? It's only happened to me once so far, and it wasn't clear why. Is it related to plot progression?

That out the way, here's some initial thoughts. I realise I'm really late with this, but bugger it:

-Like the fact that Lightning is a strong female character, but very much in a feminine way, rather than in an emulating-a-guy kind of way. Great interaction going on with Snow.

-Though the game is stunning, I'm quite disappointed by this FFXII guy's art direction. Not a patch on the colour, vibrancy and variety of Naora's work. Shame he's not on this team anymore.

-Not liking the camera at all, but I was in the minority praising the fact that FFX's camera was fixed. It's such a nuisance to have to keep adjusting the camera - especially annoying in battle when you can't see which enemy you're selecting properly. It adds absolutely nothing but frustration to the experience.

-Hamauzu is a fantastic composer, but his input alone is clearly not enough. Some great battle themes, but dull, or entirely unfitting dungeon themes (one of Uematsu's strengths; at least he came back for the main theme).

I'm sounding quite negative there, but having a great time with it overall. Loving the battle system, and the story seems like it's got some potential. :)
 
tebiro boy said:
Oh yeah, and: what triggers new areas of the Crystalium to open up? It's only happened to me once so far, and it wasn't clear why. Is it related to plot progression?

Yup, they'll continue to unlock as you complete more chapters.
 

Khrno

Member
I have a question regarding some of the accessories (in-game items) of the game, about the ones with Magic and/or Physical Resistance.

I realized that the percentage numbers that appear on the description of these items, don't match the total result shown in the character's stats.

I'll explain better the situation, please forgive me I can't provide the names of the items since I don't remember them and I was playing the spanish version (due to some especial reasons).

Item 1: Magic and Physical Resistance +25% (maxed item)
Item 2: Magic Resistance +15% (maxed item)
Item 3: Magic Resistance +20% (maxed item)

So after first glance, I thought that equipping the 3 items I would get 60% Magic Resistance, but that wasn't the case, I only got 50% displayed on the character's stats. I rule out 50% being a cap since I noticed the discrepancy when equipping the three items before they were maxed out. Another number I remember was thinking that I would get 48%, but it only displayed 38%.

I didn't have enough time since today was my last day with the title and had some other stuff to look at it, so I couldn't check if the same happened with the Physical Resistance accessories too.

So, anyone knows if there is some sort of diminishing returns while equipping these type of items, or maybe some sort of soft caps, or the result of some strange formulas created by SE?

Edit: fixed numbers.
 

duckroll

Member
Sinople said:
After FFX-2, FFXII Revenant Wing, Blood of Bahamut and FFXIII, I hope someone in SE will realize Toriyama is not a very good game designer...

He's not a game designer though. He's a scenario writer and event director. When it comes to game directors, especially at Square Enix, they don't always have the same creative backgrounds which means when they direct a game their focus is on different areas. Toriyama is very similar to Kitase and Takahashi - they are focused on scenario and event planning by trait. Before directing any games, they were scenario and event planning staff at Square. Toriyama's personal touch in all his games is in the scenario, not so much in the gameplay. The gameplay in all his games would depend on the other lead staff who are behind the game systems, etc. Toriyama doesn't use a particular fixed team on the games he directs either, so they all tend to be different.

On the other hand, there are directors like Itou - actual game planners, who design gameplay systems and stuff. These games would tend to have the director's own touch in the game design systems throughout the game, and how good or bad the game design in is more of a direct reflection of the director rather than the team. Matsuno and Nomura are also very hands-on in regards to the gameplay in the games they work on, but both of them tend to have a good grip on the entire scope of their games. The story, concept, designs, gameplay, etc of the games they direct are completely from them and they work with very specific teams with leads who follow them from game to game and hence a strong cohesiveness is formed around their "style". Kojima would fall under this category as well.
 

dramatis

Member
duckroll said:
He's not a game designer though. He's a scenario writer and event director. When it comes to game directors, especially at Square Enix, they don't always have the same creative backgrounds which means when they direct a game their focus is on different areas. Toriyama is very similar to Kitase and Takahashi - they are focused on scenario and event planning by trait. Before directing any games, they were scenario and event planning staff at Square. Toriyama's personal touch in all his games is in the scenario, not so much in the gameplay. The gameplay in all his games would depend on the other lead staff who are behind the game systems, etc. Toriyama doesn't use a particular fixed team on the games he directs either, so they all tend to be different.

Isn't it that the restrictions of his scenario is what led to dull systems, though? By now it's pretty obvious the budget went into graphics and animation of the cutscenes, rather than to the development of a decent weapons upgrade system and a better summon system. While the engine can be reused in future games, the art assets which they seem to have spent so much time on don't really show up for very long in the game and are highly wasteful, but they kept pumping money into things like that instead.

Furthermore, the linearity of the game is a design decision that was most likely made based on the scenario rather than the limitations of their resources, since it was two event/story-oriented guys directing and producing the game. I heard that they pretty much "finished" the game back in 2008, but was adjusting the battle system based off reactions to the demo, which makes it more depressing that the gameplay actually came last. If that's really the case, I wouldn't be surprised if the upgrade system was probably cooked up in a month.

While the mythology they created as the concept behind FNC is intriguing and I am interested in it, the presentation of it was quite lacking in 13, to say the least. I'm also faintly surprised how opposite 13 turned out compared to its spiritual predecessor, X-2. I think it was a mistake to make 13 they way they did; 13 is the front of FNC, and probably would have served well to draw in a lot of people the way 7 did into a subfranchise. But it needed to be an exceptional game. I don't know what crossmedia/transmedia stuff they planned for 13, but it really isn't going to earn them much if the centerpiece is less than stellar.
 

Jeels

Member
-Pyromaniac- said:
The reason I'm so excited for FF Versus is because there hasn't been ONE reason not to be yet, and everything we do know sounds awesome. So until there is one reason not to be it's full on excitement!

Too bad there is little we do know and there is no reason to be excited either. :lol
 
Jeels said:
Too bad there is little we do know and there is no reason to be excited either. :lol
What? Darkest FF ever made + overworld + advent children style cut scenes/battle system + story influenced by shakespeare + the cast looks pretty cool (noctis, his buddies, and stella) + actual cities/towns + whatever else I'm forgetting.
 

Jonnyram

Member
Heh, Pulse is actually pretty awesome. It seems like they have really rushed this game because there's an awful lot of stuff here that isn't in the main story route. Killed two of the Adamankeris things now, but they get a bit close at times. Definitely need all the enhancements on to have a smooth fight. Got up to about mission 11 or so. So much toing and froing involved, but hopefully these teleporters will make the job easier as I progress.

BTW do you ever get to fight
those gigantic things you see walking around in the background
?
 

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
Jonnyram said:
Heh, Pulse is actually pretty awesome. It seems like they have really rushed this game because there's an awful lot of stuff here that isn't in the main story route. Killed two of the Adamankeris things now, but they get a bit close at times. Definitely need all the enhancements on to have a smooth fight. Got up to about mission 11 or so. So much toing and froing involved, but hopefully these teleporters will make the job easier as I progress.

BTW do you ever get to fight
those gigantic things you see walking around in the background
?

No, unfortunately you can't fight the Titan :(
 

duckroll

Member
-Pyromaniac- said:
What? Darkest FF ever made

That's like saying darkest Disney movie ever. :lol

+ overworld

Shrug.

+ advent children style cut scenes/battle system

You're definitely thinking of FFXIII instead. :lol

+ story influenced by shakespeare

How is being unoriginal a good thing? :lol

+ the cast looks pretty cool (noctis, his buddies, and stella)

They look like random posers you see around Shibuya and Shinjukuall the time.

+ actual cities/towns

I bet they'll all be like the safe zones in Kingdom Hearts games anyway.

+ whatever else I'm forgetting.

:lol
 

Sinople

Member
Thanks for the clarification, duckroll.
The game didn't really shine for its scenario and event planning either...:lol
I think Kamikokuryo and Tsuchida really did a good job though, as the art direction and battle system were the better parts of the game.

desu said:
Well I could live with the really mediocre mission bosses, but they at least could have spend some time on more individual designs for them...

Exactly!
 

duckroll

Member
Sinople said:
Thanks for the clarification, duckroll.
The game didn't really shine for its scenario and event planning either...:lol
I think Kamikokuryo and Tsuchida really did a good job though, as the art direction and battle system were the better parts of the game.

I don't think Tsuchida did much of a job at all, but the following is just my personal hunch and is not backed up by any real facts, so take it with a grain of salt. Tsuchida's contribution as battle director very early on the development of the game is making the game a symbol encounter system instead of random, he also designed the ATB stock system where you input a sequence of commands before executing. But since the original unveiling of the game, he hasn't really participated in any interviews or features on the game.

The man taking center stage for all interviews on the battle system is Yuji Abe, the battle planning co-director, previously a KH2 battle planner. He speaks openly about how the battles were just plain boring during development, and how to shake things up he designed and introduced the Optima and Role systems. He also came up with the Summon system, Driving Mode, etc.

In the complete credits for FFXIII, the battle director for FFX-2/CrisisCore as well as the battle director for the KH games are listed as supervisors and assistance. The actual speed and design philosophy of the battles in FFXIII definitely feel more like ATB-Kai (FFX-2, Crisis Core) and KH games to me in terms of how chain attacks, combos, breaks, etc play a large role in making the battles more action packed. This is all in stark contrast with what Tsuchida's design philosophy usually is. The guy is a strategy RPG designer, he created Arc the Lad and Front Mission, and the FFX battle engine reflects exactly how he likes battles - slow, methodical, and puzzle-like. If I had to guess, I would say he designed
the summon battles as well, because the way you have to win them reeks of his style.
 
Ahh, my eyes... I really should stay out of this thread til I've finished... >_<

Just beat Odin. Wow, that was epic. Love this combat system. :)
 

mehdi_san

Member
OK amazon lied to me when they said the LE OST will be shipped today (27th). I just got an email from them saying they still haven't received their stock, that's why they haven't shipped it yet. I am not sure now I will get it for this weekend now. Too bad, I was getting excited about listening to it :(
 

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
duckroll said:
That's like saying darkest Disney movie ever. :lol



Shrug.



You're definitely thinking of FFXIII instead. :lol



How is being unoriginal a good thing? :lol



They look like random posers you see around Shibuya and Shinjukuall the time.



I bet they'll all be like the safe zones in Kingdom Hearts games anyway.



:lol

The problem is, we still know too little.
 

Mandoric

Banned
Khrno said:
So, anyone knows if there is some sort of diminishing returns while equipping these type of items, or maybe some sort of soft caps, or the result of some strange formulas created by SE?

They apply sequentially, not all at once.
10% -PDT
+ 10% -PDT
+ 10% -PDT
=
90% damage
-> (90 * .9) = 81% damage
-> (81*.9) = 72.9% damage
 

Jonnyram

Member
Mandoric said:
They apply sequentially, not all at once.
10% -PDT
+ 10% -PDT
+ 10% -PDT
=
90% damage
-> (90 * .9) = 81% damage
-> (81*.9) = 72.9% damage
Also, isn't there some extra bonus you get for equipping similar ac cessories? I noticed this with HP+ accessories at least, but might not be true for others.

Oh, and I recall this was asked a while back but not sure if it was answered - do the drop+accessories (good choice/best choice) stack?
 

I'm an expert

Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Jonnyram said:
Also, isn't there some extra bonus you get for equipping similar ac cessories? I noticed this with HP+ accessories at least, but might not be true for others.

Oh, and I recall this was asked a while back but not sure if it was answered - do the drop+accessories (good choice/best choice) stack?

Yeah there are a lot of combinations that lead to some nice bonuses. Try equipping all the +ATB stuff and see what happens.

As for the choices, from my experience and reading others' posts, they do stack. Make sure to upgrade both to star level as that also increases the chances.
 

Mandoric

Banned
Jonnyram said:
Also, isn't there some extra bonus you get for equipping similar ac cessories? I noticed this with HP+ accessories at least, but might not be true for others.

Oh, and I recall this was asked a while back but not sure if it was answered - do the drop+accessories (good choice/best choice) stack?

Yeah, I noticed a boost from HP accessories plus various other physical, but not -PDT ones giving -PDT as a bonus.
 

Khrno

Member
Mandoric said:
They apply sequentially, not all at once.
10% -PDT
+ 10% -PDT
+ 10% -PDT
=
90% damage
-> (90 * .9) = 81% damage
-> (81*.9) = 72.9% damage


Thanks, that's what I thought might have been the case.


Jonnyram said:
Oh, and I recall this was asked a while back but not sure if it was answered - do the drop+accessories (good choice/best choice) stack?

I don't know if they stack, since I only could get one although upgraded it to the second tier, but the description read differently for both items, the tier 1 was to increase drop rate, the second one said to increase the chance to get a rare item, so judging by the description they might work together (tier 1 and tier 2 items), but I don't think that having 4 equipped of each type, would improve over just having one of each.
 

RpgN

Junior Member
Hi guys, yesterday we got the new playstation magazine in Holland and had a huge 8 pages coverage about FFXIII and also a 2 pages interview with Yoshinori Kitase. He had something interesting to say about a question that you guys might like:

Is the European version identical to the Japanese version or will the western version get extra content for the long wait?

Kitase: At first we had plans to release the game simultaneously worldwide, so we had the intention to deliver identical version between the regions. When we noticed that we wouldn't make it, we decided to release the game as fast as possible in the west after its release in Japan. We initially had doubts to add extra content to the western version but then it would have taken the international version more months of delay. We did prepare a DLC but it will arrive a little later in the west.

DLC?! I'm not sure if you guys already know or spoke about a DLC being officially confirmed. I got the issue today and wondering what kind of DLC it will be.
 

7Th

Member
Weird that they would come out so easily like that, DLC was supposed to be officially announced tomorrow/today in the Ultimania...
 

desu

Member
Well, not too fond if this (not the DLC content but rather that its most likely just content was cut from the final game just to have DLC...).

Hope the Battle Ultimania can clear this mess up tomorrow.
 

Lady Bird

Matsuno's Goebbels
duckroll said:
I don't think Tsuchida did much of a job at all, but the following is just my personal hunch and is not backed up by any real facts, so take it with a grain of salt. Tsuchida's contribution as battle director very early on the development of the game is making the game a symbol encounter system instead of random, he also designed the ATB stock system where you input a sequence of commands before executing. But since the original unveiling of the game, he hasn't really participated in any interviews or features on the game.

The man taking center stage for all interviews on the battle system is Yuji Abe, the battle planning co-director, previously a KH2 battle planner. He speaks openly about how the battles were just plain boring during development, and how to shake things up he designed and introduced the Optima and Role systems. He also came up with the Summon system, Driving Mode, etc.

In the complete credits for FFXIII, the battle director for FFX-2/CrisisCore as well as the battle director for the KH games are listed as supervisors and assistance. The actual speed and design philosophy of the battles in FFXIII definitely feel more like ATB-Kai (FFX-2, Crisis Core) and KH games to me in terms of how chain attacks, combos, breaks, etc play a large role in making the battles more action packed. This is all in stark contrast with what Tsuchida's design philosophy usually is. The guy is a strategy RPG designer, he created Arc the Lad and Front Mission, and the FFX battle engine reflects exactly how he likes battles - slow, methodical, and puzzle-like. If I had to guess, I would say he designed
the summon battles as well, because the way you have to win them reeks of his style.
I agree with this.

In an old itnerview, Tsuchida had said that the order of attacks in the chain and how you combine them would be essential, like using Launch first and then Attack; but in the actual game, there's nothing special regarding the chain attacks other than the seamless/ cinematic effect that it gives to the battles, and the strategy is mostly on the Optima changes, the stuff created by Abe.
 
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