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FFXV character designer Roberto Ferrari comments on his creations on Facebook

Wait, Nomura didn't design FF15's cast? Could've fooled me

Nomura designed the original faces of Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, Prompto, and Stella. ROEN designed the outfits of these 5 characters. Yusuke Naora redesigned these 5 characters after Versus XIII became XV.

All the other characters were designed by Yusuke Naora and Roberto Ferrari.
 
Hopefully he doesn't really get much of an influence in designs in the next few games.

Aranea and Cindy had godawful designs. Gentiana was fine.
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
Nomura designed the original faces of Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, Prompto, and Stella. ROEN designed the outfits of these 5 characters. Yusuke Naora redesigned these 5 characters after Versus XIII became XV.

All the other characters were designed by Yusuke Naora and Roberto Ferrari.

I skimped through the game's credits, was Nomura even credited in the end?
 
Roberto what are you doing "I agree with sakaguchi that its not worth it to make large budget games" *Heads out with Nomura to do KH3 and FFVII*

It's not like he chooses his projects. He's just an employee.

Even the SaGa series producer Akitoshi Kawazu can't do whatever he wants and he once went all dramatic in an interview, saying "I hope I get to make Romancing SaGa 4 before I die", lol.
 

Riposte

Member
It's an incredibly trashy, unnecessarily sexualized design. When a pornstar could cosplay the character and come out looking more modest, you know you've got one shit character design.

That has more to do with porn being cheap as fuck. The cosplayers will correct it.
 

Philippo

Member
Yeah, I remember those. Nothing really bad there.

Anyway, my previous post was ironic, I'm sure he draws whatever he feels like drawing; but since he seems quite active on FB, I should ask him if Cidney's all his doing. Just to be sure.

It is, i already asked him once.
Said the idea was to make a hottie unaware of her own sex appeal, but also very smart and focused on her inventions (inspired by that Porco Rosso girl of whom i don't remember the name).
 

Zakalwe

Banned
Cindy's design is literally there to titillate. Down to the gratuitous sexy animations when she services the car.

It'a just backwards. No not need for it. She should have been more like Kayley from Firefly who is very attractive but not sexualised at all.
 
Wait a minute. Remember this post from Verendus from early 2013 before FFXV was officially revealed?
jFNF31c.jpg

How the fuck were they supposed to release FFXV in 2014 when it was just rebooted, though??
Hmm... there's another rumor that "Project W" which was to be a Eidos developed FF that was later cancelled, was still in the works back then, so that would be your FFXV and XVI.
 
Puhleeze. That screenshot is nothing compared to the blatant way they shove Cindy in your face any time you fuel up at Hammerhead. The only thing missing when she washes your windshield are soap bubbles blowing around the background.
Err he has plenty of moments where he's completely sexualized unnecessarily so, yet no one is complaining about him. And there is no reason to make him that way either, but nice mental gymnastics you're hoping over. Both are very sexualized characters with the guy being a main character, and all you guys do is complain about Cindy only.

It didn't bother me much that Glad is the way he is mind you, but this little childish hypocritical nonsense is filled with cringe inducing outrage. They wanted to do fan service for guys and girls, and this isn't that much of a big deal unless most characters were that way.
 
Err he has plenty of moments where he's completely sexualized unnecessarily so, yet no one is complaining about him. And there is no reason to make him that way either, but nice mental gymnastics you're hoping over. Both are very sexualized characters with the guy being a main character, and all you guys do is complain about Cindy only.

It didn't bother me much that Glad is the way he is mind you, but this little childish hypocritical nonsense is filled with cringe inducing outrage. They wanted to do fan service for guys and girls, and this isn't that much of a big deal unless most characters were that way.
Gladio is treated like a character with some respect that also has some fanservice that is appropriately applied. Cindy is just tits and ass dude. That's how the game treats her.
 
I dunno, I wish Cindy's design was a little more realistic, but I never had any problems thinking she was sexualised in the game. Thank goodness the team had her personality and animations underexagerrated like her design.

Also I have seen worse sexualised designs in a lot of animes and games than her, and some of those designs are on 'physically underaged' bodies. So Cindy? She's... ok. At least I dont feel creeped out.
 
The sad part is they could have treated Cindy like Fran who also had a fanservicy outfit but also had strong writing to back her up.
 
Gladio is treated like a character with some respect that also has some fanservice that is appropriately applied. Cindy is just tits and ass dude. That's how the game treats her.
He has a ton more depth than her, but he should as he is a main and she's a slightly more relevant NPC. I just find the overreactions a bit overdramatic.

The sad part is they could have treated Cindy like Fran who also had a fanservicy outfit but also had strong writing to back her up.
Though this def would have been better.
 

Philippo

Member
Heh, i didn't like Cindy's outfit at all, but i only ever felt her as a sexualized toy when she washed the Regalia.
Outside of that, she's always pretty down to earth, nobody makes sexualized comments on her appearance, and even Prompto has nothing more than an innocent crush on her, nothing dirty in any way.
I was actually pretty surprised about how they handled her in the game, i expected much worse based on the outfit.
 

DemWalls

Member
It is, i already asked him once.
Said the idea was to make a hottie unaware of her own sex appeal, but also very smart and focused on her inventions (inspired by that Porco Rosso girl of whom i don't remember the name).

Ricordo, but I'd like to be more specific, like if her design and its "pure fanservice" side really didn't receive any input from other members of the team. After all, he's certainly not the one responsible for all the camerawork that focuses on Cindy.

It's not that I am trying to "justify" him or don't believe he could come up with her on his own, I'm just curious. I don't think character designers work in total isolation.
 
Nomura designed the original faces of Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, Prompto, and Stella. ROEN designed the outfits of these 5 characters. Yusuke Naora redesigned these 5 characters after Versus XIII became XV.

All the other characters were designed by Yusuke Naora and Roberto Ferrari.

Petty much. It's amazing that not many people know that art is not handled by one single artist. I remember times where people credited the look of FFVII and FFVIII's worlds to Nomura (as in Nomura was responsible for all the locations).There's also a reason why the NPCs mimic Nomura's style. If you are a professional artist, every thing you do isn't solely rocking your own "style". No, unless you are a headliner, you have to learn how to be skilled in recognizing "other" styles and be willing to design characters in those styles to match the visual and artistic continuity of said project. Even at one point, Nomura had to do that (the early FF games, he had to mimic more of an Amano style to fit into those worlds). Being a creative type isn't always about sticking you your own comfort zone, but also being willing to adapt to other styles if work dictates.
 

Philippo

Member
Ricordo, but I'd like to be more specific, like if her design and its "pure fanservice" side really didn't receive any input from other members of the team. After all, he's certainly not the one responsible for all the camerawork that focuses on Cindy.

It's not that I am trying to "justify" him or don't believe he could come up with her on his own, I'm just curious. I don't think character designers work in total isolation.

Well yeah, i wouldn't be surprised if someone from the production or upper management came and said if he could "sex her up" a bit since Stella/Luna aren't really good designs for that.
 
Aranea and Cindy had godawful designs.

Aranea is one of the few interesting designs in the game. I can understand people not liking Cindy's design because her bra and panties are out for no reason. If my wife walked in with Cindy on the screen she would probably laugh at me and ask if I was play a porn.

Aranea though? Come on. Is this part of gaf's new puritan view on cleavage all of a sudden. Where every topic has to be a race to prove how open minded they are and how shameful it is that a woman show a little skin.
 

Zakalwe

Banned
Aranea is one of the few interesting designs in the game. I can understand people not liking Cindy's design because her bra and panties are out for no reason. If my wife walked in with Cindy on the screen she would probably laugh at me and ask if I was play a porn.

Aranea though? Come on. Is this part of gaf's new puritan view on cleavage all of a sudden. Where every topic has to be a race to prove how open minded they are and how shameful it is that a woman show a little skin.

Right, the idea isn't to neutralise sexuality entirely.

Aranea's design is really good imo. Unique within the XV world and in keeping with FF Dragoon designs. She's one or the best aspects of the game all round imo.
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
Err he has plenty of moments where he's completely sexualized unnecessarily so, yet no one is complaining about him. And there is no reason to make him that way either, but nice mental gymnastics you're hoping over. Both are very sexualized characters with the guy being a main character, and all you guys do is complain about Cindy only.

It didn't bother me much that Glad is the way he is mind you, but this little childish hypocritical nonsense is filled with cringe inducing outrage. They wanted to do fan service for guys and girls, and this isn't that much of a big deal unless most characters were that way.

For what it's worth, I think Gladio's default costume is stupid too. I mean who goes around wearing a leather jacket with completely exposed torso. It makes no sense. Him in a tight tank top looks more reasonable and still looking hot, showing his musculature well and giving him his sex appeal without coming across as a dumb jackass. His Versus 13 design is easily better.
 

Adaren

Member
Err he has plenty of moments where he's completely sexualized unnecessarily so, yet no one is complaining about him. And there is no reason to make him that way either, but nice mental gymnastics you're hoping over. Both are very sexualized characters with the guy being a main character, and all you guys do is complain about Cindy only.

It didn't bother me much that Glad is the way he is mind you, but this little childish hypocritical nonsense is filled with cringe inducing outrage. They wanted to do fan service for guys and girls, and this isn't that much of a big deal unless most characters were that way.

"Plenty of moments"

Can you name one that isn't a randomly generated screenshot that happens to include Gladio's barely-3D butt?

Is there anything remotely close to Cindy bending over the Regalia while the camera puts her breasts front-and-center?
 
Aranea is one of the few interesting designs in the game. I can understand people not liking Cindy's design because her bra and panties are out for no reason. If my wife walked in with Cindy on the screen she would probably laugh at me and ask if I was play a porn.

Aranea though? Come on. Is this part of gaf's new puritan view on cleavage all of a sudden. Where every topic has to be a race to prove how open minded they are and how shameful it is that a woman show a little skin.

Uh, no. It has nothing to do with the cleavage and everything to do with it being a pretty terrible design from the helmet to the boots.

Then again, I found out recently that lots of people love Aranea as a character despite her not having much of a character, arc or presence in the game (or much value), so...

*shrugs*

Half of FFXV is at odds with itself in terms of design. You have this fantasy based on reality take with cars and then a few characters that are overdesigned crap befitting of another FF game.
 

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
It's funny this game was in development hell due to story, because it didn't seem all that important. There are things I appreciated that went along with the story, so maybe it can't all be shit (road trip, countryside, the teams banter).

This game is good for being easy monster hunter and checking off quests.

The reason is that because the story that Nomura wanted was so grand.

Explorable/set piece Insomnia as the opening, the road trip adventure, more towns, another extremely large city with Altissia along with another grand set piece, this would then be followed by a much more expanded second half of the game with a fully realized Nifelheim and Tenebrae, perhaps even Solheim (which was scrapped in the final game). There were more characters and each character would probably have been much more fleshed out too.

It seemed like Nomura's version would have settled for a smaller worldmap with a zones type overworld (FFXII style) instead of fully fully openworld.

In its raw form this all meant....more concept creation, asset modelling, character modelling, environment creation, cutscene creation, (mocap, VA's etc....). This may have been possible if they didn't spend so much time with making Luminous and the game itself so cutting edge and AAA. Maybe they also could have delivered something closer to what was originally intended if they put the resources that Kingsglaive swallowed into the games actual development.
 

Zakalwe

Banned
Uh, no. It has nothing to do with the cleavage and everything to do with it being a pretty terrible design from the helmet to the boots.

Then again, I found out recently that lots of people love Aranea as a character despite her not having much of a character, arc or presence in the game (or much value), so...

*shrugs*

Half of FFXV is at odds with itself in terms of design. You have this fantasy based on reality take with cars and then a few characters that are overdesigned crap befitting of another FF game.

She has a very definite arc. From seemingly cold hearted mercenary to sympathetic to ally. Her interactions with the group are well done, her change or heart is believable and defined which is why she's liked.

Like many aspects of XV, she simply needed more time on screen.
 

Monocle

Member
I'm assuming all the people here hating on Cindy a slightly more relevant NPC were also outraged by a main character like Gladious looking like some dude from Magic Mike right?
Male sexualization is such a problem in games! It's so rare to find a male character who is presented as serious and competent without shoving his hot muscles and straining bulge all up in your face!

Yes, the critique of—excuse me, outrage over—Cindy's ridiculous sexual pandering is irrational because there is a fit male bodyguard in the game. They are totally the same. Brilliant.
 

Go_Ly_Dow

Member
Heh, i started working on a translation as soon as Koozek PM'd me, but it looks like many others chimed in meanwhile lol
Still, went through all the FB posts, take a look

On Aranea:



On Gentiana:



On Ardyn:



Umbra:



On developement:



On FFVIIR:

This is insider gold. I like his transparency.

S-E head honchos should listen to this guy instead of silencing him. Specifically about the ridiculous amount of rewrites and pointless redesigns.
 
She has a very definite arc. From seemingly cold hearted mercenary to sympathetic to ally. Her interactions with the group are well done, her change or heart is believable and defined which is why she's liked.

Like many aspects of XV, she simply needed more time on screen.

There is nothing in this post I agree with except the last line. So I'll just agree to disagree.

She came off as a filler character designed to pad the games length that was disregarded to tie up a plot string introduced that honestly, didn't even matter much.
 
The design fits right within Yoshida's sometimes very questionable FFXII designs TBF. Her work on Time Travelers is really grounded.

Yoshida said that when he worked on FFXII he had to maintain some consistency with usual FF art, so for example since the art direction demanded that FFXII have a colorful and bombastic setting, he had to reflect that on the characters and for example he said that using vivid colors like pink was something new for him and that his original design for Vaan was completely different. I guess Ikeda had to work under the same constraints.
 

DemWalls

Member
Oh no... This guy did a bid job.

Though I must say, I actually rather like Aranea's design.

Eh, can't make everyone happy I guess. As you can see from this very thread, some of his characters are very well liked. We can only hope that there are more Gentianas than Cidneys in the future.

I'd certainly be interested to see what would come out with him as the lead designer, but that'll never happen.
 
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