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INTERVIEW
PART - FOUR / FIVE
Q:
The battle system in Xenosaga is supposed to be extremely deep. You're not
using the typical encounter system you see in RPGs.
T: I hate randomly running into enemies while going around the map, so in
this game, battles only begin once you get within a certain range of
enemies you can see onscreen.
Q: The strategy aspect of the battles has been enhanced as well. You can
have an advantage depending on where you run into enemies, and so on.
T: The hard part is balancing battles with event scenes; we're still
working on this balance right now. There really wasn't much strategy at
all to battles in the previous game, which let you advance quickly without
interrupting the story, but some players also felt there wasn't enough
game in there. I wanted to make something that people could play for hours
on end if they wanted to, so this time around I've tried adding some more
strategy.
Q: There aren't small, medium, and large attacks.
T: Basically there are short-range, long-range and finishing attacks.
There're also ethereal attacks, which correspond to magic.
Q: It seems like you have a lot of tactical options available via special
moves and such. Do you think the typical player will use them all?
T: Well, it's still a turn-based system, so beginners should be able to
get along without becoming lost. It may look complex at first, but it's
set up so that just a little strategy can make things much easier. You can
finish the game by bulldozing your way through battles, but you'll be
consuming items at a frenetic pace all the way. There's a lot you can do
with the ability to interrupt command sequences, for example. If a
character that's about to die has an enemy on his heels, you can interrupt
the battle and refill his life. Character positioning is also a vital
strategic element; enemies have an easier time attacking people in front,
so it's better to put characters with high defense there.
Q: What's the maximum party size?
T: Three people. And their mechs.
Q: You can only call your mechs once per battle this time, right?
T: Well, depending on your equipment you can use your mechs during the
entire encounter, but it just doesn't work well for longer battles. As a
result, deciding when to call them out during boss battles and such is
another part of strategy; maybe you'd use them when your HP is low so you
can keep on fighting. You can finish the entire game using nothing but
robots if you want; it all depends on your playing style. The enemies
don't have anything like mechs, but they do change their stances depending
on your moves. If you can read their behavior and adjust accordingly
you'll find that the battles will go very smoothly.
Q: In Xenogears, the items you got after boss battles depended on what you
did and how long you took to win...
T: It's the same way this time, too. The fewer turns you take, the more
experience points and bonus items you can acquire. I want players to
pursue the limits of what's available to them strategywise, both in and
out of battles. With all the skills and finishing moves players can build
up their own personal style of fighting; there's a lot there for players
willing to put in the time.
Q: What else is there for the more hardcore player?
T: We're currently in the planning stages for some kind of trading and
collecting minigame. I'm hoping to weave it seamlessly into the story.
You'll be able to get rare items and such from playing.
Q: The collecting aspect sounds fun.
T: Mm-hmm. I'll leave the rest to your imagination for now. (laughs) We're
also thinking of an iLINK compatible battle mode, but I doubt many players
can or want to connect two PlayStation 2s together. We're seeing if it
can't be done via some kind of split-screen mode.
INTERVIEW
PART - FIVE>>>
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