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ff12-ultimania · 2 years ago

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FFXII Staff Interview: The Art Directors part I

From left to right: Isamu Kamikokuryo, Hideo Minaba, and Akihiko Yoshida.

Was Basch originally meant to be a young character when development began? But before we delve into that, please tell us about the time when you joined the development of FFXII!

Minaba: I joined the dev team after the international version of FFIX was finished. At first, the team discussed making a game for PlayOnline (FFXI) over a period of six months or a year, but before we knew it, it had become FFXII, haha. The character's head and body and even the decision of whether the game would be online or offline went through several changes during the development process. Akihiko: I joined the FFXII team at the same time as Minaba, after Vagrant Story was finished. Kamikokuryo: I joined a little later than the two of them, which is after FFX was released. It was only then that FFXII's development actually started. Minaba: I think it was around the time when the staff who had been working on PlayOnline (FFXI) started to join the FFXII project, that it was decided our team would become FFXII. Akihiko: At that time, we didn't have a scenario yet, so I sketched numerous characters for FFXII based on my own imagination. However, none of the designs I made at pre-production made it to the final product.

What were the initial concepts like?

Minaba: In the beginning, all characters wear light clothing. In the final cut, only some of them do. Akihiko: We had a complete polygon model that is named "Basch" for PS2 testing-purposes. This "Basch" is of different design than what we see in-game. "Basch" walked around on the map, but he wasn't an older man as we see today; he was a younger character. By creation date alone, Basch was the oldest. After "Basch", I designed Vaan as the first official character. I spent a lot of time working on Vaan's design before the scenario was finalized, so it took me a long time to complete it. Kamikokuryo: It was very exciting to see the process of perfecting the polygon models of the characters. Minaba: The characters were drawn so well that everytime I work on them, I thought, "Ah, I must work hard too".

Akihiko-san, FFXII is your first work in mainline Final Fantasy, did you feel any pressure?

Akihiko: Whenever I felt pressure, I could not sleep at night, so I tried not to think about it. There are only so many designs I can come up with, so I tried to craft my own interpretation of what is 'Final Fantasy' and tried various concepts I could do with that framework, and as a result, I ended up with the current character designs.

In the staff roll following the epilogue, we can see Akihiko-san's artwork as the background, correct?

Akihiko: Yes, since the epilogue depicts what happens after the main story, in the illustrations for the staff roll, I tried to imagine the story before the main story's prologue. Actually, this marks the third instance where I've applied this approach, following Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story. My apologies for the repetition (laughs).

In one of the illustrations, Fran and her sisters are looking out the window. What were they looking at?

Akihiko: I drew it as if she were looking out the window into the world of Ivalice. Most Viera live in the forest and do not go outside, but Fran is interested in the world outside and chooses to interact with humes. The illustration is a bit reminiscent of that.

#final fantasy xii #final fantasy 12 #staff interview #akihiko yoshida #hideo minaba #isamu kamikokuryo #ffxii #ff12 #each dev will get their specific questions. part 1 focuses on akihiko-san!#we'll get the writing team too

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bakerstreetdoctor · 4 months ago

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„Demoticka, 2nd September 1714*

Serene Princess, most gracious dear sister!

My long-lasting neglect causes me that I don’t know how to start my letter or in what way I should dare bring forth any excuse. But all my hope rests on the everlasting benevolence of my most dearest sister, who always shows lenience towards my missteps, no matter how big they may be. It wasn’t for a lack of intention to pay my due respects; but different incidents during this time have always hindered me from realisation, so that my letters, which I often started, didn’t end up getting finished, in part because I’m a bad writer, so that the writing often went wrong and became so unreadable that it had to be rewritten time and time again and the opportunity to send them went by and they then laid here until they were so old in the meantime that they had to be completely changed. Moreover aren’t all opportunities for transport as safe as that I want to dare send my letter to my heart’s sister with them. Because I prefer to only send them with such people, that can deliver them personally, since otherwise they could easily fall into stranger’s hands, especially at sea. If I could finish my letters and transport them safely as often as my thoughts are with Mon Coeur, so not a day should go by in which my heart’s sister would not get my letters in heaps, so that Mon Coeur should not think of anything else but reading them; but for now it nearly always my intention just remains in the real of thought.

When Rank, who is in Kassel’s service, left here, I intended to give Mon Coeur my regards through him; but my letter didn’t get finished fast enough. I had at the time, when he left, a small fever for three weeks and as consequence of a special event laying in bed for a long time, so that it was even more uncomfortable to write in bed than it already was otherwise. I intended to send an express from here right after his departure, who should progress faster than him. But as the result of different incidents this remained undone, so that I didn’t get to realising my intentions. I had the intention to write Mon Coeur, as I had to, that the landgrave of Cassel and his hereditary prince had written to me regarding their known wish and requested that I should help them, to procure my dear sister’s agreement.+ I answered that I wish that their intentions see success and that I’ll gladly help, to petition the necessary authorities give their approval [this is a really rough translation I’m sorry lmao]. I hope to now soon hear that my sister will think to proclaim her resolution on this and that I’ll gain a brother-in-law.

When Liven arrived here, I had the intention to send him straight back in accordance with Mon Coeur’s order. The matter however dragged on, so that he hasn’t left until now. He had always been ill here for a while, but is now doing better and will leave soon. I’ve been very joyed by Liven’s arrival; since I not only received Mon Coeur’s most dearest letter through him, but also was verbally informed of Mon Coeur’s preferable wellbeing, although at the same time I grudgingly also heard of the woes, which Mon Coeur was feeling over the demand that the Council made and that Her Majesty the Queen has agreed to, that Mon Coeur was supposed to attend the meetings of the Council.# Mon Coeur can surely imagine, that I can’t find that, what’s regarding MonCoeur, anything but good, and that I gladly saw that Mon Coeur gave her agreement and wants to take on these efforts. I am sure it will be useful for the accomplishments of many things, especially if the Council is through this encouraged to to work more cautiously than it has happened for a few years now.

The times however have been difficult and after the picture the Council painted it was impossible to achieve more. I can however assure Mon Coeur that the times have become much harder by the neglectful and damaging ventures of the Council and much has been neglected to matter how much they try to excuse it.& But under the name of Council I don’t pronounce all members of the Council guilty, because some have done all they could in their power. But with others there’s reason to be dissatisfied, who above all others according to the nature of of the matters, to find ways around them and promote the realisation of the ventures [also a really rough translation, sorry].

I’ve told Liven some things, which he can repeat to the Council. Mostly this is about Horn; because I know him and know that he’s hardworking, when he puts in effort. He should be most used to following orders and making this or that happen, especially regarding the military. But for a few years now I’ve found his eagerness small; in no way did he out efforts into achieving something. I’ve seen from his own letters he wrote to me, that his only concern is to pass on all responsibility without taking care that all will be executed as would be necessary for the common good. He has also written to me that he spent the last summer and this summer as well nearly always in the countryside, which is absolutely not permissible when everything is looking badly. He, who was a soldier and possesses strength enough, has to be at work on the daily before anyone else. That’s why he is the chancellery-president and as such should take on the matters of government even more and should always be present. Furthermore he is the Governor for the Duke, whom he shouldn’t neglect as well. I’m writing Mon Coeur in confidence everything that comes to mind and I ask, that Mon Coeur won’t take it badly that I’m so extensive.

Mon Coeur wrote me that Horn would like to be president of the Court of Appeal. Since I have aforementioned against him, I’d rather the position of president be vacant for a time until I see clearly who will be the most capable for it. Cronhjelm, who has also applied, would surely be usable; however I also have some smaller matter against him and would like that he first pay more attention towards the public good than his private matters. Furthermore he didn’t achieve much in the commission he had in the last year for the fleet, and didn’t follow his orders in the way he had to understand them. That can all be improved however.

With this opportunity several different letters are going to the Council and answers to its letters. I have tried to indicate to Mon Coeur in this letter of mine what the letters that are leaving from are containing. Since I’ve difficulties with writing and Mon Coeur will see everything in the Council, I ask Mon Coeur don’t blame me that I don’t write about everything. I hope, Mon Coeur will find it good, what I wrote to the Senate on the matter of Mon Coeur’s presence in the senate, as well that I didn’t write to Mon Coeur in the same letter as the senate. Because Mon Coeur and the senate can’t be understood as something belonging together, as well as Mon Coeur can’t be seen as a member of the Senate, but as one who in the same way as me is above the Council and supervises the businesses and ventures which have been entrusted to the Council, so that Mon Coeur supervises at home over that which is supposed to be carried out in the same way I announce it to them during my absence in my letters from here. Concluding from that, regarding the exchange of letters between me and the Council, Mon Coeur and me can’t be seen as something else but a single person who is in two places at once, and equally the Senate forms a particular person or a College. My letters to the Council can therefore not be addressed to my sister at the same time; because that would be the same as if I were writing to the Council and myself at the same time. Furthermore I’m often of a completely different opinion than the Senate and can therefore all the less write in the same letter to Mon Coeur, as both, who are one, can only have one will too; but the matter with the Senate is a complete different one.€

Regarding the suggestion from the Council that the young Duke wants to be declared of age, I have answered that this would something to wish for, and that it could be very helpful for his land, if he could be become of age the sooner the better. But that he could come into possession of his lands earlier through that, doesn’t seem likely. Far more as a consequence of this other difficulties could arise from unreasonable claims from the enemies; they could against the promise that he gain possessions in his lands demand that he leave Sweden, what would dare too much for both the person of the Duke and the interest of Sweden. Denmark as well as Prussia would wish to get him into their hands. The Holstein minister§ has sought here as well in Sweden to get him. But I have answered, as well as this happened in Sweden, that this can’t be done. It’s sure than one has cause to mistrust the sincerity of the first Holstein minister as well of several others; because they are full of shady tricks and seldom keep to the straight road. But it’s very difficult to publicly accuse them before one has thorough knowledge and better proof. Rather one has to let everything go until the Duke, when he’s of age, may examine everything himself. In the meantime no one can part the interests of Sweden and Holstein, even if the Holstein minister might be maliciously minded towards Sweden. There is no doubt about the Administrator’s good attitude towards Sweden.

Mon Coeur has made the greatest efforts to write so many and long letters in ciphers and especially in chancellery ciphers, which are so difficult. I barely get to write without ciphers, which had actually been my intention; but I am sure that this letter will get through well.$”

*Yes, this is nearly 2 years after the last letter I translated, and I didn’t skip any in-between. For example the Ottomans kicked out Karl from Bender in the so called Kalabalik (there’s a wikipedia article on it), insane shit, basically 40 of Karl’s guys holed up in his house against thousands of Tartars and jannissaries. I think they held out for roughly 8 hours until the roof was on fire and they decided to break through to the chancellery building, but as they stormed out, Karl at their head, he tripped over his spurs, one of his soldiers even threw himself on him to keep him somewhat safer, but the Ottoman soldiers took him prisoner then. He ended up staying in Demotika/Timurtash for quite a while, during which he was laid up in bed for 11 months, Hatton says probably due to a broken ankle and malaria, but honestly, that doesn’t really cover the entire 11 months. Maybe he was taking a severe depression nap.

+This is about the Prince Friedrich of Hessen-Kassel wanting to marry Ulrika btw

#”Already in November of 1713 had Princess Ulrike Eleonore started to attend meetings of the council on their request. She said in a letter, she had sent with Liewen, that she had “objected to the utmost”. Since she hadn’t received any answer to her preceeding letters to Karl and the Queen Dowager had given her permission, she therefore hoped that Karl wouldn’t take her actions ungraciously”

&”This very strict verdict on the Swedish Council can generally be seen as an expression of anger by Karl XII. that the council, which had been working which had been working under the highest foreign and inner pressures, hadn’t earlier and with more success sent a relief army to Pomerania, as had been ordered by the king repeatedly. The princess, who could observe the actions of the Council up close, judged the matter differently, as it’s seen from her answer: “Nothing can recover the work, but the own esteemed presence of Y. Maj., which can test the sad state best; because the quality of which can’t be imagined from far away, but only when one is present. I don’t deny what Y. Maj. deemed to mention that it looks as if times have gotten harder, because at the time no better arrangements were made. But that is now done, and what’s done can’t be changed anymore. But I don’t believe that the Council can be blamed for this through their negligence, because I’ve been witness to this ever since I’ve been part of it, that they’ve done everything that could be done as loyal men and subjects. And if God wants to punish, noone can safe themselves from it. The Highest give, that one just finds a way out to save what’s left.”

€I’M SO UNWELL ABOUT THIS HELP. I just wish that Karl would understand that Ulrika was not groomed in the same way as him for the responsibilities of the crown :(

§Goertz my darling <3 Ohhh just you wait Karl, in just a couple of months he’s gonna be soooo ride or die for you (literally), and you’ll put the future of your kingdom in his hands <3

$I guess this explains why this letter is so excessively long lmao

#personal #max and karl #Karl XII #Charles XII #Great Northern War #letters #translation #18th century #THIS IS PART 1

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