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News is flying out of Squenix's doors about Final Fantasy XII today. They revealed more information on both the staff and the storyline behind the game.

As previously known, Yasumi Matsuno is working as Director/Producer while Akihiko Yoshida did the character designs and is the 3D Map Director. Both men were heavily involved in Final Fantasy Tactics. Isamu Kamikokuryuo of Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X is involved with the background art with Hideo Minaba behind the "Art Direction" (Minaba has previously worked on Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX).
Nubuo Uematsu returns for FFXII, but only in a limited role. He will focus on the main theme of the game as Hitoshi Sakimoto will be composing most of the game's soundtrack.

The game is currently about 70 percent done. Interesting to note is that Squenix is lowering the number of polygons of the character models slightly. They are doing this in an attempt to increase both the quality of the backgrounds and lighting affects and to make the in game animation smoother.

As R51 posted earlier, the title is set in Ivalice. Arcadia has just conquered country of Dalmasca. Ashe, the main heroine of the title and princess/heir apparent in Dalmasca, forms a rebel outfit lead by Vann, the main hero, in order to regain their independence.

Source: Games Are Fun

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I have never played FTT or FFTA (a crime I know, yes, but I will eventually), so the setting in Ivalice does not really bother me. It really isn't a surprise though with both Yasumi Matsuno and Akihiko Yoshida having ties to the game(s). The art in FFIX was both good and bad at the same time in my opinion. Hopefully Minaba will present more of the good this time around.


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"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

This distresses me, Uematsu isn't doing the majority of the soundtrack? It may make me seem wierd, but this makes me slightly less likely to get this game (that and the fact that I only own an origional, boxy grey PS)anyway, that's what I think

Maybe Uematsu just wants to take a step back. I think FF1 was released in Japan in 1987. So that's about 15 years. He split the Final Fantasy X soundtrack with two other composers. He might be tired of it after all this time.

This post has been edited by SSJ_Cloud on 21st November 2003 00:05

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"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

I think Uematsu's absence is going to have a negative impact. I love his music, and most people don't do his job half as well as he does.

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Veni, vidi, dormivi.

I have always spoken highly of final fantasy's music. Final Fantasy's music has always given their games more of a mystical feeling. I hope that this new guy will do well .

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I will be the mustard of your doom!

Quote (edge murasame @ 24th November 2003 12:59)

I have always spoken highly of final fantasy's music. Final Fantasy's music has always given their games more of a mystical feeling. I hope that this new guy will do well .

Sakimoto is more that good enough to be mentioned at the same time as Uematsu, in my opinion. The Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack that he did with Masaharu Iwata might just be the best thing Square has yet put out.

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"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I may be bringing down a TON of wrath upon my head, but Uematsu has got to be my least favorite of Square's composers. He typically produces no more than a handful of tracks (at best) per game that really resonate with me, while the rest, by no means terrible, are just nowhere near as effective. However, for the sake of traditionalism, I am glad that he is going to be involved somewhat in this upcoming project. As I said, he does compose some very stunning arrangements, and I hope each that he creates for this game are of that calibur.

Also, the fact that the setting is somewhere in Ivalice makes me quite happy indeed. While it is traditional to create an entirley new world in each game, I feel that Ivalice is certainly interesting enough and well-thought out to the point that I must explore more of it. If Lea Monde (which I believe to exist in Ivalice) is any indication, Square seems to have invested quite an interest in creating an ever-expanding and rich world. If LM is not, there's still plenty of backstory to FFT to work from.

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"N'GHAAA!
This is heavier than I thought! It'll take me 5 more minutes to drop it!" ~ Ultros

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I have never played FTT or FFTA (a crime I know, yes, but I will eventually), so the setting in Ivalice does not really bother me.

I hope this isn't considered off-topic, but trust me--I don't think you're missing out much by skipping FFTA. I liked FFT but hated FFTA. Just my opinion, of course...

At any rate, if Ivalice was the setting for FFT, I don't see how it really matters. It didn't seem to me that FFT and FFTA were directly connected in any way, so this may have very little, if any, direct connection.

It might be one of those "100 years later" deals that we often get in RPGs that are supposedly part of a series.

I'm really concerned about the actual gameplay, though.

I, too, am distressed that Uematsu isn't composing the music for FFXII. In the words of edge murasame:

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I hope that this new guy will do well.

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

i dont mind as long as there arent lots of references to fft/ta as ive never played them or intend to

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18th June-Red hot chilli peppers-Manchester city stadium

Quote (SSJ_Cloud @ 20th November 2003 10:24)

The art in FFIX was both good and bad at the same time in my opinion.

I really agree about the art in FFIX, SSJ Cloud, also sorry to go off topic, I know it it has nothing to do with it.