The winner of my latest Xitter poll was more dev interviews, so here they are. As mentioned in the post on FFXVI secrets known only to the devs, each of the eight chapters in Ultimania ends with a section of interviews with some of the key developers. Below is the Q&A section that closes out chapter 1 (pg. 87-89).
Takahashi Kazuya 高橋和哉
Character & Visual Design
Representative Works: FFIX, FFX, FFXI, FFXVI
Q: Please tell us which parts of the game you were responsible for working on.
A: I was in charge of designing a variety of things including the main characters and NPCs, enemies, the Eikons, key visuals, concept art, etc.
Q: What was the theme [behind] the character designs this time?
A: Depicting ‘the dichotomy of serious vs. fantastical’ via the characters and Eikons in a dark and serious medieval world in which fantastical beings called Eikons appear.
Q: Were there aspects which referenced past works in the FF series, or aspects you tried to change?
A: Although it’s a small detail, we took into consideration the appearance of the Iron Giant, etc. which appear in previous works, but also tried to create designs that matched the game’s realistic worldbuilding.
Q: Were there any aspects of the Dominants’ and Eikons’ designs in which you preserved commonalities or sought to differentiate?
A: The Eikons’ appearances reflect some aspect of the Dominants who manifest them. However, since I really did want to make Ramuh’s appearance that of an old man, as in previous FF games, we decided that Cid’s mental age was quite advanced, and thereby achieved coherence with Ramuh’s outward appearance.
Q: Bearers have a brand on their cheeks, but did anything influence the creation of its design?
A: In the game, the Bearer’s brand is a negative thing, but so long as we were going to put it on our protagonist, Clive, I couldn’t make it anything weird, so I agonised a bit. Ultimately, by drawing a diagonal line bisecting a crystal, I’ve designed it to represent ‘one who is bound to the crystals.’
Q: Please tell us about something imbued with an unexpected intention.
A: The mark on young Clive’s left shoulder is a depiction of the egg from which the Phoenix is reborn. In my mind, I determined that the mark denotes ‘hope’ and ‘protection’ in the Grand Duchy of Rosaria.
A Secret About FFXVI Only You Know
I wanted to make chocobos this time look like eagles that can fight, and drew them with the intention that they be carnivorous. I never told anyone else on staff though, so they eat gysahl greens as usual.
Ishii Haruya 石井晴也
Lead Character Artist
Representative Works: FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFXII, FFXIV, Kingdom Hearts
Q: Please tell us which parts of the game you were responsible for working on.
A: I was primarily in charge of creating the characters’ faces and hair. I also determined data specifications and created the depictions of altered states such as semi-priming and turning Akashic.
Q: What were you most particular about in the creation of the characters overall?
A: The most important thing was, after all, the faces and hair. Since they’re aspects which receive a lot of attention, we fine-tuned the designs whilst playing the game to make sure that the appearances perfectly matched each character’s personality. In this game, many of the characters have heavy backstories (early on, I’d heard that Clive might never have a scene in which he smiles), and there weren’t many people who were all ‘Bright! Cheery!’ so on the whole I’ve created them with the hope that they give off a mature and composed charm.
Q: Were there aspects which referenced past works in the FF series, or aspects you tried to change?
A: From early on in development, we had a policy of making the illustrations, including faces, more realistic than in previous FF games. However, since I thought that a face that might actually exist in reality would no longer be FF, I prioritized the impressions I got from the concept art and reproducing them, whilst also trying to balance things like making the size of the eyes and chins more realistic. Also, while we usually have the impression of FF characters as being gorgeous, in this game we’ve gone with a slightly more earthy look to match the worldbuilding, with the skin and hair not being too clean, rather giving them a slightly dirty appearance.
Q: Which character are you most attached to?
A: Clive. [Creating him] was a process of repeated trial and error, both in terms of technique and visual direction, and I continued to work on 28-year-old Clive for many years from the early stages of development, until he became completely burned into my retinas. If I were to name a runner up, it would be young Joshua. He was the character I felt the strongest desire to, in any case, make cute (lol).
A Secret About FFXVI Only You Know
Charon’s right eye is established to be artificial, so to suit her highly particular personality, we gave her a special false eye made from a stone with a beautiful hue reminiscent of lapis lazuli.
Sonobe Jun 園部淳
Lead Character Artist
Representative Works: Dragon Quest VIII, Dragon Quest IX, Dragon Quest XI, Dark Cloud (SONY Interactive Entertainment), Ni no Kuni (Level-5)
Q: Please tell us which parts of the game you were responsible for working on.
A: As the leader for the Eikon & Monster Team within the Character Model Division, I was in charge of all aspects of model production, including modeling, textures, special depictions, and finishing touches.
Q: What were you most particular about in the creation of the characters overall?
A: The universal aestheticism and simple awesomeness of the Eikons and monsters. The worldbuilding and designs in this game weren’t super ostentatious, which was precisely why I thought that simple aspects would determine their quality.
Q: Which character are you most attached to?
A: Ifrit, of course. He’s the main Eikon this time and, ever since I saw the art and scenario, I thought that making him cool would be my greatest contribution to FFXVI, so I put a lot of effort into his creation in particular.
Q: What sort of exchanges did you have with the staff in charge of the design and motions of the characters?
A: Kazuya-san (Takahashi Kazuya: Character & Visual Design) pretty much left things up to me and gave me free rein. In that regard, there was pressure, but it also made the work highly rewarding, and the sense of accomplishment when I finished was considerable. We worked closely with the motion staff to ensure that there were minimal breakdowns to the characters’ movements.
Q: What part of FFXVI do you most want players to check out?
A: Above all, the Eikon battles. They’re scenes in which the Eikons, which I put my heart and soul into creating, take center stage, so I’d like players to pay attention to these spectacular battles. The Garuda fight, in particular, served as the benchmark for this production, so I’m especially fond of it.
A Secret About FFXVI Only You Know
The models of Ifrit and Garuda we used for the early stage battle testing were of a quality that wasn’t so different from their final versions and were completed within a two week period. We were running a simple output of speed sculpt models, but this was made possible due to the cooperation of our graphics programmers, thanks to whom the production process was carried out smoothly.
Yamate Seiji 山手清嗣
Lead Environment Concept Artist
Representative Works: Before Crisis -FFVII-, FFXIII-2, FFXIV, The World of FF, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Friends of Mana
Q: Please tell us which parts of the game you were responsible for working on.
A: I was in charge of all the background art and the design of all manner of objects. The one I’m most attached to is the panoramic art of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque. Even before the title was announced, it was used in a variety of settings.
Q: In designing the Mothercrystals of the various regions, which element did you pay the most attention to?
A: Crystals could be called a symbol of FF, so I thought of simple and easily recognisable shapes. I think the Mothercrystal Drake’s Tail, for instance, is shaped like a quintessential FF crystal.
Q: Please tell us about something imbued with an unexpected intention.
A: ‘Dirt’ and ‘weathering’ are essential textures when depicting a medieval world, but in the case of this game, I drew with the intention of [depicting] no more or less than ‘history’ and ‘romanticism.’ It’s a subtle difference in nuance, but it’s quite important.
n.b. I believe what he’s trying to say is that it was more about capturing the aesthetic or vibe of a medieval world than accurately depicting the Middle Ages.
Q: What sort of instructions did the director give you?
A: Takai (Takai Hiroshi: Main Director) requested that the images [I created] matched the excitement of the story and that the designs be convincing (i.e. realistic). The FFs of recent years feature never-before-seen, overwhelming worldbuilding, but I think perhaps that—by creating a grounded world based upon a serious story and world parameters—this production has become a game that even people new to FF to can become immersed in.
Q: Please tell us about one unforgettable memory from development.
A: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff from overseas had to return to their home countries temporarily, but thanks to the remote work environment we had in place, they were able to work as usual (though there was a time difference) while they were back home, and I thought, ‘Times sure have changed.’
A Secret About FFXVI Only You Know
Of the many artworks [which appear in the game], one of the hardest to produce was [Mid’s] doodle (→P.708). When I was agonising over what to do, I recalled the portraits and shoebills my own daughter had drawn and used them as a reference on the down low. The fact that I also had my daughter help me make several of the designs on [Shirleigh’s] board is a secret I’m only sharing here.
Kurihara Naoki 栗原直樹
Environment CG Director
Representative Works: FFXIV
Q: Please tell us which parts of the game you were responsible for working on.
A: I handled a variety of things, including directing the overall background image creation, building the production flow and tools, creating and laying out the data to be implemented in the game, designing and creating the world map, and following up on any issues that arose. With the help of a great many people, of course.
Q: What sort of concept informed the creation of the world of Valisthea?
A: I kept in mind the concept of ‘a fantasy that feels convincing (i.e. realistic).’ Crystals have been an important motif throughout the entire FF series, but I think the way they’re put to use as everyday essential commodities is a unique feature of this game.
Q: In depicting the Mothercrystals of the various regions, which element did you pay the most attention to?
A: They’re incredibly large and are symbols of the lands in which they’re situated, so when I placed them about the map I was careful to make sure that they look impressive but don’t give the impression of sticking out too much from their surroundings. The lighting team helped a lot in that department.
Q: What sort of concept informed the creation of the deadlands?
A: I envisioned a withered region, an environment where no sense of new growth can be felt. The motif of the relics of the Fallen—remnants of a past prosperity—is white, so I was also conscious of the contrast between black and white.
Q: Please tell us about something imbued with an unexpected intention.
A: I decided upon the base design of the world map whilst conferring with Minagawa (Minagawa Hiroshi: Art Director), but the concept is that of a diorama. If you look closely, [you’ll notice that] the lines that demarcate the nations’ borders are also rendered in a diorama-like fashion.
A Secret About FFXVI Only You Know
We were given fairly free rein with the design of the world map, and when making the symbol-icons for the cities on the map, I used the paperweights I’d made during my school years as a reference. I’m thinking Rosalith, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, would be the easiest to use as a paperweight.
Fukuzawa Rei 福澤礼
Lead Environment Artist
Representative Works: FFIX, FFX, FFXII, FFXIV, Kingdom Hearts
Q: Please tell us which parts of the game you were responsible for working on.
A: In addition to general management duties such as running the Background Division and managing schedules, I was also in charge of creating and giving direction on the maps of the different stages and the event maps for cutscenes.
Q: Were there aspects which referenced past works in the FF series, or aspects you tried to change?
A: The titles in the FF series have a different feel each time, so I wasn’t particularly conscious of that. If I had to name something, I was mindful not to lean too hard into the fantasy, I guess, since this game has more realistic worldbuilding than past productions. Early on in development, I was overly-conscious of making the art more subdued, which resulted in low saturation and extremely drab images.
Q: Is there a difference in the ease of creating locations with manmade structures versus locations that are natural environments?
A: People have things they are and aren’t geared towards, so I can’t generalise but, personally, I think that—to the extent that structures have a regularity to them—it’s easy to tell if they’re right or not, and they’re easy to build. Whereas natural environments are quite difficult to create realistically because the game’s specifications—such as the need to make the ground as flat as possible for battles—come into play.
Q: Was there something you bore in mind while creating props such as furniture, cargo, and sign boards?
A: Even a small cup can fill the screen in a cutscene, for instance, so we paid particular attention to the details so that they wouldn’t breakdown even when viewed up close.
Q: What would you like to challenge yourself with in the next game you work on?
A: I would like to use the experience I gained from this work to try my hand at creating graphics of even higher quality, but since I’ve been involved with a medieval world for a long time, I’d like to try my hand at SciFi next.
A Secret About FFXVI Only You Know
The 3D models for FFXVI are all made to scale relative to one another, without fudging anything. The largest object in the game is the crystal of darkness Ultima calls forth, which was made with a height of 60 km. Origin, within it, has a diameter of more than 6 km and is in fact larger than the field maps of the various nations.
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