I was just wondering if you know anything about the possible localization of "Tales of Eternia." I heard it isn't going to be translated, which is a real shame, since Tales of Destiny was actually really great (am I the only person to think this?) You should know, since you did write a very detailed FAQ on TOD, which I used in that game (does "Juicy Beef" ring a bell, by any chance?)

I know that another chapter in that series is confirmed already, but here's hoping that it will come over here. Anyway, I won't bother you anymore.

R. Vinall

Fritz, as much as I love you, sometimes you slip up.

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the Vagrant Story characters have no connection to their Shakespearean equivalents."

For those who haven't had to read Hamlet repeatedly for classes yet, Rosencratz and Guildenstern are a pair of Hamlet's childhood aquiantences who are sent by Cladius to attempt to gain Hamlet's trust and uncover the reasons for his "madness." As characters, they are generally slimy, untrustworthy, and not at all the friends they present themselves as.

That may not sound a whole lot like their Vagrant Story namesakes, but let's keep in mind, Matsuno was making an appropriate reference, not attempting to put Shakespearean characters into his own work.

In Vagrant Story, it is actually Rosencratz who really carries the reference. Like his canonized counterpart, he attempts to gain the trust of both Ashley and Sydney, and is (possibly, depending on which version of Ashley's past you believe) a past acquaintance of Ashley's. Like the original, his only true goal is political advancement. However, since the two characters are so closely linked in Hamlet, a reference to one without the other involved would be incomplete. In a lot of pre-release info about Vagrant Story, Guildenstern was presented as being someone who would potentially be working towards similar goals as Ashley, but who should also not be trusted. Obviously, his character did not entirely fit the original promotional material, but the reference does not entirely go astray- Guildenstern remained fond of betrayal for political advancement, and a Rosencratz reference still needs a Guildenstern to be complete.

Also, though it wasn't so obvious due to the game's notoriously bad translation, Matsuno also pulled a similar trick in Final Fantasy Tactics with "Ovelia." Though the characters are far from identical, both are used mainly as tools (the name "Ophelia" means "useful tool") by other characters, and ultimately die as a result.

Once again, just because Matsuno hasn't cut out Hamlet character and pasted it whole cloth into his game script doesn't mean that it isn't a well done reference. I'd ponder the implications to the similar use of mythological characters in games, but I've ran at the mouth enough.

-Davon

> and Miang's last name Hawwa is the Islamic name for Eve.

Given Xenogears' overall tilt towards Kabbalistic/Jewish mythology, I'd suspect it's actually supposed to be Havva, the Hebrew name for Eve. (I do sometimes see the letter "w" transliterated instead of "v", and I can't think why except for the fact that some people might want to show a difference between the letters "vav" and "vet" even though they sound exactly the same. End of rant.)

--Cidolfas

Chocobo Hot and Cold sucks.

Yes, I realize the topic is "sidequests" but I can contain my anger no longer. Once again.

Chocobo Hot and Cold sucks.

In my opinion, it's the dumbest minigame since you had to give CPR to the girl in FFVII (yeah, you really needed mad skillz to pump that square button). Let's go over the premise of Chocobo Hot and Cold. You run around on some screen trying to find items. But it's worse than that. When your chocobo gives a KWEEEEEHHHH you spend countless minutes trying to find the exact stupid pixel. And this is supposed to be fun???? Probably the same people who thought that Beyond the Beyond was a good idea. At least there was some modicum of skill in Chocobo raising. The chocograph searching part wasn't so bad, but finding the chocographs (22 of them to boot!) is an amazing exercise in tedium. Square really needs to learn that minigames are supposed to be enjoyable. Not frustrating explorations of the annoyances of random number generators.

Raymond

Hey,

On the topic of side quests and mini quests, I think they would be a great addition to a RPG if only they were easier to get into. It always seems that you have to fall into them by chance, and then they tend to be tedious at best. The rewards are not usually enough to warrant actually hunting them down and then going through all the motions. Another thing I tend to hate about them, and mini games, is that they will often change the basic control engine, so you get such mini games as the motor cycle ride in FF7 as an example. I do think that there will be better execution of them in future titles though, especially as the FF series moves away from pre rendered backgrounds. I would love to play a RPG with the control mechanisms of a game like Zelda OoT. An adventure type game with a very strong story line and good play control? I think Id be in heaven. I am really really hoping that Square decides to go in that direction in the future. It would be a really simple way to put some new life into the RPG genre. I can find less fault with a RPG that handles really well, but might have some weaknesses in the story department, because its fun just on a tactile level. Am I crazy, or just exhausted, or both? Who knows, especially not me.

-pw

Like just about everything else in videogames, sidequests (so it seems to me) aren't intrisically good or bad. Rather, they're an element that can be used well or poorly. Three examples:

Planescape: Torment (which is a PC RPG, forgive me) has an interesting approach. When you start the game, you can reach your first major goal in about 20 minutes if you hurry. Of course, you'll probably die instantly if you do. This is because the bulk of Planescape's gameplay is made up of sidequests--there's comparatively little you're actually *required* to do in the game. Accomplishing sidequests earns money, experience, or frequently both, and you'll find yourself in a sticky situation if you do nothing but obsessively advance the plot. If, however, you make a point of finishing as many sidequests as you can, you'll be handsomely rewarded and enjoy relatively smooth sailing. (Note: it would be very easy to get this type of game wrong, if the sidequests were uniformly monotonous and dull. Planescape's sidequests, fortunately, are neither of those things, but just because sidequests worked well in this way once doesn't necessarily mean they will every time.)

For a positive example from console games, there's the fresh-off-the-presses Shadow of Destiny. Again, you can progress in a straight line through the game, and unlike Planescape: Torment, there's nothing stopping you from doing so. It's perfectly possible to stay focused on preventing your deaths, and ignore the various opportunities presented. You even get a decent ending for your troubles. But you'll never see the big picture, and you'll never get a sense of what a difference you can really make, if you don't explore sidequests and alternate methods of doing things.

Finally, a negative example. Though I liked Final Fantasy VII as much as the next guy, a lot of people have good reasons for calling the story confusing--several crucial details are hidden away in obscure sidequests, like returning to the Shinra Mansion to see the Cloud/Zack cutscene, or finding Lucrecia's cave. Rather than using sidequests to enhance the world, as Planescape and SoD did, FF7 uses sidequests to enhance the story, with poor results.

You can trace these effects more by noting how players feel about uncompleted sidequests rather than completed ones. My first time through FF7, I was mildly frustrated because I felt like the plot had several small holes that added up to a larger annoyance. Whereas on my first time through Planescape, my awareness of unsolved sidequests seemed to point to a richer world, one that I wasn't expected to exhaustively complete. I think I'm running out of space, so I'll stop there without a satisfying conclusion--look for Sidequest Letters Gaiden, out soon, to resolve these nagging holes!

Nich Maragos

Fritz,

I think sidequests and optional areas are cool. As plot-driven games, rpgs tend to be pretty linear. Sidequests give players freedom without lessening the cohesiveness of the story. The variability sidequests introduce gives rpgs replayability (for those of us willing to go through a forty hour game in order to find the dragon hidden behind the waterfall, anyway). Good sidequests allow the player to gather unique items, encounter new monsters, and perhaps even add a new party member. The best sidequests allow players to learn more about the world their characters inhabit. Bearing that in mind, my favorite sidequest is the one in Xenogears where Fei, Elly and Emerelda learn more about their shared past, and Emerelda subsequently achieves an adult form.

- Mark

O_o .... o_O Chocobo Hot and Cold is crack! CRACK I tell you!

-Queen Godzilla

Personally, I quite enjoy sidequests. It adds to the illusion that you're not on a rail -- the world is wide open, go ahead and explore it. I like nothing more than being able to wander off the path set for me and suddenly find a secret dungeon, or in the Breath of Fire series, fishing spot.

Then again, I also enjoy talking to NPCs, so take that for what it's worth.

Negative Creep

what is a Chu-chu?

AL