Grandia may be something new to the PS2 when it is released in the very near future, but it is certainly not to long time platform RPG fans. Ryudo returns to the gaming world on the powerful PS2 platform with a whole new (and broader) scope and a number of features exclusive to Sony's next-gen platform. Praised in the past by critics for it's attention to story development and sound gameplay, it's no wonder there was a demand to bring this highly anticipated title to a whole new level.

Boasting a unique battle system which combines the strengths of both real and turn based gameplay, amazingly detailed 3D worlds that really put the PS2 to work, careful attention to character development (a staggering cast of over 1000!), carefully constructed voice overs, and much more; Grandia II is very likely to please loyal fans, and likely recruit many new ones.

The development team behind Grandia II, Gamearts, discussed some Grandia II details with us in our latest Q&A session. See what Grandia, RPG, and gaming fans have to look forward to!

1.Having been in the video game field for some time, you must have some opinions on how video games have progressed, and where you see them heading in the future. Is there anything thing in particular you're currently feeling the industry needs more of, and perhaps what direction you see it going in the future? 

I think that the video games are progressing in a way to be more user -friendly. I believe that videogames will be changing to be more virtual realistic.

 2. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of voice casting and the integration of voiceovers in Grandia II? Have you worked with Kris Zimmerman previously to Grandia II?

 Ubi Soft’s US localization team is responsible for the translation, localization and voice talents for Grandia II. For the PlayStation 2 version, we are using the audio tracks from the Dreamcast version.

3. With over 1,000 interactive characters, it seems a formidable task to manage. Do you mostly brainstorm these characters as you go along, or do you have a pretty good idea on most of the characters before you start intense game development? Will many of these characters be familiar to previous Grandia players?

During the game development process, we think of what kind of people may live in each village and town, and brainstorm to visually balance them with the game graphics. So, if those characters fit in with the living space, I think we were able to transmit what kind of image and atmosphere, we were trying to create through them.

4. There are many definitions of traditional/hardcore RPG. What aspects of RPG compose the core of Grandia II?

Since there is no such concept as "Hardcore RPG" in Japan, this question is difficult to answer. However, I think that Grandia II is an RPG where you can enjoy the story.

 5.Grandia II will feature graduating difficulty levels and an interface to make gameplay clear and simple for players. Are there any other features/options to perhaps help the beginner RPG gamer who may be treading on unfamiliar territory? What's your biggest challenge in trying to appease an audience composed of novice gamers on up to the "hardcore" player?

 For the battles of Grandia II, there is a manual mode and AI mode. In the AI mode, a beginner player can have fun just looking at the battle, and in the manual mode, players can enjoy doing battle played by each character in their own unique way.

6.Writers, whether for screenplays or novels, often have difficulties when their ideas are perhaps "too extensive" for the practical scope of one title. Have you ever run into a time in your years of game development where you were forced to trim down your "tangents" or shorten your original plotline? How about the opposite, writer's block?

I have never run into the situation where I cannot go further to expand the story. Nevertheless, you are always forced to trim down the story, partly due to development time, play time, and the media capacity. However, I never changed the direction, or how the scenario should follow. Not because of writer's block, but because an individual cannot write all the character's settings, so sometimes I have to add an scenario writer.

7. What kinds of things proved the biggest challenges visually for Grandia II? Was there anything surprisingly difficult, and on the other side of the coin, surprisingly easy about creating a world on the PS2 system?

When we shifted from Grandia to Grandia II, we expressed everything in 3D graphics. However, the objects that are reflected in the camera view were not what we intended for them to look like. Sometimes there were interfering objects, or it just didn't look good and we often had to make corrections.

In changing to PS2 system, the hardware difference between Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 was much more than we expected them to be. For example, the fog exists in the both platforms, but from a programming standpoint, they are totally different between the two platforms.

8.The battle system in Grandia II is a half turn-based, half real-time mix. How will character order be determined? Will characters be able to increase their number of attacks (shorten their wait time) as they progress through the game? Will any items carried by the characters have any effect on frequency of attacks?

The battle system of Grandia II adopts a half turn-based, half real-time system. Action (ACT) decides the order. This order changes, depending upon Agility (AGI), equipment item and skill. Also, by using item, you can change the basic value. It can go up and down by magic. Of course the level changes too. The most important thing is to cancel the attack of the other party.

9. Did the addition of cut-scene movies to the PS2 version give you the chance to do some things with the plot you weren't previously able to do? What do you think is the key to balancing movies with gameplay to create an enjoyable and well-paced gaming experience?

There is a limit in expressing images by way of using 3D objects in the game. I am not saying that having more movies is better, but I think by having movies in the game makes it a lot easier for a user to grasp the game image. However, if there are fewer movies, then tempo of the game will improve. I would consider making the scene into a movie, when the scene is hard to be told without the movie.  The amount of demo scenes depends on the content of the game design.

10.Will more powerful spells be acquired as players gain experience or will they be gained through items? Will spell-casting be regulated by any "power" levels or mana amounts? What kinds of effects can we expect to see with the more powerful spells?

It would likely depend on the player accumulating experience for the character or by acquiring an item to gain a stronger spell. Spell casting changes and depends on the situation, experience and the scenario. In Grandia II, by using MC (Magic Coins) acquired through battle, you learn spells using mana eggs obtained during the game and level up. SC can be used for the skill of each party member. You can also strengthen characters more by using the Skill Book. Usage of magic and spells are limited by the amount of MP and SP the character possesses, and the number of required points of each magic. In the high-level magic and spells, you will see the effect with CG movie layered. This is very flashy.

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The Badger would like to thank the Gamearts and Ubi Soft team for coordinating and conducting this great session with us!