Vous n'êtes pas sans savoir que le père de la saga Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, prépare actuellement la sortie japonaise de son prochain (et dernier ?) grand RPG : The Last Story. Malgré le fait qu'il ait quitté Square et fondé Mistwalker en 2004, il n'oublie pas pour autant les chefs-d'œuvre qu'il a mis au jour pendant toute sa carrière. Ainsi, il publiait la semaine dernière de vieilles notes écrites pendant le développement de Final Fantasy IX, retrouvée sur l'un de ses disques dur. Elles viennent d'être traduites en anglais sur le blog du studio. Sakaguchi confie que les personnages de The Last Story, et plus précisément leur personnalité, sont assez proches de ceux de cette neuvième épopée dont nous publions une chronologie complète il y a quelques jours. Des détails très intéressants, qui montrent que le scénario tout comme la mise en scène ont été mûris pendant des mois, voire des années, avant le développement du jeu.

FINAL FANTASY IX
H.Sakaguchi ~ 17 juillet 1998
[MOVIE] 1:OPENING
Title screen.
Fadeout only the title letters.
Leave the map. Camera moves over the map like its sliding on top.
Ocean, trees, spring and the nature of this world overlaps.

Glowing sunset sky. Camera moves above the surface of the fog (like steady cam), the shadow of the Flying ship is reflected.
The bigger shadow comes from the rear. It’s the Theater ship.
Theater ship is flying like its accompanying 5 to 6 noble private flying ships.
Camera moves toward the Theater ship.
Fade Out.

Darkness
Inside the room where mechanical sounds rings noisily. Hard to see what’s going on because of the darkness. (When player inputs something, then…)

“Fwip”
The main character, Zidane lights up a match.
Room lights up.
(Player is movable. The light goes out in set time but, it will automatically light up again) Light up when approaching the lamp.

Pipe spreads on a wall; a strange shaped jar and a box are placed on the back.
This is inside the cargo compartment of the Flying Ship.
“Thud!”
When the door opens, three thieves come in. They signal Zidane with gesture.
Zidane answers. (It’s a strange gesture.)
Thief: “You were fast, Zidane.”
Zidane: “What happen to the boss?”

That’s when the footsteps coming down stairs. The thieves brace themselves.
And

“Aaaaabchoo!!”
A vulgar sneeze. (This is boss's habit. This sound indicates it’s the boss.)

Thief: “It’s the boss.”

The boss appears. Suddenly, going into a battle.

[BATTLE] The Boss
The boss speaks such like “You’re pretty good.” or “Unguarded!” during the battle.
When the boss receives certain degree of damage, the battle is over.
The boss is actually weak even with his overaction. Loses and ends the battle by saying “huh, I will let you go today”.

Int. Flying Ship (continuation)
The boss “Ha-ha-ha... You still have the skill.
Keep up the good work again today”

Zidane nods displeasingly.

The boss: “Everyone looks gathered; let’s start the strategy meeting right away.”

Switches over to the strategy meeting map.

Strategy meeting map
Have strategy meeting on the 3D map.

Plan is to kidnap a Princess while the Flying theater ship is showing a play in front of the castle.

After the 1st scene, put the sleeping pill in Princess Garnet’s tea which will be served during the break.
Call a Queen in her room telling her there is a gift from the theater staff during the break. Place gift bag in the room. When Queen opens the lid, many Oglop bugs which she hates are going to come out. When Paladins are paying attention to the disturbance, take the sleeping Princess Garnet to the Flying theater ship as it’s a part of an act..

Int. Flying Ship (continuation)
The boss: “Um It’s perfect.”
Thief: “It's a genius plan.”
Thief: “We will be very rich doing this!”
One of the thief jumps and strikes with exaggerated pose.
The model Flying theater ship falls from that vibration.
Camera comes close to it..

[MOVIE] 2: Flying Theater Ship
Camera on the model flying theater ship lying on the floor.
Real Flying theater ship overlaps.

The sky is at dusk. The person on watch on the pillar yells something.
Camera goes around the ship; view of the castle in the front.
Wide shot. Crowded castle town. The various ethnic are there. (Can’t tell because they are very small. But kind of see them?)
Strange ethnic aristocrat are getting off the carriage. A sales person who manages a play meets them. The theater ship and castle shows up over their heads.
Flying theater ship lands in front of the castle. (The theater is still stored)

Theater Ticket Office

(Place to takes a little time.)

A sales person is talking to the strange ethnic aristocrat who is getting off the carriage.
“Please come this way. There is a cocktail party before escorting you to the VIP seat.”
Black mage’s kid is in the crowd. The player will be Vivi the kid black mage. Able to walk around a ticket office freely.
“Thud!” hit the small kid’s shoulder from rat family.
Rat kid of the rat family: “Be careful!”

Seems like it will perform a special play at night when 2 moons are full once a year. A theme of a play is “Moon Light Love Romance” which is very hot now. Something like that…

When goes to an entrance to where the seats are and show the ticket. Can’t get in because they said it’s a fake ticket.

Back Alley
Meet a same rat kid from the rat family in a back alley.
Rat kid of the rat family: “Were you given the fake ticket, too?”
Rat kid guide through a loophole and able to watch a play without a ticket.
Vivi's Personality
He is the type to listen to everything his juvenile boss says.
He is introversive, quiet, obedient, indecisive, pure in heart and kind.

Loophole
Have conversation on the way.
Rat kid of the rat family: “You dress weird, which family are you from?” Etc. When goes through a hole....

Audience Seats
Push aside full audience and advance toward the front, just like rat kid is doing.
On the way. Message: “What are you doing?” “Ouch!”……
and then reach the very front row.

Audience Seats, front row
Music plays loud and hears “Here comes the Queen Brahne!!”
Both look up.

[MOVIE] 3: Queen’s Entrance, Stage Development
When Vivi looks up; Queen is entering the balcony which is sticking out in the vicinity of a castle. The trumpet plays loudly. And also the princess from this country appears.
Stage part of the Flying theater ship comes out mechanically along with the trumpet sound. Stage lights up with the music.

Int. Flying Theater Ship, back stage
“Ahhhbchoo!!”
It’s the boss. He issues an order to Zidane, others and also to the performer of a play.
The boss: “You all brace yourself, take your position”.

There is another stage under the main stage. When position in there, able to rise up to the upper stage. Everyone position and poses for a battle.
Dialogue sounds from above.
“We became a thief and waited for this moment.
“Be sure to capture the king of Gulug.
“Rescue the Princess who is confined in Gulug castle, with the hostage exchange, the Sassoon country will be reconstructed.

Stage inside the Flying ship (While rising)
Stage rises up. Setup will be, former Sassoon soldier and Gulug soldier are fighting on the ship.

Stage
Stage appears.
Sword fight.

[BATTLE] Zidane + 3 thieves VS 4 thieves (everyone dressed for a play)
First battle 4 VS 4
Since it’s during a play, extraordinary magic and such can be used.

Stage (continuation)
Zidane points at the thief Blank, and says
Zidane: “You traitor!”
Blank: “What are you talking about? You who don't have a child don't understand my feelings!”
One thief fights against Zidane, closest to the edge of a stage at the climax of a battle for a play. They fall from a cliff.
(They fall from the Flying theater ship.)

But, both wearing rope and tied them to a pillar of flying ship. They jump out of the Flying theater ship but swings back and lands on the audience seats.
Rope is removed and tied at the seats. (-> Vivi uses this rope later)

Audience Seats
Sword fight is performed where the seats are. Audiences are delighted.

Audience A: “This year's play is very powerful!”
Audience B: “They look like real thieves!”
They go into the door to the castle; audience thinks its part of a play.

Int. Castle
Two sneak into the castle.
Zidane: “Okay, I'm going to put the sleeping pill in the tea. You prepare the gift bag.”
Thief: “All right!”

Thief is wearing the costume of a fat soldier, but hiding the bag with Oglop bugs in his stomach.
(Touch the bag, “Huff..huff,...”)

Boy figure with hood turns the hallway corner and bumps into the two. Three of them fall on their rear.

Go near the boy and look down....

[MOVIE] 4: Close up of Princess Garnet
Close up of her breasts. View of her breasts inside the clothes (a little). Also a view of her pendant of royalty....

Hallway
She rushes away from the hallway. Two stare at each other.
Zidane: “Hey, was that..”
Thief: “Her breasts look comfortable..”
Zidane: “No, no, she was wearing the pendant of the summons permitted by only royalty.”
Thief: “I fell in Love at first sight..”
Zidane: “Deep blue stone… “The Legend of Leviathan”, was it Princess Garnet?”
Thief: “What are you talking about?”
Zidane: “Never mind, change of plan, let’s follow after her”.
Theif put the bag with Oglops back in his stomach, and begin to run behind Zidane.

Castle Balcony, Queen’s special seat
The seat for Princess Garnet is empty. Queen is kicking up her heels and watching a play. Several paladins are guarding her. Tall old mage Zorn try to come in there quietly. Paladin’s leader, Lieutenant Steiner stops him.
Lieutenant Steiner: “We do not let anyone through; it’s the Queen’s order!”
Old mage Zorn: “you hard head, I am an exception”
Lieutenant Steiner “I can’t let you in!”

Queen notices.
Queen: “What is it?”
Old mage: “Urgent business...”
Queen: “Get over there Steiner!”
Lieutenant Steiner nods and leaves the balcony to enter the castle.
Queen: “Steiner! Where are you going?”
Lieutenant Steiner: “Over there......”
Queen: “Guard the balcony, you idiot.”
Lieutenant Steiner: “Yes Ma’am”
Old mage: “His head isn’t really flexible, is it?"
Queen: “Yes but he definitely obeys an order.” There is a saying Sticking goes not by strength，but by guiding of the gully. By the way, what is the urgent business?”

Story, Old Mage Zorn
Princess Garnet came to take the stone of Leviathan. Soldier handed it to the princess because she said that Queen asked her to get it.
Queen says she never asked her for such a thing. Then, mage’s follower comes and says, Princess Garnet is nowhere in the castle.
Queen calls Lieutenant Steiner and gives an order to search Princess Garnet using the Paladin unit. “(Later on, Steiner realizes Queen's conspiracy and returns to castle with Princess Garnet (Princess Dagger at that time. In that conversation, Queen says, you can’t take my order!? Steiner says, I followed the order and brought Princess Garnet in front of the Queen.)
Player is Lieutenant Steiner

Int. Castle
(Place to take a little time)

Since he is Paladin's leader, he is able to get into all the rooms in the castle, except the locked one needs a special key.
Able to collect weapons and protective gears here.

During that time, learn (kind of short) from the castle soldier about…
Queen’s reputation
Princess Garnet’s reputation

Leading everyone down to a location where able to see the gangway from the Flying theater ship to the castle.

The location where able to see the gangway.
Princess Garnet is entering the flying ship. Zidane and thief run after her.
(A hood of Princess Garnet comes off and finding out she is the Princess.)
Lieutenant Steiner: “Look, that's Princess Garnet! Darn it! Princess Garnet is taken by the people from the flying ship!”
Princess Garnet runs into the Flying theater ship. Zidane and the thief run after her.

Int. Flying Theater Ship
Zidane is the player

Run after the Princess and pass through about 3 rooms. Princess was cornered at the locked door to the next room.
Princess Garnet: “Please, take me and leave with this ship!”
Zidane: “......”
Thief: “We are here to take you.”
Princess Garnet: “Really! That’s great!”
Zidane: “What? I feel kind of thrown off.”
Princess Garnet: “No that’s perfect. It’s working out for both of us.”
Thief: “Working out?”
Zidane: “Means, it benefits us as well as the Princess.”
Thief: “Benefit from it? That’s good.”
Princess Garnet: “That’s right!”
Zidane: “It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime deal, the big job,...”

Then hear the voice.

“Princess Garnet! I’m here to save you!!”

Look out the window.

The view from the window
Lieutenant Steiner and the Paladins are crossing a gangway.
Steiner’s balance is bad, looks like he is about to fall off.

In the same room
Zidane: “Darn it”
Thief: “We can go up with that”.
The thief points at the ladder. Ladder comes down when switched on. Goes up with it to the above room. Open another door and goes to next room.

Inside the room
When tries to open doors and go to the next room, Lieutenant Steiner is standing there.

Lieutenant Steiner: “I’m not going to let you escape”
Steiner removes his sword.
Steiner: “Deadly! Magic sword!!” (Gekkogiri)

[MOVIE]5: Steiner’s Magic Sword
Lieutenant Steiner
Steiner is attacking looking pretty cool.
His sword slices thief's stomach!
Many Oglops come out!!

In the same room
Surprised Steiner.
Lieutenant Steiner: “Og..og.. Oglops!!”
Lieutenant Steiner hates Oglop bug, running around trying to escape.
Zidane and thieves are also getting Oglops off of themselves.
Princess Garnet is doing just fine.
Garnet: “What are you guys doing? Hurry up!”
Three goes to the next room.
Steiner can’t move forward because of a swarm of Oglops between him and the three.
Lieutenant Steiner: “Hey, wait a minute!!”

Inside the room 2

Passage
Going to the mechanical room just below the stage through a room and a passage.

Room just below the stage
Go into the room just below the mechanical room. It's a dead end.
Zidane: “Darn it.”
Thief: “You can go up with that!”.

The thief points at the lift.
Zidane and Princess get on it.
It goes up fast to the top when turned on.
Steiner comes in at the same time.
Steiner: “Going up!?

Stage
The place where they went up is the dead center of the stage.
They are all surprised. Princess Garnet hides her face with the hood.
The boss panics and starts acting.
The boss: “It’s a Princess!”
(The boss: “Zidane. Skip the script and go to the 3rd scene”)
Zidane: “Princess is free as you see!”
(Zidane: “just go with the flow.”)
Princess Garnet steps forward.
Princess Garnet: “Ah… ahh..”
The thieves’ movement on the stage stops. (Like they are worried.)
Garnet: “Kick the enemy around!”
Thieves: "Grr!"

Audience Seats
Vivi, the Mege is watching a play from an audience.
Vivi: “I want to be in a play, too”.
The guards are coming in.
Guard: “There they are! That’s them!”
Rat kid of the rat family: “Crap! They found out we snack in without the tickets! You escape to the left and I go to the right! says rat kid and disappears.
Vivi is cornered to the shelf by the end of the seats.
Guard: “Calm down. Come over here!”
Vivi: “I’m sorry!!”
He tries to avoid the guard but his foot slips from the shelf.
There is a rope where he nearly falls. He grabs onto it, goes up to the stage.

Stage
Vivi falls on to the stage. “Ouch..”
Lieutenant Steiner and the Paladins are also going up to the stage.
The boss: “Well, Hello Great mage!”
Vivi: “What?”
Zidane: “Please, beat the fresh troops with your magic of fire!”
(Zudane: “Can you use fire?”)
Vivi nods.
(The boss: “If you don’t want to ruin a play, just use it!”)
Vivi casts a fire. A wall of flame forms between Steiner and others.

The fire also got on the hood of Princess Garnet.

Garnet: “Hot, hot, hot!”
She takes off the hood.

Audience Seats
The Queen notices.
Queen: “Princess Garnet!!”

The boss: “Ooops she noticed”

Jumping over the wall of a flame and Paladins are coming to attack.
Vivi: “There is nothing to do with me..”
Paladin: “Capture everyone!”
The boss: “Darn it! Let’s escape!!”
Zidane tells Vivi “If you don’t fight, you are going to jail!”
Zidane, Vivi and two thieves, party of four battles with Paladin.

[BATTLE] VS Paladin
Attacking Steiner and a Paladin from both sides.
Steiner: “Darn it. Attacking from both sides, that’s a coward act!”(Steiner looks around restlessly).
If selecting the flashy magic which comes out in a command area during a battle, the damage will be 0.
The message “The magic from the play won’t work!” will show.
(Able to use Vivi’s magic)
(It is convenient later if thief steals and keeps Paladin's equipment.)

Balcony
Queen screams at Lieutenant Steiner.
“Steiner!!, Look forward and fight!!”
Shows the effect of casting Curaga to Steiner and others.

Stage
Steiner and others recover with Curaga.
Steiner: “Yes, Ma’am! I will face forward and fight!!”
One of the thief calls “Boss!” from the top of the deck.
Looks up and says
The boss: “Go ahead! Depart the ship!!”

[MOVIE] 6: Escape
Balloon anchor is cut off. The ship falls into the spring.
The water splashes magnificently.
Paladins on a stage and thieves are also falling into the water.
Start engine. Propellers finally began to turn and the bow of the Theater ship started to lift.
(Like a helicopter)
Queen is getting angry.
Queen: “Shoot that flying ship down!” she gestures.
Inside the balcony. Close up of the cannon appearing.
Soldier first hit the anchor and pull in to shoot the theater ship down.
The theater ship stops the movement.
But the Theater ship was stronger. It broke the anchor chain and escaped.
Zidane, Vivi and Dagger roll all over the stage from the tremendous shaking.
Zidane protect Dagger, maybe hold her.
The broken chain came off, moves wildly in the air, destroying the castle everywhere.
At last, shooting the cannon.

Stage
Lieutenant Steiner, Zidane, Princess Garnet, thief and Vivi are facing each other.
Huge cannon bullet (Bombe bomb!) is flying over to where they are. It landed right behind Steiner.
Blasting fuse is getting shorter.

Zidane: “Look behind you!”
Lieutenant: “No, I wouldn’t do that. Order is to fight looking forward!”
Princess Garnet: “He won’t listen, his head is not flexible enough”

[BATTLE]
Huge cannon bullet is right behind Steiner (or, bombe bomb)
Steiner covers it with “protect”, even player targets it..
Attack the bombe when Steiner goes away from the bombe.
When giving bombe enough damage, Zidane can kick the bombe out of the screen.

[MOVIE] 7: Explosion
The bombe on the floor explodes at the tip of the Theater ship.
The port side of the Propellers on the Theater ship gets major damage!
The Flying theater ship is crashing into the fog while scattering its burdens.
Camera moves to the bow of the ship.
Theater ship falls into the “world under the fog” which spread endlessly in the bottom of the valley.
When passes through the fog, there is a lake spread below.
Sliding with rushing sound. Explosion on a port side caused more explosions.
Crash into the bank. A bow of the ship breaks off and goes inside the forest.