Why did you appoint Tsuchida as battle planner?

Kitase: Since we're working on a next generation console, as a designer, I'd want to pack a bunch of things in [the game]. Tsuchida being professionally good at practically doing these things is what I'm looking forward to.

Toriyama: Having connections with FF10, we requested Tsuchida to be our battle planner.

Tsuchida: This time we got the assignment "expand into [something] speedy and flashy" from the start.

Toriyama: We ordered for a party battle [system] that will allow us to feel the the characters' raw feelings*.

Battles are in the form of encounter system?

Tsuchida: We might do something different. Instead of being face-to-face with the enemies from the start, FF13 will start from somewhere like "Ah, an enemy there."

Like FF12?

Tsuchida: Like, if you do this you might get the upperhand, or, in the process of entering a battle, users get to create a circumstance of their own in a way. So far monsters had only been fast or able to cast magic so we want to give some traits outside of battles too.

Are there Jobs and Abilities too?

Tsuchida: I can't say much for now but [learning] the fun of growing up is important in the series so we're thinking thoroughly of ways to make people enjoy [the game].

Who is Mr. "33 cm"?**

Toriyama: The game's story isn't about a party of people banding together to save the world, so in that sense we don't know if he's an ally or an enemy. (Lightning seems to dislike him, too?)

Nomura: Personality-wise he's wild and heroic. We'll be revealing [more info of] him later but [you'll see] he has a funny way of fighting.

Just like Shiva transforming into a motorbike, the other summons in FF13 will also have the same kind of strong partnership with the characters.

How is the development feeling now?

Kitase: Using the White Engine on FF13 constructs a development environment that we never had before. We're also thinking of using the White Engine on games we're planning to develop after FF13 so we're going a lot of troubles for that but if we overcome this hurdle, I think we'll be able to come up with something great with it.