RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

We recently sat down with Graham Markay, Vice President of Operations at Natsume and all around awesome guy about the upcoming PSP TRPG Adventures to Go. We had plenty of questions, and he had answers for all of them. Check it out after the jump.

RandomNPC: It’s stated that dungeons will be randomly generated according to certain parameters determined by the player. What sort of specifications will affect dungeon generation, and are there still variances within those choices? For instance, would a certain set of dialog options lead to a certain ‘type’ of dungeon, from which the game selects further details at random?

Graham: You select several parameters to create each dungeon. For example, by selecting “Forest”, then “Beast”, you will create a forest populated by Beast-type enemies, such as Devil Mice and Flame Hogs. You can also use items called Event Tickets when ordering your adventure, which could do anything from summon a difficult monster to make the dungeon explode if you don’t get out fast enough!

RandomNPC: How will the parameters for the dungeons be unlocked? Will everything be available from the start, or will each quest provide you with a new way of creating dungeons?

Graham: The different types of dungeons and monsters are unlocked as you proceed through the story of the game.

RandomNPC: Are encounters also generated randomly, or will each dungeon have set types of monsters? And are there a fixed number of encounters per dungeon?

Graham: Dungeons have random encounters, and the monsters you fight will depend on the topography and monsters ordered for that area. There is no fixed number of encounters per dungeon; you can fight to your heart’s content!

RandomNPC: Does the game adjust itself, in terms of difficulty, depending on the party’s stats? Will a player encounter more difficult enemies earlier on if they stop in a certain dungeon to grind, assuming that’s an option?

Graham: Yes. For example, in the beginning of the game, green bugs, the easiest enemies in the game, will be very easy to beat, even with the weakest equipment. As you gain levels, however, the green bugs — and all enemies — will become tougher to defeat. Of course, the rewards you get for defeating them also grow!

RandomNPC: Will the entire party be fielded at once, or will there be reserve units to be swapped in and out of an active party? And about how large does the party get in either case?

Graham: You field your entire party at once. Different party members are unlocked as you progress through the storyline of the game, and there are a total of four.

RandomNPC: To what degree is the main character or party customizable? Are they fixed in terms of what abilities they acquire, or can they be guided along different character builds or taught different skills, etc?

Graham: Each character has his or her own specialty. For example, Finn, the reluctant hero of the game, is good with swords, while Alina, the flighty witch, is good with magic, staves, and bows.

RandomNPC: What was the most fun aspect of making this game?

Graham: The most fun aspect of this game was taking the quirky Japanese dialog and turning it into quirky English dialog! The main character, Finn, is quite a character, and we hope you’ll enjoy the time and effort we put into the localization of this game.

RandomNPC: At E3, you said the game will take around 60 hours to finish. Is that just to finish the main story, or is there a lot of side questing to be done?

Graham: Yes, the main story takes about 60 hours. There are also side quests that you can do to earn extra cash for weapons and the like.

RandomNPC: Since the game is titled Adventures to Go, will most dungeons be fairly short? If not, how does saving work in the game? Can you save anywhere, or are there dedicated save points?

Graham: As you progress through the game, the dungeons will get bigger and bigger. The good news is that, yes, you can save anywhere in the game.

RandomNPC: Many games allow you to take stats or items with you in subsequent playthroughs. Will Adventures to Go have any sort of New Game+ feature?

Graham: There is no New Game+ feature, but, after you complete the game, a Casino will open up, where you can win items you can’t normally get in the game, and if you’re into Casino games, there are also games as dadu online where you can even make money from your computer or phone.

We’d like to thank Graham Markay and everyone at Natsume for taking the time out of their busy day to talk to us.