The Final Fantasy X-3 project - After two or so years review part two (2)

While going though all the plot scenes saved so far and going through my head it had come to my attention that with Fina Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission there was a follow up based three months after YRP defeated Shuyin and destroyed Vegnagun. Thinking along the same lines I was thinking: "would it be possible to have some kind of follow up after the perfect epilogue of Final Fantasy X-3". Intially I didn't want that because I wanted whichever epilogue the "supposedly" player gets to be the full on conclusion and end to the Final Fantasy X series story. Then I realised that the Last Mission story is an unlockable mode for those who complete the initial Final Fantasy X-2 game on Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission. I nodded my head and thought "okay". But then the question became "What would the follow up story be?"

At first I thought it could be a quest for Rikku and Paine to travel up Yadonoki Tower together searching for the feeling of being a good friends and as a team with Yuna being alongside. I would make it so that both Rikku and Paine feel this emptiness inside themselves with Yuna gone. They seek to conquer Yadonoki Tower and along the way sharing what they have been doing since they last met. They hope to find the strength they soughting for so they can fill the empty holes in their hearts and continue with their lives. But then I thought "Nah!" In theory it could work but then I didn't want to copy what is essentialy already been done. Plus I want the story behind the Final Fantasy X series to stay faithful to Yuna and Tidus. And anyway I wanted Yadonoki Tower to be a scene of a vital part of Final Fantasy X-3's plot.

Around about the same time, I wanted to find out what other gamers and fans would think about a Final Fantasy X-3 and if they had any ideas. This was setup as a topic on Facebook. I kept it brief and didn't want to give away any key parts otherwise that will spoil the story of my concept of Final Fantasy X-3. It took a while and beyond the responses from those who felt Final Fantasy X-2 was bad or had something not pleasent to share, I got mixed responses. Some wrote about being satisfied with Final Fantasy X-2 and felt there was no need to continue the story. The majority of the other resonses wrote about a prequel to Final Fantasy X. There were some that suggested that the next story should be not about Yuna or Tidus but about the other characters such as Rikku, Vidina, Braska, Jecht and Auron and so on. Now I didn't oppose to any of the ideas but I wanted Final Fantasy X-3 to be mostly about Yuna and Tidus. And of course I had my own ideas but a prequel would be a good idea. ...Just not based around Braska's pilgramige.

One of the things brought up was the storyline of Final Fantasy X-2. The central plot was really about Lenne and Shuyin, two who existed in Zanarkand at the time of the Machina War. Now at first I didn't mind it although it wasn't as central to Yuna and Tidus as I first imagined before completing the game and it didn't really feel like it was Yuna's story as she implied. But I went along with it because the story wasn't confusing and it was touching. And the same time it didn't feel like an outxast to the story in Final Fantasy X. Though it did prompt a couple of questions.

And then that's when it hit me. Rather then doing a follow up to Final Fantasy X-3 I would set about a prequel based 1000 years before Final Fantasy X explaining Lenne's and Shuyin's story. But like Last Mission on Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission this additional story would be set as an unlockable mode. And I thought I'd be clever with this. Instead of being a direct prequel where it is told in the past from Lenne's and Shuyin's perspective.having no reference to Yuna and Tidus, I thought it would be based as a follow up to the events of Final Fantasy X-3 providing the conditional criteria was fulfilled before hand.

Confused? Lenne and Shuyin will share their story with Yuna and Tidus set not too far off the better or perfect epilogue of Final Fantasy X-3. Lenne and Shuyin will explain their past as a playable story with the "supposedly" player playing as both. So although its a prequel mainly it is setup as a follow up to Final Fantasy X-3 told in the present. I wanted it to feel as a conclusive part of Lenne's and Shuyin's roles in Final Fantasy X-3. Lenne's and Shuyin's story is set to explain and show how Lenne and Shuyin came about and answer some questions to be answered. However this does require taking a risk. I want Lenne's and Shuyin's story to be based upon them but also to explain a couple of things that are noticeable in Final Fantasy X and X-2. Such as Zanarkand becoming ruins, Dream Zanarkand, Yu Yevon, the birth of Sin, the mystery of Yadonoki Tower, Lenne's and Shuyin's end, connections to Yuna and Tidus and so much more. To do this Lenne and Shuyin have to be instrumentally involved in many of these occurances which isn't mentioned in Final Fantasy X and X-2.

I had to be careful of how I create Lenne's and Shuyin's story because it's got to make sense and comply with Final Fantasy X and X-2 without rewriting and changing the history of the Final Fantasy X series. And I have to make it sound like its been told in the present. This would pose a challange along with the rest of the Final Fantasy X-3 project but I wanted to put my thoughts onto a form of back up and get one step closer to my dream becoming a reality.