2009 Evaluation

So now its 2010. Which means two (2) things: one (1); 2009 is over and its left much impact on the project. And two (2); As of the first (1st) month of the new year, I focus my efforts on "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story". Though it means putting "The Final Chapters" on the shelf until Febuary, I am more then happy with its development at the moment. Though still incomplete, it stands at 363 pages and 206,000+ words. Which is frankily overkill one may see it but at this stage my project is the development of my idea of Final Fantasy X-3. Fan fiction in other words thus far. But If I can make a bold statement, I would consider it likely that the project will be completed before the end of 2010 and with any luck I will have some success in spreading my idea out to the rest of the world and in particular Square Enix.

So what you might be wondering was accompliced in this last month of 2009. Well, despite the obvivious growth of "The Final Chapters", I have payed particular attention to additional scenes and secondary missions. This includes a new and optional secondary mission where the player controls the party of Baralai and Gippal as they uncover and destroy the secret and dangerous experiments the Machine Fraction had been developing. I've payed more attention on the development of relationships between characters and one in particular is the one between Rikku and Gippal. Sorry but I won't spill the beans on specific details!

Of course the main focus of "The Final Chapters" which is Yuna's and Tidus' story has been upgraded as well. I have even thrown in possible songs of which Yuna (and Lenne, providing the necessary requirements have been met) for chapter five (5). Originally I thought about one (1) song but in my attempt to develop the "our way or the highway" stipulation for Yuna and Tidus, I have made Yuna's emotions more present of which tend to take control of her against her will later at times. So now there are two (2) songs: there is the intenional song which for the time being is based around The Prenders' "I'll Stand By You" and then the second (2nd) song which is inadvertant but is sung when Yuna's anger, frustration, sorrow and fear gets the better of her will and take over. The second (2nd) song is "It Won't Matter -Kaze No Toorimichi" by Saint Vox which in my opinion expresses that the things that Yuna cherishes such as Tidus won't matter should their goal not work out at the end of their journey.

Well with 2010 now in full swing, I will be getting my head down and continuing my work on my project. And if there are any major developments in the project, you can be sure you'll hear it from me via posts. So, so long but not goodbye.

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

Working through the fall of 2008 and through to the new year (2009), the two (2) stories "The Final Chapters" and "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story" were coming along nicely. Although at times I would work on one of the stories and stick with it ignoring the other. So I came up with each month I would switch from one story to the other. In other words I would work on "The Final Chapters" in one month and then work on "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story" the following month. This way I could devote my attention fairly and crack on with one story without hinderance of having to work on the other because I had come up with something.

Whilst working at the Weymouth College as a volunteer, I got to get a grips with other software such as Photoshop and Blogger even (hence this blog I setup). When I worked on "The Final Chapters" I had always paused and thought about what do some of the new implentations look like. The airship for example becuase in chapter one (1) of "The Final Chapters" the Gullwing's airship known as the Celsius is destroyed. And later on Cid's personal airship (used in Final Fantasy X) know as the Ferinheight is struggling on it's last legs before it gives up the ghost completely. The party would require another airship. Naming it wasn't difficault, sticking with the measurement of degrees which celsius and fernheight come from I came up with Kelvin. But for what it will look like was a bigi. Purposely I've stated that it is the largest of all the airships and that the Cabin is luxurious with its own en-suite rooms, bar and Sphere Theatre. The airship design had to be immense but different. Using Photoshop I've come up with numerous drafts.



Its far from final and there's so much more to do but with Photoshop and other graphical software I could come up with drafts putting my ideas into practice.

During 2009 I have gone though so many rethinks and rewritting I couldn't possibly count. For example; In "The Final Chapters" near the stories conclusion I made it so that Yuna is pregant even though she and Tidus thought it couldn't be possible given their situation. Only to later on the unborn child to be killed before Yuna and her friends engage in the desisive battle. Now I have no problem of defying reality because the story is fantasy but going along with this caused complications (of which I won't share yet). So instead I've scrapped the "baby" addtion and came up with a new twist which I think makes more sense to Yuna's and Tidus' dilema.

These changes are apparent in both stories because I decided to save and show the project's development as evidence and proof that I had though of countless scanarios and can proof that this project is my doing. It would be a bad idea in my opinion to hand over one Word document which cannot show all the changes and developments made thoughout. So I keep numerous forms of the documents in the project created on a daily basis. So for example I can have numerous versions of the "The Final Chapters" enitled "(25112009)" and another "26112009)". My rule was that with each passing day I would save and keep various copies of the project's main documents such "The Final Chapters" and "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story" and then use the latest as a template to continue though the next day before saving as a different file entitled "(27112009)" for example.

With November gone and passed it means I have stopped work on "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story" and will not be resummed until January 2010. Though I'd admit my rule of switching from one story to the next after each month has its cons, I managed to extend the story's plot and answer or explain some questions about Spira's past. For example; there is a scene in Final Fantasy X where Yuna and her companions see a recreation of Yunalesca and Lord Zaon in Guadosalam. In "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story" this scene is explained with Shuyin overhearing their conversation. To prevent confusion, Shuyin is never spotted at the scene or along with Yunalesca or Lord Zaon because he remains outside the room. With the scene in Final Fantasy X there is no dialogue between Yunalesca and Lord Zaon so creating the scene in "Lenne's and Shuyin's Story" wasn't difficault and I feel it complies along with the setting of the story with the Machina War and Sin.

In the later scenes of the story I have worked on Lenne's dilema as she lies a prisoner in the Gaol, Bevelle Underground. What I set out to do is to express the difficaulty for Lenne to move on assuming Shuyin is dead. As Lenne goes on, her confidence and her beliefs gradually deteriate and leaves Lenne in a state of depression and meaninglessness. Lenne expresses becoming a zombie without its master. A lifeless being without a cause. Whilst in Bevelle before Lenne is captured, Lenne's hope is revived and has a goal to find Shuyin who she believes is in Bevelle. But once captured, Lenne goes back into her depression believing the sight of seeing Shuyin was only her imagination playing horrible tricks on her. In her dreams, Lenne's imagination creates scenarios where she has a duty to fulfill but then her situation is complicated when Shuyin becomes a pirority and has to decide to believe in her duty or believe in Shuyin. These dreams serve as further dilema.