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magical lake. Within the lake was a lady (the "Lady of the Lake"), who
granted Arthur a mighty sword named Excalibur. Once Arthur had died, the
Lady of the Lake took the sword back.
ExDeath/X-Death (from FF V): ExDeath is just short for "Exceeding
Death". Wow! Wasn't that short?
Fatima (from Xenogears): "Fatima" is a word that has several meanings in
different religions. For one, Fatima was one of the daughters of Islam's
Prophet Muhammed, and the mother of the early Caliphs of Islam. Fatima
is also the name of a town in Portugal, a region that was partially
Islam before Ferdinand and Isabella's reign of Spain began. It was in
Fatima, Portugal in 1917 that three shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco,
and Jacinta, spotted a vision of the Virgin Mary, who told them three
things. One of these things she told Lucia was a prediction that, if
Russia turned to communism (Russia had two revolutions occur in 1917,
the first was the overthrow of the tsar, and the second was the
Communist Revolution), it would spread many errors across the world.
(For more information, read:
)
Fei (from Xenogears): Fei's "proper name," Wong Fei-Fong, is derived
from the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-Hong. The real-life Fei was a
practitioner of medicine and quite possibly a Kung Fu master who
supported the Westernization of China during the late 19th-early 20th
century. Empress Tzu-Hsi, the second to last ruler of China, feared that
foreign powers would demand her early retirement and had every attempt
at Westernization shot down.
Fenrir and Midgar Zolom/Terrato (from FF VI, FF VII, and Xenogears):
More Norse mythology. When Loki (one of the Aesir, but really one of the
Giants) mated with a giant, the Fenris Wolf (Fenrir) and the Midgard
Serpent (Terrato) were conceived. Both reached Asgard (the world where
the gods lived) sometime afterward. Odin promptly threw the Midgard
Serpent into the ocean, not realizing that the Midgard Serpent would
grow to be so tremendous that it would circle around the world several
times. As for the Fenris Wolf, he also grew up fast, and made all the
gods (except for Tyr) afraid of him - he had already broken several of
the chains, and there are entire stories to how the gods found a way to
permanently bound the Fenris Wolf. Unfortunately, while they were
bonding the Fenris Wolf, Tyr lost a hand, but the bond would hold until
Ragnarok (when the Fenris Wolf would break free and devour Odin). Loki
and his mate would also conceive Hel, who became ruler of the
underworld, and where Christianity gets its name for the Christian
underworld.
Flea, Slash, and Ozzie (from Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross): We'll
probably never know if this theory is correct, but it is believed that
this trio of fiends were all named after contemporary American hard
rock/heavy metal figures. Flea is, of course, one of the Red Hot Chili
Peppers; Slash was part of Guns 'n Roses; and Ozzie was probably named
after Ozzy Osbourne (of Black Sabbath fame). It should be noted that
these names were used only in the US release of the game; the characters
had different names in the original Japanese release.
Freya (from FF IX): Freya is the Norse goddess of beauty, and is the
rough equivilant of the Roman goddess Venus in Norse mythology (see
"Venus"). "Friday," or "Freya's Day," is named in honor of Freya.
Gaia/Gaeus (from Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Legend of Mana): In
the Greek creation story, Gaia (the earth) emerged from out of Chaos.
Since then, the word has come to refer to the "mother Earth". It is also
the name of a theory formulated by chemist James Lovelock in 1972, that
hyphothosizes that Earth is like a living organism, and all life on the
planet are parts of the whole organism.
Gato (from Legend of Mana): "Gato" is a word that makes various
references to cats in Latin-based languages.
Gargoyles (from FF I and FF VII): Gargoyles are small statues, usually
fountainheads, which look like small dragons. In most fantasy RPGs,
gargoyles are animated versions of these statues.
Genbu, Seiryu, Byakko, and Suzaku (from various SaGa titles): These four
colorful animals were originally represented in oriental mythology.
Genbu (the turtle) represents earth, winter, and north. Seiryu (the
dragon) represents water, autumn, and west. Byakko (the white tiger)
represents wood, spring, and east. Suzaku (the phoenix) represents fire,
summer, and south. The four also appeared in two Japanese animes: "Yuu
Yuu Hakushou," where the four were supernatural beings the heroes had to
kill, and "Fujigi Yuugi," where they were animal gods representing
seasons.
Genji (from FF V and VI): The word "Genji" brings up some stories of
Japanese history. There was the world's first novel, "The Tale of Genji"
by Murasaki Shikibu, which told a story about a prince named Genji who
practiced poetry. In reality, though, the Genji (or "Minamoto,"
depending on how one reads the name's Kanji text) family created Japan's
first shogunate. An ancient Japanese tradition states that the shogun
was a blood relative of the Genji family, even if this was not the case.
(See "Shogun".)
Gilgamesh and Enkidu (from FF V and VIII): The Epic of Gilgamesh was one
of the very first epic tales ever told on historic record. Gilgamesh was
the king of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk, and was hated by the people
so much that the gods sent a man named Enkidu to challenge Gilgamesh to
a duel. Gilgamesh brought Enkidu to him, they fought, and in the end,
they emerged not as rivals but as best of friends. So when Enkidu died,
Gilgamesh set out to find the secrets of eternal life, even though a
wise sage named Utnapishtim warns him that there is no such thing as
"permanence". Gilgamesh eventually found a tree which would allow men to
live forever if he would only eat the fruit it grew, but on the way back
to Uruk, he loses the tree to a serpent. (The epic, as written, ends
there; but we're to assume that Gilgamesh died within a year of the
incident.)
Godfather (from Xenogears): This one-of-a-kind weapon was most likely
named after "The Godfather," a famous movie released in 1972 which was
written & directed by Francis Coppola and starred Al Pacino. The movie,
which at first appears to be about crime and the Mafia, is argued by
some to be a movie about a big family.
Guildenstern (from Vagrant Story): Guildenstern was named after a
character from one of William Shakespeare's tragic dramas, "Hamlet". In
the play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are childhood friends of Prince
Hamlet, who switch associations between Hamlet and King Claudius.
Claudius uses the two to investigate the cause of Hamlet's madness, but
Hamlet picks up on the dual association after the two repeatedly blow
their cover later in the play. In the end, Claudius sends the two to
England to deliver a message requesting the execution of Hamlet should
he arrive in England, but Hamlet tricks them and swaps the letter with a
letter requesting the execution of both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Gungir Spear (from SaGa/FFL II and FF VII): Odin's battle spear (see
"Odin").
Hades (from FF IV & VII): Hades, in Greek Mythology, was Zeus &
Poseidon's brother, and controller of the Underworld. (Note: Hades is
not an actual character in FF IV, but the King and Queen of Eblan make a
reference to him, or at least they do in the American version. Also, the
"Black" items for Cecil in the American version of the game were called
the "Hades" items in the Japanese version.)
Heidegger (from FF VII): Heidegger was most likely named after Martin
Heidegger, an early 20th century philosopher. Heidegger wrote that: "The
feeling of dread (Angst) brings the individual to a confrontation with
death and the ultimate meaninglessness of life, but only in this
confrontation can an authentic sense of Being and of freedom be
attained."
Heimdal (from Xenogears): Yet again, more Norse mythology. The Norse god
Heimdall was the keeper of Bifrost, a rainbow bridge which lead between
the world of the gods (Asgard) and the world of humans (Midgard). (See
"Midgar".)
Hermes (from SaGa/FFL I and SaGa II/FFL II): Hermes (aka "Tiw," or
"Mercury" in Roman mythology) was the Greek god of communication, and
the protector of the travelers. "Tuesday," or "Tiw's Day," is named
after Hermes.
Id (from Xenogears): Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychology,
devised this important topic in psychology. Freud used the term to
represent human instinct; this includes survival instinct as well as
hunger, greed, reproduction, and destruction.
Ifrit/Jinn (from various FF titles and Chrono Trigger): An "Ifrit," or
"Ifritah," is a powerful version of a djini (or jinn, sometimes spelled
as "genie" in English). In pre-Islam Arabia, jinn were demons of the
desert with malformed animal forms, and were considered dangerous. After
the spread of Islam, jinn continued to exist as one of three created
intelligences: angels formed of light, jinn of subtle fire, and humanity
of the dust of the earth. In the later Islam formation, jinn only
appeared as forms of fire and smoke. Perhaps the most well-known story
about jinn is the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, told by
Scheherezade as part of her "1,001 Arabian Nights" stories, where a poor
man named Aladdin found fame, fortune, and some adventure through a jinn
he found in a magic lamp.
Jabberwock/Jabberwocky (from SD II/SoM): "Jabberwock" is a creature
mentioned in Lewis Caroll's famous poem, "Jabberwocky". The poem's first
& last paragraph goes like this:
"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toevs
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome rabs outgabe."
The Jabberwock, then, was a "monster" in this poem. The first RPG to
have a portrayal of a Jabberwock was Electronic Arts/Interplay's famous
RPG, "The Bard's Tale." In that game, the Jabberwock was portrayed as a
mighty two-headed dinosaur who guarded the Crystal Sword, an essential
item to finishing the game. Every Jabberwock appearance in every game
since then has been portrayed in a similar way, and Secret of Mana is no
exception.
Janus (from Chrono Trigger): In Roman Mythology, Janus is the god of
open doors and generally represents various opposites that we see in
life. Janus has no equivilant in Greek Mythology, making him a "unique"
god to the Romans.
Kadomony (from Xenogears): "Kadmoni" is a Hebrew word, meaning "the
first ever."
Knights of Round (from FF VII): The Knights of the Round Table, in the
original Arthurian legend, were King Arthur's main group of knights.
(See "Excalibur".)
Kraken (from FF I, FFA, and SaGa/FFL I): The kraken is a legendary sea
monster of northern seas. Not to be confused with the legendary Loch
Ness Monster.
Lavos (from Chrono Trigger): The idea for Lavos seems like it may have
been inspired by the infamous Cthulhu (pronounced "kuh-tue-lue"). In
"The Call of Cthulhu," by H. P. Lovecraft (a horror writer from the turn
of the 20th century), Cthulhu is an entity who sleeps silently below
ground. In the story, his awakening would spell the Apocalypse, as he
would rise and drain the world of all its natural resources.
Lich/DarkLich (from FF I, FF VI, FFA, SaGa/FFL I and SoM): A lich is a
dead body which has been reanimated by some strong source of magical
power.
Locke (from FF VI): Again, this is pure speculation, but Locke might
have been named after John Locke, a political commentator of the 17th
century. Locke was one of the philosophers who created what we call
"natural law" today, which basically means that he believed in reason
being the best government. Locke, unlike his peers, believed that
experience was the thing that brought us knowledge, and the environment
around us forms our minds.
Lucca (from Chrono Trigger): Probably named after a region of Italy, but
no one has any idea if that's right or not.
Malak/Malakh (from FF Tactics and Xenogears): "Malakh" is a Hebrew word,
meaning "angel."
Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthezar (from Chrono Trigger and Xenogears): In
Christianity, these three wise men departed to meet Jesus on the night
of Christ's Mass (Christmas).
Merkava (from Xenogears): In Judaism, Merkava is another name for the
chariot of God. It was described in Ezekiel 1:4 to 1:28: "And I saw,
and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, and a great cloud, and a
fire infolding it! And brightness was about it, and out of the midst
thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the
resemblance of amber. And in the midst thereof the likeness of four
living creatures [cherubs]: and this was there appearance. There was the
likeness of a man in them." ... "As the appearance of the rainbow when
it is in a cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the
brightness round about."
Midgar (from FF VII): In Norse Mythology, Midgard was the realm of the
living, where all of the humans lived. Wrapped around Midgard is the
Midgard Serpent (see "Terrato"). Midgard will cease to exist after the
Day of Ragnarok (see "Ragnarok").
Minerva (from FF VI) and Arachnid (from FF I): Minerva was a Greek/Roman
goddess who was thought to be the foremost weaver the world had known,
until a skilled mortal named Arachne challenged her to a weaving
contest. So, Minerva accepted the challenge, and when she wove, she wove
a message out to Arachne to give up before something bad happened. But
Arachne didn't yield, instead, she wove up a design which directly made
fun of the gods. For her blasphemy, Minerva turned Arachne into a
spider, so she would go out and weave for the rest of her life. Today,
the words "arachnid," "arachnophobia," etc. come from the outcome of
this story.
Minotaur Brothers (from FF VIII): The Minoan Civilization, which existed
on Crete Island between 2600 and 1100 BC, became fascinated with stories
of humans with the heads of bulls. One such story said that the original
Minotaur was the son of King Minos, who was born with a bull's head and
lived out his life in the king's dungeons.
Mu/Void (from FF V): Mu was supposed to be a lost continent of sorts
that was rumored to exist somewhere around Polynesia. Because Mu has
been proven to not exist, just the word "Mu" has come to mean
"nothingness" or "nonexisting". "Mu" is also a Zen Buddhist principle
referring to nothingness, and has been incorporated into the Japanese
language to mean "nothing". (NOTE: There are characters in Chrono
Trigger who call themselves "Nu". These are totally different, and
shouldn't be confused with Mu.)
Masamune and Murasame (from most FF and SaGa/FFL games): The Masamune
and Murasame blades were made by two rival Japanese swordsmiths, who one
day competed against each other. Their swords were put into the water
for a period of time. Since leaves passed around the Masamune, but were
sliced by the Murasame, the Masamune won the competition. Since then,
the Masamune has been associated with holiness, while the Murasame has
been associated with curses.
Musashi and Kojiro (from Brave Fencer Musashiden): Both characters were
named after legendary Japanese samurai. Musashi was named in honor of
Miyamoto Musashi, a 17th century samurai, who used an original style of
fighting which involved a short sword and a long sword. Kojiro was named
in honor of Sasaki Kojiro, one of Musashi's opponents.
Nouvelle (from Legend of Mana): The French Gospel is called "La Bonne
Nouvelle", meaning "the good news". "Nouvelle" by itself can mean either
"new" or "news" in French.
Odin (from SaGa II/FFL II and every FF game after FF IV): In Norse
mythology, a giant cow which nourished the Frost Giant Ymir (before the
world was created) melted a curious block of ice one day, and the first
Norse Aesir, Bure, emerged from the block. Bure resisted Ymir, and
called upon his sons (who weren't born yet) to bring Ymir down. Ymir was
defeated, but Bure died in the battle. One of the surviving sons of Bure
was Odin, who then went forth and created Yggdrasil (the World Tree)
which linked Ymir's body (now called "Midgard," or the human world) to a
number of other worlds. For starting the creation of Yggdrasil and
fathering most of the Norse gods, Odin became the master god of all the
Norse Aesir/Vanir (who were the Norse gods). Today, we name our
Wednesday in honor of Odin. (See "Yggdrasil".)
Omega (from FF V and VIII): "Omega" is the last letter of the Greek
alphabet, and generally refers to the end of anything. (See "Alpha and
Omega".)
Ogopogo (from FF IV): Another sea monster! This particular one was
sighted in Lake Okanagan in Canada's British Columbia.
Quetzalcoatl (from FF VIII): Quetzalcoatl; in Aztec and Mayan
mythologies; was described as the winged-serpent god of human
sustenance, self-sacrifice, penitence, rebirth, and butterflies. The
Aztecs and Mayans believed Quetazalcoatl named all of their landmarks,
domesticated animals, established their priesthood, created fire, and
created music & dance. Quetzalcoatl was also believed to one day come
from the east and put an end to human kingship. As a result, the Aztecs
mistook the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes as Quetzalcoatl, and
Cortes & his men proceeded to take down the Aztec empire & build Mexico
City in its place.
Ragnarok (from FF VI, VII, VIII, and Tactics): Yet another element of
Norse mythology. Ragnarok was the day when all the Norse gods and the
evil Frost Giants would meet in war (and unfortunately the Giants would
win). Due to the lack of gods, Yggdrasil would catch fire, and all the
worlds (including Midgard, the humans' world) would be scorched, making
Ragnarok a Norse version of an apocalypse. However, after a period of
darkness, several new entities (several sons of Odin and Thor) would
come out, restore Yggdrasil, and Midgard would flourish in a new world
of eternal peace.
Redrum (from Xenogears): Read it backwards, and it says "murder".
Regulus/Regrs (from Xenogears): "Regulus" is a Latin word, meaning
"little king". It is also the name of a star in the Leo constellation.
Renzokuken (form FF VIII): "Renzoku" is a Japanese word, standing for
continuity, and "ken" is the Japanese word for sword. Therefore,
"Renzokuken" means "consecutive sword."
Rosencrantz (from Vagrant Story): See "Guildenstern".
Rydia (from FF IV): Since the letters L and R are monophones in the
Japanese language, "Rydia" was probably directly named after the ancient
state of Lydia. Lydia was part of the Persian Empire (see "Cyrus"), and
its most famous leader, Croesus, initiated what became the Battle of
Marathon in Greece. Croesus was the richest man in the world in his day,
and is the origin of the seldom-used phrase "As rich as Croesus".
Seibzehn (from Xenogears): "Siebzehn" (note the spelling; the game's
spelling is incorrect) is a German word, meaning "seventeen". The number
most likely refers to the seventeenth step in the Hebrew sephiroth,
which refers to the beginning of the angel world. (See "Sephiroth" and
"Achtzehn".)
Seigfried/Sigurd (from FF VI and Xenogears): In addition to Beowulf,
Seigfried was another popular folk hero of the Norse. The legends say
that Seigfried was made invincible by bathing in the blood of a dragon,
but a leaf which fell into his bath left him with a weak spot between
the shoulders. Seigfried's story was retold in an opera by Richard
Wagner, in which each character had a theme song which would play
whenever a scene involved that character. This style of musical
presentation was applied initially in Final Fantasy IV, and has been
used in numerous other Square games since then.
Sephiroth (from FF VII and Xenogears): In Judaism, the "Sephiroth" is a
code of sorts, and the English word "cypher" comes from "sephiroth". The
word is Hebrew for "numbers," and have ten different aspects. The
Kabbalists (Jewish mysticists) believe that unlocking the Sephiroth is
the key to interpreting the scriptures from the bottom up, and thus
reaching Yhwh (God, Yahweh, Jehovah, etc).
Seraphim (from FF VI): In the Old Testament, the book of Isaiah tells us
about seraphim, supernatural beings who surround the throne of God
singing praises. They were given three pairs of wings: One for flying,
one to cover their feet, and one to cover their eyes (they couldn't look
at God directly).
Shiva (from FF IV through VIII): In Hinduism, Shiva is the god(dess) of
destruction. During his/her dance, when he/she beats on his/her drum,
one universe (out of many) is destroyed, and another one is made to fill
the void. (Maintainer's note: I've seen Shiva portrayed as either male
or female. The truth is out there...)
Shogun (from SaGa/FFL II): "Shogun" was the title awarded by Japan's
emperor to the samurai who, by their newly acquired title, then become
the military dictator of Japan. The line of shogun ruled Japan up until
the time of Prince Meiji in the late 19th century, who reformed the
nation and brought about the end of the shogunate.
Sleipnir (from SaGa/FFL II): Odin's eight-legged horse (see "Odin").
Soylent (from Xenogears): The word "Soylent" most likely came from a
science fiction book and movie, "Soylent Green," by Harry Harrison. The
book, set in the future, tells a story about a revolutionary new food
called "Soylent Green" which is made out of... people?
Stier (from Xenogears): "Stier" is a German word, meaning "bull". In
English, a "steer" is a castrated bull.
Terra/Tina (from FF VI): Terra is not only a feminine name, but also
refers to Earth. "Terra Firma," for example, is a word meaning "land".
Thames (from Xenogears): "Thames" is the name of a river and valley in
England.
Thanatos (from Secret of Mana): "Thanatos" is an Ancient Greek word,
meaning "death personified". (Thanks to sherlock@ksu.edu)
Tiamat (from FF I, FF VIII, and SaGa/FFL I): In Babylonian mythology,
Tiamat co-created the world with her husband, Apsu. Later on, Ea (the
god of wisdom) slew Apsu; and his son, Marduk, challenged Tiamat. Marduk
eventually slays Tiamat.
Toroia (from FF IV): This city may have been named after Troy, a city
belonging to the Persian Empire of ancient times, which was famous for
one particular woman. Troy was the site of the famous Trojan War, where
the Mycenaeans in Greece fought the Trojans over the capture of their
queen, Helen. (Helen is also known as "Helen of Troy," or "The Face that
Launched a Thousand Ships".) The Greeks won the Trojan War by use of the
famous Trojan Horse, which fooled the Trojans into letting them into
Troy.
Tower of Bab-il/Babel (from FF IV and Xenogears): It is said that during
the time of the Old Testament, a group of people were planning on
building a tower which would take them all the way up to God. When God
found about this, God made these people unable to communicate with each
other as a punishment, so the project was never executed due to the
people's failure to communicate with each other. (This tower might have
also inspired the Tower in FFL I and the Pillar of the Sky in FFL II.)
Ultima (from FF II, VI, VII, and VIII): "Ultima" was probably named in
part after Richard Garriot's "Ultima" series of PC RPGs. The first few
Ultima titles were published by Sierra On-Line, but everything after
that was published by Origin (which is now owned by Electronic Arts).
"Ultima" also means "last" in Latin.
Venus (from SaGa II/FFL II): In Roman Mythology, Venus ("Aphrodite" in
Greek mythology) was the Roman god of beauty. Needless to say, she was
one of the most popular of the Roman gods, but even she despised some
people, like a mortal girl named Psyche. Venus did have one child
(Cupid, a demigod of love in Roman mythology), and has also given her
name to the second planet from the sun in our solar system.
Vicks/Biggs and Wedge (from FF VI, VII, VIII, and Chrono Trigger): Biggs
and Wedge were two Rebel X-Wing pilots who fought side-by-side with Luke
Skywalker in the original Star Wars movie during the assault on the
Death Star. It's quite possible that the translator thought that Biggs's
name was "Vicks" and used that instead. (Note: The name was corrected in
FF VII.)
Vierge (from Xenogears): "Vierge" (pronounced: "VEE-eh-jhh") is a French
word, meaning "virgin". The name most likely refers to Jesus's mother in
the New Testament, Mary, who gave "virgin birth" to Jesus.
Weltall (from Xenogears): "Weltall" is a German word, meaning
"universe".
Xenogears (from Xenogears): The prefix, "xeno," means "alien" in ancient
Greek. The suffix, "gears," is used throughout the game Xenogears and
some other video games (ie. "Metal Gear") as meaning "robot". Hence,
"Xenogears" means "alien robot".
Yggdrasil (from Xenogears): In Norse mythology, Odin created Yggdrasil
as a world tree, which kept the world in balance. At the top of
Yggdrasil was Asgard (pronounced: "us-guard"), the home of the gods. The
bottom was Nifelheim (or Hel), the Norse afterlife. Between those realms
lay Midgard, the realm of humans and former body of the ice giant Ymir,
as well as separate realms to house the giants and other creatures. The
Norse legends predicted that Yggdrasil would be destroyed during
Ragnarok, but years after the incident, the survivors would come back to
live in a new world order of peace. (See "Odin," "Midgar," "Ragnarok,"
etc.)
Zeal (from Chrono Trigger): "Zeal" is an archaic term used to describe
eagerness, or in a religious context, love in action. It almost always
has to do with actions to promote an idea or religion, ie. taking
actions and creating works "by the love of God."
Zeboim (from Xenogears): The Bible's Book of Genesis mentions the sister
cities of Sodom, Gomorrha, Adama, Seboim (it can be spelled either way),
and Bala (sometimes also called Segor), which existed in an unknown
place around the time of Abraham. The cities were destroyed in Genesis
19:28 for their citizens committing a number of sins against God, and
their names have ever since been associated with acts of sin (ie.
"sodomy").
Zephyr (from Xenogears): "Zephyr" is an English word, meaning "mild
breeze."
Zohar (from Xenogears): The "Haz-Zohar," or the "Book of Splendor," is
one of the levels of the Jewish sephiroth. It was intended to give
insight symbolically into the inner life of God, whose symbols were
based on the Torah and Israel's life in exile, in order to provide a
cosmic-symbolic interpretation of Judaism and the history of Israel.
(See "Sephiroth".)
* 1.15 - I want to post the FAQ, too!
Why is the FAQ being posted to newsgroup XXX?
The FAQ is too big to post!
Why don't you post the FAQ more/less often?
There's a little bit of misunderstanding among many of the people in the
alt.games.final-fantasy newsgroup.
This is an **official** UseNet FAQ. The maintainer noticed that there
was no official FAQ for this newsgroup, so he wrote one to answer many
questions that were asked repeatedly over and over again in the
newsgroup that everyone was getting tired of answering. After it was
written and posted it originally, it was then sent it to the UseNet FAQ
people at MIT to turn it into an official FAQ.
Because this is an official UseNet FAQ, there are some restrictions on
what can and can't be done with the FAQ:
1. No one but the FAQ maintainer can post the FAQ.
2. Changes in the FAQ header are extremely trivial. In order for the
maintainer to add or drop newsgroups, he needs to send mail to the FAQ
people and wait for them to approve of the change. FAQ maintainers can't
change the headers by themselves, they have to request and then be told
to do so.
3. The FAQ people are extremely backlogged in mail. It takes nearly a
month in order to approve of the changes.
4. The FAQ is posted once a week. If it was posted posted more often, it
would not only be a waste of bandwidth, but a nightmare to archive.
Since the FAQ is archived at an FAQ FTP server at MIT along with the
rest of the UseNet FAQs (ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/), we
don't want to flood them with FAQs to archive.
As for the FAQ being too large to post, it depends on your newsreader.
Most newsreaders for Mac and Windows systems aren't especially graceful
with large articles, especially some Windows newsreaders which don't
allow custom headers. The FAQ is posted using plain old Inews on a Unix
host.
* 1.16 - I'd like to tell you about !
Where can I find this - ?
Why don't you add ?
These kinds of questions are the most annoying received by the
maintainer. Please, folks, the maintainer doesn't want to hear another
thing about:
* how to defeat the MagiMaster in FF VI,
* where to find the rarest items in FF IV Easytype, and/or
* how to get vaguely mentioned secret characters in your party in any
game.
Just read the FAQ before you waste his and your own time asking any of
these kinds of questions or sending info about stuff that is already
covered. It's all there. Really.
* 1.17 - Can you send me a copy of this FAQ, or anyone else's FAQ?
Sorry, the maintainer is not a human FAQ server, nor does he ever want
to be. If you want a copy of the FAQ, please get it from any of the
abovementioned sources or read the weekly posting in the newsgroups.
Other FAQs can be found all over the WWW if you look in the right
places, such as the Unofficial Square Soft Home Page.
As for other FAQs, the maintainer doesn't have them, so he can't give
them to you...
* 1.18 - Why don't you just rip content out of other people's FAQs?
(Yes, this is a frequently asked question.)
That would clearly be a copyright violation. The maintainer needs
special permission from others to incorporate their work into the FAQ.
* 1.19 - My evil news administrators do not and will not carry the
alt.games.final-fantasy newsgroup. Can I still read/post messages there
and how?
If your news administrators refuse to carry the newsgroup (and you
asked, begged, and bribed with chocolate), you can still get it by using
either Deja.com to read & post news, or a commercial news service.
Google's UseNet Groups Service can be reached at
. There is probably a list of commercial news
servers somewhere out there - try searching Excite
or Yahoo or some other
directory.
* 1.20 - Will there be any Final Fantasy games for future game consoles
other than the PlayStation 2 and WonderSwan?
That's actually a good question. While Square has usually dedicated
itself to one console at a time, the rumor mill says that Final Fantasy
XI may appear on more than one console. So far, though, nothing has been
announced about this.
* 1.21 - Will Square ever become a Nintendo third party again?
The simple answer: Not likely.
Sony has been bugging Nintendo about data storage on CD-ROMs compared to
the "game pak" and magnetic-optical drives Nintendo uses. CD-ROMs have a
limit of about 650MB of data, while Nintendo's MO drive with game
cartridges will only store up to 65,535K of data.
When Sony's Phil Harrison made this argument against Nintendo at the E3
expo in the summer of '97, he used an example: Final Fantasy VII. FF VII
uses about three CD-ROMs and would weigh in at 1.8GB of data (if every
CD was full), much of which was full-motion video. There's no way that
any Nintendo system could cram that much data into one game, unless
Nintendo took up either CD-ROM or DVD-ROM technology in the future.
George Harrison (no, not that George Harrison) of Nintendo's response:
He didn't care about Final Fantasy VII, because, according to him, "most
of their [Nintendo's] customers wouldn't want/appreciate such a slow and
tedious game such as Final Fantasy VII."
That's not the only reason why Square dropped Nintendo, though. The two
companies had a very long and turbulent relationship. For more
information, take a look at this URL:
Some time in early 2001, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi
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