CommSphere

CommSpheres are a communication device created by Shinra in Final Fantasy X-2. In appearance, they are identical to the Al Bhed Compilation Spheres seen in Final Fantasy X. Dialogue heard using the CommSpheres often counts toward completion percentage and viewing scenes in certain areas is required to obtain Episode Complete status for those areas.
Almost all CommSphere scenes are optional, though brief use of them is required at the beginning of Chapter 4 as the party checks on what is happening with Spira's leaders. One of the CommSpheres first appears on the bridge of the Celsius toward the beginning of Chapter 3 and Shinra explains that it cannot be used until he sets up a Spira-wide network on the ground. He does so as the party visits various areas during Chapter 3. If a location is not visited during this chapter, a CommSphere is not placed there. Shinra also develops a mobile CommSphere that can be sent into remote areas.
The player can view CommSphere scenes in Chapter 4 before and after recruiting Tobli to organize the Thunder Plains concert. At the end of Chapter 4, most of the CommSpheres have broken.
==CommSphere locations and events==
===Besaid Village===
*One CommSphere: installed outside the tent where Wakka and Lulu live.
Yuna talks with Wakka and learns that Beclem is planning to leave the island, as he has been called back to headquarters by the Youth League. Wakka expresses nervousness at his upcoming parenthood and, in other sequences, the Besaid Aurochs play blitzball. In a later session, Yuna talks with Beclem and discovers he fought together in the Crusaders with Chappu. This scene is required for Episode Complete at Besaid Island.
===Kilika Port and Kilika Temple===
*Two CommSpheres: one in Kilika Port (Dona collects it), one in Kilika Temple.
Yuna connects to the CommSphere and Dona reports that people have been running around in circles since Nooj disappeared. They even asked her to become the new leader, but she is too busy looking out for herself. If Yuna sent Lian and Ayde to Kilika, Dona will mention speaking with them. In a later session, Yuna discovers Dona pining away for Barthello.
Dona ends up tying the CommSphere to a balloon, which floats to Kilika Temple. If Yuna connects again, Barthello tells her he is trying to send some balloons back, but they keep over-inflating. He becomes frustrated that his feelings may be stranded forever and accidentally smashes the CommSphere, rendering all further attempts to connect useless. These sequences are required for Episode Complete in Kilika Port.
===Luca===
*One CommSphere: installed in Luca Square, beside the restaurant.
It is rarely possible to connect to the sphere that Shinra installed. Most of the times, Celsius receives broadcast from Luca's own sphere network, in which Shelinda conducts interviews with Lucan citizens. All of them are interrupted by "stray sphere waves". In other occasions, it is also possible to tune in to Luca surveillance feeds. In two of such occasions, the Luca Goers team warp up in Luca Square and Outskirts. In the latter, Logos briefly appears looking frustrated, before heading out to Mi'hen highroad. When a successful connection to Shinra's device is established, it has nothing particularly important to show.
To see all possible footage from Luca, one might have to temporarily abandon Luca and tune in to other locations on Spira, and then come back to Luca.
===Mi'ihen Highroad===
*Two CommSpheres: one at the Travel Agency Front, one dropped by Shinra on Newroad, North
Yuna talks with Rin, who reports that some strange events have been occurring along the Highroad. He asks for Yuna's help and, if she agrees, can use a network of CommSpheres that Rin placed to view various odd happenings in areas throughout the Highroad. Depending on the player's actions in Chapter 3, there may be a second "dropped" CommSphere set up by Shinra.
The results of this investigation determine who is "pinned" as the culprit in Chapter 5—either the Chocobo Eater, Rikku, Calli, Prophet, or Rin himself. Any of the first three will result in Episode Complete for the location, while either of the latter, or not catching any culprit, will result in Episode Concluded.
===Mushroom Rock Road===
*One CommSphere: attempted across the Youth League gates in Mushroom Rock, but then moved to Youth League Headquarters.
If the Gullwings gave the Awesome Sphere to New Yevon, they discover the CommSphere has been thrown into the sea and is therefore useless. If they gave it to the Youth League, Yaibal reports the Youth League has received unconfirmed reports of New Yevon planning to mount a strike, seeing as Nooj is gone. He tells Yuna they're planning a preemptive strike.
A guard brags about the Youth League's ability to take on New Yevon. In a later session, Lucil assures Yuna she will try to bring a halt to a conflict with New Yevon. Yuna convinces Yaibal and his brigade to attend her concert.
===Djose Temple===
*One CommSphere: installed inside Djose Temple.
Yuna talks with the Al Bhed at the temple and overhears various conversations between them. Viewing these scenes may earn the player one or more Al Bhed Primers. These conversations are usually between Yuna and an Al Bhed man who is the temporary leader of the Machine Faction and prefers the Al Bhed language.
If the player chose to send Lian and Ayde to the Djose Temple, they can be seen leaving.
In the last session, the CommSphere is stolen.
===Moonflow===
*One CommSphere: installed at the South Bank, nearby Tobli.
Yuna asks after with the Hypello there and watches them prepare for the concert. In a later scene, a Hypello disallows Elma and her chocobo from boarding a shoopuf in a nod to a scene from Final Fantasy X. If the player chose to send Lian and Ayde to the Moonflow, Yuna can talk with them via the CommSphere.
Eventually, a Shoopuf tramples the CommSphere.
===Guadosalam===
*One CommSphere: installed just outside Chateau Leblanc.
Yuna discusses the whereabouts of Leblanc with Ormi, as well as her concert. In later sessions, she observes a pair of Fem-Goons discuss the disappearance of Leblanc, whether it is a good idea to take over the concert, and who is classier—Leblanc or Yuna.
===Thunder Plains===
*One CommSphere: installed beside the South save sphere.
Since the Thunder Plains is the scene of the "1000 Words" concert, Yuna does not talk with anyone on the CommSphere there. Instead, she spots a chocobo and Shinra asks if she wants to catch it. He catches the chocobo using another of his inventions, the ChocoPorter. If the player reconnects, he is able to transport another, but then the screen flickers and he reports that the ChocoPorter is on the fritz. Any chocobos caught using the ChocoPorter are sent to the cabin area in the Celsius and can be found there for the rest of the game.
===Macalania Woods and Lake Macalania===
*Two CommSpheres: one on the South Side of the Woods, one at the Travel Agency Front.
If the player completed the mission in Chapter 3 to stop Garik Ronso, the musicians in the forest offer Yuna well-wishes for her concert. Otherwise, Ronso youth appear in the woods and begin war with the Guado.
Scenes can also be viewed at the Travel Agency; if O'aka's debt has not been paid off, an Al Bhed woman says she is leaving the area because there are too many fiends. If O'aka's debt was paid off, he tells Yuna that business has not been too good and departs for the Thunder Plains to see her concert.
===Bikanel Desert===
*Two CommSpheres: one at the Excavation Camp, one at the Cactuar Nation
At the Excavation Camp, Nhadala reports that a vicious fiend is on the rampage. In a later session, an explosion destroys the CommSphere, rendering it useless. In the Cactuar Nation, Yuna tries to communicate to the Cacti, but cannot do it without Benzo's help. In a later session, she asks if Shinra might be able to communicate with them. He tells her he is just a kid, leading her to tell him that Benzo is just a kid as well.
===Bevelle===
*One CommSphere: installed on the Highbridge.
Maroda is running reconnaissance on New Yevon, which has been turned upside-down. A guard catches him and he runs off. If the Gullwings gave the Awesome Sphere to the Youth League, when Yuna reconnects a group of guards shoots the sphere, rendering it useless. If the Gullwings gave the Awesome Sphere to New Yevon, Maroda adds that he overheard some priests saying "In times like these, we must seek the high summoner's aid" before escaping the guards.
In later sessions, the Kinderguardians connect to the CommSphere and ask what it is. Yuna explains Shinra invented it and Taro says he wants to invent cool stuff like Shinra when he grows up. Shinra reveals that he is a kid and agrees to teach the Kinderguardians how to make CommSpheres, stating that sometimes, he would like to have time to just play.
===Calm Lands===
*Two CommSpheres: one in the Travel Agency, one in the upper level of the Calm Lands Ruins
At the Travel Agency, Yuna can observe the various comings and goings of customers. She observes the young, unmarried man sobbing and the father of the man places 50,000 gil in a chest, which can be found in Chapter 5. If the player reconnects, a fiend attacks the CommSphere, rendering it useless. At the Chocobo Ranch, Clasko calls himself hopeless if the player has not captured a chocobo. If at least one chocobo has been captured, he updates Yuna on their care and stops a chocobo from running away.
===Mt. Gagazet===
*Two CommSpheres: one at the entrance, one at the Hot Spring.
At the base of Mt. Gagazet, Yuna talks with Kimahri. Various other Ronso may talk to Yuna.
The Mt. Gagazet's Hot Springs area features the largest number of scenes. Many characters, including Garik, O'aka, Rin, Nhadala, Cid, Elma, Lucile, Dona, Tobli, Isaaru, Maroda, Kinderguardians, two shoopufs, several Hypellos, and Buddy appear. If the sequence with Buddy is viewed, the CommSphere will disconnect and he will be seen returning to the Celsius.
===Zanarkand Ruins===
*One CommSphere: installed near the save sphere.
Yuna views Isaaru with a Hypello, who has promoted her concert to him. He tells her she is the only one who could ever do something like using the power of song to unite Spira. If the player reconnects, Yuna tells Isaaru they talked with Maroda in Bevelle using a CommSphere. He thanks her for telling him how bad things have gotten in Bevelle. In a final scene, Isaaru wonders what he is supposed to do. Viewing these scenes will prompt Isaaru to return to Bevelle in Chapter 5, resulting in an Episode Complete for that area.
===Mobile CommSphere===
Shinra drops a CommSphere into the hole leading to the Farplane Abyss. At the end of Chapter 4, Leblanc gets it to connect. She and the group observe Gippal calling whoever made it a genius and then calling himself a genius for fixing it. They overhear him and Nooj discussing a plan for taking on Vegnagun. Prior to Shinra's dropping in the hole, this CommSphere can be seen on the bridge of the Celsius. If examined, Shinra will state that it is still in development, that it is a flying CommSphere but that it has not been through QA yet.
==CommSpheres' disposal==
Despite the CommSphere network serving as a device for Yuna to communicate with Spira throughout Chapter 4, it suffers a near-total breakdown in Chapter 5. Most attempts to connect to a CommSphere that was not already destroyed in Chapter 4 will result in a scene showing its destruction.
*Besaid: One of the Aurochs kicks the ball into the CommSphere breaking it. Additionally, a dog may pick it up, move it, and kick it offline.
*Kilika Temple: Barthello destroys it in Chapter 4 in a fit of rage.
*Kilika Port: Barthello destroys it in Chapter 4 in a fit of rage, after Dona sends to the temple.
*Luca: Unknown. Establishing a connection to this sphere requires many tries, because most of the time Celsius receives Luca's indigenous broadcast instead.
*Mi'ihen Highroad: Disconnected for unknown reasons, possibly the work of Rin.
*Mushroom Rock Road: Reception deteriorates for unknown reasons, regardless of whether it is thrown into the sea. (Its underwater reception is initially crisp.)
*Djose Temple: Stolen by an Al Bhed for spare parts in Chapter 4.
*Moonflow: A shoopuf steps on the CommSphere in Chapter 4, rendering it useless.
*Guadosalam: Leblanc's guard deliberately disables it.
*Thunder Plains: Lightning destroys the CommSphere.
*Macalania Woods Travel Agency: A curious Wantz dislodges it, not knowing what it is.
*Bikanel Island, Camp: Destroyed in an explosion in Chapter 4.
*Bikanel Island, Cactuar Nation: Benzo destroys it. If the destruction is not viewed, Shinra attributes it to sand storms.
*Bevelle: New Yevon guards shoot it.
*Calm Lands, Travel Agency: Eaten by a fiend.
*Calm Lands, Calm Lands Ruins: A chocobo destroys it.
*Mt. Gagazet, Ronso village: Frozen solid.
*Zanarkand Ruins: Rendered useless by unknown means, possibly by the monkeys.
==Gallery==
Commsphere menu.jpg|CommSphere menu (PS2).
CommSphere_Menu.png|CommSphere menu (PS3).
Category:Final Fantasy X-2
Category:Technology