ARM Backup/Ar Portal translation/Telemo Plaza/Issue 2

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みなさんこんにちは、土屋です。
テレモのある広場２回目です。前回は主に「２の世界観のおいたち」をお話しし ましたが、今回はコンセプトについてお話ししましょう。
アルトネリコというゲームは、システムもシナリオも一貫して「絆」という要素 を大切にしながら設計しています。前作では「パートナーとしての絆」を描くこ とに力を注ぎました。今作では、それより１つ外側に踏み出て、ヒロイン同士の 絆、家族の絆というものに、主に注力してみました。
前作では、主人公とヒロインの関係はとても深く掘り下げましたが、反省点とし てヒロイン同士、もしくは一部のパーティーメンバーについて、普段どのような 会話がされているかといった事が、全く想像できない結果になってしまったとい う点がありました。これは前作を発売してすぐに出てきた反省点で、２では重要 な改善点として考慮し、１のドラマCD等でもその反省を活かした作品として仕上 げる事をしてきました。
そして２ではその事を踏まえ、アルトネリコで最も重要なポジションにいる、メ 
インヒロイン２人を掘り下げる事に焦点を当てたコンセプトを打ち立てました。 ヒロインの事をもっと識ること、ヒロインの色々な場面を見ることで、もっともっ とヒロインの事を好きになってもらえるのではないかという構想の下、ヒロイン 間の絆を主軸としたシステムを構築しました。普段の行動である現実世界、心の 中を掘り下げるコスモスフィアに加え、ヒロインの過去や境遇を識ることが出来 るインフェルスフィアを導入、「現在」「内心」「過去」という３つの軸によっ て、リアルなヒロイン像を描くことに注力しています。それによって、ゲーム中で キャラが取るその行動、言動、この仕草も、「こういうキャラだから」では収ま らない、過去にこういった裏付けがあるから、こんな境遇だから、といった所ま で掘り下げられる、新しい表現が出来る可能性というものを追求してみました。
こういった構想で制作させていただきましたアルトネリコ２、結果としてどのよ うな想いをもたらしたのかは、遊んでいただいた皆さんが持っています。
今回ゲームをプレイしてみて、皆さんはメインヒロイン２人の事をどう感じましたか？ また、今回のコンセプトは、絆や深いキャラを表現する手法として、どう思いましたか？
これらの事について皆さんから御意見を頂けたら、制作者としてとても嬉しく思 います。もしよろしければ、以下にありますレスポンスターミナルで、皆さんの 想いを教えてください。
私がアルトネリコシリーズで描きたいのは、プレイヤーが共感できるような真剣 な想い。その為には説得力があるキャラ像が必要だと、常に考えています。だか らこそ、ゲーム中でキャラが取るその行動、言動、この仕草にも、リアリティを 持たせたいと考えています。『今言った「嫌い」はどんな想いで言った「嫌い」 なの？本当に嫌いだからなの？それとも、過去のあの傷が言わせているの？』… そういった事をプレイヤーが自然と出来るような、そんなゲームを目指して制作 しています。その発言の裏側にあるものを汲める程にキャラが立っていること は、結果として感動、キャラへの好感度へ繋がるのではないかと考えています。 その手段の１つとして、今作では現在に過去をプラスしました。その場では「心 ない言葉だ」と思いがちな言葉でも、後で「あの言動は過去にこういった事があっ たから…」という話を聞いてしんみりしてしまう…という事があると思います。 アルトネ２ではそういった「それぞれの発言には必ず意味や想いがある」という 事を、主にメインヒロイン２人を通じて表現出来ればと思い制作させていただき ました。
それでは今回はこの辺で、おいとまさせていただきます。 次回をどうぞお楽しみに！	
Hello, everyone. This is Tsuchiya.
This is the second issue of the Telemo Plaza. While in the previous issue we mainly talked about [The Expansion of 2's World Setting], for this issue we'll talk about its concepts.
In the Ar tonelico game, I consistently took great care of designing its systems and scenario around the element of [Bonds]. In the previous game, I poured all my energies into depicting the [bonds between partners]. So for this game, I wanted to raise the notch a bit more and tried putting my energies into the depiction of the bonds between the heroines, and the bonds between family members.
While in the previous game we deeply dived into the relationship shared by the protagonist and the heroines, I reflected on what kind of conversations the heroines could have had with each other, or what kind of chats part of the party members could have had under a normal situation, and it was one of the points that led me to results I couldn't have ever imagined before. As these reflections were something to which I only arrived right after the previous game was released, I took them in consideration as major areas in which I should improve for 2, although we also used these same reflections the best we could when we provided the finishing touches for material such as 1's Drama CDs.
And by stepping into that terrain for 2, we come to the main heroines, who have the most important position in Ar tonelico and around who the concept of Diving is completely focused upon. As everything is framed under the idea that by coming to know the heroines further and by seeing their different sides we might come to like them more, the bonds between the heroines became the main shaft around which the systems for the game were constructed. In addition to seeing their usual actions in the real world and Diving into their hearts through the Cosmosphere, we also introduce the Infelsphere that allows us to come to know the heroines' pasts and environments, so I poured all my energies into sketching realistic portrayals for each heroine through these three axis: the [real world], the [innermost thoughts] and the [past]. And through these, we can see that the actions taken by each heroine in the game, the way they talk, and the gestures they make aren't just because [they are this sort of character], but because these are backed by the past they each had, because they grew and lived in this sort of environment. And I tried to pursue diving into these topics because I felt there was a possibility in them that we could present the characters in new ways.
Ar tonelico 2 was created under these ideas, so I'm wondering now what kind of feelings everyone who played through it got as a result.
What did you all feel about the two main heroines once you tried playing through this game? What did you think about the method we employed to present the bonds and deep characters that serve as the concept for this game?
Receiving your opinions about these matters is what brings me the greatest joy as a creator. If you are okay with it, please use the response terminal located further below and allow us to hear your feelings on the matter.
What I want to sketch through the Ar tonelico series are honest feelings the players can sympathize with. For that reason, I'm always thinking about how characters that have a great persuasive power are essential. And it is for this same reason that I'm always wanting to bring realism to the actions taken by the characters in the game, to their speech and to their gestures. "What kind of emotions did she have when she said just now that [she hates me]? Does she hate me for real? Or was a scar from her past what made her say that?"... I aim to create games that allows players to naturally come to this sort of conclusion. That by making characters we realize have emotions hidden behind the words they shallowly say, we can be moved by them as a result and thus maybe, we can also come to like them more. And as a step to carrying this out, I decided to add the past to the present shown in this game. That even if we come to think that some words are [heartless] at the time they're said, we'll get solemn when we hear afterwards that [she acted this way and said these things because this happened in her past...]... And that's the sort of thing I'd like to happen. And I created Ar tonelico 2 while holding strong feelings of wanting to express mainly through the two main heroines the idea that [every single word must have a meaning and feelings behind itself].
Well then, that's it for this issue, so I'll be going home for today. Please look forward to the next issue!