Editing Final Fantasy (section)

=== Design ===
{{See also|Category: Final Fantasy designers}}
For the original ''Final Fantasy'', Sakaguchi required a larger production team than Square's previous games. He began crafting the game's story while experimenting with gameplay ideas. Once the gameplay system and game world size were established, Sakaguchi integrated his story ideas into the available resources. A different approach has been taken for subsequent games; the story is completed first and the game built around it.<ref name="UltimateHistory">{{cite book | title = [[Ultimate History of Video Games]] | first = Steven | last = Kent | author-link = Steven L. Kent | pages = 541–542 | chapter = The Mainstream and All Its Perils | publisher = [[Three Rivers Press]] | isbn = 0-7615-3643-4 | year = 2001}}</ref> Designers have never been restricted by consistency, though most feel each game should have a minimum number of common elements. The development teams strive to create completely new worlds for each game, and avoid making new games too similar to previous ones. Game locations are conceptualized early in development and design details like building parts are fleshed out as a base for entire structures.<ref name="ArtOfGameWorlds"/>

The first five games were directed by Sakaguchi, who also provided the original concepts.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveXIII"/><ref name="GS-FFHistory-Staff">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec3.html | title = Staff Spotlight | work = The History of Final Fantasy | publisher = [[GameSpot]] | first = Andrew | last = Vestal | access-date = August 4, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060709115353/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec3.html | archive-date=July 9, 2006}}</ref> He drew inspiration for game elements from anime films by [[Hayao Miyazaki]]; series staples like the airships and chocobos are inspired by elements in ''[[Castle in the Sky]]'' and ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]'', respectively.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Rogers |first=Tim |date=March 27, 2006 |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/defense-final-fantasy-xii |title=In Defense of Final Fantasy XII |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130831220204/http://www.edge-online.com/features/defense-final-fantasy-xii/2/ |archive-date=August 31, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Sakaguchi served as a producer for subsequent games until he left Square in 2001.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveXIII"/><ref name="GS-FFHistory-Staff"/> [[Yoshinori Kitase]] took over directing the games until ''Final Fantasy VIII'',<ref name="FFVI-GSDetails">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/snes/rpg/finalfantasy3/tech_info.html | title = Final Fantasy III (SNES) - Tech Info | website = [[GameSpot]] | access-date = August 4, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212080247/http://www.gamespot.com/snes/rpg/finalfantasy3/tech_info.html | archive-date=February 12, 2009}}</ref><ref name="FFVII-GSDetails">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasy7/tech_info.html |title=Final Fantasy VII - Tech Info |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826111050/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasy7/tech_info.html |archive-date=August 26, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="FFVIII-GSDetails">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasy8/tech_info.html | title = Final Fantasy VIII - Tech Info | website = [[GameSpot]] | access-date = August 4, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412002920/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasy8/tech_info.html | archive-date=April 12, 2009}}</ref> and has been followed by a new director for each new game. [[Hiroyuki Ito]] designed several gameplay systems, including ''Final Fantasy V''{{'}}s "[[Final Fantasy V#Job System|Job System]]", ''Final Fantasy VIII''{{'}}s "[[Final Fantasy VIII Guardian Forces|Junction System]]" and the Active Time Battle concept, which was used from ''Final Fantasy IV'' until ''IX''.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveXIII"/><ref name="FFVI-GSDetails"/> In designing the Active Time Battle system, Ito drew inspiration from [[Formula One]] racing; he thought it would be interesting if character types had different speeds after watching race cars pass each other.<ref>{{cite web|title=30 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Final Fantasy |page=6 |author=Jeremy Parish |website=[[1UP.com]] |url=http://www.1up.com/features/final-fantasy-thirty-things-you-did-not-know?pager.offset=5 |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103175047/http://www.1up.com/features/final-fantasy-thirty-things-you-did-not-know?pager.offset=5 |archive-date=November 3, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ito also co-directed ''Final Fantasy VI'' with Kitase.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveXIII"/><ref name="FFVI-GSDetails"/> [[Kenji Terada]] was the scenario writer for the first three games; Kitase took over as scenario writer for ''Final Fantasy V'' through ''VII''. [[Kazushige Nojima]] became the series' primary scenario writer from ''Final Fantasy VII'' until his resignation in October 2003; he has since formed his own company, Stellavista. Nojima partially or completely wrote the stories for ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''VIII'', ''X'', and its sequel ''X-2''. He also worked as the scenario writer for the spin-off series, ''Kingdom Hearts''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/349279/super-smash-bros-brawl-storyline-penned-by-final-fantasy-vii-writer |title=Super Smash Bros. Brawl Storyline Penned By Final Fantasy VII Writer |first=Michael |last=McWhertor |publisher=Kotaku |date=January 25, 2008 |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815135139/http://kotaku.com/349279/super-smash-bros-brawl-storyline-penned-by-final-fantasy-vii-writer |archive-date=August 15, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Daisuke Watanabe]] co-wrote the scenarios for ''Final Fantasy X'' and ''XII'', and was the main writer for the ''XIII'' games.<ref name="ultimaniaomega">{{cite book | title=Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega | publisher=[[Square Enix]] | pages=191–193, 476 | author=Studio BentStuff | language=ja}}</ref><ref name=dvd>{{cite web|title=Video interview with FINAL FANTASY XII Directors |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYIzjBbO2FQ |work=FINAL FANTASY XII Collector's Edition Bonus DVD |publisher=[[Square Enix Co., Ltd]] |access-date=April 8, 2011 |date=October 31, 2006 |quote=Hiroshi Minagawa: In the course of development, Jun Akiyama and Daisuke Watanabe came up with many ideas but ultimately we had to abandon many of them. I'd heard their original ideas and I wish we could have included them all. Once we began development and many of the systems were in place, the team had many progressive ideas. It was the most enjoyable part of the project. But as we approached the project's end, I had to point out features we had to drop in order for the game to be finished. Which is unfortunate, since I'm sure people would have enjoyed the game that much more if we could have left all our original ideas in. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206221711/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYIzjBbO2FQ |archive-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref><ref name="FamitsuWatanabe">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.famitsu.com/news/201407/11056946.html|title=『ファイナルファンタジーXIII REMINISCENCE -tracer of memories-』著者、渡辺大祐氏にインタビュー|trans-title=Final Fantasy XIII: Reminiscence -tracer of memories-: Interview with author Daisuke Watanabe|magazine=[[Famitsu]]|date=July 11, 2014|access-date=July 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140711075338/http://www.famitsu.com/news/201407/11056946.html|archive-date=July 11, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Ff6 magitek.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' artwork by [[Yoshitaka Amano]], who provided designs for much of the series.]]

Artistic design, including character and monster creations, was handled by Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano from ''Final Fantasy'' through ''Final Fantasy VI''. Amano also handled title logo designs for all of the main series and the image illustrations from ''Final Fantasy VII'' onward.<ref name="GS-FFHistory-Staff"/> [[Tetsuya Nomura]] was chosen to replace Amano because Nomura's designs were more adaptable to 3D graphics. He worked with the series from ''Final Fantasy VII'' through ''X'', then came back for ''XIII'', and for the basic design of ''XV''.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveXIII"/><ref name="GS-FFHistory-Staff"/> For ''Final Fantasy IX'' character designs were handled by [[Shukō Murase]], Toshiyuki Itahana, and Shin Nagasawa.<ref name="FFIX-GSDetails">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasy9/tech_info.html |title=Final Fantasy IX - Tech Info |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428184413/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/finalfantasy9/tech_info.html |archive-date=April 28, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> For ''Final Fantasy XV'', Roberto Ferrari was responsible for the character design. Nomura is also the character designer of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'', and ''Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007 |title=The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2007 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |date=March 3, 2007 |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820032431/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007 |archive-date=August 20, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Other designers include Nobuyoshi Mihara and [[Akihiko Yoshida]]. Mihara was the character designer for ''Final Fantasy XI'', and Yoshida served as character designer for ''Final Fantasy Tactics'', the Square-produced ''[[Vagrant Story]]'', and ''Final Fantasy XII''.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveIX"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Final Fantasy XI Tech Info |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/finalfantasy11/tech_info.html |access-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091221101604/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/finalfantasy11/tech_info.html |archive-date=December 21, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>