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Disgaea: Heart of Darkness Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
26/05/2004
Souhei Niikawa & Yoshitsuna Kobayashi reveal all on the acclaimed Tactical-RPG…
Developed by the Japan based NIPPON ICHI SOFTWARE INC comes a turn based RPG that has achieved meteoric success in Japan and the U.S. The unique mechanics of the game and the effort put into the details set the standard for RPGs to come. Lining up with Tactics Oger and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, DISGAEA â“ The Hour of Darkness is another noteworthy title within the genre.
As you would expect coming from the mindset of a Japanese development team the game has many unusual and interesting ideas and story.
With multiple endings, a plethora of unlockable characters and a good sense of humour throughout, Disgaea â“ The Hour of Darkness contains endless hours of gameplay for every RPG fan.
TVG managed to grab a nice document from Koei to giving some precise and interesting details pertaining to the game.
Answered by Souhei Niikawa â“ Producer -Yoshitsuna Kobayashi - Game Design and Main Program - from Nippon Ichi Software
Disgaea has been described as a 'tactical role-playing' or 'tactical strategy game'. Can you explain what that term means to anyone who's unfamiliar?
Basically this means that in addition to the role-playing elements, in this game a player uses strategy and tactics to defeat his enemies. There are numerous ways to defeat each monster. In the course of the game, the player is given a chance to try a number of these different methods.
What's the basic plot of the game?
The King of the Underworld has died. The player controls Laharl, the Kingâs son, in his quest to assume control of the imperial throne and in his search for the truth behind the separations in the universe.
In order to be successful in battle, the player must prepare well, then power up his own characters while defeating his enemies. The enemies get stronger the farther into the game he gets. What to do and where to go is up to the player, but some paths to total control are easier than others.
What are the essential gameplay concepts of Disgaea?
The basic underlying concept is variety; enough that a player can enjoy the game for a long time without becoming bored. Though the basic concept of battle does not change much (one character hits another, the other hits back) variables are added that provide variety. First a variety of settings: not only does the main story cover numerous fields, but the item world also provides variety, as each map is computer generated and different each time you enter. Even each map changes, with the introduction of Geo elements. You have to plan every step you take.
Can you explain what 'Item World' is?
Within each and every item is a mysterious, alternative world. This world is full of randomly generated levels (dungeons) and populated by hostile natives. Because of these hostile natives, items do not have the power that they should have. By entering in with his party and defeating these natives, the player increases the effectiveness of that item tremendously. This is the Item World system.
What aspects of combat are unique in Disgaea?
There are objects in the game called GeoSymbols. These objects apply an effect to all GeoPanels of the same colour. With these, a really weak character could defeat an amazingly strong one. Or he could gain double the experience or gold. These panels greatly increase the tactical part of the experience.
But probably the most unique aspect is the level of freedom that this game allows a player. There are tons of gimmicks, new items, things to try, and all, but the player does not need to do them if he doesnât want to. You can clear the game without visiting the Item World more than once or twice. There are numerous ways to play and a player need only find the method that fits him.
Can you explain how characters are 'created'?
How many different character types are there?
In the Underworld is the Dark Council. This is a council of powerful underworld creatures. By paying these creatures Mana (life energy) you gain permission to do a number of things. One of these is create new characters to join your party. Actually, for the really weak characters, there is no need to ask the council. However, for more powerful creatures, their permission is necessary.
There are approximately 40 different types of characters.
In Disgaea, you spend a lot of time going up in levels - what level can your character reach, and how long do you think that might take?
The highest level is 9999.
Depending on how you develop your character, the same level of character can be 10 times as strong as another and take much more time to create. You could probably develop the weakest 9999 in 40-50 hours.
To many people Disgaea will seem a bit old fashioned - a throwback to older games - and to many others it will seem 'hardcore'. Why did you choose to make a game in this style?
We didnât really âchoose to make a game in this styleâ. We set out to make a âKobayashi styleâ game and this is what we ended up with.
There's a strong sense of humour through Disgaea, which is surprising for a strategy game. Was this a deliberate choice?
We wanted our users to enjoy the game at numerous different levels. We thought that a comical theme would be unique and appeal to the users of this type of game.
Weâve gone through a lot of trouble to make it as funny as possible so I hope that you like it.
Can you comment at all about the art style and design of Disgaea? Was this for a deliberate 'retro' feel, or was it just a traditional Japanese look?
The stage for this game is the Underworld. We went for a comical approach. We did not necessarily try to give it an Asian feel.
Still, the game is full of parodies. The huge battleship Gargantua was based on a plastic model ship that was sold in Japan. We received help from the maker. The graphic was actually drawn by the artist who designed the box for the modelship.
This was very well received among certain of the 30+ age group in Japan.
We took some things from American comics as well.
Captain Gordon is a parody.
There are other parodies as well, both major and minor, throughout the game.
The main characters are originals. We gave them character with their colour schemes and silhouettes.
We used the 2D dot style, rather than polygons, because we felt that it was a better match for the game system and feel. It of course helped that it was a style that we were familiar with and more confident in. The hand drawn style gave us more freedom of expression than the set pattern of motions, which it seems most polygon-based games have. This was the best way to portray the vitality of our characters.
