Study Guide for Tetsuya Takahashi's Xenoverse

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May 2012

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[A.C]

So, the Xenogears and Xenosaga information preservation site that I've slowly been working on for the past year is finally up: http://xenoverse.xenotensei.com/

Most people here are probably over Xeno by now, but I figured I'd bring it to your attention anyway since the amount of saved posts/threads from Leamonde will probably bring you all some nostalgia. (This board is the oldest forum I still visit, so I figured I make something out of it.)

Originally I was hoping for a revival of the Xenosaga series based on some hints from Soraya Saga, and was hoping to create the site in case anyone had question about what had come before, but after Xenoblade I have made my peace with the Xenogears and Xenosaga series being over. Because of that, this website will probably be my last contribution to the fandom and celebration of the Xeno series, call it the legacy of a longtime fan.

I wanted to do something that focused more on the literary aspect of the Xeno series, something that most sites never did well. I believe Xenogears: Guardian Angels had the right idea for a Xeno fan site, but the content has become outdated over the years, and it seems Amber has lost the passion to finish it.

Now hopefully, my Study Guide will remedy some of that, and give Xeno fans a more complete information site that also includes the Xenosaga series. So please go ahead and check it out, and let me know what you think.

If people here are interested I wouldn't mind posting future updates in this thread, otherwise I might just announce bigger, finishing updates. You can always follow the forum link on the site for the smaller ones.


http://xenoverse.xenotensei.com/ - Study Guide for Tetsuya Takahashi's Xenoverse: a Xenogears and Xenosaga information preservation site.

[kostjan]

Silly AC, you have a profile page for Chu-Chu but not for Elly or Krelian!!!

On a more serious note, interesting site / project - I took some time to skip through the pages and enjoyed remembering a game I used to adore...

[A.C]

Silly AC, you have a profile page for Chu-Chu but not for Elly or Krelian!!!

Haha, yeah I thought I'd get Chu-Chu out of the way first. More character profiles coming soon. =)

[TheContact]

Takahashi a game developer, sure.  But a prophet?  That's quite the superlative, AC!

Neat site!  It probably is going to be a last hurrah of sorts for Xeno* sites.

[A.C]

Takahashi a game developer, sure.  But a prophet?  That's quite the superlative, AC!

I figured, if Dostoyevsky can be considered a prophet, so can Takahashi.
Couldn't really think of a better term to use. I honestly don't think Dostoevsky had as good a grip on human psychology as Takahashi does (Dostoevsky's characters, while certainly emotionally deep, all talk in the same way, constantly demonstrate their feelings, and are almost always driven by shame) but many of the cheesy awkward aspects the Xeno games do take away from some of the credibility, especially if taken at face value. The design materials and Guides often give a better insight into some of his ideas than the games unfortunately.

But I think he has moved on from his 'trying to reach young gamers with sublime messages' phase of game development now...

[TheContact]

"A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God" ??

I'd probably go with philosopher

[A.C]

This is worth discussing, so I'm glad you brought it up.
I would classify Takahashi as an "inspired teacher", putting his knowledge about philosophical, ideological, psychological, and scientific ideas to good use as a "message" to teens in the form of JRPGs with entertaining covering. As for the part about being "proclaimer of the will of God"...

"prophet: someone who speaks by divine inspiration; someone who is an interpreter of the will of God."

The term "God" is abstract and difficult to define to begin with. From a certain point of view, "God" or the "divine" could be interpreted as the force of man or absolute reality. Something perceived intuitively or through some inexplicable perceptive powers observed in nature. Most people today would say that the historical "prophets" were only people who were stating their own personal truths, they weren't actually given truths or prophecies from a Judeo-Christan like divine being. Their interpretation of "the will of God" merely came from their own subjective truths and whatever observations they had made of the world. From an atheistic point of view, there's not likely to ever have existed people who have actually gotten knowledge from God.

I assume that is why philosophers and authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky have been considered prophetic as well.

In a nutshell, this website is all about Russia's 'great prophet', Fyodor Dostoevsky.

As for why I didn't use "philosopher"... While that would be the term most people would use to describe Takahashi, I feel it limits the way him and his work is percieved, selling it quite short by just focusing on the philosophy aspect when Takahashi draws upon such a vast array of sources for his inspiration. The political aspect, as well as the psychospiritual dimensions of the series are often being over-looked.

Philosopher is merely defined as this:

# a specialist in philosophy
# a wise person who is calm and rational; someone who lives a life of reason with equanimity

While both of those can be attributed to Takahashi, I think of him more as a teacher/artist/writer who takes the study of philosophy; the general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language, and then express it in a new and inspired way; foretelling events and the "problems facing individuals and society" (the last part being quoted from the Official Design Materials).

[TheContact]

Huh.  I think you're really stretching your definitions to make them fit.  In a religious context, a prophet is someone that, after contact with the supernatural/divine, communicates their newly discovered knowledge to others.  Occasionally, the term prophet is used as someone who speaks of the ramifications of a particular behavior on the future.

I can only find that single reference to Dostoevsky as a "great prophet," and yes, that is also a stretch.  A great literary psychologist, perhaps, but a prophet?  That's not a common description as far as I know.  Some consider Nostradamus a prophet - but that's because he's specifically extrapolating on the future through "supernatural means".

In a sense, like that Dostoevsky site, you're the only one going out on a limb and calling Takahashi a "prophet".  Heck, philosopher might even be a strong word.

Lots of people write and philosophize upon the theological - numerous discussions on this and previous incarnations of this forum have delved into such topics.  The mere act of using that as a topic though does not make one a prophet, or the world is overrun by them

[A.C]

Occasionally, the term prophet is used as someone who speaks of the ramifications of a particular behavior on the future.

Well, there you have it. Takahashi's Xenosaga in a nutshell.  

In a sense, like that Dostoevsky site, you're the only one going out on a limb and calling Takahashi a "prophet".  Heck, philosopher might even be a strong word.

Technically, I'm not the first to apply the word to Takahashi. I've seen one Takahashi detractor call him "a false prophet". And, like you say, the world is overrun with prophets, because it is kind of a silly term to begin with. All these usages of the term is more a figure of speech and not to be taken at face value.

[TheContact]

Well, the only other advice I'd have on the subject is that the use of the term really evokes an almost cult-like vibe from the site, which I assume is not what you were going for.

Also, it's a shame you're throwing away your tax break opportunity.

[A.C]

I suppose it can be interpreted wrong. I was going for freshness of expression, not to give a cult-like vibe... but I'd hate to use "Philosopher" instead. I'll think about this some more...

Also, it's a shame you're throwing away your tax break opportunity.

What do you mean?

[TheContact]

What do you mean?

You might have been eligible for one if your site was non-prophet. 

[A.C]

I still don't get it... is it a Seinfeld thing? or is it a pun on Non-Profit ??

Anyway, I could use some more opinion on this... (that is, if anyone else is still around...)

[TheContact]

haha, yes. non-profit