“Slightly abbreviated Famitsu Online article”:http://www.famitsu.com/news/201107/08046352.html. More details available in the 7/21 issue of Famitsu.

Summary

* Three members in a party
* No restriction on classes
* Weapon held by the chibi-charas will vary based on occupation

Samurai
* Can learn single and multi target attack katana skills, thus
* Priority on attack power vs. area of effect is up to the player
* Allocate skill points on level up to your liking.
* “Screenshot”:http://www.famitsu.com/news/201107/images/00046352/Gvz2H7KXY6H8kG2gy1E6h3B6G7lyH9o9.html shows a skill that causes status resistance to drop.

“So that’s where the advertising budget went…”:http://jrpg.jp/news/?eid=16&nid=148
Some pretty high-powered names here:

Male
“Atsushi Abe”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atsushi_Abe
“Akira Ishida”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Ishida
“Hisao Egawa”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisao_Egawa
“Nobuhiku Okamoto”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuhiko_Okamoto
“Daisuke Ono”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisuke_Ono
“Takaya Kuroda”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takaya_Kuroda
“Takahiro Sakurai”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takahiro_Sakurai
“Hiro Shimono”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiro_Shimono
“Tomokazu Sugita”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomokazu_Sugita
“Ryouta Takeuchi”:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=69834
“Kazuya Nakai”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuya_Nakai
“Yuuichi Nakamura”:yuichi
“Jun Fukuyama”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun_Fukuyama
“Shinichiro Miki”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin-ichiro_Miki

Female
“Emiri Katou”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emiri_Kat%C5%8D
“Houko Kuwashima”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houko_Kuwashima
“Rina Satou”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rina_Sat%C5%8D
“Miyuki Sawashiro”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyuki_Sawashiro
“Ayana Taketatsu”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayana_Taketatsu
“Rie Tanaka”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rie_Tanaka
“Yukari Tamura”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukari_Tamura
“Minori Chihara”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minori_Chihara
“Megumi Toyoguchi”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megumi_Toyoguchi
“Aki Toyosaki”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aki_Toyosaki
“Youko Hikasa”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y%C5%8Dko_Hikasa
“Yui Horie”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yui_Horie
“Nana Mizuki”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_Mizuki
“Aoi Yuki”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aoi_Y%C5%ABki
“Yukana”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukana

[yuichi]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuichi_Nakamura_(voice_actor)

News has been coming slowly lately…

Sounds like “next major update will be coming courtesy of Famitsu”:http://twitter.com/#!/phoenix_rie/status/88246092789071872. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to the magazine, so let’s hope something pops up onto Famitsu’s official website.

This week’s update is entitled “Greetings from Niinou Kazuya”:http://jrpg.jp/voice/?vid=69.

In brief, he discusses the switchover to 3D and how they’re targeting a “PS1″ style of sorts, from the days when 3D was brand new to the world. Compare and contrast to the first installment, which was built around an SNES-styled world. That said, he doesn’t just want it to be retro–they are aiming for a game that players can enjoy. (No specifics–just says they’re working hard on it.)

He further adds that there are a lot of things he can’t talk about right now (Shirou’s art, Koshiro’s new style, the voice acting), but he hopes that you will take an interest in such a unique game.

Computer overheated, laptop is on its last legs D:

But it’s back up and running for now, so it’s weekly update time!

“Music update this week from Yuzo Koshiro”:http://jrpg.jp/voice/?vid=68.

When starting the composition work for 7D 2020, Niinou had a few ideas in mind.

Though the game is a sequel, because of the huge leap from 2D to 3D and from DS to PSP, he feels the music should make a similar jump. So along with the change from the world of Eden to that of AD 2020 Tokyo, Koshiro is going to have a more upbeat, techno soundtrack.

* It won’t be an orchestral +/- ethnic styled soundtrack like last time
* Things to avoid: touchy-feely music, lively upbeat playing style.
* They’re aiming for music more suitable for a club, with a ‘speed’ and ‘solid’ style (OK now it sounds like they’re just tossing out random music jargon.)

So essentially Koshiro is approaching this as an entirely new project, starting all over with a more urban style. Now it’s time for more music jargon: stylish with bits of hardcore, dub, and a taste of underground (_with a bouquet of cherries, charcoal, and moist underwear?_). Koshiro feels that this matches the intimidating environment of the dragon-infested game world.

But having said all that, there will also be a number of arranged tracks based on the original 7D music, so players of the last work will be able to feel the connection to the current game.

Finally, the update mentions the mystery question marks re: “theme song”:https://pent.semilunar.org/dragon/theme-song, and it seems that we’ll be seeing more info about both the music and the theme song in the next few updates.

Anyway I’m OK with all that. I really enjoyed the orchestral stuff last time (the two end-boss themes were incredible), but isn’t this essentially *Streets of Rage 2 x 7th Dragon*? And doesn’t that translate directly into *fuck yeah*?

Looks like the staff listing has an extra entry now:

!https://pent.semilunar.org/images/23.jpg!

*Producer*: “Kodama Rieko”:http://twitter.com/#!/phoenix_rie (Phantasy Star, 7th Dragon)
*Direction*: “Niinou Kazuya”:http://twitter.com/#!/Nino_Kazuya (Etrian Odyssey, 7th Dragon, Last Ranker)
*Sound Composer*: “Koshiro Yuzo”:http://www.ancient.co.jp/ (Etrian Odyssey, Y’s series)
*Character Design*: “Miwa Shirow”:http://mmm-gee.net/
*Theme Song*: ???

“Weekly update 6/16″:http://jrpg.jp/news/?nid=124.

Starts with some stuff about character creation – same as before, no new news. You create your own party, this time any appearance can be matched with any job and (new to the series) any set of voices. And, some new screenshots. Take note that the screenshots are development versions and may not be consistent with the final products.

Some NPC introductions and character portraits:

*Hikasa Natsume*
!https://pent.semilunar.org/images/21t.jpg!:https://pent.semilunar.org/images/21.jpg
The president of Murakumo–the only organization capable of mounting a counteroffensive against the Dragons. She has devoted herself to development of the organization, and serves as a guide to the protagonist and the members of Murakumo.

*Kirino Ayafumi*
!https://pent.semilunar.org/images/22t.jpg!:https://pent.semilunar.org/images/22.jpg
A young man who works as Natsume’s aide. Although he lacks the special powers that the members of Murakumo have, he has remarkable talent as a scientist. He provides invaluable aid to Murakumo through his role in the study of Dragons.

Can’t recall if these images from imageepoch’s site jrpg.jp are new or not, but I don’t recall seeing the class description before, or I just never attempted to translate it. Either way it’s late so I’m gonna hold off on translating for a little bit…

!https://pent.semilunar.org/images/20.jpg!
短刀や銃器を用い暗躍戦術士
火力こそ低いものの、巧みなトラップで
戦場をかきまわし戦いを有利にする

_Tactical masters of trickery, wielding short swords and pistols. Though their firepower is low, through the use of carefully placed traps they cause chaos in battle to their advantage._

!https://pent.semilunar.org/images/19.jpg!