Rockman X DiVE - Mizuno Interview

https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=185977
translated by hj for fun and not profit.

Q：水野先生這次參與這次《洛克人 X DiVE》開發，有甚麼樣的感想？
Q: What kind of thoughts do you (Mizuno) have on participating in the development of “Rockman X DiVE”?

水野佳祐：洛克人 X 系列至今幾乎都是出在家機平台上，當得知這次要出在手機上時覺得很有新鮮感且富有挑戰性。企劃本身相當有魅力，但說實話，當初的確有點擔心手機能否重現《洛克人 X 系列》的操作手感。各位玩家應該已透過 CBT 實際體驗過了，在動作方面因應了手機平台調整，雖說需要些時間去習慣操作，但即使在沒有搖桿的狀況下艾克斯也能順暢行動，這點讓我驚豔不已。
Mizuno: Rockman X series up to this point has almost always been released on home consoles, so I thought it was something fresh and challenging when I heard it was going to be released on mobile devices. The project idea itself is very appealing, but truth to be told, I was kind of worried whether the same kind of control that’s felt in the Rockman X series can be reproduced. The players should have already experienced it from the CBT beta - the movements were adjusted to suit mobile devices, and even though you’ll need some time to get use to the controls, it was possible to control X smoothly even without using a joystick, and I was very surprised by that.

　　在本作中，本人是負責進行監修，美術部分幾乎是由台灣的美術人員所繪製，我則是以 3D 模型等成品的作畫監修為主，同時也繪製了一部分主要角色，並參與原創角色的設計。台灣的美術人員們都是帶著對《洛克人 X 系列》致敬的心情進行繪製，對個人來說是很令人高興的工作環境。
In this production, I am responsible for supervision, and the art itself is almost all done by Taiwan side’s artist team. I‘m mainly responsible for supervision of finished artworks such as 3D models, making some illustrative artwork of the main cast, as well as participating in designing original characters. The whole Taiwan artist team is creating art with feelings of respect for the Rockman X series, so it is personally a very pleasurable work environment.

Q：《洛克人 X DiVE》的立繪都是本次重新繪製過的嗎？與至今的《洛克人 X 系列》比較，在設定上是否有什麼重點？是否會刻意與過去做區隔呢？
Q: Are the 3D models in “Rockman X DiVE” created as brand new this time? Are there any special focus in its design aspects compared to “Rockman X” series up to this point? Is there any kind of deliberate separation from the past?

水野佳祐：本次無論是角色還是 BOSS，所有登場角色的立繪都是全新繪製的。最初收到的需求是配合「洛克人 X 週年紀念合集」的風格去進行繪製。對於《洛克人 X DiVE》之中包含了其他系列作品的角色，我也是帶著「如果現在要畫的話，會怎麼畫呢？」這樣的心情在進行監修。監修時，也會有請對方重畫或是自己重畫的狀況，雖然說是監修但也是很需要精力的呢！
Mizuno: The 3D model of all character are brand new in this production, whether it’s characters or bosses. The original request was to correspond with the art style of “Rockman X anniversary collection” when creating these artworks. With regards to how “Rockman X DiVE” includes characters from other series, I’d carry a feeling of “how would I depict these characters if I’m drawing them here and now?” when I’m supervising. There have been situations where I’d request things to be redrawn during supervision, or sometimes I’d redraw something myself. Even though it’s only supervision work, it’s certainly something that can take up plenty of mental energy!

　　關於設計部分，我們在製作 3D 模型或是進行繪製時，會因為過去的設計圖沒有背面的設計，或是武器只能參考遊戲畫面的點陣圖而煩惱不已。此時，大多是去搜尋以前的模型或是周邊商品的圖片資料來參考，這部分可以說是最費心的也說不定。
Regarding designs, when we’re creating 3D models or illustrating artwork, we’d sometimes feel very torn over how there were no back side designs on old design spec sheets, or when a weapon design could only be referred to by the in-game pixelated artwork. At this time the majority of those artwork is done by looking for images of models and commodity goods from the past as references, and it’s probably the part of the process that takes the most effort.

Q：以水野先生的筆觸重新繪製了《洛克人 X Command Mission》的角色立繪，在一公開時也造成了話題，您有什麼想法呢？
Q: The “Rockman X command mission” 3D character models that were recreated in your artstyle had became a hot topic when it was originally revealed. what do you think about this?

水野佳祐：原來如此，這真的很令人高興呢。《洛克人 X Command Mission》其實是我在新人時期協助日暮先生製作的專案。回想起那是我進公司最先參與繪製的角色們，就實在令人感觸良多。當時我想說當作練習也好，針對單張圖畫了各式各樣的姿勢提交出去，結果幾乎都沒有被採用（笑）。想想現在能夠好好的畫出東西真是太好了呢。
Mizuno: Is that so? Knowing that makes me very happy. “Rockman X Command Mission” was actually a project that I had helped Ryuji sensei [Most likely means: 日暮竜二] on, so when I think about how those characters were the first ones that I participated in illustrating when I joined the company, those memories gives me a lot of feelings. I want to say how back then I might as well have thought of it as some kind of practice, took a bunch of individual art pieces and drew them in a whole bunch of different ways and submitted them, and almost none of them got used in the final version (lol). It makes me happy to think about how I can draw things properly nowadays.

Q：在 3D 模型監修上，水野先生有什麼會特別要求的地方嗎？
Q: Do you have any special requirements when it comes down to supervising 3D models?

水野佳祐：我對 3D 的了解其實並不深入，所以關節位置或是動作方面我都是交由 3D 美術製作者發揮，而我主要是針對臉部的造型和比例提出希望的方向，確保角色的風格是維持與本篇系列作品一致。
Mizuno: I actually don’t have a deep understanding of 3D models, so I’d leave things such as position of joints and movements up to the 3D artists. I’m mainly focused on giving advice on styling character face and and proportions, to ensure their art style stays in sync with the original series.

　　因為 3D 模型不只是在關卡內，也會出現在選單畫面，所以我會特別注意臉部的呈現。拿到 3D 模型的圖片後，我會直接畫上希望調整的樣子，再請製作者盡量依照圖片修正，這方面真的是多虧了各位美術人員的幫忙。
I especially pay attention to crafting the character’s faces, since not only do these 3D models appears in stages, they are used in the menu screens as well. After receiving images of 3D models, I would draw directly on the received image with what I hope to be adjusted, and ask the artist to do their best to tune the model according to the image. This part of the process is very much thanks to the help from all the artist staffs.

Q：可以請水野先生談一下《洛克人 X DiVE》原創角色領航員「RiCO 莉可」的設計過程嗎。
Q: Would you mind talking about the design process for the original navigator character “RiCO” from Rockman X DiVE?

水野佳祐：一開始開發團隊的成員在設計「RiCO 莉可」這個新角色的時候，設定了幾個條件：
Mizuno: When coming up with the new character RiCO, the dev team had set out a few requirements:

		為了展現出活潑的感覺，髮型要短髮！
		以側馬尾呈現可愛的感覺！
		主概念是軍裝類的制服！
		穿小短褲！
 		- Having short hair in order to look lively!
		- Side pony tail to show cuteness!
		- Main concept being military styled uniform!
		- Wearing shorts!

　　我還記得當初我們非常熱烈的在討論著上列的條件。以這些要素作為主要出發點，並以管理員及領航員形象的制服為輔，再加上能讓人聯想到電腦世界居民的淺藍色頭髮與眼睛。這個角色的世界觀和艾莉亞三人組或娜娜的不一樣，她是一個俯瞰著洛克人 X 世界的角色，所以地位也不大相同。說誇張一點的話在設定上並不拘泥外表，也沒規定一定要走洛克人系列那樣四肢較大的風格，如此一來反而更難去確立一個概念。當然，最終外觀還是決定按照《洛克人 X 系列》的世界觀就是了。對我自己本身來說，「RiCO 莉可」外觀設計也是挺新鮮。
I remember we fiercely discussed the above requirements at first. Those elements were used as a starting point, combined with supporting elements of the imagery of administrator and navigator, plus light blue eyes and hair that can be associated to being a resident in the digital world. The world view of this character is different from Alia trio or Nana, as she’s someone who looks down on Rockman X’s world with a birds-eye view, thus her status is pretty different as well. In a bit of a hyperbolic sense we were not very fixated on her looks, there’s no set rules for her regarding a need to follow the Rockman style where limbs tend to be bigger, and from that aspect it actually felt more difficult to form a design concept.  But of course, her final appearance was still in accordance to the world view of “Rockman X” series in the end. I personally found the design of RiCO pretty refreshing.

Q：《洛克人 X DiVE》的舞台是電腦世界，所以也會有像「RiCO 莉可」這樣的原創角色登場，您對這部分抱有什麼樣的期待呢？
There might be original characters like RiCO appearing, since the stage of Rockman X DiVE is the digital world. What kind of expectations would you have regarding this part?

水野佳祐：我覺得可以活用《洛克人 X DiVE》所設定的遊戲資料這個世界觀去發想，在《洛克人 X 系列》的歷史當中「如果存在著這樣的角色會怎樣呢…」，讓與過去角色有關的人物再度登場，甚至是原本遊戲內打算置入卻因礙於過去容量不足等原因，而被割捨未能登場的角色（設定上）出現的話，應該會很有趣吧。例如說就設計一個在《洛克人 X4》登場的「炎龍騎兵（マグマード．ドラグーン）」所帶領非正規品獵人第 14 格鬥部隊的隊員，讓這個角色作為格鬥類型人物登場就很不錯，說不定在 PVP 上會特別活躍也說不定。
Mizuno: I think we can take “Rockman X DiVE”’s particular world view of being game data to create new ideas, such as “what if this kind of character existed” in the history of Rockman X series, allowing ones that had relations to previous characters to retake the stage, or even characters (in its setting) had been planned to appear in original games but couldn’t make it in due to insufficient space and was ultimately abandoned, this kind of stuff might turn out super interesting. For example a character designed to be a member of the 14th martial arts irregular hunter unit led by Rockman X4’s “Magma Dragoon”, it would be neat to let this character appear as a fighting type character. They might even be very active in PVP.

Q：請問在「洛克人 X 系列」中，水野先生最喜歡的角色是誰呢？此外，針對本次《洛克人 X DiVE》的角色設定中，您對哪個角色特別有感觸？
Q: Who is your favorite character in “Rockman X” series? As well, which character setting touches you the most in “Rockman X DiVE”?

水野佳祐：經常有人會問這問題呢。不過因為每個角色都很有魅力，無論怎麼思考都很難選出第一名……，例如說霸法、亞吉爾等幹部或者是 BOSS 等級的敵方角色，會單純因為我曾在遊戲內與他們苦戰過，所以當時我就特別喜歡他們而且也格外有感情。尤其是西格瑪隊長，我會妄想他謀反人類以前的那段歷程，光是想像就覺得非常戲劇化，非常吸引人。雖說如此，像艾克斯那樣身為機器人，卻具備了「煩惱」這樣不被允許的思考迴路的主角也是魅力十足。萊特博士的目標是人類與機器人的共存，針對這一點艾克斯在自身思考判斷後，會提出什麼樣的答案，我光是想都覺得有些恐怖……！
Mizuno: People tend to ask this question pretty often. But since all the characters are appealing in their own ways, it’s really hard for me to select a number one...... for example, Vava and other high ranking officers such as Agile‘s group, or for enemy characters at the boss level, I would develop an intense liking and special feelings for them solely because I’ve had such a hard time fighting them in-game. Especially for captain Sigma, I used to make headcanons about his history before he turned on humanity, it feels so dramatic in my head just imagining it, it‘s very alluring. Though main characters like X is also very interesting to me, whom is a robot but having his thinking circuits restrained because of the ability to “worry”. Light’s goal was to have humans and robots live together in harmony, and the kinds of answers X might derive after thinking deeply about this topic on his own, it makes me scared just thinking about it..!

Q：《洛克人 X DiVE》的特徵之一就是本傳中不可能一起登場的的角色，也可以透過 PvP 或共鬥而同時出現，您針對這部分有什麼想法嗎？
Q: One specialty of “Rockman X DiVE” is having characters that can never appear together in the main series, whom can now appear together in PVP or team battles. do you have any thoughts about this?

水野佳祐：這是《洛克人 X DiVE》才能體驗到的要素，我覺得很棒。各個角色、甚至是同樣的人物，在設定上也不需考慮過去或未來便能共存，這就是本作品的優點吧。看到艾克斯和究極裝甲艾克斯在共鬥系統中一起作戰，一定會很精采吧。
Mizuno: It’s an element that can only be experienced in Rockman X DiVE, and I think it’s pretty great. Every character can simply existing alongside one another without having to think about the past or future, and even the same characters sometimes, I think this is the merit of this game production. It’ll probably be really cool to see X and Ultimate Armor X fighting together in the team battle system.

Q：水野先生至今曾在各媒體表明過自己是洛克人的粉絲，請問您以粉絲的立場來看，對《洛克人 X DiVE》抱持什麼樣的期待呢？
Q: You have often mentioned in the media that you are a Rockman fan. What kind of expectation do you have with Rockman X DiVE from the point of the view as a fan?

水野佳祐：本作品是《洛克人 X 系列》系列沒錯，但世界觀卻稍有不同。主角是玩家本身，艾克斯只不過是作為被操作的遊戲資料而登場。這當中，角色會有什麼樣的表現？自己在意的角色是否會登場？「RiCO 莉可」之後又會有怎樣的表現？連「RiCO 莉可」都不知道的「藍色傑洛」其真面目又是什麼？？這些地方都讓身為粉絲的我非常期待之後的發展。再來就是本作品主打對戰這點也讓我玩起來非常新鮮，很好奇玩家間會產生怎麼樣的火花。
Mizuno: The game production itself is “Rockman series” for sure while encompassing a slightly different world view. The main character is the player themselves, and X is only appearing as a piece of game data to be controlled. How will the characters act in such an environment? Would characters I’m interested in appear? What kind of action is RiCO going to take in the future? What’s the true identity of “Blue Zero”, that not even RiCO knows about? All of these items gives me expectation for the future as a fan. Also, having VS battles being the main point of this game is very fresh and new to me, and I’m curious as to what kind of spark would be drawn between the players.

Q：最後請您對期待《洛克人 X DiVE》的玩家，以及「洛克人 X」的粉絲們打聲招呼。
Q: Finally, please say something to the players  looking forward to “Rockman X DiVE”, as well as fans of “Rockman X”.

水野佳祐：雖然只有一部分，但能夠參與開發、並將「洛克人 X」以新的遊戲形式提供給各位玩家，我感到相當滿足。作品中的角色受到粉絲們長年的支持與喜愛，所以我常告誡自己要好好掌握角色的魅力。另外，此系列歷史長久，我也常提醒自己只是借用前輩們打拼的成果，帶著這樣的態度在進行製作。我相信其他開發人員也是相同的心情。再來，我希望各位也能將新角色「RiCO 莉可」作為洛克人 X 系列的角色之一好好認識。這是一款很有趣的遊戲，請大家務必下載體驗看看。我現在就開始期待正式上線了呢。上線以後，讓我們在深層紀錄檔中相見吧！
Mizuno: Even though it’s only one part, but I feel very satisfied to be able to participate in the development and be able to provide “Rockman X” to the players in a new game format. The characters in this game have been loved and supported by fans over the years for a very long time, so I often tell myself that I need to become a master at knowing the characters’s charm and appeals. Also, this franchise has had a long history, so I often remind myself that I’m borrowing the accomplishments that my predecessors worked very hard on - I work on the game with those attitudes in mind. I believe the other developers feel the same way as well. As well, I hope everyone will be able get to know the newly created “RiCO” as a character in the Rockman X series. It’s a very interesting game, and I hope everyone gives it a try. I’m already looking forward to it coming online. Once it’s live, let us meet inside the deep log!

　　CAPCOM 指出，在測試結束後陸續收到了許多玩家的意見及想法，目前正在緊鑼密鼓的進行遊戲修改與優化開發中。而接下來也將舉辦一連串的活動與獎勵，當中就包含了水野先生的限量親筆簽名，詳細取得方式可參考官方網站相關資訊。
 Capcom has pointed out that it has received many thoughts and opinions from players after the beta period, and is currently working on fixing and optimizing the game. There will be a series of events and prizes coming up, including a limited number of autographs from Mizuno. Details on how to obtain them can be found on the official website.