Creating Items for Fun and Profit in Star Ocean 4

As hinted at by this week’s previous blurry scan, the recent Famitsu article on Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope is mostly focused on Item Creation (IC), but also introduces the previously mentioned supporting character, Welch Vineyard. I have translated the article for your English reading pleasure below.

Welch Vineyard
“I’m Welch-chan! I’ll be supporting you guys from Earth, okay?”

A sub-operator for the Calnus, Welch isn’t actually aboard the ship, but communicates virtually through subspace transmission from the SRF headquarters on Earth, and is primarily in charge of Item Creation Support Work.
Though she is incredibly smart, she also very frank, and a highly energetic person.
However, even within the Deep Space Pioneering Corps, there is no one who has actually met her, surrounding her identity in mystery.

What is IC?!

The IC (Item Creation) System allows players to create new items using collected materials via party members’ personal creation abilities (known as IC Skills). IC Skills will improve through continued use, and characters will be able to create even more potent and rare items.

Item Creation in Star Ocean 4 is a little bit different from Infinite Undiscovery’s system and previous Star Oceans.

First, your party will need to gather in the meeting room on the Calnus and talk to Welch in order to hold a “Recipe Creation Meeting.” Here you will be able to split your party members in a maximum of 4 different groups which will each come up with an idea and create a recipe for it. Ideas and recipes are different depending on which members are grouped together, based on their individual IC Skills and levels.

Once you have developed a recipe, you will need to collect the required materials before you can begin creating your item. If you have the ingredients required already on hand, you can begin item creation immediately, otherwise you will have to track them down by hunting monsters, finding them while exploring, or purchasing them at various stores.

The article mentions that there are roughly 1000 different types of items that can be created through the IC system, including weapons, armor, consumable items, and even stuff to trick out your Calnus, like a jukebox, a biorhythm diagnostic machine, and a vending machine!

Finally, you may also combine items together in order to transfer certain attributes over to different items using the IC system (though I don’t think you need a recipe to do so).

Big thanks to syaugust8 for tracking these scans down! ^_^ b

Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope will be available on Xbox 360 on February 19, 2009 in Japan, and on March 3, 2009 in North America.