Baten Kaitos is....heaven?

Yes, I know, I know, this game was created three years ago, but I'm playing it now (haven't finished it) and want to discuss about it. I don't know if I'm the only one, but, it does seem like there's a connection to the game and the mythos of Heaven. I'll state some little things that brought me to this idea:

The Wings of the Heart: That's quite obvious right there. Angels' most famous physical trademark are their wings.

The sky: All the countries hover in the sky. Just like here on earth, if we fly too high, we will reach an atmosphere in which we can't breath, and die. For them, if they go to far down (near the poisonous gass) they die. We associate heaven to be up in the clouds. They associate the afterlife somewhere beneith those poisonous cloud gasses.

The spirits: As the player, you are assigned the role as a spirit who gives advice/suggestions/opinions every now and then to the characters. When I reached the Outer Dimention and Nekton: The Shrine of Spirits (where Kalas first met/found you) it seemed to me that the spirits were given a form. Xelha even said something along the lines of "It is said that these are the lost spirits. The ones that have forgotten their way. Isn't that silly?" Could the Outer Dimention be a limbo or pergatory of some sort? The spirits don't remember anything of their past life, so who knows.

Gods and Hell: They mentioned a god named Malpercio (the god of anger and destruction), a war between the gods (plural mind you), and at times they mention hell when they threaten to kill someone. Malpercio is the only god that was mentioned (but they also mentioned "Let me take you to your maker. Christians, that would be God. To them, they never mentioned it). Hell has been stated, but never saying where (they never spoke of another alternative place to go after death. Is the Shrine of Spirits their heaven?).

Referances to our Earth: Sure they call their world earth, but not much has been stated how they got all those land masses up in the sky...and to stay there for many years (the obvious answer: magic, since there's soo much in the game). Oceans and whales. Some old woman in the game even mentioned that the Ocean is where life first began, same as us (through evolution). Whales...what's up with the whales? They mention them as if they were gods of some sort (well they were large, so I wouldn't be surprized). In the begining credits we see a Humpback whale breeching. We see those little "Meemai" creatures resembling small colorful whales (their squeaks sound like a small whale song and they have fins of a whale), Ancestors of the past tried to decipher the whales songs (we are still doing that today), and we meet a "Pauly the Polywhale" in Balancoire (Kalas' hometown) that looks awefully lot like a baby Killer Whale.

The makers of this game were very creative. To me it seems like they made this game like "They say there's a life after death. Why don't we show it?". So it seems like you live a good life as a human-die-live a good life as a winged human-die-???

For arguement's sake, I think humans still live in the game (remember, I haven't played the whole game through). It's like God created space so we wouldn't be able to survive out there for long (which is towards the sky). And the maker created the poisonous gass so they wouldn't be able to survive down there for long (which is towards the earth/ocean). God/the maker has created boundaries so the two shall never meet in the physical realm.

Ok, enough babbling, and stop staring me like I'm crazy, this is just a silly discussion (not to be taken too seriously please, remember, it's just a game). Give me your two cents.

-BGS

I do think your view on the Outer Dimension being purgatory, (Mira does seem to be the gateway between two universes), and I never thought about the ground and earth, is the afterlife for their world.

You have to play the game right through to the ending, though.

I never thought of it like that. But when it's put forward to you like that, it seems to be planned with that intention in mind. The wings are an unneccesary factor, but your theories will double (Or half) later in the game. I gather you're still on disk one, no?

From what I see, both worlds have war - and a war on heaven will affect earth, but not the other way round.

"Ah, I see. The war in heaven... Satan and the garden of Eden, but that isn't true! Is it?"
Phillip Pullman's Subtle Knife.

I like the wings in BK. But I don't think they put any real effort into making them a true part of the game. Out of the six characters, only 4 (Kalas, Xelha, Gibari and Savyna) actually have wings, and Kalas and Xelha the only ones who ever use them (they actually fly once in the whole game, and they are the only ones who fly in battle, Savyna and Gibari just run.)

None of the important NPCs show their wings, (Ladekahn, Corellia, Barnette, the witch sisters, Calbren, Melodia). At one point, Melodia actually does fly, but instead of showing her Wings of the Heart, she levetates, which just seems like they couldn't be bothered to give her wings. (I imagine her having wings like a swan, or a delicate, silvery moth)

I think if they had taken the Wings of the Heart out, it wouldn't have had much impact on the game, which is sad, because it really was an inventive idea.

Originally Posted by Awkin

"Ah, I see. The war in heaven... Satan and the garden of Eden, but that isn't true! Is it?"
Phillip Pullman's Subtle Knife.

You're a god for quoting Phillip Pullman.

Originally Posted by BigGoronSword

Gods and Hell: They mentioned a god named Malpercio (the god of anger and destruction), a war between the gods (plural mind you), and at times they mention hell when they threaten to kill someone. Malpercio is the only god that was mentioned (but they also mentioned "Let me take you to your maker. Christians, that would be God. To them, they never mentioned it). Hell has been stated, but never saying where (they never spoke of another alternative place to go after death. Is the Shrine of Spirits their heaven?).

Referances to our Earth: Sure they call their world earth, but not much has been stated how they got all those land masses up in the sky...and to stay there for many years (the obvious answer: magic, since there's soo much in the game). Oceans and whales. Some old woman in the game even mentioned that the Ocean is where life first began, same as us (through evolution). Whales...what's up with the whales? They mention them as if they were gods of some sort (well they were large, so I wouldn't be surprized). In the begining credits we see a Humpback whale breeching. We see those little "Meemai" creatures resembling small colorful whales (their squeaks sound like a small whale song and they have fins of a whale), Ancestors of the past tried to decipher the whales songs (we are still doing that today), and we meet a "Pauly the Polywhale" in Balancoire (Kalas' hometown) that looks awefully lot like a baby Killer Whale.

You haven't played far enough. This is a really basic thing that I can't believe you've missed:

*Minor Spoilers*

Spoiler (Highlight to read):

---

The Whale, (what the series is named after, in Arabic (Baten Kaitos is the constellation of the whale)) is another of the gods, and also the one closest to the humans. There are other gods too. You just haven't played far enough.

---

And it would be a good idea to mark spoilers, Feline Witch, since we don't know how far he is so far.

Originally Posted by Mr. Wonderful

You haven't played far enough. This is a really basic thing that I can't believe you've missed:

*Minor Spoilers*

Spoiler (Highlight to read):

---

The Whale, (what the series is named after, in Arabic (Baten Kaitos is the constellation of the whale)) is another of the gods, and also the one closest to the humans. There are other gods too. You just haven't played far enough.

---

And it would be a good idea to mark spoilers, Feline Witch, since we don't know how far he is so far.

FYI to everybody: I'm pretty much at the begining of Disk 2 (my guys are at level 28 and I'm about to fight Giaccamo(sp?) and his two goons). Thanks for answering a question I've been meaning to ask "What does 'Baten Kaitos' mean?". Well with that constellation sidequest underway, I guess that should have given me a hint...but I'm not that well informed about the constellations.

Since I'm the only one left behind, how about we also discuss about the upcoming game Baten Kaitos II: Wings of the Beginning and the Heir to the Gods (it's just a tentative title) that's going to be released here in the U.S. June 2006 (once I got word of it, I knew I had to pick up the game again and finish before I play the prequel).

-BGS

I would disscuss Baten kaitos II if I knew more then its coming and you can use your wings while exploring. As for the outer dimension I always placed it kind of inbetween the rest of the game world and ours. Kind of like a joke of being lost in the game for a time. Setting aside and forgetting our regular lives for one of adventure for a time.

Meh. The only thing that appeals to me in Baten Kaitos II is the fact that the battle system has been supposedly, according to importers and reviewers, "improved". Everything else is supposedly still the same old crap we got in the first game; Low sample rate voice acting, everything is prerendered in a ugly fashion, static camera, and cutscenes that take place a mile above the character so that no detail can be seen.

I will be picking it up though, just because I haven't played a Gamecube game for about a year now. Plus, Monolithsoft and Tri-Crescendo need all the support they can get.

You know..I will say this. If they fix the voice acting in the US version this time around, then I'll be happy. The voice acting completely ruined the first game's story (as well as the crappy sound wierd metallic tinge that was attached to all sounds and music). Nintendo is publishing it this time around, so you never know how the voice acting will turn out. It could be pretty much fantastic, with tons of big name VAs, ala Tales of Symphonia, or it could crap, with tons of budget cutting measures, ala Tales of Phantasia.

Originally Posted by fireball

I would disscuss Baten kaitos II if I knew more then its coming and you can use your wings while exploring.

I don't know much about it either. There are pics/videos at IGN.com, but here is what I do know (about the storyline):

"Baten Kaitos II takes place 20 years prior to the events of Baten Kaitos. The main character, Sagi, works for the Alfard Empire and is in an elite unit under Emperor Olgan. He is joined by Milly, who also works in the elite under, and Giro, a 'machina will', mechanized puppets that are built to assist members of the Empire's army They are ordered to go examine mysterious events that have been occurring around the continent. During the start of the game, the group will be given an assingment to kill Emperor Olgan by an unknown client. Before the two have a chance to kill the Emperor, Olgan is killed and Baelheit takes power, with his spirit-guide second-in-command Nero. Sagi and Giro are then forced to flee Mintaka.

Since the game is a prequel, many characters that appear in Baten Kaitos also appear in Baten Kaitos II. Geldoblame is 25, Gibari is 14, Ladekahn is 12, Savyna is 5, and Kalas will soon be born. Other characters that are in the game include Anna, the barkeeper from Nashira who is 9 in Baten Kaitos II, and Palolo II, father of Paololo III.

There is a major difference in the battle system of this game. Instead of each character having their own deck of Magnus cards, all characters will take cards from a single deck.

In addition, the game only features three playable characters, a surprisingly low number for any RPG" --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baten_Kaitos_2

Originally Posted by Mr. Wonderful

It could be pretty much fantastic, with tons of big name VAs, ala Tales of Symphonia, or it could crap, with tons of budget cutting measures, ala Tales of Phantasia.

...I honestly don't think you should have high expectations (especially compared to a Gamecube title) for any voice acting in a GBA game (unless you are talking about the PS/PSX versions, and not the SNES/GBA one)

-BGS

Originally Posted by BigGoronSword

...I honestly don't think you should have high expectations (especially compared to a Gamecube title) for any voice acting in a GBA game (unless you are talking about the PS/PSX versions, and not the SNES/GBA one)

-BGS

You don't really know the whole story about that.

In the US version of Tales of Phantasia, Nintendo hired ~3 voice actors to do the game. Ok. That's fine. I don't expect miracle big budget productions for a GBA game, and neither do most other Tales fans. The thing is, instead of using a higher bit and sample rate and using a larger cart to fit it in, they used a small cart, to save money, used a crappy bit and sample rate, and straight chopped off character's speech half way through in more than one instance. All that to save a couple of bucks on cart size. PAL regions, and Europe however, fouched for the higher cart size, ended up with crystal clear vocals, the Music selecter added back in, and more.