Thought I'd update this thread. Yesterday/Today (I think?), they announced that Jude and Milla are playable characters for your party, meaning the full cast from the original game is available.
Pre-orders appears to come with a "Tales of Xillia 2 -Before Episode-" Light Novel prequel, custom themes for your PS3, and the following costumes
Ludger: Emil Castagnier (Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World)
Jude: Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia)
Milla: Asbel Lhant (Tales of Graces)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...F8Hc5jLViE
They also invoke the respective game's battle music, much like every other cameo costume in each game. I didn't particularly like the Cress/Stahn costumes from the first one, but these look pretty good. I believe the costumes and custom themes fall under a "first order" type thing, where the first batch of games will automatically come with them on a first come first serve basis, and pre-orders obviously guarantee getting them, but aren't necessary?
Given that, only the previous cast and Ludger are confirmed as playable characters, and every other character seen thus far is likely to only remain as an NPC, which includes Elle, who was announced as an NPC since the beginning, Julius, Ludger's brother, and Lulu the cat. There is still seemingly enough room in the "Party character" page on the website to have more though.
Ludger has an ability called 骸殻ゲージ (gaikakuge-ji, Bone Husk Gauge) where he transforms into a very deathly appearance. Your decisions will probably affect the final outcome of the game involving this, like [MENTION=5871]Hanabira.Kage[/MENTION] stated earlier.
[video=youtube;3rxfnNDBHes]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3rxfnNDBHes[/video]
This video is dated Sept 19, and you can clearly see Jude and Milla in the party, so I don't know if that was something they forgot to edit out, or they just didn't care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...fF5f27TTfw
A series of new TV spots. Not really sure what the catch says since my reading ability is very poor.
Ludger?: "She's important, isn't she? Then it's a given that I'll protect her."
Narrator: "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...DN8RQDXqEI
Second of the new trailers showing Jude and Milla. The catch says "Those two and a new journey." referencing Jude and Milla.
Milla: "Distort the world?
Jude: "I'm going too. I have a responsibility in this."
Narrator: "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo10fe_Zs...r_embedded
Third of the new trailers showing Julius. The catch says "A battle with his brother and..."
Julius: "Don't waver, Ludger. Once you've lost it, it's too late."
Narrator: "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?"
From what I've seen on the website, outside of some screenshots of what appear to be new artes (HOORAY), it appears the old characters will function nearly identically to the first game. The game will continue using the AC and TP system, where AC is like CC in Graces, so you're limited from spamming, and TP functions like it would in any other game.
The weakness system is improved with the addition of Slash, Strike, and Shot, whereas the original only had the elements Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark. The elements Lightning, and Ice did Fire/Wind, and Water/Earth dual element damage respectively.
The Partner Skills are stated to be the same, and function the same way. Ludger's Partner Skill is "Mirror Link", which mimics the same Partner Skill of the Master character when Ludger is the Slave. There are a new set of Link Artes, called "Common Link Artes" which I believe can be used by any character linked with Ludger, and it just depends on his weapon type which Link Arte appears. I think it's activated by using "Weapon Switch".
It appears they've further branched away from multiplayer support (ToX sucked for that anyways), with Ludger's Bone Husk Gauge, where the other party members disappear.
One of the new systems they've added is a relationship type system that improves through Linking. This is hopefully going to be similar to Tales of Heart's Soma Link Relationship system, where characters who participate in battle with each other will strengthen their relationships and provide passive bonuses, such as stats, and even passive skills. You got Grade in ToX from using Link Skills/Link Time with different pairs/Partner Support Skill activation, but this would be much more rewarding.
There also appears to be a more in-depth Quest system, which was one of the things ToX touted when it was first announced, Sub-Events.
I also saw a scan of what appears to be the box art, and it has Ludger, Elle, Jude, Milla, Leia, Alvin, Rowan, Elise, Musee, and Gaius, so hopefully they're playable as well... but as I say that, I reach over and grab my Xillia box and see that Musee and Gaius are on the cover of that too so...
Also, if I haven't clarified this, the title line "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?" means "how far are you (Ludger) willing to go for the sake of one girl (Elle)? Do you have the same determination that it would take to destroy the world?"
Anyways, my hopes are that they add a TOOOOOOOOOOON more stuff, and if they keep the Liliale Orbs (which I spent a pineappleton of time mapping out on Aselia Wiki for ToX), they expand it by two orbs, more rows, etc. (though that will be a peach to map) I also really really really really REALLY hope they add something that tells you what pineappleing bonus you get for arte usage counts. There's stars next to artes , 1 = 100, 2 = 200, 3 = 400, 1 gold star = 1000, 2 = 2000, 3 = 4000, MASTER = 9999, but it doesn't tell you ANYWHERE what bonus it gives to a skill. I had to google it that you eventually get +Link Gauge Rate, reduced TP Cost, etc. for every skill, but some skills like Demon Fang gets +Range, +Projectile Speed, +Penetration, and it's just stupid that you get some hidden bonus the game doesn't tell you about that's usually hardly noticeable. I spent a lot of time testing a lot of different skills to find out what they did, and a lot of skills don't get anything special at all... Even JP guides don't know all of it since it's so... insignificant? At least you guys can make use of it when ToX comes out if they don't have some guide book.
Pre-orders appears to come with a "Tales of Xillia 2 -Before Episode-" Light Novel prequel, custom themes for your PS3, and the following costumes
Ludger: Emil Castagnier (Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World)
Jude: Yuri Lowell (Tales of Vesperia)
Milla: Asbel Lhant (Tales of Graces)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...F8Hc5jLViE
They also invoke the respective game's battle music, much like every other cameo costume in each game. I didn't particularly like the Cress/Stahn costumes from the first one, but these look pretty good. I believe the costumes and custom themes fall under a "first order" type thing, where the first batch of games will automatically come with them on a first come first serve basis, and pre-orders obviously guarantee getting them, but aren't necessary?
Given that, only the previous cast and Ludger are confirmed as playable characters, and every other character seen thus far is likely to only remain as an NPC, which includes Elle, who was announced as an NPC since the beginning, Julius, Ludger's brother, and Lulu the cat. There is still seemingly enough room in the "Party character" page on the website to have more though.
Ludger has an ability called 骸殻ゲージ (gaikakuge-ji, Bone Husk Gauge) where he transforms into a very deathly appearance. Your decisions will probably affect the final outcome of the game involving this, like [MENTION=5871]Hanabira.Kage[/MENTION] stated earlier.
[video=youtube;3rxfnNDBHes]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3rxfnNDBHes[/video]
This video is dated Sept 19, and you can clearly see Jude and Milla in the party, so I don't know if that was something they forgot to edit out, or they just didn't care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...fF5f27TTfw
A series of new TV spots. Not really sure what the catch says since my reading ability is very poor.
Ludger?: "She's important, isn't she? Then it's a given that I'll protect her."
Narrator: "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...DN8RQDXqEI
Second of the new trailers showing Jude and Milla. The catch says "Those two and a new journey." referencing Jude and Milla.
Milla: "Distort the world?
Jude: "I'm going too. I have a responsibility in this."
Narrator: "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo10fe_Zs...r_embedded
Third of the new trailers showing Julius. The catch says "A battle with his brother and..."
Julius: "Don't waver, Ludger. Once you've lost it, it's too late."
Narrator: "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?"
From what I've seen on the website, outside of some screenshots of what appear to be new artes (HOORAY), it appears the old characters will function nearly identically to the first game. The game will continue using the AC and TP system, where AC is like CC in Graces, so you're limited from spamming, and TP functions like it would in any other game.
The weakness system is improved with the addition of Slash, Strike, and Shot, whereas the original only had the elements Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark. The elements Lightning, and Ice did Fire/Wind, and Water/Earth dual element damage respectively.
The Partner Skills are stated to be the same, and function the same way. Ludger's Partner Skill is "Mirror Link", which mimics the same Partner Skill of the Master character when Ludger is the Slave. There are a new set of Link Artes, called "Common Link Artes" which I believe can be used by any character linked with Ludger, and it just depends on his weapon type which Link Arte appears. I think it's activated by using "Weapon Switch".
It appears they've further branched away from multiplayer support (ToX sucked for that anyways), with Ludger's Bone Husk Gauge, where the other party members disappear.
One of the new systems they've added is a relationship type system that improves through Linking. This is hopefully going to be similar to Tales of Heart's Soma Link Relationship system, where characters who participate in battle with each other will strengthen their relationships and provide passive bonuses, such as stats, and even passive skills. You got Grade in ToX from using Link Skills/Link Time with different pairs/Partner Support Skill activation, but this would be much more rewarding.
There also appears to be a more in-depth Quest system, which was one of the things ToX touted when it was first announced, Sub-Events.
I also saw a scan of what appears to be the box art, and it has Ludger, Elle, Jude, Milla, Leia, Alvin, Rowan, Elise, Musee, and Gaius, so hopefully they're playable as well... but as I say that, I reach over and grab my Xillia box and see that Musee and Gaius are on the cover of that too so...
Also, if I haven't clarified this, the title line "For the sake of one girl, do you have the determination to destroy the world?" means "how far are you (Ludger) willing to go for the sake of one girl (Elle)? Do you have the same determination that it would take to destroy the world?"
Anyways, my hopes are that they add a TOOOOOOOOOOON more stuff, and if they keep the Liliale Orbs (which I spent a pineappleton of time mapping out on Aselia Wiki for ToX), they expand it by two orbs, more rows, etc. (though that will be a peach to map) I also really really really really REALLY hope they add something that tells you what pineappleing bonus you get for arte usage counts. There's stars next to artes , 1 = 100, 2 = 200, 3 = 400, 1 gold star = 1000, 2 = 2000, 3 = 4000, MASTER = 9999, but it doesn't tell you ANYWHERE what bonus it gives to a skill. I had to google it that you eventually get +Link Gauge Rate, reduced TP Cost, etc. for every skill, but some skills like Demon Fang gets +Range, +Projectile Speed, +Penetration, and it's just stupid that you get some hidden bonus the game doesn't tell you about that's usually hardly noticeable. I spent a lot of time testing a lot of different skills to find out what they did, and a lot of skills don't get anything special at all... Even JP guides don't know all of it since it's so... insignificant? At least you guys can make use of it when ToX comes out if they don't have some guide book.