For all those who can't sleep at night without their Q&AK column, I'm Brian Glick, and I'm temporarily hosting this madhouse until Andrew "inanimate" Kaufmann returns from...well, wherever the heck he is. For the moment, please email questions directly to me. I reserve the right to publish and edit all emails and reply to them in a condescending, opinionated, and/or wacky manner.

Q: Brian, I'm dying to know! Please tell me about the literally hundreds of replies you received in response to the question of the origin of the term "gil", that appeared in yesterday's column.
   -Brian Glick

BG: I was overflowed by responses to yesterday's question which asked "Where did the term 'gil' come from?". I'd like to thank everyone that wrote to me with guesses and information. Here's a short summary of what I discovered, and linked together:
   Final Fantasy VII and Tactics weren't the first games to truly use the term "gil", as I had suspected. The term has actually been in use ever since the very first Final Fantasy, in Japan. The Romanization of the currency in the games is "giru," which can then be translated into English as "gil".
   From there, however, it isn't clear why the translators for the games changed "gil" to "GP", or Gold Pieces. The most likely reason is because the translators did not wish to confuse the North American market with a term unfamiliar to us. (Like we'd really be scratching our heads, unable to proceed further in the game until we found out what it meant.) Gold is commonly used as a method of trade and exchange in medieval atmospheres, so that would obviously be the best choice to use if one were to change the name from "gil" to something else.
   But...is there another reason why "gold" was chosen? Unaware or not to the translators, "gil" actually appears in the English dictionary (sometimes under "gild" or "gilt"). It is defined as a "thin layer of gold". "Gilded" means to cover an object in a layer of gold. The translators may not have known it at the time, but "gil" and "gold" actually have a lot more in common than one would expect!
   Another popular theory I received involves Final Fantasy IV, the first Final Fantasy for the Super Nintendo. The character most of us know as Edward was known as "Gilbert" in Japan, symbolizing the wealth of his kingdom. The theory is that his name was shortened and used as a symbol for the currency in the latest games. However, since the currency has always been known as "gil" in the Japanese versions of the games, this theory is now debunked. =)

Q: I went to a movie theatre the other evening and I saw the new X-Files movie logo on a poster. And I thought to myself. Damn, that really looks like the Xenogears "X". Do you think there is a possible trademark infringement here? Does the X logos look similar or did I smoke something funny for breakfast?

BG: I do believe there's some sort of conspiracy going on here. Shrouded in mystery is the time when the movie, and the game, first began production. Who inspired who? Will we ever know... the truth?

Q: Me and someone else have a bet going where I think there'll be Lufia 3 and he doesn't. I could swear that I saw somethin' about Lufia 3 on RPGamer, could you tell me if I'm right or if he's right? Thanks.

BG: It looks like you win this bet. About a month ago we posted a news story about an upcoming release of Lufia III for the Playstation. Looks like it'll be released some time in early 1999. All news releases are available under the "News and Information" link, and then the "News Archives" link. I'm personally looking quite forward to the next Lufia game; I love the series, and it's a high item on my to-do list to put some Lufia coverage up on RPGamer soon.

Q: Hey....Umm.....I don't want to be mean or anything, just don't get angry when I ask this....Remember, it's JUST a question. You seem kind of obsessed with Andrew Kaufmann's "good looks".....and well.....which way is the door swinging down there, if you know what I mean. Are you *ahem* gay, or is it just kind of a joke between you and Kaufmann?
   -Einskalder

BG: I think it's time I came out of the closet. You see, I'm straight, but...Andrew Kaufmann has been paying me to improve his image in this column while he's been gone. My comments were meant solely to try to increase his popularity with the ladies and were not meant to be taken as my own personal feelings towards Andy's skills of attraction. In fact, I know that Andrew can't even hold a candle to my sensitivity, conversational skills, and adorably cute curly hair; the three true things that women look for in a man.
   (Sorry, Andrew, your last check bounced.)