This led fans to speculate that it would be released as a "gaiden" (side story) to the main series. By late 1999, however, Square had confirmed that the game would indeed be published as "Final Fantasy IX", and by early 2000, the game was nearly finished. The developers made several adjustments to the game, such as changing the ending seven times. Director Ito had designed the battle system used in the game. The game's developers sought to make the game's environment more "fantasy-oriented" than its PlayStation predecessors. Since the creators wanted to prevent the series from following a redundant setting, "Final Fantasy IX" distinctly breaks from the futuristic styles of "Final Fantasy VII" and "Final Fantasy VIII" by reintroducing a medieval setting. In the game, steam technology is just beginning to become widely available; the population relies on hydropower or wind power for energy sources, but sometimes harness Mist or steam to power more advanced engines. Continuing with the medieval theme, the game's setting is inspired by Norse and Northern European mythology. According to Ito, "[The development team is] attracted to European history and mythology because of its depth and its drama". The main "Final Fantasy IX" website says the development of the game's world serves as a culmination of the series by blending the "successful elements of the past, such as a return to the fantasy roots," with newer elements. The creators made the characters a high priority. The return to the series' roots also affected the characters' designs, which resulted in characters with "comic-like looks". Composer Nobuo Uematsu commented that the design staff attempted to give the characters realism while still appearing comic-like. To accomplish this, and to satisfy fans who had become used to the realistic designs of "Final Fantasy VIII", the designers stressed creating characters with whom the player could easily relate. The music of "Final Fantasy IX" was written by series regular Nobuo Uematsu. In early discussions with game director Hiroyuki Ito he was asked to compose themes for the eight main characters along with "an exciting battle track, a gloomy, danger-evoking piece, and around ten other tracks." Uematsu spent an estimated year composing and producing "around 160" pieces for "Final Fantasy IX", with 140 ultimately appearing in the game. During writing sessions he was given a travel break in Europe for inspiration where he spent time admiring ancient architecture in places like Germany. Uematsu has cited medieval music as a major influence on the score of "Final Fantasy IX".