Interviews

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Why did you decide to develop a computer game?

I've developed games in the past with some limited commercial success. When Game X was first conceived I'd spent many years away from the game development scene and didn't even own a PC. One day I was clearing out a cupboard when I came across an old radio controlled car.  I decided to see if it still worked and was giving it a go outside my front door when a friend of mine turned up.  He loved the car so much, that he wanted to take it away with him.  When I told him I wanted at least £100 for it (it was an expensive hand built scale model) he was so desperate that he offered to swap me his PC - a Pentium 166.  I took the computer and started to try some ideas I'd had for years but had done nothing about...this was the birth of Game X.  I upgraded my PC, bought some new hardware and software and got stuck into working on ideas for what was to become Game X.

Why did you decide that the game would be an adventure?

Adventure games are the only games that I could ever get motivated to create - they're my favorite type of game. The downside of this is that any project you get involved with is going to be quite large. A simple shooter or overhead driving game would be a much shorter project, but I just couldn't get motivated to work on that type of game. The motivation for me is to try and make a game as fun as The Secret of Monkey Island. If Game X turns out a tenth as good as that, it'll be a great game.

How long have you been actively working on Game X?

We've been working on various ideas for over a year and a half, but have only been working on the game in its current form for 8-9 months.  Originally we started to develop the graphics for the game using hand drawn sprites and backgrounds, but found it was taking too long. I got hold of a 3D modelling package and decided to spend a few months trying ideas out and learning to use the package. We probably started working seriously on the game in its current form late last year, probably around August/September time.

Is there a story behind the title?

Game X is just a simple working title.  It was the first thing we could think of as a codename while we decide on a full title.

Tell me about your development team.  What are their roles?  Are they each responsible for one component of the game or do they have multiple in-puts?  Has your team developed other games? 

Heidi Byers and Joe Townsend are our designers. They come up with the bulk of the ideas for the game. Heidi and Joe also do some of the play testing and get involved in sending out the press releases, promotional emails and such. Joe has been an amateur adventure developer for a couple of years and has many great freeware games to his credit.  You can find his work at www.sephware.freeola.com.

Duncan Fenn is our musician. He works on the music for the game, usually based on criteria we've agreed on. Duncan has a free reign to try out ideas though, and I'll usually find a place for anything he produces that suits the game.

Scurvyliver works on various aspects of the game engine, and also gets involved in promoting the game via his own website www.scurvyliver.com. He, like Joe, has been developing adventures for a few years, and has a number of great freeware games under his belt.

James is our part timer and gets involved in the play testing side of things when he has time. He looks after the 'is it fun' side of the play testing.

And myself, I do the graphics, the majority of the programming, and oversee the whole project from what you could describe as a 'Creative Director' role. I also update the web site. I've had a little success in the commercial software market but nothing worth talking about in any great detail.

How have you gone about the development of Game X?  Did the storyline develop first?  Or do you wing it and develop graphics and storyline as you go?

A bit of both. I had the initial idea for the game, but I'm hopeless at sitting down with a piece of paper and going through the creative process properly. I spent a lot of time trying ideas, drawing graphics and filling in ideas as I went, but didn't make much progress. Since Heidi and Joe took over the design of the game, things have started to move along more rapidly as we're doing things properly now. Heidi and Joe come up with the ideas, pass them to me, we agree what should stay and what should go, then that's translated into hard code and graphics.

Give me a thumbnail sketch of the storyline.  Tell me about the characters.

We've all been there, out on the tiles having a tipple or two. It’s the end of the night, and we have enough money for a taxicab or the night bus home. But of course we could spend it on one last drink for the road. After opting for the drink, its time to embark on the long walk home. Walking home intoxicated, paranoia sets in…are we being followed? Are those people laughing at us? Our main character, Arpy, is in this situation.  He lives far away but needs to get home. On the way home he meets many strange people and gets involved in all sorts of strange events. Is this real? Or has his drunken state caused his mind to wander? Is he really talking to a faceless man in a black coat? Or is he dreaming after falling asleep on a bench by the side of the road? Some of the characters Arpy meets in the game are:

Eric Wratten - A supposedly reformed alcoholic who now owns Wratten's Bar.  Eric has been known to have a tipple or three during the course of the night, so is often feeling the effects…so you can't always trust his judgment.

Mystery Guy - A dark shady individual. He pops up throughout the game and always seems to be lurking about in the shadows.

The Park Keeper - A doddery old guy who looks after the town park, doesn't really do much other than potter about, a bit eccentric and some might say senile. Why he's wandering around the park in the middle of the night is anyone's guess.

Will the game be 2D or 3D; 360 degree; linear; point and click?

2D point and click with 3D rendered graphics. The game will be fairly non-linear.  If you get stuck on one part of the game, you'll be able to go away and work on something else. Think of the first couple of Monkey Island games for an idea of how the game will play.

At one time you thought that the game might be released as freeware.  Have you made any decision yet?   

No decision yet. We've incurred a few costs setting up the project, and it would be nice to make enough money to cover those costs, but we also want to make the game accessible for everyone. A budget release may be a compromise. We're also weighing up the pros and cons of a commercial or Indy release. We'll see how things unfold.

Do you view Game X as a stepping-stone to something bigger and better?  What are your plans for after Game X?

Game X will definitely have a sequel. Since a sequel will use the same engine, it shouldn't take as long to produce. As for using it as a stepping-stone, if the exposure Game X receives leads to bigger and better things for any member of the team, then good on 'em is what I say.  I wouldn't be against anyone leaving the project if they got an offer that would further their own personal development.

Have you developed your own game engine or are you using a commercial one?  Tell me about it. 

We're playing our cards close to our chest on development until after the game is released. To try and partly answer your question, we're using a commercial package to develop a custom engine.

Is there any comedy line to the script or is it all dark and serious?

There'll be plenty of humor; hopefully it will not just be us that find the jokes funny!

Game development has to be a tedious and time-consuming business.  How many hours, on the average, do you put into your creation each week?

Myself, whenever I can. It’s hard finding the time with a full time job and a family to look after. I personally try to put in a couple of hours every other night, followed by a full afternoon or evening at the weekend. It’s slow progress and sometimes I wish I worked part time so I could put more time into the project. I think we've missed every deadline we've set so far! As for the other team members, they usually meet their individual deadlines. Whether that's down to their own efficiency or my lack of it is another thing. It can be tedious but it is very gratifying when everything comes together.

What do you view as the most important elements in the creation of an adventure game?  Specifically, what makes one game mediocre, another game good and another excellent?

Graphics are important. Anyone who says they're not is lying! For the adventure to work, it has to have atmosphere and the graphics set the atmosphere. The music also helps in this department and can make or break a scene.  Who could forget the end scene in (you've guessed it) Monkey Island where Guybrush and Governor Marley are together at the end after seeing off LeChuck…very emotional. The characters must reach out to you so that you actually care about what happens to them. The engine has to be uncluttered and easy to use, so that using it becomes second nature. There's nothing worse than a difficult system that's confusing and detracts from the game itself.  A good storyline and plot helps too.  In my opinion a great game would have all of these elements, a good one most of them, and a mediocre game, only some of them.

Do you have any heroes in the game development arena?  Who are they?  What do you view as special about them or their games?   

Ron Gilbert and the rest of the team behind Monkey Island 1 and 2. I just can’t praise them enough.  I owe them for a lot of my inspiration.  Their games are easy for the beginner to pick up but challenging enough for the experienced adventurer.

If you could have only one game to play for the rest of your life what would it be?

The Secret of Monkey Island 1 - without a doubt. Even though I know the game inside out, I still think it’s great. I'll never tire of roaming around Melee Island getting into Insult fights with the Pirates.

Do you play games other than adventures?

Survival horror games such as the Resident Evil series. They're still adventures though…although the emphasis is more on exploring and surviving rather than complicated puzzles.

Is there anything else that you would like to tell me about your game? 

If anyone out there thinks they can contribute something to the game, then let me know.  We're not desperate for extra staff, but always welcome applications from talented people willing to put their all into a project.