IndieVault.it interview

so IndieVault.it recently did an interview with me that was posted today, making me feel like some kind of celebrity or something. anyway, if like me Italian is all alien to you, here’s the English version:

First of all, let us say how we appreciate your personal and fine art style. When did you start drawing and making games?

I first started making games in my early teens, I’d wanted to do it for a while by then and the opportunity first presented itself as a shoot-em-up maker that I found for my amiga, you could only really change the graphics so it was more of a re-skin than a new game, but that didn’t stop me trying to build epic stories and adventures. I was hooked from then on. as for drawing I’ve been doing that ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon, my parents always seemed to have lots of paper to spare so I took advantage of that.

Is there a particular leitmotiv in all your games? What do you try to convey?

There isn’t really any deliberate theme or anything I apply to all my games, but I always try to make sure they have character and soul of some kind. I also always try to make games that keep the player thinking and engaged, even if I’m working on a fairly ‘casual’ game I expect the player to be paying attention. When people play my games I feel like they are lending their brain and mind to me, so I do what I can to look after it until they want it back.

We enjoyed a lot The Linear RPG, we think it’s a great way to explain the RPG’s genre in all it’s glory (and limits). Can you tell us something about it? And what do you think about the actual RPG scene?

The Linear RPG was made in under 48 hours for a competition, we were given the theme ‘LOFI’ so I figured I’d interpret that in the gameplay, and strip away everything I could whilst still being able to call the game an RPG. it was my interpretation of ‘grindy’ type RPGs that ultimately you have two choices; push forward and fight tougher monsters, or grind and get stronger. so I made one button for each of those actions. I never set out to make it fun, or a parody, I just wanted to see what the game would be like.

as for what I think about the RPG scene, I’m a big fan of just about all kinds of role playing. that’s not to say I don’t think there is room for improvement, for example stat-based RPGs are in my opinion bad games, in that it doesn’t matter how ‘good’ the player is at them, but how long the player spends playing them; you simply cant get better when you play. In general the genre is what provides the strongest examples of narrative in games, which is one of my favourite things about it, but I don’t slay 50 orcs before I can turn over a page when I read a book.

Your “time travel” prototype, Foresight, is a pretty interest concept. How about making a full game on it?

I’d love to, but I am not too sure where to take it from where it is, which is why I’ve posted it as it is for now. perhaps someone will see the idea and have a great thought on where they could take it, or maybe I’ll even make it a smaller part of another game. on its own right now its at best an idea, as a game all you do are the same actions over and over to get from one place to another it needs more to be engaging but I don’t know what yet.

And finally: what is Phantasmal? Can you talk about this “SHMUPRPG” game?

Phantasmal is my current ‘big’ project, its about a girl who is tracking down someone from her past, and has to deal with some pretty hefty mystical stuff along the way. I wanted to give the player a big fantastical world and story and I have all of that planned out. the gameplay however is a little more freeform in design, I recently decided the current battle system was not so fun, so I took it out and I’m currently re-writing a new one. (I don’t think gameplay should be planned out in advance, it should be constant experimentation until you find something you can’t stop playing). the RPG part is fairly standard, you are a young person with a quest and a big world and conflicts to overcome. character advancement wont be down to leveling up though, you’ll have to go to dojos and train for yourself. the SHMUP part is part of the conflict, enemies will shoot and move like bullets from a bullet hell shooter (though probably not so many bullets lol) and it will be just as important to dodge the attacks as to go on the offensive yourself. I think casting regenerate and barrier on yourself are a great way to miss out on potentially fun new defensive gameplay. lately its actually been turning into more of a SHMUP-RPG-Beat-em-up though lol, but if thats what turns out to be fun then so be it, if not I’ll try other stuff. anyway, I’m very excited about the project, its the kind of thing I’ve been wanting to make since I was a kid, and now I have the skills and the software to pull it off so its cool to finally be working on something like it.