Interview with Petteri, creator of Goldlagoon

July 22, 2007 at 6:16 pm (Interviews, Issue 4 (IX.2003))

The AGS Ezine now interviews Petteri to get a more detailed info about Gold lagoon and to ask him about his opinion on common topics such as adventure games in general.

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Ezine: First, will you tell us a bit more about yourself – what you like, what you do for a living etc.

Petteri: Well, I like music, drawing, movies… also skateboarding is one hobby of mine. At the moment I’m in school.

Ez: Which adventure games are your favorite (both commercial and freeware)?

P: I like first Gabriel Knight, King’s Quest 5 & 6 (probably because KQ5 was on of the first adventure games I played), Day of the tentacle (also one of the first adventure game I played), Monkey Islands 1-3, Pleurghburg: Dark Ages, Broken Sword 1 & 2… I also like what Tierra has done with KQ remakes.

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Ez: You said you liked what Tierra did with their remakes… Do you have plans of remaking a game in the future?

P: I don’t think so… because it would need lots of planning what do with plot and puzzles, I’m not sure what game would need to be remade (well Indiana Jones and Last Crusade would be one) and I prefer original plot when I start making something.

Ez: what were your projects before Gold lagoon?

P: I didn’t really have any projects… about 6 months before I started working with Gold lagoon; I tried to make a couple of small games. I have them on my hard drive and they look pretty bad. I almost forgot AGS until I found out about windows version of the engine. Then I started to work with Gold lagoon and it wasn’t going to be very big game at first. Then it got bigger and bigger and I thought I’m going to make some smaller games before it.

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Ez: What will the story of Gold lagoon be like in as much details as possible without the plot being spoiled?

P: Mike Night is young private investigator in need of job. Then he receives his first bigger case. He should find one lost cargo ship. He starts his job on an island where the ship was last seen. But as he does more investigating, he encounters murders and lost peoples…

Ez: What will its characteristics be (resolution, hours of gameplay etc)?

P: Game will have 320×240 graphics with 16bit colours. Digital soundtrack and sound effects. I’m not sure about the length of the game, because it still needs some planning and I have some ideas I would like to use somewhere in game.

 

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Ez: Currently, who is on the team?

P: Me, I most of the work like music, graphics, scripting, story etc. Andrew Edmark (LGM) has done a couple of music tracks and so have my friend. Mikko Paajanen (Mikko) is helping me with animations and Marcus Krupa (loominous) with close-ups.

Ez: Speaking of close-ups, what will the speech style be – sierra or Lucas arts?

P: Lucas Arts. Close-ups are used in some cutscenes, pretty much in same way as in P: DA.

Ez: What will the interface be?

P: Single left-click will make Mike to walk on screen, double left-click will Mike to interact with objects and talk to people. Right-click will make Mike to examine objects. And inventory works in same way as in my MAGS game The Faketrix.

 

Ez: Will there be a music and/or speech pack?

P: Digital soundtrack is in production as I mentioned earlier. As for the speech pack, I thought about it, but maybe after the game is finished. It would need lots of work to do speech for realistic game like Chrille said in the last issue.

Ez: What is the release date you are going for?

P: I’m not sure yet… I’m pretty sure that you get the demo before the end of the year, but whole game will be probably released somewhere in 2004.

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Ez: What will your future projects be?

P: I’m planning to finish my small game A Winter Night. I have some pretty good ideas, but more planning after finishing Gold lagoon. Oh, and team challenge, that must be finish too.

Ez: Speaking of team challenge, what do you think is the reason for its failure?

P: I think teams tried to make too big game. Also lack of time and challengers’ own projects won’t probably give enough time for working with it. After the deadline was reached, every team just had to finish their games, but so far no games are finished.

Ez: Do you think adventure games will come back to the main gaming scene?

P: I surely hope that they would. There should be more developers to make adventure games, because Monkey Island 4 and The Longest Journey for example have sold pretty well I think. I hope Broken Sword 3 and Sam ‘n’ Max 2 would inspire developers to make more adventure games.

Ez: Did you get Runaway yet?

P: No, but I would like to try it. Actually I saw a copy of it in the local store…

Ez: Do you think that some of the AGS adventures can be sold?

P: Sure. Making a game that can be sold surely needs hard work, but it’s possible.

Ez: What is your motivation in making a game?

P: It’s like a hobby. I love adventure games and I make them for all those other adventure game fans. Believing your game helps a lot as someone said on the AGS forums.

Ez: Thanks for your time.

P: You’re welcome.

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Interview with Chrille Blomqvist, creator of Revenants

July 22, 2007 at 5:59 pm (Interviews, Issue 3 (VIII.2003))

Ez: First, tell us a bit more about yourself – what do you like doing, what do you work etc.

Chrille: I love music and movies, right now I’m not doing anything, I may pick up studying in the fall

Ez: Do you like adventure games in general and in particular freeware ones and which of both are your favourites?

Chrille: Yes I like both of them, but I rarely have time to play them. My favourite adventure game of all time is Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. I can’t really tell what my favourite freeware/indie. Adventure is

Ez: How did you come across AGS?

Chrille: Having recently replayed most of my favourite old adventure games shortly before P:DA, I got inspired enough to start designing an adventure game, I searched the web for engines and AGS was simply the best option that popped up.

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Ez: How did you come up with the idea of P: DA?

Chrille: Among other things, two games, Gabriel Knight and the Manhunter series.

Ez: Did you expect such positive feedback for P: DA?

Chrille: Hmmm, well, I was expecting (or hoping at least) that people would like it

Ez: And they did for sure!

Ez: What will the features of Revenants be?

Chrille: Hmm, tough question.

Ez: Like estimated playing time, resolution, characters backgrounds…

Chrille: I’m afraid I can’t list features in the form of Character, Backgrounds, Estimated Play Time etc., because I’m not fully sure myself yet.

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Ez: So how far is Revenants?

Chrille: hmm, it’s still quite early on in development, but we’ve soon finished the basic coding and the first “chapter” of the game (which is pretty much the only linear part of it). After that things should flow on much faster.

Ez: You mentioned the first “chapter”. How many chapters will there be and how non-linear will the game be?

Chrille: For the first question, hmmm, four, the way things look right now. The chapters will however vary a great deal in size. The game will be very non-linear ;)

Ez: In the demo, which was awesome, there was a combat system. Will it remain unchanged in the final release and will revenants include many battles.

Chrille: The combat system you saw in the second version of the demo will remain unchanged,  how many battles there are will be up to the player.

Ez: Will there be an opportunity to finish the game without solving many of the puzzles like in Colonel’s bequest?

Chrille: Hehe, yes, that’s what I told you about earlier. Being able to skip some of the objectives and still manage to complete the game.

Ez: Will the GUI remain unchanged in the final version to what we saw in the demo?

Chrille: Yes, aside from a few improvements with the cursor system.

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Ez: Will revenants include voice acting considering that there wasnt much speech in the demo?

Chrille: I havn’t decided yet,  there is alot more speech in the full version. While good voice acting can improve the feel of a game immensly, I’m afraid it’s a big difference doing voice acting for a “serious” game compared to a humorous game. It might be difficult to find people willing to spend that much time and effort on it.

Ez: When can we expect the final release?

Chrille: Can’t tell for sure, probably not this year I’m afraid

Ez: How far is P:The Asylum?

Chrille: Not far at all

Ez: Is it frozen till you finish Revenants?

Chrille: either that or Urban Joe

Ez: Anything more you would like to add?

Chrille: Hehe, not unless you have any more game specific questions :)

Ez: Thanks for your time

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Interview with Mark ‘m0ds’ Lovegrove, project leader of FoY

July 22, 2007 at 5:28 pm (Interviews, Issue 2 (VII.2003))

Ezine: What is the story of FOY

Mark Lovegrove: It’s 1939, the dawn of WWII and whilst on a routine archeological hunt, our hero Indiana Jones jnr. finds himself robbed of a mysterious gel containing gem. It is after hearing about a German Nazi general, Kaltenbrunner, that he realises the Nazi’s may be up to something.

They’re searching for the Fountain Of Youth as is Indy, now. As the plot thickens one of Dr Jones’ students, Shelley Hartley finds herself mixed up in the chase to reach the mysterious fountain, that is said to give those who drink it eternal youth – but does the general have something else up his sleeve?

 

Ez: How far along is the project.

ML: We haven’t finished the intro just yet, but at a good five minutes long theres a lot of artwork, animation and scripting to be done! It may sound like it’s not getting very far very fast, but everyone on the team is putting in whole-hearted effort. After that, we’ll be rattling through the puzzles (and no doubt, more animation!) and we’ll have the game ready for 2004.

 

Ez: Who is on the team.

ML: We have the very talented Misja van Laatum working on background, object and inventory art. You’ve undoubtedly seen snippets of his artwork for FoY and it truly is amazing. Alan Rodrigues is creating our sprites and animating – his hard work will deffinatley show in the game. Helping him with animation of sprites is David Scott who has kindly put in time to help out with the project. Theres Shawn Guzzo who’s working on the story and design and of course Amberle Johnson, who is doing all the book-work for us ;) Last but not least, myself – and currently I’m just sitting on my butt. But, I do the coding and music too ;)

 

Ez: What are the specs of the game? (Res, Music Quality, length, etc.)

ML: The game is in high-colour, which surprises some because FOA was in 256 colour. Other than that, we’re using MIDI music and 320×200 resolution. We have no indication on how long the game will be, but gurantee you’ll be addicted for hours ;)

 FOY exclusive art

Ez: What’s the expected release date.

ML: 2004! I thought everyone knew that? :P

Ez: How linear will the story be?

ML: Most certainly non-linear. The intro is expanding and so are the puzzles. What we’ve got down in design is never set in stone. Therefore we’ve already found that the first puzzle can be

AGS Ezine

 

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expanded somewhat to what is already written in the design. Because of this, the team will more than likely have idea bursts and just keep expanding the length, playability and enjoyment of the game. That way, we can assure non-linearity.


Ez: FOA had a fight system, will FOY implement one?

ML: Naturally. Although Indy does a lot of thinking, we all know theres a fair amount of fist work. Many fans of FOA have asked about a fight-system and FoY will deffinatley have one. Although it may not come in to play as often as it did in FOA, there will be something there of a similar nature.

 

Ez:Where in the hell did you find Miez?

Here is it, folks, the absolutely exclusive art for FoY at its best

 

ML: To be honest – I can’t remember. Miez, where did we find you?

Misja ”Miez” van Laatum: I saw a question for BG artists somewhere and sent him an email. Then he asked me to make a test-image, to see if I could do the FoA thing and when I did he liked the image, told me I was more than welcome to join the team – and that’s it. :)

 

Ez: Will there be a speech pack?

ML: Who knows! There’s some wild aspirations like putting FoY on disc and getting its own box, full MP3 soundtrack and talkie versions, translations and more – but that’s really something to think about in the future. We haven’t even got past the intro yet, remember? :P

 

Ez: When can we expect a demo and/or full release.

ML: The demo will be available to all on September 1st 2003. As some know, we’re taking a very very alpha version to Mittens this year, and then having a month to touch it up etc before the demo release on September 1st. That way we can add more sprites, animations etc before the demo release. As for the full game itself, sometime in 2004. Who knows, we sure don’t.

 

Ez: Thanks for your time.

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