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Harlock Hero, our normal Interview Master, is interviewed. All future issues will have him interviewing others, so I thought that the first issue would be a good place to interview he himself, as preparation for his future amazing interviews.
[02:03] <HarlockHero> VERILY. i've made the antiquated graphic ripping textbox feast that was Paranoia Star, a 'game' that actually takes place in the universe of Heretic, only some 8000 years before the events of the second game. I made a substantial portion of, called, yes, Heretic, Episode One: One Who Leaves Behind. I've also helped on Harlock and Rinku's Game Which Includes the Game 'Bill's "Never Go West"', Harlock and Nova's Game, and the upcoming Tilde and the Mask of :P. I've lent advice, mostly in the form of story and writing assistance, to PK-Fortis' "Time Flies", cn's "Hyjinx Tales", Cody Watts's The Sun Still Rises, Novakaiser's Saga and In the Arms of Morpheus, Shizuma's Aquarius and Aurelia, and lastly Rinku's Ergintandal 1/5.
[02:08] <HarlockHero> Harlock, that is, myself, is still forming his game design ability in the full sense of the word. However, to achieve my expertise in graphics, I practiced drawing since five years old, beginning by drawing pictures of monsters, ghosts, and the devil (who i envisioned as having spiral shaped eyes that shifted colors randomly). [02:10] <HarlockHero> my writing ability stems from a similar type of experience, basically amounting to nothing but sheer effort and practice, as writing is something i've done since before elementary school. just three days ago, i found the second story i ever wrote, called "the mouse who ate cheese". the last word in the story is "possum". it was illustrated by using my inky thumbprint to form pictures. [02:12] <HarlockHero> my ability to focus zig and integrate parts into a whole is largely thanks to my years of practicing the martial arts. since i went about doing that in a heretical way, I learned a great deal about making parts work to form a better whole, as well as a great sense of improvisation, not to mention the desire to strive for accuracy and perfection. even if i never get accosted by a sword-weilding brigand or have to fight off the sky pirates, it will have been a worthwhile experience, just for the level ups in thinking that it granted me. [02:14] <HarlockHero> i have no particular skill in music. in programming, i'm not so grand, but my perseverance will usually get a script to the stage where it will at least compile if nothing else. why i decided to get into game design is a long story in itself, but basically it amounts to recognizing the power of the medium firsthand at an early age (and no, i don't mean as a form of escapism, fools).
[02:16] <HarlockHero> in the top tier of my favorite games would be final fantasy 6, final fantasy tactics, xenogears, zelda 1 and 3 [02:17] <HarlockHero> i enjoy final fantasy 6 because its gameplay, while not innovative, is definitely a pillar of solidity, and its hard to find holes in its execution, even if the game is a little easy. the characters and story are second to none, and anyone who knows me will tell you that i place a lot of value in plot and characters. [02:18] <HarlockHero> final fantasy tactics i enjoy because it presents a realistic view of good vs evil, in the sense that evil has motivation other than "enslave the world", and if you aren't perceptive, you might actually miss who the evil forces are altogether. a bit like real life. also, its gameplay was incredibly addictive and well puttogether, with as few useless aspects as one could reasonably expect. [02:19] <HarlockHero> xenogears i like because of the way it features two sets of gameplay rules that work well together and can be switched between at (almost) any time. it does a great deal to break up the monotony of battles. its story and theme, of course, are my favorite out of any rpgs (although ff6 still takes first place in characters). [02:21] <HarlockHero> zelda 1 and 3 are both examples of strong gameplay with no flaws that i've ever found. the story is present enough to please me. not as epic as i'd like, but the gameplay in these more than makes up for it. the original zelda is almost certainly the best of the 8 bit generation. it might tie with phantasy star 1. [02:21] <HarlockHero> which reminds me!
[02:23] <HarlockHero> the first chapter in the series has some of the most innovative gameplay features to be found in 8 bit games ((smooth scrolling 3d first person dungeons! it was the first!)), and the series as a whole never lets go of the zig that drives the first installment. its sense of integration is perfect, with small touches for the perceptive to enjoy, such as "typos" which are actually representative of the evolution of language. the stories all work incredibly well, and the final theme that gets revealed in part 4 is also well thought out and important. play all of these games at all costs! [02:25] <HarlockHero> in the lower tier are many games that i like well enough to play, but find to be severely unbalanced in their presentation. examples of this would be ff5, ff7, and the breath of fire series
[02:31] <HarlockHero> to design characters, i first define the essence of their existence as simply as i can. something like "cynicism", "despair", "devotion", or "misanthropy" are examples of essences that i would build a character up from. this concept is used to apply "stats" to a large list of ranges and continuum, such as "naive <-----|-----> cynical", or "competent <-----|-----> bewildered" [02:32] <HarlockHero> once i have a strong sense of what their personality is, i'll usually define things such as their ambitions, their motivation, their fears, and the areas that they stand out in. all this i do entirely seperate from the plot, which i think makes for more believeable characters. (later, of course, after they're built, these aspects undergo a process of integration". once the portrait is complete, i decide on how the character will look, and depict them in a way that strongly displays their personality. in terms of costume, that is also determined by personality, but it also needs to adhere to a set of standards for what kind of clothes your world has. for example, in "heretic", the style of dress is a style that i invented by combining rennaissance garb with modern gothic stylings such as fishnet, chains, and shiny leather. [02:35] <HarlockHero> lastly, details such as what weapon the character uses, their in-game stats, their manner of speech, their history, etc. is determined both by their personality and the role that they serve in the story. and that about sums it up.
[02:40] <HarlockHero> about 3 or 4 years ago, i had saw one of the very first ads for the psx version of rpg maker in the back of gamefan magazine, with the promise that it would eventually be coming to the states. the ad got me thinking about the games i designed when younger out of paper (which i should have mentioned earlier in the special training section), and how i'd like to create them in a digital format. unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), rpgmaker. [02:42] <HarlockHero> was not to be released for a very long time and eventually i gave up on the notion that it would ever arrive here, but i didn't give up on the idea for the game that i wanted to create, and so i searched the net for days and days seeking out rpg making programs, only to find not much of value. i found kanjihack's nonfunctional version of rpgmaker95, but it was practically useless to me. i also found the sprite engine but found it to be lacking in budo, since it required equal "effort" to make a vast sweeping cutscene as it did to make a door link. [02:45] <HarlockHero> found the version of rpgmaker 95 that was translated by that russian guy who's name i forget, but didn't like the homogenized wa it lent to all products made with it, so i continued the search, and eventually found the ohr when a friend named linn chao yin told me to search for "hamster dance" on some search engine to see just how many sites were devoted to that fad. in a bizarre twist, i hastily pasted "hamster dance" into the search box without deleting rpg maker. and voila, the ohr appears! [02:46] <HarlockHero> i greatly thanked linn, but she seemed bewildered by what i was saying, and i quickly went to work, making a game that no copies exist of today, called "ECLIPSE." the best thing about it was the dialogue box "Praise Flagg, the corn is good!"
[02:51] <HarlockHero> a complete lack of mercy, which is useful for killing off aspects of the game that you have come to love, but are not useful to the game (this includes characters). unwavering focus and a sense of organization are key, or else any project in game design will quickly turn into a jumbled mess, since you're dealing with so many elements (music, gfx, stat lists, etc). the ability to look at a vast machine and [02:51] <HarlockHero> speak the purpose of each individual gear [02:51] <HarlockHero> a strong aesthetic sense is good. not necessarily the ability to draw well, but the ability to draw things that fit well together. [02:52] <HarlockHero> also, a strong game designer has to be selfish enough to know that its good to make a game based on what he or she wants without catering to others or else the project will become weak and adulterated. a complete lack of mercy.
[02:50] <RinkuLink> http://www.theonion.com/onion3826/grad_student.html [02:56] <HarlockHero> the onion is a pretty heroic publication [02:56] <RinkuLink> yep [02:56] <RinkuLink> Added Nystrom: "To paraphrase: 'What is a take-out menu not, anyway? Everything, of course. What is a take-out menu? Nothing, of course.'" [02:57] <HarlockHero> i was at the book store today turning in an application and this guy was in the philosophy aisle just totally lecturing this other man [02:57] <HarlockHero> on the entire history of postmodernism [02:58] <RinkuLink> hehe [02:58] <RinkuLink> good question is...
[03:01] <HarlockHero> any philosophy, no matter how fraudulent or blatantly foolhardy it may be, can be used in game design, so long as the designer actually has a statement to make with it. an example of what not to do would be something like I Made Dis, which uses the philosophy of Dada in a way that lends no value to the game (surprising, considering the creator's obvious talent). but i digress. you can make a game that presents a philosophy you don't even agree with if you like. so long as its not arbitrary, it can still make a fun game. witness ff4, foolish philosophy, fun game. i'm exploring this very topic in SECRET PROJECT:133T which should be released soonly (under a different name of course). [03:04] <HarlockHero> that said, to be a bit specific, i don't think postmodernism can be shown in a game without being proven false, since a game runs on absolutes to function, something that postmodernism would claim does not exist.
[03:08] <HarlockHero> because of the realization that the decision to make that particular story a game was arbitrary and that its theme and essence are much better suited for the experience that the printed word can offer. don't despair, though, i have many other stories to tell, and a few of them will probably find their voice in .rpg format.
[03:12] <HarlockHero> only the best and the worst will do, no middle ground. currently on my list are you (rinku), nova once he actually finishes a game, and possibly chenzi. interviews will expand to other communities of course as the influence of septaweekly spreads to them. eventually i'd like to specific talented people in the realm of game design and related topics, such as tsugumo, and possibly chris crawford, if he ever answers my email.
[03:22] <HarlockHero> of course. i'd like to note that it is positively essential to creating any worthwhile project that you have confidence that it will be worthwhile. that's what it takes: ego. too often i see people come to the boards, and advertise their game in a mealy-mouthed roundabout way like 'this is my game. i've been working on it for two years, and i guess its alright. you should play it (if you want). bye.' that is completely unacceptable. [03:24] <HarlockHero> the only way to make a good product is to set out to make the *BEST* product, and the only way to accomplish that is to recognize your potential for greatness. just learn to see, that's all it takes. once you can see, you'll be able to discern the components that make up incredible projects like <insert your favorite rpg here> or films like the lord of the rings. the creators of these are human, just like you, which means that if you utilize the same effort they did, you can achieve results of the same calibre, or even better. do not sully their work by allowing it to be a discouragement to you. no artist worth his salt would want others to be discouraged by his work, he would want them to look at what he's done and be inspired so that they will one day produce works of equal quality. focus on the nature of rpg characters. through practice and experience, you level up and gain mastery. it applies to real life too. with this attitude, you can defeat gods! |
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