New interview up

I recently did an interview with Blog ‘Em Up.  However, it’s all in Swedish, so I’ve posted the English version below.  Thanks to the guys at Blog ‘Em Up for the interview!

How, when and why did you spawn the idea of making a star wars game using the scumm interface?

I think I was about 16 when I got into graphical adventures.  I was already a fan of Infocom text adventures from my days on the TI-994A and Commodore 64, but I’ll never forget the day my friend Gil introduced me to Space Quest IV on his PC.  I had just bought my first PC, a 286 with VGA graphics, and I quickly got Space Quest III and IV and King’s Quest V, and I was in a whole new world.  I remember seeing The Secret of Monkey Island on a screen at Babbage’s, and I couldn’t wait to get it, too.  Soon, I also had Monkey Island 2, Day of the Tentacle, Fate of Atlantis, the Kyrandia trilogy, Police Quest 3, King’s Quest VI, Quest for Glory III and IV, Conquest of Camelot, Dragonsphere, Rex Nebular, The Dig, Full Throttle, I had to get a job at Software, Etc. to keep up with my “habbit.”  But very early on, before Fate of Atlantis even came out, I remember thinking “gee, I wish they would make one of these in the Star Wars universe!”  I began designing my idea on paper, and in fact, the earliest sketches show Han standing next to docking bay 94 with an obviously Sierra style interface.  It wasn’t until MI and DOTT that I realized the flaw in my logic there.  After Fate of Atlantis came out, I think I whipped up a revised sketch with the SCUMM interface.

Why do you think that Lucasarts never made a star wars adventure game themselves?

Only they know the answer to that, I guess.  I heard there was a C3PO adventure game in the works at some point, and I can only assume it was cancelled when they moved away from the VGA SCUMM interface.  But that’s just conjecture.  It does seem like a perfect fit though, Star Wars and graphic adventure games.  It’s like chocolate and peanut butter.

It’s awesome [about] Ron Gilbert. How did you get in touch with him?

He emailed me last Saturday to see about giving my project a mention in an upcoming talk he’s giving.  I was floored, to say the least.  I’m waiting for Tim Schafer, Hal Barwood and Jane Jensen to knock on the door wanting to borrow a cup of sugar or something.  And he wasn’t the only notable person to contact me, it’s almost scary how people come out of the woodworks for these classic graphic adventures.  I really hope this project helps to prove the viability of the genre.  The writing’s on the wall: people love 2D adventure games!

On the FAQ you write: “Who knows, maybe if they had gone there, and ended up with a hit on their hands, adventure games in general would not have been deemed so risky by the publishers.”  Why do you think that a star wars point-and-click could have changed the outcome of the genre?

Well, Star Wars games have always carried a huge fan base.  It’s funny to note that very few adventure games were based on licenses.  This isn’t a bad thing of course, it’s the originality inherent in the genre that really gives adventure games their power.  You never know what world you’ll step into when you open one up.  But let’s face it, it’s always good to hedge your bets.  Fate of Atlantis was a huge thrill for players who loved Indy, and wanted to portray him in a game with a little more depth than the Temple of Doom arcade game offered, and I’m sure that brought a lot of new blood into the fold.  Imagine all the people who loved Fate, and later stumbled on The Dig, or Full Throttle.  Now imagine a game starring a major Star Wars character in a similar adventure.  Indiana Jones is definitely a major license, but Star Wars is the “mother of all licenses.”

Many people think of Doom as the first “3D” game, some remember that Wolfenstein 3D came first, but few ever remark that in fact Catacomb 3D was the first one that Carmack wrote, he just didn’t have a runaway hit on his hands until Doom.  And it was actually Doom 2 that made id the company they became, because they released it themselves this time and pocketed all the money.  Sometimes it just takes the right hit, and the right strategy, to make a new genre take off.

How far along is the game? And when might it be ready?

The first installment should have somewhere in the vicinity of 20 screens, and I have 8 done or nearly done right now.  Han is partially animated, and I have a few other characters drawn.  Right now, you can start the game and play through the first major section of puzzles, but it needs some character dialogue and one last screen to complete that section.  The existing screens range from the beginning of the game to the end, I’m not really designing too much in linear fashion.  I can’t say for sure when it will be ready, and I hate breaking promises, so I’ll just say keep an eye on the site and as soon as the first episode is done, you’ll know!

Met any complications during development?

None.  It’s been a total dream project so far.  AGS is an awesome tool to program with, and I am really taking this opportunity to learn the ins and outs of it as I go.

Tell me more about the story. It takes place before Episode IV? Inspired by the Star wars expanded universe novels by Brian Daley?

The story is not exactly inspired by the Brian Daley novels, but the tone of the game absolutely is.  I always felt his original Han Solo trilogy of books (which were written just before The Empire Strikes Back came out) were so appropriate to the Star Wars style, particularly Han.  They were fairly gritty and hard edged, for Star Wars novels.  The new stuff often comes off as part space opera, part futuristic techno-thriller (to me).  Very seldom do I ever see writers who really seem to “get” the Star Wars universe.  All you need to do is watch Seven Samurai or The Hidden Fortress without subtitles, and you’ll get Star Wars instantly.  I think Lucas put it best when he called the films documentaries from another galaxy.  We can’t know exactly what they are talking about all the time, we don’t understand the social customs or technologies we see, and we aren’t meant to.  It’s not about science fiction.  It’s about the way that you can detect the same strands of myth in every story, whether its from Babylon or Alderaan.

Also, it’s about having fun with it.  I think Star Wars stories should just feel less like Star Trek, and more like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and John Carter of Mars.  Authors should emulate writers like William Gibson a lot less, and guys like Edgar Rice Burroughs a whole lot more.  That’s how I feel, anyway.

As for my Han Solo games, The first story is set before he acquires the Millennium Falcon.  It tells the story of Han being stranded on a strange, desert world he’s never visited, only to find that it is under the control of a dangerous gangster.  Naturally, he must use his wits to turn these events to his favor, so he can save his neck, get off the planet, and maybe even pocket a few credits while he’s at it.

Any words (or cease-and-desist letters) from Lucasarts yet?

No official word yet.

If Han Solo Adventures were an actual Lucasarts game when do you reckon it would have been released?

So, in my fantasy world where the Han Solo game had been a real release?  :D  I would say about four to six months after Fate of Atlantis.  In my mind, it’s like a sister game that was developed just down the hall, and shared some of the same team members.  

And it would be great if you could tell something about yourself as well; name, age, occupation, hobbies besides game development, and whereabouts.

Name’s Stacy Davidson, I’m 34, I’m a writer/director, cinematographer, and visual effects artist for independent movies.  I have two titles written and directed, and you can find me on IMDb or odysseepictures.com.  Before getting into film, I worked at Origin Systems, Inc. in QA for a year or so in Austin.  I was one of three employees who started the line for Episode I at the Gateway cinema in Austin with two other Origin employees, Grant McDaniel and Brian Wachhaus.  We camped out in front of the theater for two weeks.  I miss the days I could just hang out on a two week block party, like I had nothing better to do.  On opening night, I was actually sitting right with Richard Garriot (Lord Brittish).  Good times.

Before and after Origin, I designed a lot of games in my spare time, and even released one as shareware called Shadow of the Lost Citadel.  I’m also a big fan of horror flicks, mainly the classic monster movies and 80’s slashers.  I live in Texas, born and raised.

Thanks for the interview!

-Stacy Davidson