Now, for the PAX interview between Ben and me:
Ben: This is an RPG world that is like the Venture Bros.’ science world. They play it straight. It is a ridiculous world that they are used to; nothing is extraordinary about their world to them. I’m not trying to use fourth-wall-breaking humor; I’m doing a ridiculous world with character humor in it.
Josh: What you’re describing sounds more like an anime style, where there are tons of ridiculous things, but they are used to it.
Ben: You’re in a JRPG world, and JRPG things happen. Darin the lad and Crystal are 17 and have fallen in love. Every summer, Darin’s family goes to Paradise Isle for vacation. Darin has heard the life-shattering news that Crystal is going to college on the other side of the world. They decide to go on an soul-searching adventure together for their last hurrah.
Here, I was able to demo the game briefly. Much hilarity and fun ensued. The game uses timed strikes and button mashing to execute attacks, à la Super Mario RPG. Your status and health are restored after each battle. Certain actions conserve or increase MP, so there is a lot of strategy, too.
Afterwards, we continued the interview.
Ben: The game was originally an engine demonstration demo 17 years ago. I got the permission to do a reimagining of that game, and here we are.
Josh: When do you think this is coming out?
Ben: Good question. The system and raw assets are mostly done. It’s a matter of scripting and animation. I’m running out of budget to script all the enemies, and I really want to do that. I’m gonna ship it, no matter what, but I am poised to start a Kickstarter to make sure it’s the game I think it should be. Some of the hesitance for people is “What happens if they take the money and do nothing?” This literally is like pre-ordering. I’m hoping that’s gonna go well. The original target deadline was last month. Turns out I’m making a video game, and they run late.
Josh: Besides this, obviously.
Ben: Yeah. Right now, three or four more months is the target. Hopefully, I’ve got the money to pay Brian Rathman, the artist who did Dungeons of Dredmor.
Josh: How important is humor to you for video games?
Ben: It’s important to me in this video game. But I watch dramas, as well. I don’t think Breaking Bad would be good if Heisenberg went into slapstick routines. Humor has a time and a place. It is difficult. Bad humor can fall flat, and sometimes, you can misuse humor.
Josh: So why focus on parody in this game?
Ben: It’s a reimagining of a parody game, The Sully Chronicles. For ten to fifteen years, that was the only non-studio game to be in GameFAQs. I do like puns and awkward situations and unflattering caricatures of things. If done well, parody can be very good for commentary, and I hope I execute this well.
One of the themes in this game is that all the characters are self-centered in different ways. I believe this is pretty real. Your point of view always matters. I don’t get this feeling from many JRPGs. From parody, I hope you can see two sides of a contentious issue or situation. Neither is right, neither is wrong, which isn’t to say I’m not all about stupid jokes.
Josh: Would you say it’s geared more towards casual or hardcore gamers?
Ben: Oh, those terms. I don’t know if casual gamers are JRPG gamers…
Josh: That’s a valid point…although there are some RPGs like Mario & Luigi that are more casual.
Ben: Sure. I’m trying to court traditional JRPG fans and fans who have lapsed. One of the ways I’m courting them is the ability to turn battles off. I took some inspiration from one of the Mass Effect 3 controversies. One of their producers said, “I just want to play the RPG. I want to be able turn the battles off.” While I believe she was saying that hypothetically, the community was outraged. Turns out I am the boss of this organization, and I don’t have a community to be outraged.
The idea of optionally turning the battles off seems like a good idea. I enjoyed To the Moon. It didn’t need battles. I personally enjoy exploring the most and walking though a story at my own pace. That’s what I like about JRPGs. Battles can be fun but often grindy and laborious. There’s a fun battle system, and there’s a boring battle system, and there are fun battle systems ruined by repetition.
In normal gameplay, there are no random battles. There are scripted on-map cutscenes before all the battles, then you go into the battle. It’s pretty brisk; I don’t want to bore you.
Josh: So battles are more like mid-bosses?
Ben: I wouldn’t go that far. Remember in Chrono Trigger, where the two goblins are kicking that ball? Some battles on the light end are on that scale of things. You run into creatures, and they attack you because you disturb them. Some are talking enemies that interact with you. They are single-use encounters.
Random encounters do serve a purpose and are natural skill-level balancers. I was wrestling with that for a bit. So I put a grind spot in called Heck Mouths at the beginning of all the dungeons and sometimes near the end by bosses. You can save anywhere in the game, too. I’ve already had people in favor of all three modes—Story, Boss Fights Only, and Kill All Things!
Josh: What is your take on Kickstarter and the indie scene?
Ben: I think it’s pretty incredible, actually. I mean, there has been no other funding option for small- to medium-sized business like this before, no realistic option—either out of pocket [or] beg, borrow, or steal from friends, family, and fools. Not really gonna get a bank loan if it’s your first venture. It’s something new and interesting. It’s a logistical nightmare, but I think it is generally wonderful.
I do think there are a lot of bad actors in the ecosystem. For the large majority of projects, people need to give thought if the team is trustworthy or not. That’s the most important thing. When it comes down to it, there is no guarantee. I’ve Kickstarted a few things, myself, lots of indie JRPGs.
Josh: How did your team focus on that retro graphical style?
Ben: Well, there is an overabundance of Final Fantasy VI riffs. I wanted to avoid that. It’s hard making your own distinct visual style. So, why not Phantasy Star IV for an homage? I love Phantasy Star.
With tile art, I just like it. It gives me a lot of joy. I’m a programmer and an artist, although my art is much less well-practiced. The battle system is straight up Brian Rathman saying, “Look what I can do!” and I’m, like, “That’s amazing.”
Josh: Do you think retro is more or less relevant nowadays?
Ben: It’s an aesthetic choice. As time goes on, it will be a more accepted one. It is an art style unto itself. The sooner the public at large accepts that pixelated is a style, just as pointillism is, the better we’ll all be. Screw the retro haters. I’m not saying I’m only going to do pixel art games, but it’s just an aesthetic.
Josh: What do you have in terms of upgrades? Is that going to be parodied, too?
Ben: You know, not so much—though that is a interesting idea. Maybe I can do something with that.
Skills are learned through the oldest of old school: you level up. You can purchase some. Some are granted by equipping items. Sarah, the mad scientist/engineer, gets all of her unique abilities from accessories she has equipped. Special events can give you abilities, like the Summoned Gods. I decided to half use and half not use mythology. Anthropomorphic deities from various things. The horse-god of thunder, named Heyzeus. We have Flameon Ra. And we have Snowden, a giant polar bear with a wide-brimmed hat and a spear.
Josh: Well, thanks so much for your time!
Ben: Sure. Thank you.
Sully: A Very Serious RPG is being developed for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and PlayStation Mobile (PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Certified devices).
← Go back to page 1 for the pre-PAX portion of our interview
