Interview with Hyperbol developer Nicholas Lawson

Longtime beta = bigtime results
By Russell D. Carroll [February 22, 2005]

Q: For everyone reading out there, who are you and what was your involvement with Hyperbol?
A: I'm Nicholas Lawson. I'm the engine, graphics, and tools programmer (Except for the map editor tool). I write the import and export tools, as well as the graphical effects system, and the various core elements for the game such as the renderer. I also write the particle effects, and have modeled some of the maps.

Q: What do you think makes Independent games distinctive?
A: Independent games are distinctive because the low budget usually associated with such games can, despite everything, lead to some amazing games, due to the quality of the team involved. It also promotes innovation, something that one has to search for in commercial fields, amidst all the sequels-of-sequels out there that are more likely to sell.

Q: How did your studio get your start in working with independent games?
A: Close friends that wanted to make a game together. Basically we gathered the team together ad-hoc, and it worked very, very well.

Q: What is the most innovative feature of Hyperbol and how is it innovative in your mind?
A: The game-play itself is innovative - its not in a genre that has really been seen before. It combines skillful control with deep strategy and quick thinking in a way that hasn't been seen before.

Q: What do gamers appreciate most about Hyperbol?
A: The consensus from our beta team seems to be the wide array of tactics available for a player at any given point during a multiplayer fight - [that] way their strategy can be flexible and change rapidly. Not to mention the oodles of unique weaponry… multiplayer team games can be very hectic, and are, after all, the focus of the game.

Q: What was the single most difficult part of Hyperbol to program?
A: For my area, the single most difficult part was probably the compatibility issues, and it was difficult due to logistics. We are a very small team with very limited resources. On the PC platform, it's always difficult to tell what the game is going to run like on any given machine. Our 'closed' beta process found many issues which, for one reason or another, weren't mentioned in video card specifications, or when some video cards just flat out lied about their capabilities when queried ("Sure, we can support 8 simultaneous textures"). A good solid engine that runs on all machines is a completely different beast to an engine that just runs on your machine only.

Unfortunately, a lot of independent games tend to be in the latter, rather than the former category, due to the same logistical problem of lack of a testing base. Our closed beta has been enormously helpful for solving this issue and also locating balance problems.

We're still developing techniques that our beta testers can use to help us find out why things go wrong when they do, but as of currently, such issues as we know of, have been resolved.

Q: Other than your own game did any one of the IGF finalists or Student Showcase games stand out to you? Why?
A: I would have to say Gish, due to its innovative main character. I played the demo and liked the way you could move it around, and their use of 2D physics such as tumbling blocks and things. But then again, it's the kind of game I like - and while a lot of the other games look really interested, I'm generally attracted to simple innovation above most other qualities.

Q: How do you think Independent Games will evolve in the future?
A: I think Independent Games are being taken more seriously, as time goes by. We're seeing more competitions for them, for example. As additional publishing avenues become available, such as Garage Games, and others, eliminating the boxing and shipping and other logistical issues, we might see a resurgence of small teams making good games. Software development kits like DirectX, and the upcoming XNA (from Microsoft) are making it particularly rapid for even single developers to make something interactive and fun. As tools and methods improve, while the ability to buy games online instead of in box form increases in popularity, I believe that Independent Games will become more popular too.

Q: What is the biggest challenge facing Independent games?
A: Lack of publicity and not being taken seriously - by publishers, but also by consumers. There are some really fun games out there, that gamers are seriously missing out on, purely because it was either deemed too 'risky' to publish due to it not being a clone or a sequel, or because gamers don't believe that a 15 dollar downloadable game on Garage Games can possibly be worth it. (Meanwhile, it's often a really good deal, with clever and fun gameplay). I think thus that the biggest challenge for independent games, in general, is to break this wall, and to convince gamers that it's worth it to pay attention to independent games… that some of these games are not just short diversions like a small flash application… but full blown developments that they can enjoy for years, just like their favorite games - only with a better price tag.

Q: As one of the leaders of Independent Games, what is next for you?
A: We want to finish the single player campaign for Hyperbol, ship it (Publisher is required!), and move on to the next project. There is still a lot of work to do for the game, but with a solid engine and balanced multiplayer, what we really want to focus on now is polishing. There is no reason why a team of independent developers cannot make a game that appears as clean and polished, feature-filled and stable as any non-independent games out there, especially with a team like ours.