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| Alex Boutilier
By Skinny Minnie
Minnie: Hello Alex, and welcome to Four Fat Chicks! Could you start by telling our readers a little bit about your background as a Canadian game developer? Were you dreaming of making your own computer games way back in your crayon-wielding days? (laughs) How did you get started, and how long have you been plying your trade? Alex: I'm in Nova Scotia; a lot of people probably don't even know where that is! (laughs) It's in the eastern part of Canada ... When I was a young boy, I was just learning computers, and I didn't really know how to use them. As I got older, I learned a few tricks, then I wanted to make the games instead of just playing them. That has been a goal for me all of my life. Now, I guess I'm doing it! (smiles) I've been practicing creating games for a year or so now, because you don't want to start a big project and not have a clue what you're doing! Minnie: What was the name of the first computer game you ever created? Was it an adventure game? Alex: Actually, this is my first real game. I made a few small point-and-click games that involved just walking around; they were tests for making Acalius. I made a few cutscenes of a character just walking, mainly to get the hang of both Strata and Illuminatus, the programs I work with. Minnie: How about divulging a few of Acalius's plot details? We have numerous Canadian readers who will be excited to hear of a gaming hero that hails from their home turf, as well as many science fiction buffs that are itching for a unique new setting for an adventure game. Do tell! Alex: The year is 2051. You play the game as Eric Renfield, leader of a Canadian Armed Forces Unit, who returns home to realize that strange things are happening. He sees bright lights in the sky and wonders, "Do they want me, and why?" A few months later some terrorizing "beings" abduct him, do some tests, and send him back to his home in Canada (woo hoo!) Meanwhile, a science team goes missing on a mission to Squal, the largest planet in the Acalius galaxy. GPMC (Galaxies Past Milky-Way Communication) loses all contact with them, so Renfield accepts the mission to fly in both to investigate what happened on the planet and to recover the science team. He realizes that he should go, not for the chance of flying to a new galaxy, but to find out why the aliens wanted him! He goes, and you'll see from the cutscenes where the story takes off from there ... Minnie: Wow! That's quite a plot! Excuse me, but I've got to go play the demo right now ... (laughs) Well, maybe I can hold out just a few more minutes, for the sake of our readers ... (smiles) Acalius: Enemies of the Wild appears from the initial screenshots to be a first-person game. Is it a "slideshow" point-and-clicker, or does it have 360-degree mouse panning? Is it strongly story-driven? Do the puzzles grow organically out of the storyline, and are they largely based around inventory items? What are some of the more unique aspects of the puzzle elements? Alex: It is a first-person game, slideshow image, point-and-click. It is very strongly story-driven, as that is my favorite aspect of an adventure game: how the story is told. If you download the demo from http://www.arachnid-interactive.com, you'll realize that there is an item in the inventory that must be used on something. It's what I like to do. Some of the puzzles are huge and must be finished in order to unlock a huge part of the game. Most of the puzzles are very, how do I say this, accurate for what you need to do. As one example, you need to get gas for your ERV to fly back home, but where do you find it? For another example, you need to make a fuse because the lights are blown out. The puzzles do grow harder as you go. I hope you enjoy most of the puzzles, because I was stumped on how to make even one at the start of the project! (laughs) Minnie: Is there much NPC interaction available, as well as commentary from lead character Eric Renfield? Sorry, but I get lonely when I play games! My pet cat isn't the conversational type ... Alex: There will be times where you'll interact with the aliens or with other mysterious figures in the game. Don't worry, you won't get lonely! (smiles) John Bell has a nice, moody voice, and I never get bored listening to him. John's voice will describe almost everything you click on. John has done well with his voice acting, and he plays the part perfectly. Minnie: I know that he has provided the voice of Sherlock Holmes for Frogwares/Wanadoo's impending Mystery of the Mummy game as well. What was John Bell like to work with as Acalius's Eric Renfield? Alex: John was, and is, great! There were times when I'd e-mail him and say, "A few more lines ..." and he always said he loves to do it, that "it's fun." It's great to work with him, because he's a funny guy as well. He'd always include funny little voices at the end of each with Eric Renfield on it, and it was never boring! I hope he really makes this game come alive, and I hope no one gets lonely with such a nice guy there to talk to. (laughs) Minnie: Being a rock music aficionado myself, I was excited to note that native Canadians No Offense are contributing the soundtrack. Did they write and produce all their own songs for Acalius? Are there lyrics involved too, or is the soundtrack primarily instrumental? Alex: Yes, yes, they did! The soundtrack is instrumental, and it is written mostly by Nick Boutilier (the guitar player). They even have a song featured at the end of the demo. I urge you to go get it now! (laughs) I smile every time I play a song, because it's really great for an adventure game, I think. Nick's a great guitar player, and music adds a nice touch to a game. Minnie: Acalius was created using Strata 3D, and then its images were imported into multimedia program Illuminatus. What is Strata 3D like to work with? Do you find Illuminatus to be more flexible, customizable and controllable than Microsoft's PowerPoint? Alex: Strata is a great program! A very old version was used to make Myst, I believe. Although it is not top-of-the-line in 3D graphics, it is one of the most user-friendly programs I've ever used. It's not like some programs where you have to read five manuals before making a simple sphere shape! It's easier to use for complex graphics than, for instance, Photoshop. I use it to touch up my images. I use it to fix many things where something is wrong or doesn't look quite right. Illuminatus is like PowerPoint but much better. It uses pages, just like PowerPoint, but this one has options like being able to change the resolution to 640x480, and many more adventure game–like options, although the program wasn't made for adventure games specifically. Minnie: Is Acalius finished yet, and if so, exactly when is it shipping? Are you the owner of Arachnid Interactive, and will Arachnid have the game available for purchase directly from its onsite web shop? How much will Acalius cost in US dollars, and how many choices for payment will there be? Alex: Actually, Acalius is not finished yet; it's about 70% done. I am working as fast as I can to get it out by Christmas of this year, but the more I work, the more I think it won't be finished in time! I hope to get it out by then, but I am not promising anything. Yes, I own Arachnid Interactive, and the game will only be available for purchase from Arachnid's web site, via money order and PayPal. PayPal is great for fast payments, which is why I chose it. I am thinking along the lines of selling the game for $24.99 to $29.99 US. I hope to set up a way to preorder Acalius, and I plan to sell it to anyone who preorders for a little less than regular retail price so that those people get the discount they deserve. I'll be glad to sell this game and see what everyone thinks. It was hard to make, and I hope a lot of people enjoy it! Minnie: Well, thank you very much for stopping by, Alex. The
best of luck to you, and by all means keep us posted on your progress
toward the release date for Acalius: Enemies of the Wild! We
hope you touch base with us again as many other adventure game developers
do, and we look forward to playing your adventure game! |
