The game is currently in Early Access status on Steam, with player reviews particularly positive (90% positive). The price of the national area is 70 yuan. Japanese game media gamespark recently interviewed the producers, let's take a look.
- First of all, please introduce yourself, and what is your favorite game?
Hello everyone! I'm Brian. The name Why485 may be more famous on the Internet and is the developer of this game. I have previously made many mods for various games, and I have also made tutorials for mods, published discoveries about mods, and contributed to the game community.
The spirit of mutual help in the Mod community has dramatically changed the way I think about programming and game development. In order for others to make cool games as well, I also want to share as much information as possible with others!
If you had to pick one favorite game, it would be Freelancer. This is an open-world game with the universe as the stage, and players can enjoy navigating, trading and exploring in the space. It's a huge and great worldview, and the design is great. I often use the phrase "What would I do here if it were Freelancer?" Ask yourself like this.
——What was the opportunity for the development of this game?
Because no one will do a game like this one, mainly I want to play it myself! Such games were last popular in the 2000s, and since then, they have almost completely ceased to exist.
I think flying games nowadays are very extreme. For example, arcade games like Ace Combat are completely arcade games, while DCS World and Falcon BMS are great simulation games. While both are wonderful, sometimes I want to play with the "middle" stuff.
There used to be a lot of PC-oriented games like Jane's Fighters called "light simulation." Even on the console, there's something similar to Energy Airforce. But not now, and that's exactly what happened to me when I started making this work.
- Please describe the characteristics of this game.
Because it is a "flight simulation", its realistic tone and main mode "Arena mode" are its characteristics. One of the special things about people who like flying games is that you can feel the massive battles.
Falcon BMS and Ace Combat 6 are great at this point. Players are on large maps to support tank units, aviation units, and other units on mission. I wanted to use the "Arena mode" to recreate the feeling of various units working together.
- What kind of players do you want this game to be?
This game is aimed at people who like fighter games, and they want to play real and esoteric content more than Ace Air Combat, but they don't have to learn too much in the game.
- How long do you expect early access? What elements will be added in the future?
It has now been planned for a year. The "Arena Mode" will be mainly expanded, with more tasks and activities added. There will definitely be a lot of vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons. Because the plan has not yet been officially published, I will not say anything specific.
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It's more stressful than you think! There are a lot of people who say "X can't do it!" Y is too much! Z is too bad! "I didn't expect to hear such roars incessantly. Generally speaking, the most serious type of comments can be simply ignored, but these people pay for it, so the situation is different from usual.
Regarding the game itself, I think it is possible to make the best work in a limited time. I am also proud to have developed it to this day. That being said, I still have a lot to do. In particular, I also play games with joysticks myself, so the operability of the mouse and keyboard has become a big problem.
- Has this work been influenced by any other works?
Graphically influenced by the 1995 Hornet series for Mac and Graphisim Entertainment, as well as Su-27 Flanker 1.0. These works use flat polygons and vivid colors, with very prominent visual effects, and they are also very tasteful to look at now. This style is simple and easy to make, and it is also very happy.
Although it is obviously influenced by the simulated flight simulations of the 90s, many European and American players know that in fact, one of the most affected in this game is PS2's "Energy Airforce" and "Over G Fighters". Regardless of the work, the balance between "arcade" and "simulation" is perfect. But these two works have not yet been published, and I regret it.
These works are infused with a lot of love, and although they are very meticulously made, they are very easy to play because they are aimed at home machines. I play a lot of Over G Fighters, so I can keep talking for hours!
Has the pandemic had an impact on development?
I'm afraid that if there is no epidemic, this work will not exist. Around March 2020, I told MicroProse about my idea of making it as a game I wanted to make in the future. But in April, I lost my job due to the pandemic, so I was suddenly able to devote myself full-time to the development of this game.
The game was developed by one person at home, and it can be said that the bread machine helped the development of this game. I feel very lucky, and it is very good to be able to go smoothly.
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Hello, it is still a little surprising to know that there are also people overseas who are interested in this work. No matter where you start, thank you all for your interest and time!