Independent Game Designer/Developer Jonathan Boakes has just released his second adventure video game. This multi talented guy can do it all, design, model, code and his favorite sound design. The really cool thing about Jonathan is that his major asset creation tool is Strata CX. Take a few minutes to see what his process is and more.

SS: You have a very impressive product with a release of your second video game. What was your source for inspiration when you were designing the elements of the game?

JB: "Lights Out", and "Dark Fall", were both conceived out of an interest in the supernatural. I have always been interested in ghosts, although I am skeptical myself. I began to think "what makes a ghost story scary", and took it from there. An immediate conclusion was a need to set the story in recognizable settings, and as near to the present day as possible. To effectively creep the player entails providing enough realism to suggest they are really in the game-world, and the ghosts could be real.

As for the design for "Lights Out", I have plenty of visual material around me to influence the look of the game. I happen to live in a Cornish Harbor town (also the setting for the adventure), so finding textures and inspiration for meshes was fairly easy. There was no need to trawl through the library, or online, as I could just step outside. Of course, the big struggle was to do justice to the environment around me.

SS: I have read some about how you have poured yourself into this project. You have done everything from design, sound design, even the programming. What is your production pipeline like? Do you sketch, write, model, record or is there any order to your process?

JB: I do produce the "Dark Fall" games alone, which includes everything from the 3D creation through to the soundtrack and story. The starting block is always the story, as it will direct the rest of the workload. Each environment must include clues, puzzles and interactive areas. So, this all has to be mapped out before I launch Strata3D and begin building the worlds. More often than not a scale model is constructed, which can act as a blue print when rebuilding the space virtually. Obviously, you can't get a great impression of a room made from cardboard, but it does help indicate where you are going to put the camera and highlight 'dead areas'. The Strata building/rendering process takes approximately 70% of time budget.

SS: With all of the other 3d packages out there what made you decide to use strata?

JB: I was taught 3D at college with Strata3D, and have been using it ever since. The continued improvement and new features keep the package fresh. More often than not, I find Strata is able to do pretty much everything I need for creating adventure games.

SS: You are an inspiration to a lot of 3d artists. Is there any advice you could give to
the budding adventure game author?

JB: Coupled with the programming itself, the task of building an adventure game is huge. It is all too easy to let the workload get on top of the designer. So, I try to cut the task up into manageable lumps. That doesn't sound very technical, but getting stuck on one particular model can dangerously drain enthusiasm. If it isn't working, move onto the next task.

Creating diverse spaces can be helpful too. Building ramshackle harbor buildings for 4 months can get very boring, and repetitive. Creating rotten planks for too long will become tiresome, so make sure there is plenty to keep the gray cells ticking over. I set "Lights Out" in 4 different time periods, so I was able to jump between visual styles on a regular basis.

Lastly, always have a map. Drawing the game world out on paper is essential. It helps visualize the space you are creating, and inspires continuity from model to model. The end gamer will appreciate the effort too, as there is nothing worse than being lost in an illogical space.

SS: Do you have any formal art training?

JB: I studied History of Art at college, and also Fine Art. My painting skills are not too hot, but they do allow me to draw up conceptual material. My lack of finesse with the paintbrush is probably my main reason for turning to 3D.

I also have qualifications in Photography, which I call upon more and more. Positioning the camera in a program, such as Strata3D, can be tricky. So, some basic knowledge of depth of field and perspective is useful.

SS: What is your favorite part of the game production process?

JB: Strangely, I would have to say the sound design is my favorite. Creating pretty pictures is one thing, but it is the sound that brings a game to life. The two elements feed each other, so much fun can be had thinking "So, what noise would that door make?" My second favorite part would be building up my texture collection. There are some great resources online, but there is nothing quite like photographing a real-world texture and seeing it preserved in 3D. I have a collection of over 2000 textures, which have been used in a variety of games. When the LCD screen gets too much I grab the digital camera and go for a wander. Photographing textures is very rewarding, and enables you to view the world in a different way. No two walls are the same. Obviously, friends and family think I am a weird geek, but it's productive geekiness.

SS: Do you have any desire to do an animated story rather than a interactive one?

JB: I am involved in film, and video, but haven't directed a film for a few years. I would love to produce an animated feature, but see myself working in games for the next few years.

SS: Windows or Mac?

JB: Windows, at present.

SS: How long did making Dark Fall II take?

JB: Just over a year, from conception to publication. The longest aspect of production is definitely the 3D, but this is due to the level of detail required and the size of the environments. The first game, "Dark Fall", was a much quicker project. It was set in the smaller, more claustrophobic, environment of a hotel and train station. The space also happened to be abandoned. These design choices enabled me to create the game world fairly quickly. Where as "Lights Out" has large vistas and a true mixture of settings. Many of the smaller rooms are still based in the larger model, so there are accurate views out of windows. These choices affected the building process, but I wanted something that would push my artistic skills, and the software in new directions.

SS: People hear about how publishers will pull out of their commitment to game development studios all the time and budgets for games can look like movie budgets sometimes. How did you achieve such success with so little resources?

JB: Game budgets can be enormous, but I was able to source out software and resources, which didn't inflate the budget. Producing the games alone also meant I didn't have to hire workspace. Being able to program the game, and write the soundtrack also helped. So, I guess "multi-tasking" would be my answer.

SS: Why do you choose to tell your stories through the adventure game medium
rather than film or graphic novels?

JB: Adventure games, whether they are World War 2 shooters or detective fiction, offer an opportunity to experience the narrative first hand, and 'direct' the action yourself. In the case of "Lights Out" and "Dark Fall", I thought it would be a spooky opportunity for gamers to experience supernatural phenomena. Most people have a ghost story to tell, but few have taken the plunge to investigate a haunting. So, the games offer the chance to explore scary locations, and search for entities with ghost hunting gadgets. No-one finishes "Lights Out" without experiencing at least 3 spirits, who can offer much insight into the past…. and future.

SS: Do you have any other creative aspirations rattling around that will involve the
use of Strata?

JB: Of course. There are currently two new games in production, and both will be calling upon Strata at some point. The first project will be in a similar style to the previous two games, but I am also working on a 'realtime' adventure. Although there will never be any 2D renders, all the objects and environments have to be built somewhere. Once this is done, they can be imported into the world builder and take their place in the new game world.

You can check out more of Jonathan's work at his website.