-You name a number of influencers and your descriptions describes components influenced by other games but what would you say influenced you the most to make Wandersong?
I was really inspired by the feeling of singing, and the experience I had riding my bicycle across America last year.
-Are you creating every component of the game yourself? (i.e. Design, music, story and so on)
So far I have done all of this. I’d like to bring in collaborators for audio with Kickstarter money š
-You mention that you will be using live performance to improve the game but do you mean the audience in game or that some of the music will be recorded in front of an audience before being implemented?
I only meant that in place of synthetic instruments (which is standard) I’m specifically trying to work with musicians who actually play live instruments so that the music can use their performance. It just means in the long run that the instruments in the OST will be authentic sounding, and hopefully have a more human feel to them.
-You mention that a majority of the game is done and most of your budget seems to be for music; is the musical/main part the only left for the game to be completed?
In the “what’s done” section I said I’ve only finished Act 1 of 7 or 8 (you should probably remove this question/answer)
-How large of an OST do you plan/hope to have by the end of the project?
Something in the ballpark of an hour of music would make sense. Which is why I need so much money, haha.
-You mention that your music will have roots in many areas including Irish, French and Zelda; how wide of a sample are you trying to get and do you have concerns that so many different styles may not function well together?
I want to play with all kinds of music. Of course there will be stylistic/instrumental throughlines and themes (leitmotif, etc) that help tie it all together. Like the Katamari soundtrack, which is constantly doing unexpected shifts in tone and genre. I love that.
-Many of in game examples we have seem to take place in a forest; will there be more maps or a variety of settings?
Oh, big time. I’ve only had the very beginning of the game to demonstrate content from.
-Can you elaborate a little more on the plot of the game?
Can you elaborate more on what you want to know? Part of the joy will beĀ discoveringĀ the story as you play through, so I’m not really interested in talking about the specific progression of events, if that’s what you’re asking…Ā
-How much play time would you estimate your game has?
Right now it’s about 30 minutes to play through. I’d like it to be a few hours long when it’s done.
-Have many musicians committed to the project yet?
Nobody has committed yet because scheduling and funding remain questions. But I’m talking to several (and with the Kickstarter out, plenty more are asking about an opportunity to get in).
-You mention that music isnāt exactly set (like songs in Zelda) so how does the player control specific songs?
I’m not sure what you’re asking. There’s no memorized songs in this game like in Ocarina.
-How does the game mechanics work? So far we have only seen the singing component but is there more to it?
The singing is your main way of interacting with the world. The rest is about what you interact with. Think like time rewinding in Braid, or world rotating in Fez, etc etc. You travel to many places and use your singing in a wide variety of contexts.
-With the project doing so well what kind of stretch goals can we expect so see?
I don’t know about that, but I’d be interested in ports and localization if we do pass the goal.
-In your character description you refer to the bard in the plural form; what is up with that?
“Plural” articles like “they” are the most natural way linguistically to refer to somebody without specifying gender. Because a lot of the game is about self expression, I want the bard to be plausibly whatever gender the player sees them as, just to help people relate to the character and seeĀ themselvesĀ into the game a bit. I’d like for you also to be able to choose the bard’s voice (so you can be more boyish or girly), but we’ll see how that goes. If there’s no selection the voice will be androgynous (as it is in the trailer).
-What is up with the fairy character and how can I make it go away?
She’s the catterfly, and she’s the Dream King’s assistant. You can’t make her go away.
-What do you hope to accomplish or get out of by creating Wandersong?
I’d like to make a game with meaning. And I’d like for the game to improve the lives of the people who play it.
-Do you have any future projects in mind already?
No way, I can’t even think about that right now, haha. I have to finish this first.
