Today, we are excited to present an exclusive interview with our talented developer
Andreu Accensi Subirats, where we dive deep into the heart and soul of our upcoming game. Get ready to know the mysteries, discover the secrets, and witness the passion that fuels every line of code and stroke of pixel art. So grab your gear, tighten your virtual boots, and get ready to explore deep into the world of game development! So, letās get started!
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Q: What inspired you to create this game? Was there a particular experience, game, or piece of media that sparked your interest?[/h3]
In retrospect, I donāt believe any particular one thing triggered me to make this game. Everyone will assure you the movies they watched while growing up were the best ever made. Our taste in things like music or cinema seems to be mostly developed during our formative years. So it is no surprise that I hold late 80s and 90s movies in very high regard (also they are undoubtedly the best :P). There is something very charming about watching good guys dispatching bad guys to the beat of one-liners. Besides, I always found gamedev fascinating; I grew up playing video games, and I was mesmerized by their ability to make you the actual hero of the story. With them, I could be the hero throwing the cheesy one-liners and bringing down evil. If you take into account those two things, it was a no-brainer they inspired me to make MCP.
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Q: How did you get started on developing the game? Did you have a clear vision in mind, or did the game evolve as you worked on it?[/h3]
Everything started by trying to learn as much as I could about gamedev. I ended up choosing Unity as my prototyping tool, and I simply explored its possibilities for quite some time. Even when I decided to move onwards and make the game, at first it was nothing at all like today. I changed directions and tried different things; for example, the first iterations looked more like an action RPG with way larger levels and exploring them felt totally different. I ended up scrubbing all that because the game loop felt considerably slower, and I wanted to focus more on the action than the exploration. So it certainly evolved into its current shape.
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Q: What was your development process like? Did you encounter any challenges or obstacles along the way, and how did you overcome them?[/h3]
My approach to the development of the game was trying to design first, which for me was mostly putting my idea on paper in a structured way that still made sense, so I could follow along later, then implementing it and of course testing it. But it wasnāt a one way street, the design was revisited often and sometimes without even reaching the testing part; the realization of potential new features or challenges while implementing informed a better or more sensible design. In my experience, challenge is a synonym of gamedev which makes it very appealing to me. There is something incredibly fulfilling about finding technical or even creative solutions (AKA workarounds) to those challenges that at first might seem really hard to overcome.
- A timelapse of our developer making the upcoming achivements menu tab (yes we will have achivements in the full game!)[h3]
Q: What kept you motivated to work on the game, even when you faced setbacks or difficulties? Was there a particular goal or vision that drove you forward?[/h3]
My goal was always to make a game that I wanted to play. Of course, you want to share your vision and hope people have fun with it, so you donāt target only yourself as the audience, but there is a certain selfishness there that needs to be acknowledged. I always want to feel proud of anything I make, whether it is cooking a meal, installing furniture or making a game. The thing that moves me to do it, and do it well, is to feel proud and make others proud, and when I say others I mean my loved ones which are also a big part of what kept me motivated, not to mention sane, during this whole process.
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Q: How did you test the game during development?
Did you involve others in the testing process, and what feedback did you receive?[/h3]
On the first stages, while the game was taking shape, I did not involve anyone but myself. Once the game started to go in the direction I liked, I started sharing it with close friends I knew would be honest and some small indiedev groups and events where I could get more varied feedback. I received all kinds of good feedback, and watching people play was also invaluable. While listening to their experiences or suggestions, many times I found myself thinking āOh yeah, this is actually a great idea or pointā but just as many other times I thought āNope, this is not the game I want to makeā, this is still happening nowadays, and I think it will continue to happen after launch :P
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Q: What lessons did you learn during the development of this game?
Are there any particular strategies or techniques that you found helpful in overcoming challenges or achieving your goals?[/h3]
I learned a lot of making this game, not only hard skills, in my opinion the biggest lessons translate into soft skills; I feel Iāve grown at a personal level. I learned that most people underestimate how time-consuming gamedev is. But to any fools like me on this journey or thinking about starting it, I would highlight the importance of managing your time properly.
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How did you go about learning pixel art for the game? Did you have any prior experience with art or graphics, or did you have to learn from scratch?[/h3]
I started learning pixel art from scratch, I always liked doodling things and I even drew things on paper but besides a few logos and some photoshop I never attempted any type of real digital art before. I knew from the start that I wanted pixel art for the game because I simply love how it makes me feel. Let's say I would never have chosen photorealism because I like art that is meant to evoke feelings by itself (also budget, you know :P). Pixel art makes me feel a mix of nostalgia and wonder; this feeling of wonder comes from the need to use your imagination to fill the gaps with what little information you see on a few pixels. To improve I did a lot of research, a few courses but mostly a lot of practice and even more observation; soaking myself in the medium until I started recognizing patterns and techniques even if I didnāt fully understand how to use them to my advantage yet. I still have a long way to go, though.
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Q: How did you decide on the game's visual style and sound design?
Did you have a particular aesthetic in mind from the beginning, or did you experiment with different styles over time?[/h3]
When it comes to aesthetics I experimented a lot, I realized that for pixel art at that scale I could only get away with either minimalistic or cartoonish, I ended up trying a cartoonish style that still āpretends to be seriousā and that somehow clicked for me. It is worth mentioning I outsourced the sound department, so there are more people involved there. My main preference in terms of sound design was to have realistic sound effects (except the occasional funny one), I find they immerse me better into the character if they are believable. Lastly, I wanted a banger soundtrack, cause nothing helps keep the action flowing like some motivational tunes. To have a soundtrack matching the visuals, my preference was synth wave because it screams retro and I love it, but we also added some variation that still was in line with action movies new and old.
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Q: Did you collaborate with others on the game's development, or did you work on it solo?
How did this affect the development process and the final product?[/h3]
As I mentioned before, I sought a professional partnership when it came to the entire sound department because Iām no professional in that space and I did not see myself learning music the same way I learned pixel art. But that was not the only collaboration, as of today Iām still very much involved and collaborating closely with my publisher. So let's give a shoutout to Ravenage Games, who are helping me release the best possible version of MCP to the world.
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Q: Are there any particular Easter eggs or hidden features in the game that players should keep an eye out for?[/h3]
I donāt want to spoil anything, so Iāll keep this one vague. Iāll just say that my plan is to keep on supporting the game after launch, and to keep it interesting I want to add some not so obvious content so that the players can come back to the game and find something new from time to time.
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Q: What are your plans for the game? Do you have any upcoming updates, DLC, expansions, NG+ā¦[/h3]
Besides everything mentioned above that I donāt want to spoil, there are other things that I would like to add after those. I want to be able to play the game with my homies on the couch, so couch co-op for starters. Then, if there is a demand for it, I think releases for other platforms will be on the cards.
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Q: What is your favorite action movie?
How did it influence your game design and view?[/h3]
Ok, this is a genuinely tough question. Over the years I had periods where certain movies resonated with me more than others and my preferences kept very much in motion.
I'll go ahead and tell you my favorite action movie director so I can actually mention more than one movie, hahaha! That has to be Paul Verhoeven for bringing fantastic flicks as filled with action as with satirical and political undertones like: Robocop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers; so thank you very much meneer Verhoeven!
But if I have to choose only one movie, it would be the one that held that spot for longer. That is Terminator 2, and the badass Sarah Connor was a clear influence for the Scout character in MCP.
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Q: Favorite Scene in [/h3]
Terminator 2 is filled with plenty of incredible action scenes, but I can answer this question easier than the previous one. My favorite scene is the truck chase; I cannot even blink during that part.
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Q: Did I miss any questions you think I should have asked? If so, feel free to add whatever you want.[/h3]
No, I think this was enough of my rambling, so Iāll just addā¦ IāLL BE BACK.
We hope this exclusive interview has piqued your curiosity and provided valuable insight into our game development process. As we continue our journey of creating the ultimate gaming experience, your amazing support and feedback inspires us every step of the way. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and adventures. Together we will shape the future of gaming and create unforgettable experiences. Thank you for being a part of our community. And remember, your passion fuels our drive to push boundaries and create something truly extraordinary. Stay tuned agents!
And donāt forgetā¦ Let's make crime bleed!
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About Mega City Police[/h3]
Retrowave Skill-Based Action Roguelike about tough cops fighting crime and keeping peace the old-fashioned way. Choose your cop and dive into hardcore action against enemies and bosses using a huge arsenal and special abilities that will define your play style. The law will make crime bleed.
Stay in touch and join our fearless force here!
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