Upon a craggy storm-wrecked cliff lies the imposing Fireshine Publishing Castle and Luxury Dungeons.
A shabby, rag-clad figure shuffles down a dimly-lit flagstone corridor to the room at the end where the developers sleep. He is the Custodian. The corridor echoes, but he moves silently, atop a pair of pristine running shoes.
Muttering to himself, he withdraws from his billows a large iron key and opens the door. A sliver of light fills the gloom. The room reeks of rotting food and is heavy with the stench of pestilence. Three lie prone in chains. In front of them a bucket, a scroll and ink. They have been here for a while.
The Custodian shuffles up to Tim - the Lead Developer. He takes out a small notebook, already full of arcane scratchings. He prods the sleeping man with a metal rod on his belt.
Custodian: Tim…it’s time again.
Tim: (Groggily)...Oh God, no…I just can’t…
Custodian: IT’S IN THE CONTRACT (The walls shake).
Tim: Ok, Ok, what do you want to know?
Custodian: Tim, the people want to know, how did you come up with the idea for the Deadly Path?
Tim: If I do this…I want the first turn with the boil lance.
Custodian: Granted.
Tim: Sick Bastards.
You know…it wasn’t always like this. I used to make nice games. For nice people. Where did it all go wrong eh?
A few months ago, I had started playing games like Stacklands, Dome Keeper, Cultist Simulator - nasty games that kill you quickly and make you desperate to play again. It was then I had the thought ‘what about a game where you build a dungeon and protect it.’ You could have timers and cards, but also in real time. It would be like a boiled down RTS management game.
I wanted to make a game that was addictive but brutal - one where you got distracted by pretty things and then it kicked you in the teeth
Custodian: A Dungeon Keeping game…seems familiar.
Tim: I appreciate that. Dungeon Keeper was obviously a reference, both for setting and style. I’ve always loved dry British humour - Pratchett, Adams. In a way, I try to put it into everything I do…
Custodian: No Meta!
Tim: Ok! Unlike Dungeon Keeper, I wanted to have no simulations and boil things down to their root nature. Computers are great at simulating, but historically games - particularly board games - are abstracted. For instance Chess doesn’t have real horses in it. I didn’t want imps running around, I just wanted the *idea* of Imps. This is great for indie developers because it means we don’t need to make a thousand animations for one character - just a card and the players’ imagination will do.
Originally the game was still more complicated - you had building trees, upgrade trees and training wheels. However, these were quickly winnowed to just a few things.
1. You can excavate a tile
2. You can build on a tile
3. You can place workers in that building.
And that…is it. Everything else flows from this point - you want an upgrade, go up an era, train a servant - make a building and put something in it. It’s a very simple game!
Custodian: It is said that you sacrificed your first systems designer to appease the Dark Lords at the Games Developers Conference.
Tim: That is unproven. However, it’s a busy market out there and you need to get the edge somehow. And use it.
Custodian: Good, Goood…Right lets get you out of here.
Tim: Out?!
Custodian: Well, just for a while, we’re going to have you show the game at the Digital Tabletop Festival. Now remember, you’ve got an hour and then its straight back. And…er, don’t mention the boil lance.
Changed depots in developer branch