Interview with Maciek Matusik content artist and story developer for Flyingwildhogs

Meeting this guy for the first time was quiet something, when he told me to look for a big guy in a military uniform, I knew already that I was interviewing a veteran of the gaming industry. Maciek worked in many companies, in big titles like, "Sniper," now him and his company "Flyingwildhog," are releasing their first game ever "Hard Reset" a FPS which I am sure will be a big deal! Below, is a teaser trailer, below that, a link to the game trailer (for some odd reason it won't insert), and below that the interview!

Gameplay Trailer

Interview with Maciej, developer from FlyingWildHog

In 2002 a noteworthy architecture critic said the role of architecture in games is simply cosmetic, I believe quite a bit has happened over the past decade, what in your opinion is the role of architecture in games today, and where will you think it will head?

Depends on what you do really, if you create a sci-fi world your inspirations are various, like you can create something from scratch or you could get inspired by something from the real world which helps you gather good references to create and recreate items for the games world. It varies on the kind of game, really... and what the player does... for example between rpg's or first person shooters.

Well in rpgs it’s different, because you can revisit the same environment where as in fps that never really happens, you never really revisit the same spaces, I mean sometimes you do....

Well sometimes you do

But it’s usually different, I mean the game has a timeline right?

Yeah

You need to progress the story right?

Yeah

If you go back to the same space its never really going to be the same, its going to be different

mostly, yes

And sometimes it’s used differently…

Yes, yes, yes, in FPS you usually push on, but you can sometimes go back

Well, if your lost or something or you can’t find your way…

No, no it could be a planned event, like retreat or something like that, we call this mechanism the script, like when you press the trigger something begins to work in the space

Right…

And then the game orders you to retreat for instance, then you come back to the same space and something entirely new happens… the other thing is that walking forwards and backwards in the same level allows you to create longer gameplay; I mean the game feels longer.

What do you think the major considerations of level designer are when designing a game?

It depends on the firm first of all, we make something we call a maquette which is a simplified environment, like simple blocks, cones. Let’s say we get a draft of a level and then we think how to create interesting gameplay, where to place events and how to lead a player through the environment. Sometimes we create ideas like collapsing buildings, we call this a special event.

In short and briefly what captivates you in a good game? What does it do? How do games become addictive?

First of all, I am interested in stories, it’s very important to me; I am not a typical player. Some players just push on, shoot targets; push on, shoot targets that is how it scrambles in their case. To me personally, I like to question why I am here? what am I doing? what are my orders? who are my enemies? and such things… So the story is very important to me, personally….

Why are first person shooters such a big deal? Why do people enjoy them?

Because your able to be fully immersed in a completely new environment that your able to explore…, it never gets old because you get to be somebody new...

It used to be that good graphics were the big thing, now I hear people saying good graphics are nice but they prefer the gameplay… What do you think constitutes good gameplay?

Well I think we may establish this as a rule, that people are generally attracted to good gameplay and for me the social interaction and the shooting is very key. Games should be fun and convincing; sometimes it’s done through the AI. That’s not to say that graphics aren’t important, it takes a team with a lot of skill to create convincing graphics. But at the end of the day you need a good story, good gameplay, interesting environments, events, people…

Have you seen the new Battlefield 3 trailer by any chance?

Yeah

Have you seen the way the characters lead you through the environment, there’s a lot of interaction…

Well yes, actually that’s an entirely different approach from our work, "Hard Reset", take a look, its built on a lot of visual impact; it’s an entirely different world, a cyber-punk world, where we make entirely different weapons, equipment and building environments, it’s a recreation so we have the privelage to create a new world work, with new rules and such, I’m the story designer, but I also create weapons and textures for the game…

So your inspirations do they come from the real world?

Sometimes, yes…

Is it just inspirational, or is there certain things you’re trying to trigger in the player?

Trigger?

Ok, let me give you an example, do you know fallout?

(tilts his head back and makes a wild eyed expression signaling, “obviously”)

Obviously

Very good game

Ok, some players online were talking about it and what they were interested in was how you that game re-interpreted the way they can perceive the environment, like a pile of junk can be a home for a vicious raider. Or just take you know..

Eh are we talking fallout 1, 2 or 3?

Three, sorry

Ah, that’s not fallout…

Fair enough we'll get back to that, but what I am interested in, actually, is the way they used recognizable buildings from Washington to trigger memories and that’s what kept players really interested in that area, I don’t know it’s just a strategy....

Perhaps for you as citizens

Haha, fair enough…

I think the graphics in fallout 3 was lousy

That’s true it sucked…

A big one

But it was fun?

Naaah, look, in fallout 1 and 2

I never played it so, I was eager to buy it on steam but…

You should, it’s a fucking milestone

Really?

It was brilliant, because the limits of the graphics forced you to use your imagination, you saw a simplified world, but in your head it was real!

Wow

And that was a major impact...

And how do you think they achieved that?

Through creating an inspiring story and world, it was this holistic design, it was a retro future. At first glance, the world is quiet strange and after a while it grabs you.

Right, I guess its like a story, you know, they say “let the reader use their imagination…” they kind of give you a hint, and then you actually get even more into it…

Yes, it works like that, I believe…

To me a good game leaves me with memories after I am done playing, how do you think this may be achieved in general? What makes moments, and events memorable?

Once again, creating very characteristic locations, characters and events… and if something unusual happens and I don’t know, like the dragon, for example, from the Witcher 2; huge bitch dragon trying to eat you up in a confined space, you’re going to remember that battle because the character and the environment was challenging.

Do you know Half life 2?

Yes

A lot of people really like the moment when they were playing with Dog…

Yes, yes, yes very good animation.

And the reason some people liked that was because it was very memorable, because yes, it was a very specific environment it was like a junkyard and that kind of matched Dog’s style, so it was an immediate aesthetic kind of unity but at the same time there was that animation and that interaction…

That and another cool thing in this particular scene was a robot behaving like an animal.

Right

It looked it like a robot but it moved more organic.

What experience do games have over in spaces that real world architecture does not? Why do people want to experience games?

Because in games they experience things that are entirely different in real life, for example in games you shoot people, seldom, rather. I mean I shoot people in real life, but its an airsoft game, similar experience... but you don’t KILL people.

A lot of people think that anything is possible in games? However would you say there are things games cannot achieve that real architecture can, or is this really the case?

Well, no, For example in our game we have the core, it’s a 5km high building with pillars and hangers and its like you know, insane, I don’t think our technology in real life can build things such thing now. On the other hand, in games you’re limited by the computers power, number of triangles, but that too gets better over time. So kind of like the real world, games are also always pushing limits. But at the end of the day games are built to support gameplay... thats a different approach then environments in real life...

What do you think the key elements are in making an environment convincing? Even if it’s very stylized or artistic, how do you make the player forget where he is and sink into the game?

First of all you have to synergize, if you take a level, and you take it apart, explode it, take the single assets they should match together, if they don’t match, they’re worth fuck all. If a game doesn’t follow its own rules it doesnt sell, it needs consistency. And the other thing that is very important is the overall quality of the assets themselves, if their visually attractive, if they work, then great!

One of the things I am specifically researching is time, the way it is used and distorted in games (specifically first person shooters) into what we call events. In reality where we may experience spaces that never really change over time, or spaces that feel like forever (e.g doctor’s office), in games this notion of our perception of time has the ability to be controlled very specifically. How would you say level design plays into that? And how would you say it controls this whole notion of distorting time…

They have full control over it, if the events are challenging, if you have to save and load often, it feels longer. An overall trend for the hardcore players, weekend players and monthly players is that if the game is challenging and the events are powerful it will be memorable; if not, even the hardcore player will forget those moments. Also if it’s not tactile, if it’s not unique its worth nothing, becuase it won't stick….

What are the primary roles of the NPC’s in games? What do you think the NPCS add to the game that goes beyond the dialogue?

Very hard question, because there is not a straightforward answer. But I think the best thing that you can achieve between you and none player characters is interaction! And most games, NPC’s are still dumb they are just following you. You know if you’re looking at your teammates, (the people that back you up), sometimes they’re just not doing anything… and I draw a conclusion that they are not necessary. You need the interaction!

To what extent would you say the level design is affected by the NPCs movements/actions and also specifically to the players interaction with the NPC?

In battlefield 3 there was a clear implication, when they crawl; you crawl, the impact is huge. It’s like in the real world; If your being shot at and the guy in front of you gets shot, you hit the deck. I know this from real experience. It’s something like instinct, so the way the NPCs behave in that game draws on your instinct and that also makes the environment more memorable because you as the player are interacting with the NPC and there is a relationship to the world that goes beyond dialogue. And the game draws at your instincts to use the environment to crawl if you’re visible, to use the walls the barriers to protect you. And when the NPCs begin to convince you it works like the real world, when they look in a direction, shoot in a direction it makes you want to do the same and then you start to consider them as real people, you are convinced.

One of the major differences I find between architecture in reality and in games is the way the player interacts with the environment physically. In half life for example they put a lot of effort into the bounce-back of the crowbar to give the player a “feeler” into the game, this was quiet a big deal at the time; but at the end of the day we are limited to mouse and keyboard? Would you say games aim at limiting the interaction of the player with the environment? Expanding it? Controlling it? (Some games don’t even allow you to jump)…

First of all we are not limited to mouse and keyboard. You have certain controllers like something that looks like a gun, you have the wii which recognizes certain movements, and the Microsoft connect, this gives the player the opportunity to interact with the environment directly, damage the environment. There is actual physics involved, things bounce, things move, things break, things weigh, this gives you a much more realistic experience…

I am going to play devil’s advocate for a second, because at the end of the day, games also have a story that they need to follow and things that they need to do, let’s assume we have the tech. to let the player do anything they want, do you think it may damage the story? Get in the way? You want to control it as well no?

I think that it can, yes, because the main topic, the main importance of the game, is to force the player to do what he wants to do, if you give him the opportunity to do anything, giving him a free hand entirely, creating such a game would be extremely complicated because you choose to make a game, you choose what to show, what to buy….

Also, if we just make it like real life, it won’t beas fun, obviously. There is a reason you play a game and it’s because of specific experiences…

Yes, many things of games are simply fake… for example, environments, buildings, sometimes if you see a front wall of the building, bricks, whatever, its just a plain surface, they is nothing in it. If you gave the player the opportunity to move inside every building, you will need to create the buildings' interior, so you would have to re-create the whole world and having no choice in what to create and what not to create, it would be extremely complicated and this would be a huge bitch to pull off.

Jespur Jull another game critic pointed out something very interesting: I will read you what he said, he was reffering to a book he was writing called “Half-real”

"The Half-Real of the title refers to the fact that video games are two rather different things at the same time: video games are real in that they are made of real rules that players actually interact with; that winning or losing a game is a real event. However, when winning a game by slaying a dragon, the dragon is not a real dragon, but a fictional one. To play a video game is therefore to interact with real rules while imagining a fictional world and a video game is a set of rules as well a fictional world." -Jespur Juul

Would you agree with what he said?

Yes, but to me this begs the question of mental stability, if your imagination is very vivid, and very strong and you consider things that are in the game, real, it’s your problem, but it’s a problem… You should always be able to tell the difference between the real world and the fictional world, otherwise…

You go off shooting people…

Yeah, I actually experienced that once, I don’t mean shooting people, buut I was playing fallout 2, I was playing 22 hours or so, without eating sleeping and my friend called me and said “hey come over…”

Was that the last time you heard of that friend?

Haha, no anyways I got dressed, I went to the tram station, I grabbed my smoke and then I realized I didn’t take a lighter. So I looked around, I saw a lady, I came over and said, in English (because the game was in English) “Excuse me, have you got a lighter?” and then I slapped myself, in my head, I mean, and I asked her again in Polish, and she gave me a lighter, I lit my cigarette, and then! I was at the very edge, the very edge of asking her “tell me about this place?” which is a standard dialogue in fallout…

You know what! I’m sure this has happened to me, I’m very oblivious, I also, I used to play doom, my mom couldn’t get me off the computer! Thats a funny thing actually I learned most my English from playing games, maybe that’s why your English is so good as well! Just a thought!

Yeah, you know I actually passed my English exam during my university career quoting fallouts intro., the lady asked us to sit down and talk about a book, then I realized I didn’t aaand I started to think what to do, and I told her the book I am going to talk about was fallout, she asked what is that book about, and I answered, “The book is about war, war never changes…” and I quoted the whole intro and I passed…

Hey if it works it works right! I’m sure she like started crying, that’s amazing, anyways! Moving on, Basically I was just curious, because I have a blog and some guy posted on it this link and I’ll send it to you, my friend thinks its fake, anyways! Its these guys and they have this technology that turns polygons into atoms..

Atoms

Atoms yes,

Well I’m not very technical

No that’s fine! and apparently they can put an unlimited number of them, and it looks real, there’s no triangular surfaces everything is as it should be… So you can actually

Yeaaah I heard about it

And then this other guy online thought it was fake

Noo its not

Unlimited though?

No, I wouldn’t say unlimited buut.. almost

Like you can run it? It will run fine?

Yeah, I think so, you see the real issue is that’s its not standard, you see industry uses standard, if something is not standard

Everyone will attack it or?

Everyone will attack it and its not very usable, because its not standard

Well apparently it works with 3ds max, but anyways I’ll send it to you because I have your email.. but my question, my point! Again one off those general cheesy questions but I nead your quotes, your opinion, What is the implication of upgrading my computer for a game? As computers get stronger, graphics improve our ability to do everything expands, what do you see happening in the future? Will games become more grounded and strive to be closer to reality? What will we see happening? What kind of spaces will I be able to experience?

It depends on many many factors, the first thing is optimization, a good should be optimized, sometimes you see a game that doesn’t look good and it crashes. You have a slideshow instead of full movement, but I don’t think there’s any limit, it will develop, there is no end of this. Geometries in games that are heavier, and they will be heavier, the interaction will become bigger and bigger, worlds, textures bigger and bigger, I don’t think there’s an end...

 
Well let’s say, hypothetically we reach a point where we re-model our entire Earth, every detail, every molecule, would games basically still be the same? How will the experience in a space change?

By all means no, I said I wouldn’t put my name on the thought that anything is possible, but let me think…

Well games still have to have rules as well, they still have to limit things they do...

Open world game, entirely free choices, as I said before, it would be a bitch to pull off, I meen production and the other thing is that game wouldn’t be so interesting

It wouldn’t would it?

Like in case of sims, it’s a lame game

I know its fun for a week, Funny enough it was made to simulate people in spaces, it was made for architectural purposes as a tool…

Really? What?

Yes it was made to be a simulation, to see how people behave, but back then they didn’t have such good AI so they just turned it into a game, I mean you can see that in sims, if there is a plate on the floor, they can’t walk over it, they don’t know how… well in sims2 they can but you still see that their like getting ready, bracing themselves to walk over the plate, its hilarious...

I just don’t get how this game is so popular, you take a dump, you get ready, you go shopping and that’s it! Nothing really happens

You know what! Your absolutely right, I get sims, I play it for about a week, but you know what takes it away from me! The fact that I have to control the sim, I just like building the house and watching things happen in it, that’s whats fun, but controlling when the guy goes to sleep, that’s boring! I have to confess, when I was a little boy I used to play with Barbie doll houses…

Same here

Really?

Yeah

I used to have fun organizing the furniture, I used to love all that stuff and that’s what sims was for me,

Arranging space

now I have to make sure this guy doesn’t starve to death, its as if I am avoiding the special events

If anything I have more fun making sure he does die

I like killing them! It’s a bit more entertaining, not because I am some sadistic maniac, and that’s certainly how the game makes you feel if you do, its because nothing happens! Ever!

Yes, its because the main value of the game is to be someone you are not, somewhere unique, you take your full armor and your giant sword and you slay a dragon…

Yes, and that’s why a real game exactly like real life would be shit, although I have to tell you and this is actually quiet an interesting thought, I’ve always wanted and I’ve never bothered to make this, but when I was in school or you know I live in a town outside of Amsterdam, its called Amstelveen, I would love to play a game that’s inside my town, simply because I could recognize things you know?

Yeah..

You know it’s the same thing, and I was talking about fallout 3, and I know you said you didn’t like it, well one of the reasons people liked that game, was because for people who have been to Washington and have seen those things, and then they re-exerpience those in a different way, to them that’s like great!

I think the game in post-apocalyptic would be interesting, I think so yeah, I know… Although it wasn’t a good game,

I think, because the NPC’s were just so plain, so boring,

they did not interact with you, I did not like the game…

By the way, whats your opinion of Minecraft!?

(He’s about to laugh)

Oh! C’mon! Seriously? What’s your opinion?

Its an entirely differnet approach…

I know right!

It looks abysmal

It looks like shit!

It looks like shit, but at the same time somehow cool, I’ve never played it but I’ve seen my friends spending hours, because in the office we play often, because of the production now, but I think its because of the feeling

The environments are so cozy and you can really interact with friends, and build together

Yeah and I think that’s why it works well despite the graphics

You know and this was what I was trying to bring up, I think there was a moment and It may have been 3-4 years ago where graphics was really the big deal, I feel like now, I mean its more, I mean you see things like Minecraft…

Yeah

And graphics, don’t get me wrong are still important, but instead of being like 30% important its more like 20%, people are more convinced by like, well the NPC’s, I mean we’ve both seen battlefield 3,

Yeah it’s because it’s like getting back to the important roots, we’ve done this, our game is hardcore, old-school shooter, we actually don’t allow jump, we don’t have crouch

Yeah! That’s what I am saying your controlling the… Why didn’t you allow jump or crouch!? That’s what I ment your controlling the way the user interacts with the environment…

Because it was necessary, because our levels were designed in the way that allowed you to really immerse in the gameplay and really focus on your goals, buut if you see a huge obstacle, you can shoot it and it explodes….

Sounds a bit like doom?

Yes, it’s a nostalgia game

Doom damaged my brain, I think, I used to dream about it… I used to dream I was in doom and I would wake up like o shit,

Yeah same here, and actually my fiancé played medal of honour

That was a good game

Yeah, and the scene of landing on Omaha Beach, crouching behind cover, behind obstacles behind heavy fire, mortars firing, everything happening at the same time, and she finished this level and we went to bed and I was reading, she went asleap. Then she started to crouch, sleeping, behind me, she started to crouch behind me…

That’s so funny!

And I was like, what the hell are you doing? And she answered, “they are shooting at me.”

Wooow, that’s crazy,

Yeah some games, just really stick with you

Memorable

Yea

(end of interview from here)