Interviews

Interview with Private Moon Studios, developers of Agon
(which is now up to episode three)

by Alexander Tait

1. Who will like Agon?

I believe that everyone who likes pure adventure games, the excitement of travel and discovery, the romanticism of the turn of the century, complicated puzzles and board games will like it.

2. Tell us about the story line.

The story of Agon is set at the turn of the century but in some of its details it reaches as far back as the Middle Ages or even farther. The protagonist is Professor Hunt, who starts from the British Museum in London in 1903 to travel twelve points of the world following a strange legend. He starts out following the clues of a mysterious manuscript, of which he finds several more during his travels, and looks for the last descendants of cursed families that possess lost board games, called ‘fate games.’ Each episode has its self-contained story, they can be enjoyed separately, but it is a fact that the background story becomes clearer and clearer, as we find more information in the scenes and the correspondences, which contain a rather strangely depicted version of the way the world works.

3. How is part 3 different?

The Madagascar episode takes place in a somewhat larger space and has more puzzles, so it ensures a longer playing time than the earlier parts. There is more communication with the characters in the game, and perhaps its visual world is richer, although this is due more to the choice of the scene.

4. Does the game require any knowledge of the previous parts?

No, not necessarily. At the start of each episode, a short text provides the gamer with the most important information, as a simple intro. Then the immediate objective is framed in a rather dubious manner as usual for adventure games. This objective is not so simple to reach, sometimes it is simple obstacles and sometimes it is a whole turn in the story that hinders the protagonist. It is typical that he is forced to face a brand new problem and it gains priority, as for instance his life is in danger, or the original objective seems impossible to reach but the new situation somehow still gets him closer to his original aim. Madagascar, Burma, Peking, Lapland, Toledo etc.; these scenes are so interesting in themselves that they almost offer special and exciting stories and even their exploration is an adventure in itself.

5. Will there be any action sequences in the game? Mazes?

Action sequences are certainly not to be expected in Agon, and we are not particularly fond of maze puzzles either. However, if we are out for life-like solutions it is unavoidable for unknown scenes taking up a large space (such as a jungle, a desert, a mine system or even a larger hotel) not to appear as mazes. This would have the same effect in reality, too. Similarly, the time factor cannot be neglected in certain cases, which does not mean that we would be left to rely on our reflexes. Anyway, if any of the elements that we usually deplore should appear, we will strive to place them in a way that they serve reality and not the spending of time or simple excitement, and to avoid turns that have been seen a thousand times.

6. Are there subplots that might be discovered in subsequent replays of the game? Does this game have replayability (beyond the fact it is an adventure game and often enjoyed with repeated plays!)?

Agon contains optional elements, tasks that have multiple solutions, details and smaller stories that are useless in solving the aim but are very important to build the atmosphere; what is more, we are planning two good solutions for episode four. We believe we are dealing with the questions of nonlinearity and interactivity in an optimal manner. I have personally been interested in these issues for a long time, as I think that the makers of a good adventure game are ultimately creating a world. Nevertheless a small cheat differentiates the result from creating a real world, namely that this world can be explored only in a seemingly nonlinear and interactive form. It is a question whether it is worth lowering these limits. The story created by the writers is what engages the gamer in the new world, what motivates him or her to explore. The story places limits on the game, but these limits also save the virtual worlds from boredom. Simply the fact that we can interact with anything does not cause conflict, does not result in exciting adventure. This is what happens in the real world, and yet lots of people lead boring lives, so lots of people live their escapism exactly in such a limited world as the world of adventure games. Nonlinearity also results in losing the specific story, since the story is built of plots and chains of actions. If that chain is cut up, the story ceases to exist or becomes fragmented at least; it will not be as attractive as it could be with tighter connections. Additionally, it is certain that it takes the same amount of work to develop a totally interactive lifelike room as to develop a complete game, and this heroic work would not be rewarded by the gamers, who want to be entertained, want to explore, face exciting problems, and not just lift, push and combine objects. That is why nonlinearity/linearity and the question of interactive/static environment needs to be treated in a smart way, because reliving experiences is not the most important aspect. But it is not impossible: sometimes we do re-watch the absolutely linear films, re-read our favorite novels.

7. Are there any in-jokes in the game, nods to other games?

We have had numerous ideas already, as we love Easter egg hunting but in our list of priorities, these always ranked so far behind that most were not included in the game. Of course, humorous remarks and scenes do occur in the episodes nevertheless (it is worth watching the guard of the Malagasy village for a longer time after he sits down on the stone next to the gate). But we must also watch out that this is only a mild spice to the romantic and mystic adventure, since the balance is easy to lose.

8. Will there be hints in the game?

No, we are not planning to build hints into the game. However, the professor’s remarks and narrations count as such ideas and helps although they also serve easier identification with the character and the spirit of the age.

9. Will there be a companion in the game?

Yes, the professor is searching the unknown in some episodes with a companion, but if possible, I would not like to give away more than that.

10. Will there be different levels of difficulty?

Agon, in my opinion, is of a mid-level difficulty; it does not make much sense to build in levels of difficulty. Nevertheless, in the board games appearing at the end of the episodes there is already Normal and Easy Mode since these are not traditional puzzles, not traditional elements in an adventure game, and we would not like the extra challenge to discourage those who are not particularly fond of board games.

11. What other games have inspired the development of Agon?

I have been an adamant collector of adventure games for over ten years; I have almost 250 boxes on my shelf. Probably all of them inspired the idea of Agon, but to be exact, none could be singled out. Knowing so many adventures, I think it is the general principles we managed to acquire; now our task is to fill the optimal form based on those principles with our own content. Looking at the structure of the game in an analytic way, one can discern the schemas, the net of puzzles, which in most cases can be recreated again and again in almost any environment. However, if the game is good, only the experts can discover this schematic system as the story and the mystic world provides this system as a natural challenge to gamers.

12. How many voice actors are there?

It is impossible to estimate in advance. We work episode by episode, and a Canadian company that works with professional actors does the casting for us based on the script. A British actor living in Hungary, Peter Miekle lends the protagonist Professor Hunt his voice episode after episode.

13. Tell us about Private Moon.

Private Moon is a complex productions company; our primary profile is pop music productions. It has a history of over ten years as a music studio, independent record publisher and productions office. However, Private Moon Studios is a special division, which we created as an entirely separate organization out of private capital about two years ago, especially to enable us to produce finally the Agon adventure games series. Graphic artists, musicians and programmers, that is professionals work on the project. But regarding our possibilities, financial background and circumstances, we can be considered the same kind of garage developers as those who have appeared recently on the Internet. We work for our own enjoyment and only hope that others will like the result.

14. Who is on the team?

László Falvay, a.k.a. ‘Lajka’ and myself direct the production. He is responsible for the specific operation while I work on the concept and the game design. Three 3D graphic designers and one animation expert work day after day on the visual presentation under Tamás Papp’s leadership, and Gábor Csendes is the game’s single programmer. This is the basic team, which is sometimes complemented by others, and László and I often appear in other roles. He is primarily a graphic artist and I am a musician and sound engineer.

15. How difficult is it to make a game of this quality?

Yes, the consistent maintenance of a set standard of quality proves to be the hardest task. With the 360° panoramic internal view, we chose the solution that requires the most work and the most detailed depiction. We work with an extreme number of pictures and camera positions and there are no areas that could be neglected as in the point ‘n’ click games with an external view, which are becoming fashionable nowadays again. In addition, I think that we set a high standard with the details and richness of the story and the puzzles and sound effects so we have to keep busy. Keeping the quality high is of primary importance for us, unfortunately, as gamers can see, we consider the dates of publications as secondary if we feel that an even more punctual rendering is needed.

16. So, what’s next when this is finished?

When this is finished? As it seems right now, only retirement will come after the development of Agon …! J On the one hand, numerous episodes are waiting to be developed in the game (nothing would be more satisfying than to walk this long way as planned and tell Professor Hunt’s exciting story to the end). But I would not exclude the possibility of a sequel since although the gigantic discovery of episode fourteen duly finishes the story, it will also start a new line of thought. In addition, of course, we have many other ideas, almost exclusively within the genre of adventure games. Now, we are striving to maintain our stability and to create the individual episodes since, as I have mentioned, we are working among near amateur circumstances.

17. Do you see that commercial interest in adventure games can be restored? What would it take?

Right now, we can only talk about the slow regeneration of the genre; besides smaller successes, we should be happy that we have not seen it die. The genre of adventure games builds on values that are increasingly lost from people’s lives: intellectuality, romanticism and beauty, which operate in these games, as opposed to the world suffering from the rule of speed, force and effects. Therefore it is a vain hope that this value system and with it the time of adventure games should return. Technology, developing at a rapid pace, is capable of inducing miracles but for the time being, it influences only on speed and bombastic effects so it may only help this ungratefully forgotten genre on a sidetrack. However, it will not be lost as long as there are people with a sense of taste, who are able to withstand the current.

18. Do you think adventure gamers need to branch out or welcome experimentation in the structure of an adventure game or should they be more proactive to further the cause of traditional adventure gamers?

The genre of adventure games sticks to such basic elements that provide a strong enough framework so that every adventure gamer can trust the experimental pieces born within the genre. There have always been special productions during the past years (Biosys, Tender Loving Care, POV, Missing, etc.), which did not achieve huge success (apart from being enjoyed by the more courageous), but extended the horizon of possibilities and set of ideas for all of us. These experimentations are important and would deserve more support. Let me stress, I am only talking about experimentation within the genre. Action-adventure and RPG-adventure alloys are only for gamers, in my opinion, who are happy to play both genres in the first place.

19. Increasingly, I see the influence of adventure games in other genres of gaming, particularly with storyline development and puzzles. What are the five best non-adventure games?

True, more complex and larger productions increasingly use adventure-like elements thus enhancing the depth of the story and the playing time. Nevertheless, they are still very far from my taste so I do not play such games. Neither the story, nor the graphic solutions attract me so much as to make me forget the annoying and strange solutions. Some strategic games (Caesar III, Traffic Giant, Zoo Tycoon, etc.), maybe some clones of the Commandos series (Desperados, Robin Hood, etc.) keep my attention for a short while, but I must confess I have never made it through any of them.

20. Do free games help or hinder the popularity of commercial games?

If something is free, it can be assumed that its production must have cost far lower than the costs of products sold for money; or we are facing an utter fool. In my opinion, visuals are a strong characteristic of adventure games, which cannot be produced without a lot of money or at least a huge amount of time beyond a certain quality. A part of this is of course “paid back” in the form of positive statements and congratulations but neither solve the very concrete problem of paying the bread of the developer day after day. However, free games are beneficial to the genre because on the one hand they are encouraging other developers, on the other hand new creative talents may appear through them, who will be able to use their gift and experiences gathered in making amateur games among luckier circumstances next time.

21. Thanks for the interview. What is in Agon’s future?

I would be happy to talk about the novelties of the near future. One is the fourth episode, whose production we have invested lot of time and energy in, and which perhaps again somewhat outdoes the earlier ones, fitting into the series at the same time. Gamers will experience a somewhat different game style in the part entitled The Lost Sword of Toledo. We have placed much emphasis on communication in addition to the intelligent puzzles based on the usual inventory and discovery of logical relationships. It is important to say however that this does not necessarily mean a line of development, simply that the scene of Toledo and the story demanded that kind of game style. In accordance, we meet and talk to much more characters in the episode, what is more further persons, NPCs also appear. It is interesting that the game space, the part of the city, can be discovered from the first moment; it is only some sub-scenes that open up when there is a reason. The game will perhaps be even bigger and with a longer playing time than the one in Madagascar, so I am careful only to state tentatively that we would like to release it in May. February is closer though, when two important novelties await those visiting the Agon website: on the one hand, the first three Agon episodes are downloadable in Macintosh format (and further developments will take place approximately at the same time for both platforms). On the other, we offer the episodes of the game in a brand new form from now on. The whole games will be downloadable, but only a demo-sized portion will be playable without buying a registration code. That is, from one viewpoint, free demos of all three episodes will be available, and from another, Agon will be able to spread freely as a shareware program (through the Internet and CD supplements of magazines); you will have to visit our website only to buy the license. And of course it is worth doing so for other novelties as after the update, important correspondences related to the Agon story and the online board games (NetBoards) are available from here in addition to news, forum discussions and all kinds of extras.