Interviews

Interview: Jonathan Boakes of Dark Fall

By: Harriet Gurganus

Several years ago I had the marvelous opportunity to interview Jonathan Boakes. That was before the success of his game, Dark Fall. His name had not become a household word in the gaming community. But time passes and things change. Today most adventure game players know who Jonathan is in relation to his games but most of us don't know much about him as a person. Therefore, the following interview focuses on Jonathan Boakes and who he really is.

Jonathan, thank you for giving us this peek into your private world. I look forward to watching your career develop and your games find the audience that they so deserve.

1. Your name visibility and recognition have increased one-hundred fold since the release and success of your first commercially released game. How has this changed your life? Are you happy with the changes? What would you change now if you could?

More time, please! I would love to be able to produce one adventure title a year, but it isn't possible. I care about my work too much to hurry something through, without care and attention. This all takes time, and I would dearly love to have more of it. It is the most precious commodity. Thankfully, I only have to organize myself, and don't have a team of people to boss around. I am not sure I would take to that too well.

On a personal level, my life hasn't changed at all. I had already made the decision, after quitting University, that I would probably be seeking rather quirky employment for the rest of my working life, so being the author of the Dark Fall games fits that bill quite nicely.

I am still reading the same books, watching the same films, eating the same sandwiches. etc, but being published does change my perspective of the games completely. Dark Fall was created as a small personal project which grew in status, where as I am now writing for an audience. That has it's up and downs, but is generally a positive outcome.

2. When did you start playing games? When did you decide that you wanted to design and develop games? Do you have an educational background in graphic arts, computer engineering, etc. or are you a self-taught genius?

I'm not a genius. I am just a geek with too much time on his hands.

My education was a disaster to begin with. A horrible and destructive school life provided me with two qualifications: Art and English (at a pathetic level). I had a couple of open-minded tutors, who recognized that I was buried underneath personal problems, and encouraged me to express my feelings through writing and art. The latter was a lifesaver, so I went on to study art and media at a higher level. I made up for lost time and experience, and increased my qualifications by 300% over a period of two years. My favourite subject was History of Art, and not just because of the eye candy. It revealed that I wasn't the only person who had trouble communicating with my peers, and I could explore emotion through artistic ramblings. That helped a great deal.

I left college with dreams of becoming a photographer, and managed a few exhibitions across London. One thing led to another, and I started working d digitally. Beyond working on montages I found a renewed interest in games. I had been playing games since 1984, when my mother and sister bought a Spectrum ZX. I am quite sure it was purchased for educational reasons, but I only ever used it for games! A highlight included "The Mystery of Arkham Manor", which is available to play online. I was fascinated by the ability to explore a fictional world, and interact with objects and people. You could say it was escapism. So, years later, when Myst came along I was hooked. I've played pretty much every adventure released in the UK since, and most of the US releases as well. Some people have been kind enough to lend me rarities, so I am quite proud of my collective play experiences.

I didn't know programming or 3D creation when I began Dark Fall. I have enough knowledge to put a game together, and get someway to manifest the ideas in my head, but I still have a long way to go.

3. Do you still work by yourself or have you accumulated a development team? Roughly how many hours go into the development of your games? Do you have preset work hours or do you work when the spirit and inspiration move you? What inspires you?

I am working, in many different ways, pretty much all of my waking hours (and probably during my sleep too!). I rarely take time out to partake in brain calming activities (I'm writing this on a Sunday morning). I am aware that I have a lot of lost time to make up for, so try to expand upon my knowledge and experience whenever I can. I always carry a notebook (paper, not PDA) so that I can keep a record of any ideas that spring to mind, regardless of whether they are game orientated or totally abstract.

I still work by myself, which can be a curse and a blessing. I don't have to maintain a work force, but I only have myself to blame when anything goes wrong. I am not afraid of responsibility, but it can get very lonely. Self doubt and nightmare insecurities can be very destructive forces, but I have more control and confidence than I had this time two years ago.

As for inspiration, it comes from many different mediums ("Is there anybody there?" said the psychic). It can be anything from watching a film (pretty obvious given the fiction I write) to baking a complicated cake. I listen to BBC Radio 4 while I work, which is always inspiring. It is the " charity shop" of radio broadcasting, as you never quite know what you are going to find. At 2:15pm I will be listening to the afternoon play, and then 45 minutes later I'll be noting down tips on what to do with turnips. It's all quite abstract, so much of the information is consumed unconsciously. I am quite sure that Dark Fall characters such as George Crabtree are based on real people I have encountered via the radio. Radio is cheap, and nonstandardized in comparison to TV and film. So there is more room to experiment. I truly hate the attitude of "only commit if it makes loads of money" which has possessed the British media. Overseas markets now influence everything that gets made. It is a waste and strangles inspiration and creativity.

4. Who is your best critic?

I have no idea! I guess I should say "myself", but that would be very pretentious. In terms of the Dark Fall games, the only critic that matters is the player. They pay for it, and invest their time. It only exists to be played, so I guess it is their opinion that counts the most. Making point and click games is a passion, as I love the medium, but given the legacy it can be a hard act to follow.

5. What system do you use for your game design?

I have 3 machines at the moment. There is a desktop PC for email, research and other tasks, which was used to produce the first game. Then there is the " Dark Fall" PC for rendering (which can take hours) and programming (which can take even longer!). Finally, I have a slightly creaky laptop, which I use when out and about, or between homes. Scenes from the next game have been put together in such diverse locations as a lonely Cornish beach, the London to Scotland sleeper train and a Japanese Karaoke restaurant. Keep that in mind when you play it (me being totally presumptuous) as you will see how those places influenced the content.

6. How do you process your storylines? Story first? Part of it? All of it? Fly by the seat of your pants and develop the storyline as you go?

Ha ha! All of the above.

There is always an original idea, in this case a haunted lighthouse, which becomes developed alongside the game. While building the rooms I will often find myself thinking up subplots, additional characters and ghostly possibilities. You could say the story is created organically, which is continued in the non-linear gameplay. I like to think that I leave only pointers here and there, and the player chooses which order they want to digest the information and narrative. This is a bonus of the medium, which some seem to overlook.

 

7. Do you have plans to develop other than adventure games?

Yes, I would hope I continue to develop! I don't want to be 30 forever. < g>

As for adventures, I have plans for the 3rd game, but don't feel confident to discuss them right now. Beyond games, I am still working in film, and enjoy landscape gardening! Anything that gets me away from the LCD glare has to be a good thing.

 

8. Do you play other than adventure games.

Yes, of course. Before devoting all my time to DFII I was playing Morrowind and Call of Duty. Interestingly, I have just compiled a list of the games I own, which you may find interesting. It is located at www.xxvproductions.co.uk/mygames if anyone fancies a look.

I don't have self-enforced criteria of what I can play. I would hope that I give anything a go, and see if it surprises. I would get paranoid thinking I was missing out on something otherwise. There is no private club in gaming, and I find the limited classification claustrophobic.

I do have a list of my top 20 play experiences, which include games as diverse as Half Life: Counter Strike, Thief: The Metal Age and Zork: Nemesis. Hmm, so anything with a 'colon' it would seem. They are all the rage!

I would say that 30% of my games are the scarily titled "pure" adventures.

9. How does history play into your scenarios? Are your locations real or imaginary? How much research do you put into the environmental background of your games?

Research is always a pleasure. As well as enhancing the game, it allows me to add to my knowledge. I try to keep it as fun as possible (like the revolting cooking recipes in Dark Fall), but some academic guidelines have to be adhered to. Cough.

I was lucky with Dark Fall II, as I already had knowledge of The Flannan Isle mystery from watching Dr Who and The Horror of Fang Rock in 1977. Given that I was only 5 at the time, it did tend to scare me a little (understatement!) This sci-fi tale was influenced by a true story: Three 'keepers' disappeared in 1900, from the island-based lighthouse in the Scottish Western Isles. The mystery has never been solved, and has fascinated me for years. So, I used that as a starting block for the game, and have expanded upon possible cause and reason. The "Lights Out" story twists and turns through many different eras, but uses the lighthouse as its figurehead. I can't think of a better setting for the good 'ol lonely point and click adventure experience. It seems Ptolemy Soter had us in mind when he commissioned the Pharos back in 290bc.

10. Do you think that the adventure genre will ever get the respect that it deserves within the industry?

It doesn't need "respect" from the industry, it just needs punters. The " industry" (who ever these they people are) are only interested in cash. Adventures continue to sell, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now, would I?

Of course, there are those that squeal about "The Adventure Genre Is Dead" over and over, and over , and over. I don't know about you, but I am bored to death of listening to their childish rants. If it is as dead as they suggest, why are they writing about them? Some people don't want them to exist, and be successful, but they refuse to go away for a reason. We like them. We pay for them. We play them. I don't give two hoots about whether or not they are advancing the industry. An apex has been reached in gaming technology, and a spectacular few are fighting it out for 'biggest innovator'. So, while they are puffing out their chests and swapping notes on the size of their engines I'll continue to ramble along the p'n'c back streets. It's a nice quirky place to be, with benefits all of it's own.

11. What do you think will increase the overall legitimacy of the adventure game in the gaming market as a whole?

Money, I would imagine. That's a bit sad, but that's how these things are calculated by the powers that be.

Personally, I think audience appreciation goes a long way. A solid, well-written and interesting game will outlive all the tedious WWII clones. Most 2D adventures still run on XP (with a little tweaking), as would the other genres. 'Shivers' is still visually interesting, but few would play a FPS from 1997 without cringing. The graphic adventures are timeless, like a good book. The moth eaten visuals can be quite charming.

12. Do you think that people's satisfaction expectations are too high or unrealistic? Do people trash a game too easily?

Yes. Most people that partake in (uncalled for) game bashing are usually would be developers themselves, who haven't got the courage to commit themselves to a personal production. So, instead it is much more fun for them to get all powered up and pick apart other peoples work. Of course, not all negative feedback is pointless. I'd have to be a psycho to say that. I am referring to people who jump into forum topics head first and trash a demo before anyone else has had a chance to form an opinion. More often than not there is some statement questioning the existence of such material. Fine, go away and play Postal 2. You'll find your victims don't answer you back.

13. What do you think is more important in a good game? Storyline? Graphics? Puzzles? Integration of all? Other?

All. Graphics and sound should enhance the story. Puzzles are included to lengthen the playtime, and provide audience interaction. Puzzles don't have to frustrate, if enough information is provided. The popularity of the walkthrough has murdered good puzzles. Some players (including myself) have lost our patience, so when something doesn't seem to work we instantly think " It's a bug". That's a bit sad, as satisfaction is lost when the puzzle is solved for us. There is an accusation that adventures are getting shorter, but are they really? Maybe it is a case of us consuming too fast. It took me 4 months to finish Zork: Nemesis, and hated certain puzzles, but it will stay with me forever because of that.

Someone emailed me recently to say "Please include a walkthrough with your next game, otherwise I won't buy it". That shocked me. Since when was total convenience such a good thing? I'm not talking about ease of use; I am talking about laziness.

14. You told me several years ago (when you were working on DF1) that you had a DF2 and a DF3 in your long-term thought process? Is 3 still an option?

Yes. I haven't given it much thought to date, but I do know that it will return the player to Dowerton, and the train station. I wish to give the game more power by allowing it to observe what the gamer 'looks' at, in who they pay most interest and the pace that they explore. Allowing the PC to find out what time of the day you are playing will also feature. Daytime supernatural activity will be different to the nasties that go bump in the night. That will be great fun.

15. Do you have a eye on a final completion date for DF2?

Yes and no. I have to give some indication to the publishers, as they work hard behind the scenes to get the game recognized, but I don't have a definite date. I will know which day it is when it that day dawns. Sorry to be cryptic.

16. What can you tell us about the storyline that we can't find on your website?

I could spill the details now, but it would spoil the fun. The website only explores the first segment of the game, but there are many facets to the environment you are presented with. Time travel through alternate histories, wandering ghosts and personal existence beyond the 'here and now' are all explored. Is a person really the sum of their memories? Ok, I'll leave it at that!