Hey Adventurers!

Thanks for checking out this week's MythForce interview with Project Director Luke Rideout!

A 15-year veteran of the industry, Luke has shipped over 30 games on mobile, handheld, console, and desktop platforms. He spent much of his career in Japan, mentored by industry giants like Yu Suzuki and Takuma Endo. His notable credits from that time include Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls and Akiba's Trip. At Beamdog, Luke has served as Project Director on Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition.

What games first attracted you to game design?

I've always been interested in game design, ever since I was very young. My dad was a software engineer, so we had an early personal computer terminal at home called the TI-99 4A from about as far back as I remember. He helped me build a simple version of the first village from Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link—though I never really had a head for programming.

I was drawing levels for platforming and top-down RPG games that were entirely in my head from childhood, but the games that really opened my eyes to the possibilities of games were the point & click adventures of the late 80s, like Monkey Island and Quest for Glory.

Who are some of the creators who've inspired your work?

I've been fortunate in my career to have had a number of truly great and inspiring mentors who helped to shape me as a game designer and producer. My first “real” job in games was working under Takuma Endo, who was the creator of the Tenchu series and a pioneer of the Stealth Action genre of games. I also had the honor to work—and creatively butt heads with—Yu Suzuki of Shenmue and Virtua Fighter fame. I also consider it an honor to work with a great creative mind like Trent here at Beamdog.

Aside from those who had a direct hand in my development as a game creator, I've also always been inspired by industry greats like Roberta Williams; Lori & Corey Cole; the trio of Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman, and Tim Schafer; and of course trailblazers like Sid Meier.

What is it about 80s fantasy animation that works so well in a video game?

The fantasy of the 80s was “anything goes.” The tropes hadn't yet been established at the time, so there was a lot of experimentation and freedom to explore because everything was new. There were no safe bets. It was the decade that brought us kid-friendly savage sci-fi in He-Man, cyberpunk wild west in BraveStarr, and anthropomorphic animal warriors like the Ninja Turtles and Bucky O'Hare. Everything was weird in the best way, and that translates well to video games.

The 80s cartoons were simple, fun action stories of good versus evil. There was nuance, sure, but Skeletor liked being bad, his minions were lovably evil, and nobody really was out for blood. The real beauty of the 80s Western animated cartoon is that it manages to explore conflict without real violence or hate, and it creates a set of coherent rules that embrace uncomplicated action combat that's kid-friendly but doesn't coddle you either.

What is your favorite 80s cartoon, and what do you love about it?

That depends on whether we’re talking early 80s or late 80s. If early, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe—I had the lunchbox, wore the jammies, and collected the figures. It's probably the iconic '80s cartoon property, but it got there for a good reason. He-Man set the bar for cartoons of its day, and going back to watch it in my adulthood, there's so much more to it than I think people give it credit for. It had strong character relationships; aspirational role-models; ham-fisted, perhaps, but reasonably well-delivered morals. It was the whole package. And of course, Skeletor is the archetype upon which I think every modern kids' show villain is modeled, consciously or not.

Later in the 80s, when I’d found my true love of video games, Captain N: The Game Master went on the air, and with it playing back-to-back with The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Nintendo Power Hour, I could get my fix of video gaming without even picking up a controller every Saturday morning. I’m easily marketed to, though, so I suppose that tracks.

What's the most satisfying/challenging/unusual task you've had while working on MythForce?

For me the most satisfying part has been drilling deep down into what defined the 80s cartoons. I wanted to strike a balance between the lovably cheesy Saturday morning cartoon and the aesthetic of Don Bluth productions like Secret of NIMH or Dragon’s Lair. I wanted to take the time to understand and embrace these qualities as a team. I grew up with them, so it was easy for me, but many members of the team were born after many of our touchstones went off the air, and they had never seen an episode of He-Man or Thundercats. Everyone has a different frame of reference, so even simple things like conforming to artificial limitations on character detail, things like lighting and shadow, really honing in on the aesthetic, were both the most challenging and ultimately the most satisfying part of working on the game. That counts for technical limitations, as well. It's surprising how difficult it can be to get a 3D game to look like 2D art, intentionally avoiding the things that 3D game engines do best in the name of authenticity.

Which is your favorite MythForce character to play, and why?

That changes so often for me, but the character I've got the most playtime with has got to be Victoria. I like to play a tank in games with a multiplayer component, so a strong, effective, defensive melee character can be satisfying. All of the other characters are much more versatile, with mobility and range options, but Victoria is methodical, visceral. Her best offense is a good defense, and it's satisfying to cut a swath through a group of enemies without taking a point of damage through patient, tactical use of her mace and shield.

What is the most exciting, ridiculous, triumphant, or humiliating moment you've had while playing MythForce?

I've played the game nearly every day since we started developing, so I've experienced pretty much everything the game has had to offer, good and bad. Probably the most ridiculous, hilarious moments have been some of the animation bugs that we've seen, like when every enemy in the dungeon refused to turn from their original facing direction, so they would side step and walk backward at you while looking over their shoulder—but never turn. The animation system handled it surprisingly well, so though it was obviously a bug, it still worked.

The most triumphant and exciting moment was a team achievement: the moment when we finally completed our first entire character—which was Rico—moveset and all. Being able to play a character with all of their intended abilities, all the way through the dungeon, to be able to see what really worked and didn't in context, that was a huge milestone for us all.

What's the most appealing element of a roguelite game?

Roguelikes are a different experience from traditional, fixed-path games. They refuse to allow you to rely on memorization and require you to focus on strategy and execution, because no two runs are exactly the same. You can't build a memory of where the power-ups and healing items are. You can't bank on getting a certain perk or piece of equipment. You have to take what cards you're dealt and play them to the best of your ability. The greatest roguelikes, even with the most unlucky rolls of the dice, are still fun even when nothing goes the way that you expect. And that one lucky run, where the stars align perfectly, is an amazing experience.

MythForce—even at this point in development where not all of the content is there, so the pool is not as deep as we intend it to be—still feels like a fresh, fun dungeon romp every time you jump in. And it'll just get better from here.

Which villain in MythForce do you expect players to hate the most?

If we're talking about bosses, probably Hexstar. She's the biggest jerk of them all because she's so mean. Beastor is a prideful brute and Deadalus is pure evil, but Hexstar—she's enjoying being a bad guy, and you're going to learn to loathe her in her adventure.

If we're talking about normal enemies, though, even though they're not a true threat, the Redcaps are going to be the monster you really want to focus down. The first time you have something stolen from you, it gets personal, and you don't want to let it happen again, even with more threatening monsters on the board.

What makes MythForce unique compared with other games you've worked on or played?

While many elements of MythForce draw inspiration from other great games and media, MythForce is a unique alchemy of elements—a high-fidelity melee combat experience in a first-person dungeon crawl with multiplayer roguelite action and a light but interwoven cartoon narrative. It's something that I haven't experienced in a video game before, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to bring to life with the help of our amazing team.

How does the cooperative mode in MythForce compare with the solo play experience?

I play a ton of the solo game, even in my spare time. It's a fun, challenging, and repeatable experience, and it can feel amazing to start to get into a rhythm, battling your way through rooms of difficult monsters. But really the multiplayer experience is where the game shines. Running through the dungeon with friends, watching each others' backs, getting just the right combo of abilities at just the right time—it feels great. When you've got a few players in the mix, you get to enjoy more of the character banter and plot elements, which are two of my favorite parts of the game.

That's a wrap today's interview. Tune in next week for an interview with the voice behind Victoria, Nikki Rae Hallow.