Representing DePaul Games Elite:

• Jay Pecho -- Project & Tech Lead
• Matt Lazar -- Producer
• Kyle Sullivan -- Visual Design Lead
• Alex Seropian – Game Designer in Residence

[GDN] On what philosophical ground and principle guidelines do the DePaul Game Dev. program stand?

JAY: It’s hard to answer that question for the program as we are only a small part of it, but I will attempt to. The principal objective of the DePaul Game Dev program is to give us real world experience. DePaul gives us incredible facilities – game dev production labs, an animation lab, a recording studio for audio and voice talent, for instance -- as well as encouraging us to be creative, to take risks, to be as innovative as we could possibly be. The faculty is there to bounce ideas off, to provide some guidance, but essentially we are on our own. They make us feel the opportunity but also the responsibility of ownership for our own IP. They want us to think not only about the game but the business aspects of turning a game into a profit, for instance.

This is what really sets DePaul apart from other game dev programs. The University prepares us to go out in the world, ready to go to work.

[GDN] What guidelines and underlying theories are contributing to the unusually cohesive and clean art style of DTF?

KYLE: Our primary artistic influence was Escher, and his primary artistic influence was Italian Renaissance architecture.  Back then, architects were very interested in mathematically perfect forms and shapes.  It’s pretty rare (impossible?) to look at old Italian architecture and find a shape that can’t be reduced down to a mathematical formula or exact measurement.  As such, we needed to establish aesthetic rules to make sure our own game would match the look we were trying to achieve.  In addition to mathematical accuracy, we needed to establish additional rules to fit the visualization mechanic we’d developed.  We had to use shapes that read well when a wave was passed over them.  The bulbous stuffed animals, circular pillars, and elongated shapes used throughout the levels are no accident – they’re there because those forms look the best in our game.  Basic shapes are often juxtaposed to provide contrast (a lot of the circular pillars in our game are offset at the bottom by square bases).  Line stripe patterns must be uniform and flow in the same direction – no diagonal stripes. 

[GDN] Do you have some special game advice or clever strategy to offer our eager gamers at GDN so that they quickly may dive into the game and experience this amazing world to the fullest?

MATT: Make sure you play the game with a killer set of headphones and with the lights off. I find that hearing and seeing under this setting brings the best qualities about DTF out. Also if you get disorientated take a deep breath and take your time.

[GDN] Nowadays gamers often have very advanced sound systems. Are you using 3D positional sound and echoes in DTF or do you plan to use that technology for a future version of DTF? Would you think it possible to develop the user experience in the area of sound for the game, please motivate.

JAY: I will answer this question as best I can in place of our sound designer. We are indeed using 3D positional sound. We are also using reverb nodes to make the sound fit into the rooms better. It would be nice to incorporate an echo effect in the game as I think it would add to the ambiance of the game world. Sound is one area of the game that we get a lot of complements on which is a true testament to our sound engineers. I would love to see us take that a step further in future iterations and really stimulate the player aurally. 

[GDN] Do you have a message to your fans at GDN, and is there anything you can promise us about the future development of this game?

JAY: There are a couple things I’d like to say here. First, I can promise that we will do our best to expand the initial experience we set forth. We would like to engulf the player in the story more and really get them to feel immersed in the game. Second, one of our goals for future development is to expand the gameplay. We are currently hard at work on this. We will hopefully be able to make the game longer by introducing more levels, story, and gameplay mechanics. And finally, I ask our fans to hold in their thoughts and prayers the friends and family of Richard Kossak. Richard was our art lead on Devil’s Tuning Fork. Without him, the game would have never been possible. He was a great friend to all of us and a great colleague. He touched the lives of so many people, me included. Richard passed away on February 7th. He will be deeply and truly missed. The ongoing development of Devil’s Tuning Fork is devoted entirely to him.

Read the other parts 1-3 of the interview