PK Interview: Alexis Kennedy (Part 2)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Previously, we cornered award-winning games designer Alexis Kennedy and tried to get him to reveal the secrets of the Cantigaster.
We failed, but did learn what happens when you put on "The King in Yellow" as the class play.
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So, when you're not building them - what games do you play?
What don't I. Sims, real-time or turn-based strategy, FPSs, CRPGs, IF, funky one-clever-idea Flash games.
I don't really play tabletop RPGs or board games any more, but I suppose I tend to like their lineal descendants. I think a really good CRPG is probably my default comfort zone, but most of them are shockingly ordinary.
I'm really glad you liked it. It took way more effort than we'd expected, and as a struggling start-up there's no way we can afford to do this kind of thing again just for fun or publicity.
We're talking to our partners at the event, A Door in A Wall about doing something revenue-generating next time, but it's difficult to find the time. We'd love to work in that space though.
What's next? We see you've got something in beta already...
Prisoner's Honey isn't actually in beta - it was due to go beta this spring but we've had a couple of surprise other projects show up.
We have a game in development with Channel 4 Education (bless em: hugely positive influence on indie games dev in Britain), but I can't say any more about that quite yet.
Finally: Your favorite, most inspirational places in Fallen London?
I always say the Royal Beth, but I really do like the Royal Beth. It was so much fun to write, and we have a very strict house style which I can get away with bending just this once. I keep wanting to go back and add more, but no time, no time.
I think Paul's header art for the Shuttered Palace is superb, as well: it's the one I keep going back to. So sharp and melancholy. And Mrs Plenty's Carnival, which was Nigel Evans' brainchild, is just a riot of colour and startling ideas.
Thank you very much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get mauled by the Eater of Chains...
If you're not playing Echo Bazaar (The Escapist's Best Browser-Based Game of 2009), there's no better time to start than right now.