Today we have gotten a chance to converse with the creators of the new multi-platform game Notch. This game is quite an interesting take on what is essentially a Simcity style game. It will feature a variety of items, experience and gold to keep the player coming back. Be sure to check out their Kickstarter and read our article.
Nerd Age’s Scholar: Why did you decide to go with the name Notch and how does it relate to the game?
John McCaleb: The name Notch came from our vision of creating a world where the player’s choices and actions have a real impact on the way things evolve. We felt that these choices were similar to notches being carved into a piece of wood. Taking something raw and transforming it into a completely different shape.
However, by the time our programmer had informed us that Notch was actually the nickname of Markus Persson, a famous game designer, it was too late. We had fallen in love with the title and it would have felt awkward changing it. Luckily for us, Markus Persson is a pretty awesome guy and is someone we ended up admiring quite a bit.
Nerd Age: What games did Notch draw inspiration from?
John McCaleb: We’ve always been inspired by games that aren’t afraid to experiment with format. Games that are courageous enough to be obscure even though they know not everyone is going to understand. A good example of this is Braid. There’s some parts of that game where you go “What the hell is it talking about?” but that’s what’s so great about it. It doesn’t have to be obvious.
Nerd Age: Can you tell us a little about the depth of Notch, as in items, character development, etc?
John McCaleb: Of course! So the game starts off like most RPGs with you creating and customizing a character. Once you’re satisfied with the look of your character, you’ll be able to go into the game and start building.
Anyone who’s played Farmville or SimCity will be very familiar with this system. At level 1, you’ll be given your own patch of land, a couple buildings, and some scenery (trees, flowers, etc). After a brief tutorial, you’re completely on your own.
You can start designing your own town, you can send invites to your friends and build a city together, you can download the app and collect XP and gold to level your character and unlock new buildings, you can go explore the world and discover other people’s creations, you can even start your own religion that other players can join and donate money to.
These are just a few things you’re going to be able to do. The world isn’t just filled with deserts, forests, mountains, and oceans; it’s filled with opportunity.
In terms of buildings and clothing, we have 5 distinct tiers of advancement. So, as you level, the types of clothing you can wear and the types of buildings you can create evolve.
You’ll start off in a victorian era, building farms and wearing top hats, to a discovery era, which has the classic steampunk aesthetic, to a crystal era, where buildings are adorned with gems and large diamond spikes, to a Blade Runner like era, with lots of holograms and neon, to a utopian era, full of spherical buildings and spaceships.
There’s also items in the game that you can collect which will give you special abilities and bonuses. For example, you’ll be able to equip an item that lets you construct a building 20% faster. How you collect these items, however, is something that we’re keeping under wraps for now.
Nerd Age: What does your game bring to the table that is new and exciting, what is the hook to get the fans interested?
John: There has never been an MMO with this degree of freedom and I think people are going to be really surprised by the amount of stuff that they’re actually going to have control over. The only thing we’re doing is providing a canvas and it’s up to the community to do whatever they want with it.
Nerd Age: Tell us a little about your team. Any noteworthy contributors you would like to mention?
John McCaleb: I’m lucky enough to be working with a really amazing group of people. There’s about 6 of us in total including our artists Ryan Hall and Mike Henry who have produced work for both Blizzard and Disney. Everyone is really dedicated to the project and just wants to make something that they themselves would enjoy playing.
Nerd Age: How will the multiplayer world be set up, will you have lobbies or a persistent world? And if you are going with lobbies/worlds, how many players will it be maximum?
John McCaleb: The game will be a persistent world. Lobbies feel artificial and confining.
Nerd Age: We know that this will be on the Iphone first, but we also know it is going multi-platform. What order will you be releasing the various editions in?
John McCaleb: Well, the actual game is going to be playable online within the browser. That means you’ll be able to login through our website and instantly start playing. The mobile app is supplementary and will allow you to collect gold and experience by checking in at different real world locations, socialize with people in the game, and do a lot of other really cool stuff. The app will first be released for the iPhone but we’ll be porting it over to the iPad and Android soon after.
Nerd Age: What challenges are you facing as a new developer on the Indie gaming scene?
John McCaleb: Since Notch is our first big production, the entire process has been challenging but exciting. In a way, building a game is sort of like playing a game. It gets harder as it goes, there are a lot of obstacles you have to jump over, and sometimes you fail and have to start from the beginning. But that’s why it’s so thrilling; the challenge.
Nerd Age: How do you think Kickstarter will help your development?
John McCaleb: Everything we’ve done on Notch so far has been funded completely out of pocket. The most expensive thing is creating graphics. A lot of the basic architecture for the game is there but it’s naked. Funding through Kickstarter will help us achieve our goal in terms of fleshing the game out and bringing the world to life. Kickstarter is also a great way for people to join our community and to learn more about what we’re working to accomplish.
Nerd Age: Do you have any general thoughts on future projects you would like to work on?
John McCaleb: We have a couple cool ideas floating around but our focus is fixed on what we’re passionate about and that’s Notch at the moment.
