Hello, first finally got some questions thrown together for ya ;)
Can't wait to see W&W get released! It'll be a good change to be able to
save in the puzzle mode...
1. Would you mind introducing yourselves?
I'm Yuan-Hsi Chiang. I live in Costa Rica. I'm half Taiwanese, half Costarrican, and I study Animation here. I've been working in several video game arts for quite a long time; since I was in high school. I've worked on them for almost 10 years, mostly independent projects with professional work here and there. I consider myself a game designer, but I am an illustrator, animator, writer, and musician as well.
I am Yuan-Hao Chiang, Yuan-Hsi’s younger brother. I am studying Computer Engineering and this is my last semester. I’ve been programming for about 10 years, since I was in grade school. Besides being Yuan Works’ programmer, and designer (along with my brother), I am also in charge of the website and I have done dot art for other projects outside and inside of Yuan Works. Of course, programming takes most of my time, so I am not doing much dot art work now.
A video showing the Tutorial and Puzzle Mode. In Puzzle Mode, you have a limited number of moves to clear all the color blocks.
2. When did you first get a GP2X?
We got a GP2X a month before the Official Contest deadline. Being owners of a GP32, we had wanted to get one since it was first out, however we decided to wait until several problems (like the first firmware) had been corrected before purchasing it.
3. How did it feel to come in 3rd in the GamePark Holdings Contest?
Well, frankly our hopes were very high, since we put a lot of effort into our project. Third place was very good; one of the top slots, but the lack of a second place and the little information on the other entries were admittedly a little disappointing for us. But it is great to be one of the winners of the first GP2X Game/Software Contest.
On the other side, the contest was a great opportunity to start with the GP2X, in fact it could be possible that without the contest, we wouldn’t have entered the GP2X world, which would’ve been regrettable! Oh, and we also received the contest’s GP2X Value Pack a couple of weeks ago in our mail, courtesy of GamePark Holdings :).
4. Why did you decide to make your first GP2X game a puzzle game?
We had several projects we could have made for the GP2X, but given the contest deadline and all, the most viable option at the time was our "Puzzle Elemental" project. Besides, we are big puzzle fans ourselves, and there's been some time since a serious vs. puzzle battle game has come out.
We also thought that it would be a good idea to do a less ambitious project since we only had three months. However, as it happens with most of our projects, we tried to “keep it simple”, but at the end we added so much detail that it can hardly be called simple!
W&W includes detailed profile stats.
5. Where did you get the inspiration for Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles?
Well, first and foremost all the great puzzle games we've had through our video game history. Then, of course, all the great 2-D tile and sprite games, especially the arcades. Chinese (our) culture also played an important part.
In fact I’m rather good at many puzzle games, considering that we’re also good at most genres (we grew up with all the classic consoles, as many GP2X players did).
6. How long did it take to come up with the game design and all the various puzzles?
Well, the game design was gradual. The basic concept, system, overall layout, and design were completed very fast; perhaps mere weeks of planning. However, the game has had numerous perfections to the visuals, system and gameplay, which are still being refined as of now.
I designed the puzzles for the demo, and it didn’t take too much time; a couple of days maybe. This doesn’t mean that it’s easy to come out with level C puzzles!
7. How complete would you say the game is at the moment?
I would say the game is very complete. However, there are many extras we want to include in the final version, as well as tweaks to the gameplay to refine it even more.
About three months ago we were planning to release Wind and Water in February/March, since our goal was to add the Story Mode and a few extras to the game. However, after reconsidering what we really wanted GP2X gamers to experience from Yuan Works, we decided on giving you the definite best we can from our first entry.
And of course, that doesn’t mean that ONLY Wind and Water will have this quality. It simply means that we will try to make our best effort for our own satisfaction and for the people who play our games!
You'll have to help Amy go through a great number of challenges in the Story Mode.
It’s hard to give an exact level of completion (this happens to most, if not all, software projects anyway). The game engine is about 95% complete; however important milestones such as extras and story mode need a lot of work. I’d say in general, the game is 85% complete. An important note is that I just finished about 90% of the AI programming, which was a missing milestone. Here's a video of the AI programming:
Here's a video of Yuan-Hsi (left), playing against the computer AI (right), in medium difficulty. The AI is good enough to beat one of the creators of W&W!
8. How are you going to distribute (sell) Wind and Water? Through GP2X.com, or through the various GP2X distributors?
The game will be sold as a download through our website, Yuan-Works.com, payable through credit/debit card or PayPal. In other words, you pay on the website, download the game, and enjoy! :)
The game will most probably be released in English and Spanish simultaneously. We’re not sure about other languages, but if we get enough demand, we’ll most likely release a translation, with no additional cost.
