Interview by Skinny Minnie
November 2002

Mike Clark is the developer of the upcoming indie game, Harvest.

Minnie: When did you first get the idea to create your own game? Is the "first-person slideshow" adventure game Harvest the first game you've ever made, or were there others before it?

Mike: Well, first I want to thank you and the Four Fat Chicks for giving me this wonderful opportunity. This is a real honor. The world of adventure gaming began for me with Myst, in 1995. At that instant, I knew I had to make a game one day. But how? I first thought "Hey, I can do that" in 1997, when I accidentally found a small shareware program on the net called The Adventure Game Designer Pro. I don't even think this program is still available, but it was the first time I actually realized the power to make an adventure game was within my grasp. I dabbled with graphics on and off until 2000, when I discovered the program I am currently using, and I actually began making Harvest. This is my first and only game to date.

Minnie: What other games inspired you to start? Are you patterning yourself after a certain developer or developers? Are you Roberta Williams' secret protégée? (smiles)

Mike: Myst started it all for me. And what was really inspirational was the little movie on the CD, The Making of Myst. Watching how those brothers did that superb game all on their own just solidified the desire within me to do a game myself. Lighthouse and Shivers are also two classics I look up to. These are the types of games I want to make—games with lots of puzzles, beautiful graphics, and all in the first-person perspective.

Minnie: Please describe Harvest's setting for us! Can you reveal a few beginning plot details as well?

Mike: Harvest takes place almost exclusively in a secret underground complex. You have lost your dog and are trying to find it when you discover a diabolical plot by a seemingly crazed man to poison the earth's water supply. There are a couple of twists in the story, and it is up to you to get to the truth and stop the man from carrying out his evil plans.

Minnie: Did you write Harvest's entire plot structure out first and then adapt it into a game, or did you write the story as you went? Are the puzzles integral to the story's progression? Will it all ultimately reveal the meaning of life for us? (laughs)

Mike: I actually did the plot outline first, and then fleshed it out as I went along. And there were a couple of changes made to the story as the game development progressed. The initial plot idea for the game was to have the evil antagonist building a dog-harvest machine, but I quickly scratched that idea for obvious reasons. I've tried to make the puzzles as integral to the story as possible. With each puzzle I create I ask myself, "What is the purpose of having this puzzle here?"

Minnie: Did you plan out the puzzles beforehand, and are they inventory-driven, mechanical, or varied? Are there any anagrams, cryptograms, mazes, or timed sequences? Are there any that just defy categorization?

Mike: I planned most of the puzzles in advance, using scratch paper to jot down the ideas. Of course, some of the puzzles came to mind while the game development progressed. I've tried to do an equal balance of mechanical and inventory-based puzzles. There are no timed sequences, and no anagrams or cryptograms. There is a maze and there is a slider puzzle, but neither are too terribly difficult, trust me.

Minnie: What difficulty level would you say that Harvest's puzzles present, or are there varying degrees of challenges? Will there be an adjustable difficulty setting available?

Mike: There is no adjustable difficulty setting. I think the puzzles are about average. There are a couple that can only be solved using trial and error, such as the slider puzzle, but most of the puzzles are solvable using clues found within the gaming environment. There are many inventory-based puzzles that require, of course, the use of inventory items, but also some inventory items must be combined to create new items. Since I myself am a die-hard adventure game player, I'm certainly not making the puzzles so hard that I can't solve them myself.

Minnie: Are there voiceovers or music present in the game? Are there a lot of sound effects? Is there much NPC interaction?

Mike: Yes to all of the above. There is background music playing at all times (with a different theme for each room), and I have recorded original sound effects to play throughout. There are also short FMV sequences where the player will interact with other characters. Since I have no budget, I have done all of the voices and video parts myself. While it certainly will not be of the caliber of Myst, I do hope it is passable for the players.

Minnie: What program or programs are you using to bring your masterpiece to life? Can you tell us a little bit about them? Are they intuitive to use and easily comprehensible for the novice, or have you been inclined toward burying them in the back yard and being done with it at certain points? (laughs)

Mike: I'm using a wonderful program called The Adventure Maker. It is intuitive enough for a novice, which was what I was when I discovered it, but it is powerful enough for more advanced game programming. I'm still learning many of the VBScript commands it can utilize. This program, at the present time, is only capable of making first-person, slideshow-type games. This is perfect for what I want to do. I will most likely be using this program for my next game. The gentleman who created this program, Giovanni Albani, is truly a hands-on guy. He is there for us developers to ask him questions when necessary, and he is constantly presenting us with updates to the software that offer enhancements and new features. It's truly a work-in-progress.

Minnie: Is there a hard release date set for Harvest? Will your website feature an online shop to purchase it from? What will Harvest's cost in US dollars be, and what payment methods will be offered? Are you taking preorders, and is there a preorder discount applied?

Mike: I'm shooting for the end of December 2002 or early January 2003 for release. I'm thinking of selling it for $20. I'm also looking into having a link on the web page going directly to a third-party distributor for order processing. All major credit cards and debit cards will be accepted. No, I'm not taking preorders, but I am maintaining a wait-list for people who are really interested. Just go to the web page to see the latest updates and to add your name to the wait-list.

Minnie: What advice could you offer other developers who are just starting out?

Mike: Well, first, know what you want to do. I knew from the start I wanted to make a first-person, slideshow-type game. That was my passion, so that's what I'm making. And you absolutely have to be passionate about this. This is a lot of hard work, and sometimes I get frustrated, but because I love it so much, I'm compelled to see it through to the end. But most of all it's about fun. Making this game has been almost as much fun as playing a game.

Minnie: Thank you very much for your time, Mike, and we at Four Fat Chicks hope you will keep us posted on Harvest's progress. We also wish you the best of luck in bringing it to fruition!

Mike: And thank you! It was my pleasure!