Metagaming.tv To Interview ConcernedApe (Saturday 2nd March @ 8pm CET)

For someone who doesn't have 2 & 3/4 hours to listen to the whole podcast, is there a TLDRL list of highlights?

 

Just for constructive feedback, even if it's cool to hear your question asked, it will be better for your next shows to do a synthesis of all the question so you don't ask several time the same question (which can be a bit annoying for your guest who doesn't know what he can add as he already answered the question). Overall great job with this interview, we learnt a lot of stuff.

 

Here's my opinion (30 mins in):

• The intro is too long. It's about as long as a TV show intro but there's nothing worth watching in that 1:48.
• It feels like you're not sure what to ask about or you simply forget what to ask. It seems you had notes but maybe you were nervous.

I think it was painful to watch, to be honest.

 

Well I wouldn't say painful to watch, I liked that is was long, and they took the time to talk. Some stuff was redundant yes but it's also a fresh intake on things, brings ConcernedApe to say stuff in more details and you don't always get that in interviews. Let's not forget you watch it on Twitch at first, so it's a bit like a live-stream.

It's really a show to listen to, as you would listen to a podcast or "This american life", I don't see myself stay in front of the video tao watch it, it's much better to have it running while you peacefully do other stuff.

 

Summary for those who don't want to watch everything. It's pretty accurate, checked one thing or two for the transcript, but it's not word to word synthesis.

ConcernedApe is also Eric, 25 years old who loves indie stuff. He lives near Seattle. He loves to do music especially, but doing art and writing also. Played a lot of video-games. He graduated from college in computer science major and mathematics minor a while ago but isn't really a programming geek. He didn't work any programming job before, and now he is mainly focusing on Stardew Valley. Doing Stardew Valley is a way of combining all this indie stuff that he loves to do.

He has been a SNES/N64 and PC player mainly and loved games like Harvest Moon (obvious).

He was often looking on Internet for a game like harvest moon on the PC but there is none really, so that's one of the reason that pushed him to create his own.

As previous a game, he tried to do a big scale multiplayer bomberman. The network aspect was too complicated, he abandoned that project.

He has been working on the game for one year and a half. He is working full time on the game.

No kickstarter, mainly because he doesn't want people to give money without giving them something back right away (the game) and owing that to the people who backed in the future. In short he wants to develop without the pressure kickstarter would imply.

The main drawback while developing the game has been putting the game on Greenlight, as many feedback where at first a bit harsh calling it a "Harvest Moon" rip-off, and saying the game didn't looks really good. While it was a bit hard to hear, it brought him to put even more efforts in the game, and bringing it to the point it is now.

Then the highlight for now, is the fact it got noticed and published by Chucklefish once the game was more polished. Team has been helping with stuff like multiplayer. ConcernedApe is really looking for Starbound as a player.

About the similarities with Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley got a lot more things, each aspect of the game, can be played alone as a game, farming, fishing, cooking, etc, there is a consistent story.

The caves, is a Dungeon with one hundred floors, he could be infinite but the idea is having a goal to achieve (probably big boss at the end). About bosses, there should be big monsters, he can't say too much about that. What you get in the dungeon, you can get in other areas of the game, so you don't have to go there if you don't want to fight.

There is currently 30 kind of crops, at release their should be around 40 at least. There is 8 kind of animal + one secret animal. There will be maybe some more (this doesn't count pets you can have on the farm).

There is four seasons in the game, which influence the crops who are able to grow. Actions doesn't work like Harvest Moon, you don't have to go to bed when your stamina is empty. Stamina give you boost, but you are still able to do stuff when it's empty. At night you have to go to bed at some point (because all the village is asleep and your are not superhuman)

Modding will be allowed, ConcernedApe likes modding, not really sure how it will implemented yet.

Piracy is not a concern to him, as if players are pirating the game, it means the game is working.

The game is 4 people co-op because games are hosted by the player, sure if the game do well, he will consider expanding the number of max player (4 players is not set in stone for ever, only for release).

He will follow the game with updates, he is not sure how yet, depends how the game do of course. He doesn't like DLC, and doesn't feel like people should have to buy expansion packs.

He is thinking about keeping the game interesting even if you play for long, with high replay value he hopes.

At the end of the interview ConcernedApe played a song on the guitar, which is the winter theme song.

 

Yes this is a LIVE show for all intents and purposes, so the youtube video is UN-EDITED! Meaning the first min of silence is a good thing when starting a livestream, as it gives everyones computer the time to get running, then we start the show. The length of our REAL intro, the one with music and a voice presenting us, differ a bit depending on how quick I switch from the music once its done.

I did have notes, but still learning on how to make better notes and learning new things after each show. One funny thing was that ConcernedApe in his lengthy answers did answer like several notes/questions in one go But thats what you get when going live, even more so as we dont wanna have a fully scripted show.

Giwicast, the community questions was one of the things we didnt get time to organize as well as we would have hoped. Real life got in between giving us less time to prepare. But at least we did go through them all

PS: I wrote this before the huge ass effort from giwicast there Always nice to see people in communities do these things! Awesome! Still my opinion is that its very interesting to hear ConcernedApe talk on the topics covered.

 

This interview made me fall in love with Concerned Ape! Although I am really curious how he is funding the game/ surviving during this period before the game is released.

I thought concerned Ape did really well in the interview, but there were some awkward moments, mainly transitions between questions.

Oh and I absolutely love the name Stardew Valley! Has there really been criticism about it?

 

He had an ape mask omg. I can't even

That's...oh my god. I don't even know what to say. I'm definitely paying though.

 

I have no problem buying expansion packs as long as I get bang for my buck. I just don't like it when expansion packs or dlc are treated as easy money grabs with next to no effort put into them.

 

When done right I actually like DLC and expansions. I mean I want to support the games I like so they continue being made, and if I get something worthwhile in the meantime it's a win win.

 

Exactly the way I feel!