PAX West 2016: sU 遊戲開發者訪談

訪談背景：在PAX West 2016會展，我們遇到了sU遊戲及其開發者 Guillaume Bouckaert。sU遊戲是一個極簡風格的平台遊戲，如其介紹所說，「An endless platformer where the score is a puzzle，find meaning in an environment that『s ever-changing.」

Q：嗨，能否簡單介紹一下你們的團隊呢？參加PAX West有何體會？

A：我們的團隊目前其實只有我。遊戲設計，美工，編程，都是我自己負責的。遊戲配樂方面我找了個幫手，但除此以外我是單槍匹馬的工作狀態。這個遊戲我陸陸續續做了有一年之久，期間還搬了一次家，在加拿大蒙特利爾呆了一段時間，不過現在我又搬回布魯塞爾了。PAX West會展真的是很棒，這是我第一次參加，我非常享受它。在會展中遇到的玩家們也非常喜歡這個遊戲，我也收穫了許多有價值的用戶建議。

Q：你為什麼想要成為一個遊戲開發者？在製作遊戲的時候遇到哪些挑戰？

A：我想成為遊戲開發者，因為遊戲是世界上最適合自我表達的媒介形式。和其它媒介形式相比，它充滿了新奇和驚喜，你可以在其中創造出前所未有的新鮮事物。

我在製作遊戲過程中遇到的最大挑戰仍然是，我是一個單人的團隊，無論遇到任何困難，代碼也好，設計也好，美術也好，都得自己一個人解決問題。

Q：你目前為止最喜愛的遊戲有哪些？

A：Portal 2絕對是我最喜歡的。此外我還有一些其它超級心水的遊戲：Braid，Limbo，Monument Valley，Another World，Gravity Bone，Thirty Flights of Loving.

Q：遊戲 sU 的風格非常清新和簡約。這種風格的形成受到了哪些影響呢？

A：遊戲之所以選擇了極簡風格，依然是由單人開發性質決定的。因為我需要獨自完成所有的美術設計，我得選擇一種讓自己感到自在的風格。這種風格同時也需要和遊戲本身的形式相符合。

Q：遊戲的音樂讓我想起 Monument Valley 的音樂，兩者有什麼聯繫嗎？

A：音樂在這個遊戲中的作用，在於提升遊戲本身的優雅和詩意。所以不能算是受Monument Valley的影響，但是我確實是希望它能觸發類似的情感體驗。

Q：請問遊戲里採用了什麼物理引擎？遊戲主人公的圍巾飄揚的效果非常流暢優美。

A：雖然遊戲主要採用的是Unity，這些遊戲特效卻是定製化的。我沒有用Unity里的任何物理引擎特效。包括遊戲里的碰撞特效，都是如此。我雖然很喜愛Unity，但是項目里的一些重要部分如特效等等，我還是選擇自己來設計實現。

Q：sU遊戲里有什麼是你想要實現，但還沒有完成的？

A：遊戲仍在收尾階段，目前最需要改進的是遊戲的敘事和謎題的設計部分。同時也需要增加一些不同關卡的變化。在正式發布之前還是有不少需要改進的地方呢。

Q：sU遊戲開發的過程中有沒有什麼趣事和我們分享？

A：這個遊戲其實開始於一場遊戲開發比賽。在我辭職離開上一家遊戲公司的當天晚上，我和同事們參加了一個小型的遊戲開發比賽。這個遊戲的原型就是你今天看到的sU遊戲。

Q：開發sU的過程中，你遇到的最大挑戰是什麼？

A：我開始的時候只有一些基本的Unity的知識（參加各種遊戲比賽所得），但是實際開發sU的時候我必須得學習很多關於它的高階知識。此外，就是獨立開發者們所面臨的共同問題，比如如何平衡收入支出，時間，壓力，以及個人的成功慾望。

Q：對未來的遊戲你有什麼計劃嗎？有沒有特別感興趣的遊戲類型？

A：儘管我很喜歡平台類遊戲（Platformers），但我應該會在sU之後嘗試一下其它的遊戲類型。有兩大類我想要挑戰的類型：第一人稱射擊遊戲（FPS）和實時戰略遊戲（RTS）。這兩種類型各有不同的設計方面的挑戰，我很想一試身手。

Q：採訪的最後，可不可以和讀者分享一張遊戲工作室的圖片呢？

A：因為我總是在家工作，而又總是在搬家，所以沒有固定的辦公場所。不過我有幾張PAX會展的照片和大家分享。

採訪原文：

sU game website:http://su-game.com

Interview Background:

We run into the sU game and its developer Guillaume Bouckaert during PAX West 2016. The sU game is a minimalistic-styled platformer game, as the introduction says, it is "an endless platformer where the score is a puzzle, find meaning in an environment that『s ever-changing."

Q: Tell us a little bit about your team. (such as which city is it based? how many people are working on this projects? how long have your team been working on it? How do you like the PAX event so far?)

A: The team is actually just me: I work on everything from the design to the art to the programming. I have somebody helping me out for the music and the sounds but apart from that I work alone. I』ve been working on the game on and off for about a year and half.

I』ve moved a little during that time. I lived in Montreal for a time, but I』m now back in Brussels.

PAX West has been awesome. It was my first time attending a PAX event, and I loved it. People have really liked the game too, and I』ve got a lot of great feedback from it all.

Q: When did you decide that you wanted to be a game developer? What are the ups and downs being an indie game developer?

A: I wanted to be a game developer because it』s the best medium in the world to express yourself. And also because it』s relatively fresh compared to other mediums: you can invent totally new things (a little less than before, but still).

The ups and downs, well, they』re linked to the fact that you work alone on your game: whenever you might get stuck on something (be it code, design, art or anything in-between), well, you』re alone to deal with it.

Q: What are your favorite games by far?

A: Portal 2 is one of my favorites, but then I also have a few indie-darling very high up on my list: Braid, Limbo, Monument Valley, Another World and Gravity Bone/Thirty Flights of Loving.

Q: The art style of the su game is very refreshing, elegant and simplistic, what are the influences you get from other sources that turned into the current style?

A: The decision of going with a minimalist art style actually stems from the fact that I work alone. Since I have to do all the art, I had to find a style I was comfortable with. But it also had to make sense for what I wanted to do with the game.

Q: The music style sounds a little bit like 「Monument Valley」』s music, did you get any influence from that?

A: For the music, the goal was more to create something that would highlight the elegant and poetic nature of the game. So it wasn』t really an influence, more a case of trying to evoke similar things.

Q: What physics engine did you use for the physics effect? The way the scarf floating in the air looks very smooth and beautiful.

A: While the game uses Unity, the effects are custom-made. I don』t use any of the physics feature of Unity for the game. Same thing for all the collisions in the game. While I love Unity, I prefer to do things my way for the very important parts of a project.

Q: What are the things you wanted the sU game to have, but not there yet?

A: I』m still finalizing the game, and at this point it』s mostly the story and the puzzles that need work. Also adding a bit more variety in the levels. A lot of stuffs still need to be worked on for the game』s release.

Q: Any interesting/fun stories you met while developing the sU game?

A: The game actually started out in a game-jam: the day I quit my job at my old video game company, we did a small game jam with colleagues during the night. I ended up making what was the very first prototype of sU.

Q: What are the biggest challenges that you met since building this game?

A: I had a basic knowledge of Unity when I started (I had used it for numerous game jams before), but I had to amp that knowledge a little bit for sU.

Otherwise it』s the usual challenges of all indies: balancing your finances with time, stress and your personal ambitions.

Q: What are your plans for your future games? Any type/genre or stories you are particularly interested in?

A: While I love platformers, I think that after sU I would like to work on another genre. There are two I would love to tackle and try my hand at in the coming years: FPS and RTS. They each come with a different set of design challenges that I would love to solve.

Q: Would you like to share a nice photo of your game studio with our readers?

A: Well, I』m working at home most of the time, and home keeps changing. So I dont really have an office to share with you. But I have a few pictures from PAX that I can share.