Interview: Indinera Falls of Aldorlea Games

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 3, 2010

Quite some time ago, I interviewed French indie developer Indinera Falls of Aldorlea Games. At the time, Aldorlea Games was the new kid on the block, with Indinera making his first forays into turning his hobby into a small business. What a difference a year and a half can make!  Aldorlea Games has made quite a number of games at a very consistent rate.  They have six games planned for release between now and the end of 2010, which is nothing short of amazing.

And if I sound jealous, it’s because I am. Just a little.

RPG fans and indie developers alike should find a lot to enjoy in this interview!

Rampant Coyote: We last talked to you when Aldorlea Games wasn’t even a year old. Many months – and a lot of game releases – have passed since then. What has changed during this time? Have you learned any new lessons since then? Are you doing anything differently since then?

Indinera Falls: Depending on the viewpoint things have changed a lot or a little! I am still making games that I love and hopefully players love too – so that remains the same.

Aldorlea Games, however, has grown a lot and is now more established than it was back in the LF days.

I’ve tried different styles of games, different approaches and all have been very useful for me. You do not design a “Millennium” style game in the same way you design an “Asguaard” type one, yet both are enriching on many levels.

Rampant Coyote: Looking back – which of your games so far has been your favorite? Why?

Indinera Falls: I like Asguaard, Laxius Force II and Dreamscape best.

Asguaard because it is so huge and has a moving story, Laxius Force II because I believe the plot and characters are quite unique, and Dreamscape for its innovative concept and more arcade style gameplay. I also tend to like larger games more, hence why Asguaard remains my favorite.

Rampant Coyote: Do you actually get any time to play games yourself? Is there anything you’ve been playing lately?

Indinera Falls: I get little time to play at all, to be honest. I am very involved in the making of my games and also very passionate about it.

I typically try other games that may interest me though, especially other indie RPGs, like The New Queen from Warfare Studios, which is the last I tried.

Rampant Coyote: There are a lot of commercial RPG Maker-based games out there now. Now a few of them are by your company. But that’s a lot of competition out there. How do you make each of your games unique and make them stand out from the crowd?

Indinera Falls: I try to make sure they have a different feel in gameplay and story. Of course a similar ground remains which makes them all fall in the RPG category, but I believe there has vast differences between a Laxius Force and a Dreamscape for instance.

Characters are also a great way to produce an unique game: I always take care to have interesting stories and exciting characters. Production values are also something I pay a lot of attention, particularly musics and artworks, as I believe those two are very responsible for the overall feel of the game.

Rampant Coyote: Aldorlea Games produces RPGs at a pretty amazing rate. How do you keep so many games in your pipeline, and release games so quickly? How much are you personally involved in each game? How many people are involved in developing each game now?

Indinera Falls: I probably release them quickly because I like them and I like making them – a true passion.

I have been immensely involved in all the games from Laxius Force to Dreamscape – doing most of the work as lead producer and writer.

Our latest game though will be mainly the work of Eridani – her story, her world and her characters. I am of course still very much involved as always with any Aldorlea game.

As for how many people are involved, it can vary. We use artists, scripters and others to help get the look and feel we need.

Rampant Coyote: There are a lot of fantastic big-budget mainstream RPGs out now – with more coming soon with plenty of marketing hype for each one. You’d think that there wouldn’t be any room for a small-budget, 2D RPG like yours, but – from what I can tell – the audience for these tiny indie games keeps growing. Would you agree? If so, what do you think accounts for it?

Indinera Falls: I think those audiences are different. Games like mine cater to people who like 16-bits types of RPG, back in the days of the Genesis and Super NES.

Those games happen to be my favorite too. While there are obviously fewer people interested in this sub-genre, those who like them won’t get them in the big budget stuff, and that’s where we come into play. Also, I believe indie makers for the most part have more genuine stories, with less marketing constraint and editor’s control.

Rampant Coyote: Related question – so what would a game like the upcoming Laxius Force III have over something like Fallout – New Vegas or Final Fantasy XIII?

Indinera Falls: It will have a mad, enthralling, huge story with totally unique characters. Expect to enter an epic confrontation against the Order, the Grand Commendanter and his countless allies.

I haven’t played the latest big budget games to be honest, but I think Laxius Force still has a more daring story than most games. People who like this kind of stuff can already mark August 18 on their schedule!

Rampant Coyote: So what games are coming from Aldorlea Games in the next 6-12 months?

Indinera Falls: We have planned:
Ella’s Hope, April
Cora Flint, June/July
Laxius Force 3, August
Millennium 3, Fall
The Witch and The Warrior, November
Legend, December (X-mas?)

Then I cannot really tell what will happen in 2011, I typically just plan the year. A couple of the above are again either joint projects with Eridani or mainly hers as Aldorlea continues to grow.

Rampant Coyote: Ella’s Hope is due out in just a few days (Note: It’s out now – interview lag!). Tell us about it. What’s it about? Any particular game mechanics you’d like to call attention to?

Indinera Falls: Ella’s Hope is our new magical tale, created by Eridani and it has just been released. It is the story of a young girl, namely Ella, who has a mysterious background. She is given the chance of something unique and must aid people throughout her world with the help of many friends.

The game offers four choices at the beginning so that every RPG player can get the best of gaming experiences: from the veterans (like myself) to the beginners or the more casual oriented players. Notably, the game also has visible monsters and a very developed, fairly non-linear storyline. There is also an exam and final ratings and you do not get to see the results until the end of the game.

I think it’s a fantastic tale for all to play! With its solid RPG elements and charming settings, I hope many will love it as much as I did.

Rampant Coyote: If you could give advice to other indie RPG developers – especially those struggling to get their first games out – what would you suggest?

Indinera Falls: I would suggest they show passion and dedication, set themselves achievable goals (not some kind of extraordinary game taking 10 years to finish) and make sure you beta-test the game thoroughly.

Rampant Coyote: Any final thoughts?

Indinera Falls: Well…. Thanks for the interview. I keep learning and I always try to make each new game better than the one before, so I hope I can keep up with this trend!

Indie RPGs may not have the fanciest graphics around, but they have cool stories, characters, gameplays, and I wish more people who give them a chance so that they can join the groewing numbers who are turning to these types of games.

There is a vast world to discover, and we invite anyone interested to check http://www.aldorlea.com and see for themselves!

(To check out the games mentioned in this interview, you can check out Aldorlea Games, Warfare Studios, and of course Rampant Games)

Filed Under: Indie Evangelism, Interviews - Comments: Read the First Comment



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