It is time to tell you about another member of our team under the “Meet the team” rubric, who is an important pillar in the development of our game.
We remind you that this rubric is intended to introduce people who make the Supernova Shards in a short interview format, with the questions collected from our players. Join our Discord and Telegram to ask some questions for the next interview!
Today it’s our game designer’s turn – Ivan – an originative person with an objective view of things. You will learn not only about him and his specialty but also a lot of information about the game itself. First, he will tell a little about himself, after which we will move on to answering your questions.
I have been working as a game designer at Sunday Games since August 2021. I have higher education in engineering and economics. I started creating games back in the 1990s, on the ZX Spectrum. Basically, these were projects for myself and my children.
Since I work in the financial sector, my game design focus is calculations, balances, testing, and analytics. In the Supernova Shards project, I am involved in balancing the combat system and designing starships. In addition to work, I am actively involved in sports and cars, and I devote my free time to my family. I work with Unity and Unreal Engine. I constantly improve my skills, and at the moment I am finishing a course on level design.
Let’s start with the base question: who is a game designer in your opinion?
First of all, this is a creative person with a broad, holistic view of things. Secondly – an analyst and a mathematician.
How did you get into game development? What do you like about your profession?
Initially, I was attracted to programming, creating managed objects, and the ability to implement my ideas using a computer. And the more I played games, the more I found flaws in them and realized how they could be made better. That’s how I got involved in the process of creating and working on games in which I love to embody my dreams and ideas.
Are there any games or game designers who have significantly influenced your work and your vision in creating video games?
Games and the approach to creating them are different. I did not single out idols for me – this allows me to more objectively and unbiasedly analyze all the games, notice the moments that impress me, and take them into my collection of knowledge.
What are some of the key elements you consider when designing a game?
My task is to avoid imbalance. This is a basic, very important aspect of any game.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a game designer of Supernova Shards, and how have you overcome them?
When we changed the version of Unity 😀
I have never had any problems with our team. We all clearly understand what we are doing and how exactly we need to do it right.
What do you think makes Supernova Shards unique and attractive to players?
In my opinion, this is the individuality of each character – both in terms of mechanics and the uniqueness of their development. In the game, as in life, you can be anyone and in the process change your specialization, development path, and achievements more than once.
There was a mention that you are trying to save us from unnecessary routine, allowing us to focus on more important game mechanics. What did you mean?
We try to bring the player’s character to life as much as possible. For example, when you are not online – he continues to experience hunger and a need for rest. He will look for a place to sleep and food to satisfy his hunger (make sure your character has food in inventory). When you exit the game, you can get your character a job under a contract for a certain time, and he will continue to work even when you are offline.
The character fights on his own during the battle, but you have the opportunity to give him various orders: run away, change position, change target and change weapons, or use a special consumable like grenades. The independence of the characters in battle will help you clear your head in order to focus on strategic management. Due to this, characters under human control will have a decisive advantage. Both in combat between characters and in space battles.
Can you tell us about any specific design decisions you made when developing Supernova Shards, and why you made them?
We can tell you about one very interesting feature – contracts. In Supernova Shards, most of the player interactions will take place through contracts. For example, the purchase of an item occurs under a contract where the seller must prepare and provide the item, and the buyer must pay for it. You can create your contracts using templates for every occasion: escort, refueling, hiring mercenaries, item delivery, transportation of passengers, and so on. Other players can see your contract and optionally sign it to fulfill your contract request. This will allow players to safely and easily interact with each other and build trade relations.
What is the economic environment in the game? How can players earn LFC tokens?
One of the many ways: players can mine or craft various items and sell them to other players for LFCs. After that, you can withdraw LFCs, for example, on the BSC, for further sale.
Will there be a partner system in the game?
Our partner system involves a partnership or hiring of characters of real players either in a squad or in a corporation. They will also gain experience.
How do you work with other members of the development team, such as programmers and artists, to bring your vision to life?
We have a very friendly and close-knit team. It is very easy to communicate and solve problems together. We discuss a lot, take into account all the improvements to the main idea of the game, and then move on to implementation.
What kind of experience do you hope to create?
Independence of decision-making – when the character will completely depend on it. Ability to manage finances, including the ability to earn real money, and also team play experience.
Looking ahead, what do you think the future of game design looks like, and what trends do you see emerging?
The all new things are well-forgotten old ones. The hits of the early years are already being reworked and re-released. It is difficult to come up with something new, but it is possible to assemble a unique combination from everything that has already been invented.
What advice would you give to aspiring game designers who are just starting?
Play games, learn, and try to implement your boldest decisions and ideas in your games.
Do you play any video games? Can we call you a gamer? Is it necessary for a game designer to play games?
It’s hard to say that I am a typical gamer.
I play almost all genres. From the last ones – Lilys Garden, Valhelm, WoW, WoT, Death Stranding, Cyberpunk 2077, Atomic Heart, Battle for Utopia, Eve Echoes – and most of the time I spend learning their mechanics and design. It is mandatory for game designers to play video games, and that’s not in dispute. 🙂
You can’t bake bread without learning and improving the recipe.
Has it ever happened in your practice that your game was not liked by the audience? If so, how did you feel at that moment?
My audience was mainly my children, and in other projects, I was more involved in the settlement and balance part. I didn’t have such that the audience didn’t like my game very much. There will always be those who do not like your games, but you need to take strength and inspiration from those who liked them and continue to create!
Once again, we express our gratitude to our community for their active participation in the creation of this rubric and this interview. Without you, it wouldn’t be the way it is. Keep following our social networks and stay tuned for further news!