



Boot Hill Heroes interview with Dave Welch

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DS: How exactly will co-op work? Does one player control where the party goes? Is there more freedom for each of the players on overworld maps? Who will control what during battles?

DW: We wanted to keep it simple. You can just pause the game and assign which characters will be controlled by which input devices (the players).

In battle, players can choose abilities of the characters they control. Battles are in real time, so there is no waiting for turns. When you choose an ability, the character will execute the action if they have enough power, or queue it up until they do.

On the overworld, one character will be the leader and the rest will follow. This can be toggled between characters (or players). The other players can do things like assign abilities, change equipment, or peruse their stats (or grab a soda) without it interrupting the gameplay. Four players can navigate their menus at the same time. We spent a long time trying to get all that to fit on the screen, but we feel that it works out okay.

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DS: What's been the overall fan reaction for Boot Hill Heroes? Have you been getting a lot of attention from both indie game aficionados and retro enthusiasts?

DW: Interest has been very positive from both sides and we’re really grateful for all the support.  It’s much easier to take on a large project like this when you know there are people who are excited about what you are doing.

DS: Boot Hill Heroes is expected to launch on PC and Xbox Live Indie Games. Have you considered any other platforms? Have you thought about PlayStation Mobile, which allows devs to create games for both mobile devices and the Vita in a manner similar to XBLIG?

DW: Once the game is finished we’ll definitely consider other platforms based on how much interest there is and how easy they are to develop a port for.

DS: As an indie developer, do you already have ideas for future projects? Do you think your next game will also be an RPG? Or would you like to explore different genres?

DW: We’ll definitely explore more of the RPG genre. But we have an idea in the works for our next game that isn’t a traditional RPG that we are very excited about.

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DS: Would you like to do something in the handheld space (3DS, Vita) down the road? What about maybe something for the Wii U that puts the GamePad to good use? Any thoughts pop up when you think about those platforms?

DW: We will probably stick to platforms we are more comfortable with before we branch out. Although the Wii U controller would definitely make the simultaneous multiplayer menu system of Boot Hill Heroes easier to display.  

DS: Last, is there anything, mainstream or indie, that you’re currently playing in your free time (if that’s something that exists in your hectic game developer life)? Anything that you’re hoping to play?

DW: We’ve actually made a commitment to set aside a block of time to play games, just so we don’t go insane. We like to play short, fast-paced games like Left 4 Dead to unwind while also playing long RPG adventures at the same time. Currently, we’ve been playing Lone Survivor, The Legend of Grimrock, Sword and Sworcery, and Portal 2.

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I would like to thank Dave Welch of Experimental Gamer for taking the time to participate in this interview. As a huge fan of retro and indie RPGs, I can honestly say that Boot Hill Heroes is one of my most anticipated games of the year, and I'm certain a lot of other folks feel the same way. Be sure to follow Dave on Twitter @BootHillHeroes to get updates on the game.


Tags: Boot Hill Heroes, Indie games, Indie RPG, Interview, Experimental Gamer

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