Journalism Interview: NefariousDevelopment
Interviewed by Magnum2k
Magnum2k: How did you come across BYOND?
NefariousDevelopment: I came across BYOND back in June of 2000. At that time, I was heavily into MUDs and I was looking for a platform to create my own MUD. BYOND was well suited to this task.
Magnum2k: Initially, when did you start programming?
NefariousDevelopment: My first memory of programming comes from when I was in 2nd grade. Our teacher would take us into the computer room, which was filled with Apple IIe computers. We were each given a piece of paper that contained a garbled BASIC script. It was usually just a 5-6 line program. The teacher would start a timer and the first person to finish typing would recite the output of the program to the class. It was essentially just a typing competition, but I remember taking more out of it than that. My Dad picked me up a Commodore 64 and a programming book shortly after.
Magnum2k: That's very interesting. What was your first programming language you began studying?
NefariousDevelopment: Probably BASIC on the c64. I didn't have any game cartridges for the Commodore, so I pretty much just spent my time copying code from books into the system. I didn't understand what it all meant until later. After that, my family went through a few more obsolete computers. I had an Apple IIe, like the ones my school used back in 2nd grade. This was the first system I started programming my own scripts on. When I was about 11, I got a 386 with Windows 3.1. I was about 15 when I discovered BYOND.
Magnum2k: When you discovered BYOND, what was your first impression about it?
NefariousDevelopment: I was intimidated. It didn't make sense to me. The BASIC language reads like a human: left to right, top to bottom. With BYOND, I couldn't tell where the code began. Luckily for me, BYOND has always been very well documented and community oriented. I quickly caught on, thanks to all of the examples and demos provided on the site.
Magnum2k: The resources provided has always been a big help. Do you have knowledge in any other languages besides DM?
NefariousDevelopment: Yes, but I try to stick mostly to scripting languages like PHP and Java. I think DM kind of spoiled me. I dislike working with C++.
Magnum2k: Prism has been widely acknowledged by some of the people of the BYOND community and pretty much all of them are dazzled by the current progress of the screenshots that has been posted -- What makes it so different from other BYOND games?
NefariousDevelopment: Prism is being developed with a level professionalism that is difficult to find in many BYOND games today. It's current design document is well over 60 pages. The combat system was sculpted in Excel prior to programming. Much care and deliberation is being taken to ensure that Prism is a quality game that raises the bar for what can be expected not only from BYOND, but any multi-player online game
Magnum2k: The graphics of Prism has been rather exquisite. I have never seen anything like it for a BYOND game throughout my life. How did you come across these Pixel Artists for such a project? Also, if they are Pixel Artists on a professional level, which is quite safe to say they are, how did they take on the offer? A lot of people don't take BYOND as a professional engine but some developers have shown that it is capable of providing fantastic things. Did the sound of "BYOND" have an impact on how these Pixel Artists reacted to your request of help from them?
NefariousDevelopment: Actually, no pixel art has been produced for Prism as of yet. The current sprite sheet on the blog is from a game called Quest of Legends. That art was done by Nick Lee. We are still looking for a pixel artist who can mimic it. The current placeholder graphics are standard roguelike sprites.
Magnum2k: I see. How long has Prism been in development?
NefariousDevelopment: The idea for Prism has been brewing for years. In fact, it's somewhat of an extension of the idea from my first dungeon crawler, Shadow Realms, which I released during my first encounter with BYOND. I began working on the map generator for Prism in June of this year.
Magnum2k: Do you currently have a development team helping you manage Prism?
NefariousDevelopment: No. I'm fortunate enough to be able to cover most bases myself. I have music and sound design covered, as I am a skilled musician with access to a recording studio. I am also skilled with Photoshop, After Effects, and other graphic design software. The only work I truly need to contract out is pixel work. However, depending on the success of Prism, I will bring on additional designers, artists, and whoever else is necessary to keep up with content patches after release.
Magnum2k: What is/was your favorite game on BYOND or outside of BYOND(both console or PC)? Did that game motivate you into making Prism?
NefariousDevelopment: My favorite game on BYOND is Lummox JR's Incursion. However, lately I've really enjoyed playing Bravo1's Tanx. Outside of BYOND, some of my favorite games are Diablo I, and II; Warcraft I, II, and II; and World of Warcraft. All of those definitely had an influence on Prism. With Prism, I want to take some of the best qualities from both the Diablo universe and Warcraft universe. I want to make a dungeon crawler that requires the kind of high-level coordination that end-game Warcraft content requires. I want to make dungeons that never get boring, because they are dynamically generated while retaining interesting features, like in Diablo II.
Magnum2k: They are a wide variety of top-down games on BYOND; what made you take advantage of the Isometric feature and apply it to Prism?
NefariousDevelopment: I feel that isometric graphics present a more modern look than the top-down perspective. Some projects lend themselves better to the top-down perspective, though. Prior to BYOND releasing this feature, many people tried programming their own isometric projection engines, which almost always resulted in laggy game-play. With the feature built into BYOND, why not take advantage of it?
Magnum2k: When you're not on BYOND -- or on the computer -- what are you doing? Do you play sports? What hobbies are you into?
NefariousDevelopment: If I'm not at the computer or at my day-job, I'm usually doing one of the following: spending time with my wife and 2 year old daughter, playing guitar, studying for school, or working on a home improvement project.
Magnum2k: As you said, you have been on BYOND since 2000, what keeps you motivated most to stay active on BYOND till now?
NefariousDevelopment: It definitely has something to do with the community. I love seeing guys like Lummox JR join the staff to help Tom out. Also, BYOND is actually inspiring to work with. The language itself is elegant and easy to write in. Furthermore, new features are regularly implemented and the software is always improving. Built-in support for pixel movement? Sounds like a new, fun feature for me to implement into Prism.
Magnum2k: Can the BYOND community expect more projects from you in the future?
NefariousDevelopment: Absolutely. I'm hesitant to reveal too much in this area, as Prism is going to keep my hands tied for a while. I will say this: My next project will include its own scripting language, monkeys, and techno music. That is all.
Magnum2k: Throughout your education, what is/was your favorite class?
NefariousDevelopment: Definitely that 2nd grade typing class. It's the closest I've ever come to a programming class! I'm currently working on a degree in Business Administration.
Magnum2k: Do you think the spread of ripped games, or fangames, have an impact on how BYOND is viewed?
NefariousDevelopment: Any game that is published on the BYOND hub will have an impact on how BYOND is viewed. I'd rather not discuss all of the detrimental effects that fan games obviously have on BYOND. I will say this; fan games have introduced numerous players to the BYOND community. Much of BYOND's growth is probably due, in part, to fan games.
Magnum2k: As a programmer it is always good to revise your programming, before hand and after, how often do you do this? If there's anything that seems unorganized do you fix it? Has the ability of programming benefited you in your life somehow?
NefariousDevelopment: Interesting question. The problem with revision is that it can actually be detrimental to progress. In the past, I've had problems with this. While it's good to always look for more efficient ways to accomplish something, it is infinitely better to simply do it right the first time. Therefor, I take my time when I sit to write a piece of code. I try to think about how the piece of code will interact with the rest of my program to prevent needing to do another revision. Sometimes I apply a concept I learned from an article Deadron wrote a long time ago called Extreme Programming. I highly recommended reading this article. That said, I often find myself rearranging my code to better organize it. I'm a stickler for naming conventions and what not. Every so often, I learn of a more efficient way of doing something that requires me to rewrite sections of my code. Programming has definitely benefited me in my life. Programming is an exercise that, in my opinion, increases one's problem solving abilities. My job, while having nothing to do with computers or programming, requires the use of logic and deduction on a daily basis. I feel that computer programming has strengthened these skills.
(Closing): Magnum2k: Thank you for your time. I wish you good luck with everything.
(Closing): NeferiousDevelopment: Thanks, it's been a pleasure.
