Dan Marshall opens up to TPG about his recently released procedurally-generated, physics-based, 1-on-1 online platform shooter, Gun Monkeys.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your role with the development of Gun Monkeys.
I’m an indie developer, so I did pretty much everything. I do code, art and design. I then rope in talented people to help out on the bits I don’t understand, like music which was done by the amazing David Burrows. Top of the help-y list though is Tim James. He took over all the networking stuff because getting two computers to talk to each other is still crazy difficult. I don’t know what I’d have done without Tim, he’s amazing.
How did you get started in developing PC games?
It was my hobby for a long time, and then eventually my games were bringing in enough cash that I could go full-time. I started years ago making silly little games on Klik ‘n Play, and progressed up until I sort of learned coding and went from there.
Where did the idea for Gun Monkeys come from?
Gun Monkeys started life as a remake of one of my first games, Gibbage. It was a 2-player game with the same kind of rules, but as offline only. When I’d got Gun Monkeys working nicely, it seemed silly not to move it online, so that’s what happened.
What are some of the successes and failures you learned from in developing Gun Monkeys?
I’ve learned that making multiplayer games is basically a total ballache from start to finish. Getting two computers to talk properly is a pain, and testing the game is 10 times harder. I think I’ve learned a lot from a design standpoint though – the game’s fun and people love it, and I think that’s partly because I’m constantly realising what people want and need from a game.
In its current form, how close is Gun Monkeys to your initial vision?
Pretty much spot on, actually. It was always intended as this kooky 1-on-1 manic deathmatch thing, basically an adaption of the old Gibbage game with more players and the ability to play online. I think visually it’s possibly a little different, but by-and-large it’s the game I’d intended to make.
Some devs admitted their games were too hard upon release because they became experts as they developed the game. Talk about setting the difficulty levels for Gun Monkeys and if you faced a similar challenge.
Yeah, balancing Gun Monkeys is tough because I know every line of code. Watching people play it and getting feedback frm the community was a huge help, and a few things have been tweaked to make it more balanced. Have to say though, within about two days there were some guys online who were categorically better at the game than I am. I think I’m getting old L
Were there any challenges you faced in ensuring Gun Monkeys would run on the various PC system configurations?
Yes, and it’s still something we’re struggling with. Everyone’s PC is different, and when you’re playing online and everything needs to be perfectly synched that ‘s a huuuuge headache. We’re getting there though, we’re finally close to working out the final few issues. But yeah, you can test all you like but until it’s unleashed on the general public you’ll never be able to accommodate all the different setups!
Please talk about developing the art style, level design and music for Gun Monkeys.
Well, the art I always wanted to have this rough, disjointed, kooky aspect to it. I was a big fan of Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, and wanted to do something with that same kind of bright neon vibe. The levels are procedurally generated, which is a huge weight off my mind in terms of getting individual levels nailed, but getting everything slotting together nicely took some work! I think its a really nice system now, I think it works well.
The music was done by David Burrows. He is amazing, and worked so hard to produce the sort of funky, action-y tracks in game.
Outside of creating the game itself, what is the toughest aspect of being an indie developer?
Probably worrying about money! This is a GREAT job and I’d love to keep doing it, but for that to happen I need to shift a lot of copies of my games J
How did you go about funding Gun Monkeys and did you receive financial or emotional support from friends and family?
Gun Monkeys is entirely self-funded by previous projects. It paid for itself fairly quickly though. I always receive emotional support from my family, they’re amazing.
Tell us about the process of submitting Gun Monkeys to the various digital distribution platforms and if you encountered resistance in doing so.
Well, I only really spoke to Steam. With a game like GM I knew it needed a secure login system, so the most sense to me was just to wrap it around Steam. I spoke to them, and they said yes. They’re very friendly and helpful, no resistance whatsoever.
What went into the decision to offer local offline local play?
Um, it was already in-place for testing, so it didn’t really make sense to take it out. There’s something really nice about playing locally with a friend – tickling is a valid ‘tactic’, for example. Gun Monkeys works really well from a sofa with a couple of gamepads.
How important is it to get instant feedback about Gun Monkeys from users through online message boards and other social networking sites?
It’s brilliant. I think within a couple of hours of the beta starting I was getting reports of exploints and people not playing fair, and was able to plug those holes really quickly. Right now if there’s a problem, people can tell me and I can have a patch up pretty much instantly. It’s a brilliant way of keeping everyone happy.
How much value do you place on the opinions of those who review Gun Monkeys professionally?
I value everyone’s opinions, doesn’t matter if it’s a professional review or not. I think reviews are harder to deal with – especially some places who aren’t necessarily fair on the games they review. One of my bug bears is people ‘reviewing’ what they think should be in the game “Gun Monkeys would be better if…” for example. Chances are I’ve tried that, and they’re wrong, it was awful. But there’s no way to make that known, really.
How do you feel about the various indie bundle promotions and the “Pay What You Want” pricing methodology? Would you be interested in contributing to a project like that in the future?
Yeah, it’s a little disheartening to release a game and immediately see comments like “look amazing! Can’t wait for it to be cheap in a bundle”, but I do understand the function PWYW/ bundles have. I’m generally all for them I think they’re a good way of getting more players in and talking about the game, enjoying the game, that sort of thing.
What are your thoughts on how the PC gaming industry as a whole are dealing with the problem of intrusive DRM and piracy?
I think we’re getting to the point now where people are dropping it, aren’t we? I’ve never had DRM on any of my games, and I never will. Hopefully it’ll be so hated that people don’t dare do it anymore!
How do you feel about individuals posting videos of Gun Monkeys?
I’m pleased to hear any feedback i can get! So far postings have been largely positive, the negative ones (of which there’ll always be some) tend to be the people who haven’t reeeeeally played the game. They have a quick go, decide it’s not for them and instead of quietly moving on with their lives, slag it off on The Internet. That’s fine, but if you’re doing that you should know that the developer *is* reading it, and it *is* making them sad. – End
We would like to thank Dan for his candid commentary and wish the best of luck moving forward. You can pick up Gun Monkeys via Steam and learn more on the official site.
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