Cape Cosmic (Phoenotopia: Awakening) AMA Transcript

Last night’s AMA with Cape Cosmic, developers of Phoenotopia: Awakening, was a great time! We appreciate everyone, especially the developers, for taking the time to make this AMA a success. In case you missed it, a transcript of the entire event can be found below. This information can also be found on our Discord.

Note: this is the raw, minute-by-minute log of the AMA. If you are looking for a more condensed version with just the questions and answers, check out this alternative view by Pimez.

Note #2: Users in red denotes our staff, while users in blue denotes Cape Cosmic devs:

[12-Feb-21 10:10 AM] by Rich
Today!
[12-Feb-21 10:27 AM] by kl
How long will it last?
[12-Feb-21 10:38 AM] by Rich
i would guess about an hr
[12-Feb-21 10:38 AM] by Rich
that is the typical length of the past AMAs we have done
[12-Feb-21 11:47 AM] by CRMagic
I won’t be around later, but I have questions, so…
[12-Feb-21 11:48 AM] by CRMagic
*Question:* Did you ever think to make a mini map? Many of the complaints I’ve heard are over the lack of such.
[12-Feb-21 11:49 AM] by CRMagic
*Question:* Do you consider the Switch release a success or not? What would you do differently? I fear the game got buried under the other Metroidvanias available.
[12-Feb-21 11:50 AM] by CRMagic
*Question:* When’s the sequel drop, and can I preorder it now? ๐Ÿ˜
[12-Feb-21 12:11 PM] by KM
how will it work?
[12-Feb-21 12:18 PM] by CRMagic
People show up, ask questions, dev answers, everyone drinks a beer that @TheNerdBasement provides.
[12-Feb-21 12:26 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Wait what!
[12-Feb-21 12:26 PM] by TheNerdBasement
I have to get to the store now then! Though @Rich was providing that.
[12-Feb-21 12:31 PM] by Rich
if you can’t attend live, leave questions and will get them asked tonight
[12-Feb-21 12:35 PM] by Rich
after the AMA is over, next week we will post a transcript of the AMA on the website
[12-Feb-21 12:41 PM] by Firanka
i don’t know if i’ll be able to wake up at 4 am so i’ll leave this just in case

what was the inspiration behind giving so many characters biblical names? (abi)gail, thomas, seth, (e)lisa(beth), bartholomew, zophiel, adam, ava (some sources list it as an alternative form of eva), ruth (renamed to rutea in phoa but still), the game’s files even refer to zero as “kain”. was it just something like “hey cool names” or is there more reason behind this?

[12-Feb-21 12:47 PM] by CRMagic
I think I could field that, but…
[12-Feb-21 12:49 PM] by Firanka
field?
[12-Feb-21 12:49 PM] by CRMagic
Answer it.
[12-Feb-21 12:49 PM] by Firanka
ah
[12-Feb-21 12:49 PM] by Firanka
hm?
[12-Feb-21 12:50 PM] by CRMagic
I’ll let the dev do it. ๐Ÿ˜
[12-Feb-21 01:43 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Yeah, same. Feel like I know what the answer is, having used so many in my game, too, but I should keep it zipped until the dev gets a chance to put it into his own words.
[12-Feb-21 02:24 PM] by Gunghir
Hi dev(s) i bought your game because @CRMagic said so. He mentioned metroidvania so i clicked buy
[12-Feb-21 02:25 PM] by Gunghir
I will promise to play it soon :3
[12-Feb-21 02:25 PM] by Gunghir
after i get over my cod zombies addiction
[12-Feb-21 02:28 PM] by CRMagic
I was more successful evangelizing Phoenotopia than Portia. ๐Ÿ˜‚
[12-Feb-21 02:31 PM] by CRMagic
Though I think all things considered, Phoenotopia was the better game.
[12-Feb-21 02:52 PM] by Gunghir
I also bought portia fyi
[12-Feb-21 03:15 PM] by HedgeKnightMike
Phoenotopia, Portia, Pine, @CRMagic I’m seeing a P-attern
[12-Feb-21 03:21 PM] by NoahIvaldi
I wishlisted it on account of CRM, then he bought it for me so that I could play it immediately, whereupon I assisted in knocking on people’s doors and asking if they had a moment to talk about our savior, Gail of Panselo. @Trifragger can vouch.
[12-Feb-21 03:31 PM] by KM
I’ll leave my question here since I cant make it

What are the chances of a hard copy coming out. Also are you planning on adding it on other consoles.

[12-Feb-21 03:41 PM] by CRMagic
@NoahIvaldi I’d be lying if I didn’t think you’d be the better salesman, but I also figured you’d enjoy it.
[12-Feb-21 03:47 PM] by NoahIvaldi
You made the right decision, bro, and I sincerely appreciate it. ๐Ÿ’
[12-Feb-21 07:12 PM] by Gitrogatog
My body is ready
[12-Feb-21 07:12 PM] by Gitrogatog
3 more hours
[12-Feb-21 09:53 PM] by Lumpy
I have no idea what to ask.
[12-Feb-21 09:53 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Anything you’d like
[12-Feb-21 09:53 PM] by Firanka
lol
[12-Feb-21 09:54 PM] by Firanka
how will it work?
[12-Feb-21 09:54 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Typically the first question is; is Zelda Breath of the Wild an RPG?
[12-Feb-21 09:55 PM] by Gitrogatog
No
[12-Feb-21 09:55 PM] by Gitrogatog
It’s a mastapiece
[12-Feb-21 09:55 PM] by Pimez
I feel like people will get into an argument for this
[12-Feb-21 09:55 PM] by Firanka
thats why people ask this
[12-Feb-21 09:56 PM] by Lumpy
What happens if i ask such a dumb, obvious question that even the chickens hate me?’
[12-Feb-21 09:56 PM] by TheNerdBasement
It’s more a running joke on this discord
[12-Feb-21 09:56 PM] by Gitrogatog
A wise man once said: There are no bad questions, just bad players
[12-Feb-21 09:56 PM] by Gitrogatog
This man was later revealed to be the creator of Bubsy 3D
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Firanka
omg sillythewilly is here
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by kl
It’s all Dave’s fault
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Firanka
quells is here too! D
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Firanka
๐Ÿ˜€
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Elefong
indeed
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Firanka
hiiiii
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Gitrogatog
Aaaaaaaaa my idols
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by sillythewilly
hey all
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Firanka
hi
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Elefong
heyy ๐Ÿ˜„
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by QuellsDev
hello
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by Gitrogatog
Hello
[12-Feb-21 09:57 PM] by kl
Caves of Mul is the best song
[12-Feb-21 09:58 PM] by Gitrogatog
Yes
[12-Feb-21 09:58 PM] by Gitrogatog
That is true
[12-Feb-21 09:58 PM] by Rich
Hello all and welcome to the AMA for the Phoenotopia awakening. We have @QuellsDev and @sillythewilly here to answer your questions. As always be polite, give them a chance to answer a question and also be patient there could be a lot of questions at once. If you guys would like could each give us a description of your part in the game dev/design as well as maybe a small background of your interest in building games
[12-Feb-21 09:58 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Hello all and welcome
[12-Feb-21 09:58 PM] by QuellsDev
Thanks for having us!
[12-Feb-21 09:58 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Thanks for joining
[12-Feb-21 09:59 PM] by Rich
Thank you for joining us!
[12-Feb-21 09:59 PM] by TheNerdBasement
We love giving the opportunity for players and devs to communicate
[12-Feb-21 09:59 PM] by QuellsDev
I’m the programmer and director. As for my interest in building games, it was always there from when I was a kid
[12-Feb-21 09:59 PM] by QuellsDev
probably grew to its apex around the time of Legend of Zelda:OOT
[12-Feb-21 10:00 PM] by sillythewilly
short intro: I made the music for the game, .. and that’s about it! No programming on my end, though I went through an RPGmaker2000 phase as a kid
[12-Feb-21 10:00 PM] by Rich
Some questions from some users who couldn’t be here live, Question: Did you ever think to make a mini map? Many of the complaints I’ve heard are over the lack of such.
Question: Do you consider the Switch release a success or not? What would you do differently? I fear the game got buried under the other Metroidvanias available.
Question: When’s the sequel drop, and can I preorder it now?
[12-Feb-21 10:01 PM] by Gitrogatog
Lore question: Why did Lisa pay off Garnet’s debt?
[12-Feb-21 10:01 PM] by kl
A kind of basic question: What was the inspiration for the game’s story?
[12-Feb-21 10:01 PM] by Lumpy
Question:What was your most tedious task while designing the game?
Silly Question:Did you ever go out to eat some exotic food to see how it tasted in order to design descriptions for the game?
[12-Feb-21 10:02 PM] by Firanka
this isnt related to the game but… do you watch any anime?
[12-Feb-21 10:03 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding mini-map: it honestly never occurred to me during the game’s development. Seems like a basic feature to have missed, so I’ll definitely have it present in our future games. Unfortunately, the game can’t be mapped in any cohesive, understandable way due to the way the world was designed
[12-Feb-21 10:03 PM] by QuellsDev
I actually have an example map I drew up a while back, since the question gets raised a lot
[12-Feb-21 10:03 PM] by QuellsDev

[12-Feb-21 10:04 PM] by QuellsDev
that’s just the first house. To have a map, it really has to go hand in hand from the game’s earliest creation stages
[12-Feb-21 10:06 PM] by NoahIvaldi
*excited bouncing intensifies*
[12-Feb-21 10:06 PM] by Warotar
How did you come up with the names of the towns and locations?
[12-Feb-21 10:06 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding switch release being a success – it’s kinda not ๐Ÿ˜ฆ If we could do it differently, we’d have probably held back and spent more time fishing for a publisher. They’re really worth it. Flyhigh joined us at too late a stage to exert their best influences
[12-Feb-21 10:06 PM] by kl
Why did you choose Phoenotopia as a name for the game? Why the subtitle of Awakening?
[12-Feb-21 10:07 PM] by kl
Also, was the Steam release more successful then
[12-Feb-21 10:07 PM] by QuellsDev
they have expressed interest in our next title already, despite it only existing in brainstorming right now, so we’re on a better start
[12-Feb-21 10:07 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Oh, damn. Follow-up question: You *did* get just enough support to go ahead with the sequel that we absolutely 100% require in order to live, right?
[12-Feb-21 10:08 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Oh, that’s a yes. Yes. Oh, thank God for you.
[12-Feb-21 10:08 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “Lore question: Why did Lisa pay off Garnet’s debt?” — Lisa having come from the orphanage took on some caring/compassionate qualities. She can’t help helping people
[12-Feb-21 10:09 PM] by Warotar
What happened to the Anuri species?
[12-Feb-21 10:09 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “What was the inspiration for the game’s story?” — It’s a bit of everything probably. A lot of things influenced me, big and small, in ways that I don’t know sometimes. I’d say the big ones are Zelda, Cave Story, and fairy tales (like the books)
[12-Feb-21 10:09 PM] by Gitrogatog
When were the Cosette windmills constructed?
[12-Feb-21 10:10 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “Question:What was your most tedious task while designing the game?” — Hmmm… probably item descriptions
[12-Feb-21 10:10 PM] by TheNerdBasement
@sillythewilly Who are your influences?
[12-Feb-21 10:10 PM] by Firanka
oh yea
what is amberite?
[12-Feb-21 10:10 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding: Silly Question:Did you ever go out to eat some exotic food to see how it tasted in order to design descriptions for the game? — Hah, no
[12-Feb-21 10:10 PM] by Lumpy
Have you ever played tabletop RPG’s, And if yes, Did they have an influence in the game?
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “do you watch any anime?” — yes. Big watcher
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by Firanka
@Pimez TOLD YA
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by Lumpy
It is truly dissapointing that you didnt go to the far off land of boiling soup to make descriptions
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by Pimez
I never denied that
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by Firanka
boo
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by kl
Also for sillythewilly, what were the B-Side songs meant to be used for? Why were they cut?
[12-Feb-21 10:11 PM] by Warotar
Where did the song stones come from and how do they work as they do?
[12-Feb-21 10:12 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “How did you come up with the names of the towns and locations?” — “Atai” means proof in Japanese, and I saw Atai was the first “proving ground” in Gail’s adventure. Most names are like that, where I’ll take a word that means something in another language, then kinda mix and match
[12-Feb-21 10:13 PM] by Unreal2
Have you thought on making a sequel using the same assets giving the gameplay a twist like Majora’s Mask or Triforce Heroes?
[12-Feb-21 10:13 PM] by kl
Lore and Music question: are the Song Stone symbols universal? How do these notes on the flute work in the universe? Is it just the new way music is written?
[12-Feb-21 10:14 PM] by sillythewilly
Early on, it was the greats from games I really enjoyed like Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger), Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of Phantasia)
[12-Feb-21 10:14 PM] by Rich
how long was the game in development and how was the process of porting the game to switch?
[12-Feb-21 10:14 PM] by QuellsDev
For “Why did you choose Phoenotopia as a name for the game? Why the subtitle of Awakening?” — Phoenotopia was a combination of the words “Phoenix” and “Utopia”. As for why those two words, I’m hoping I can show that in a future sequel. As for why “Awakening”, that’s because it needed to be differentiated from the flash game. I’m hoping to go for a naming convention that goes “A, B, C”. So a sequel would be like “Phoenotopia: Bond” or something. “Awakening” also happens to describe the events of the game rather well
[12-Feb-21 10:14 PM] by Unreal2
It might be better to take advantage of the momentum of Awakening release
[12-Feb-21 10:14 PM] by kl
The game was in development for 6 years at least
[12-Feb-21 10:14 PM] by NoahIvaldi
As long as we’re asking questions way faster than you can possibly answer, are there any non-disclosed relations in the game? Like, Mr. Soandso is actually the son of Suchandsuch?
[12-Feb-21 10:15 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Slow down…let them catch up
[12-Feb-21 10:15 PM] by kl
Phoenotopia makes so much sense! Because a utopia rises from the ashes of the old civilization!
[12-Feb-21 10:15 PM] by kl
I get it now
[12-Feb-21 10:16 PM] by QuellsDev
for the followup question: the Steam release is tracking better than Switch release so far. It’s too early to say right now though
[12-Feb-21 10:16 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Aha, I knew it! Bonus points for the coincidental similarity to “phoenotype.”
[12-Feb-21 10:16 PM] by Elefong
good to know it’s likely to do better : )
[12-Feb-21 10:17 PM] by sillythewilly
The first half of the B-sides were songs that ended up not in the game, mainly because they didn’t fit the mood or didn’t have a place in the game. And the second half are songs that couldn’t fit in the 60-track limit of the main soundtrack
[12-Feb-21 10:17 PM] by FoxBot
for sillythewilly: what’s your favorite song that you made for the game/favorite song in general
[12-Feb-21 10:19 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “What happened to the Anuri species?” — We use something… call it “acceptable ambiguous lore”, when planning out the game world. Think of it like asking Tolkien, “What exactly is the population of Orcs in Lord of the Rings?” I think even Tolkien would have trouble answering that one. The answer is just “many”. As many Orcs as are needed for the story to take place.
[12-Feb-21 10:19 PM] by QuellsDev
So I try to use that device as well so it’s not necessary for me to imagine every minute detail of the world. I like to keep some lore open until/unless it becomes necessary for the story to solidify the details. So regarding the Anuri’s history, it’s intentionally ambiguous, but my personal take is that a madness overtook them and they fought each other – hence why there’re various weapons strewn about.
[12-Feb-21 10:20 PM] by sillythewilly
oof that’s like asking who’s my favorite child j/k – it depends on my mood but I really like how Beacon Towers turned out. All because I was trying out some synth presets and came upon one that sounded really neat that ended up being the melody line
[12-Feb-21 10:20 PM] by Rich
Another question from a user, What are the chances of a hard copy coming out. Also are you planning on adding it on other consoles.
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by Rich
We have a lot of physical collectors in the community
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by QuellsDev
hold on… Will is telling me there’s a reply feature. lol
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by Firanka
pffft
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by Warotar
If you’re on pc, you can right click on a question to reply to it
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by Firanka
yea it was added around a year ago i think
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by Firanka
yup!
[12-Feb-21 10:21 PM] by NoahIvaldi
That’s awesome. I love the Beacon Towers melody.
[12-Feb-21 10:22 PM] by kl
How do the giant toads work in relation to the Anuri? Are they just giant toads that are used as horses, or are they a subspecies?
[12-Feb-21 10:22 PM] by Gitrogatog
Lore question: How do trolls and harpies reproduce?
[12-Feb-21 10:23 PM] by QuellsDev
They were constructed some time in the ambiguous past in stages (this falls under the “acceptable ambiguous lore”). They didn’t always look like windmills from the outside.
[12-Feb-21 10:23 PM] by Firanka
:O
[12-Feb-21 10:24 PM] by Gitrogatog
Was this ambiguous past before or after the razing?
[12-Feb-21 10:24 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Ive never played Phoenotopia. Can you describe it for me?
[12-Feb-21 10:24 PM] by QuellsDev
Amberite is “A chunk of coarse amberite crystal. Amberite has applications ranging from medicine to weapons and has even recently become popular in jewelry. Sell this at the nearest Recycler!”
[12-Feb-21 10:24 PM] by Warotar
The windmills?
[12-Feb-21 10:24 PM] by Lumpy
What is your opinion on game jams?
[12-Feb-21 10:25 PM] by TheNerdBasement
windmills? huh?
[12-Feb-21 10:25 PM] by QuellsDev
more amberite lore – we mostly needed a valuable mineral you could get – basically an excuse to give the player money
[12-Feb-21 10:25 PM] by Firanka
nono i was, like
real life amberite is some sort of gunpowder from what ive read
and im trying to see if it has any connection
[12-Feb-21 10:25 PM] by NoahIvaldi
By the way, don’t forget that you can use double | to spoilerify stuff.
[12-Feb-21 10:26 PM] by QuellsDev
I have no experience with table top RPG’s. Think the closest I played was “Munchkins”
[12-Feb-21 10:26 PM] by kl
Good idea, some people haven’t played the game
[12-Feb-21 10:26 PM] by Warotar
Oh nvm didn’t realise that was a question
[12-Feb-21 10:26 PM] by Elefong
For Sillythewilly: how did you learn music? did you take any courses/studies, read any books?
[12-Feb-21 10:27 PM] by Lumpy
This is the saddest fact since realizing you cannot pet frogs
[12-Feb-21 10:29 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding the questions on the song stones — they were first added in as a necessary “gating” mechanic, since Gail has a lot more freedom to roam the world map. Before there were song stones, I actually considered just using “keys” or “lockpicks”. But I choose song stones in the end because I liked the musical angle and the puzzle opportunities they allowed. After that, we worked backwards to kinda (hopefully) make them a believable part of the universe.
[12-Feb-21 10:30 PM] by kl
What song was Birdy trying to play in her boss intro?
[12-Feb-21 10:31 PM] by NoahIvaldi
I know that one.
[12-Feb-21 10:31 PM] by Warotar
Was there or will there ever be a full version of Birdy’s intro?
[12-Feb-21 10:31 PM] by Warotar
Also why does Phalanx play during Birdy’s intro?
[12-Feb-21 10:31 PM] by NoahIvaldi

[12-Feb-21 10:31 PM] by sillythewilly
I was super fortunate to have a mom who forced me to take classical piano/violin lessons as a kid. I didn’t enjoy it but luckily I kept it up and started really appreciating it around high school times.
Also, college, there was an intro to jazz class that was super fun playing together in combos
[12-Feb-21 10:31 PM] by kl
Is it because PHALANX is a “birdy”?
[12-Feb-21 10:32 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “Have you thought on making a sequel using the same assets giving the gameplay a twist like Majora’s Mask or Triforce Heroes?” — We have not… I think everyone on the team is probably an artist first and foremost, so striking out into the new excites us more. There is some stuff from the engine I’d like to reuse – but since the game took so long to develop, the underlying engine stuff is really outdated – so I probably won’t get to reuse as much as I’d like
[12-Feb-21 10:33 PM] by sillythewilly
I guess that’s canon now ยฏ\\(ใƒ„)/ยฏ
[12-Feb-21 10:33 PM] by Rich
what engine did you use and are you looking to use a different engine in your next game?
[12-Feb-21 10:34 PM] by kl
Does this mean the sequel will have a completely new artstyle, or be a polish like the flash game to awakening?
[12-Feb-21 10:34 PM] by Firanka
~~hehe polish~~
[12-Feb-21 10:35 PM] by sillythewilly
I have no clue what Birdy was thinking, but behind the scenes Quells gave me a link to the Jurassic Park theme song cover done horribly on a recorder (?) and told me to emulate that
[12-Feb-21 10:35 PM] by Firanka
LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO
[12-Feb-21 10:35 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “how long was the game in development and how was the process of porting the game to switch?” — Game’s been in development for 6+ years now. Porting to Switch was scary (so was releasing on Steam). From my perspective, it’s our first commercial game, and so much of the process is unknown. At one point, I thought it was possible we would just be hard denied on a Switch release at all due to the game’s old Unity engine. Later, I learned that Nintendo’s waiver process to bypass some of their blockers wasn’t too bad. I’m hoping I can approach the next game as a hardened veteran where nothing shakes me anymore, but we’ll see
[12-Feb-21 10:35 PM] by NoahIvaldi
That’s the greatest. XD
[12-Feb-21 10:36 PM] by Firanka
please i need to know more about jurassic park on recorder
why
[12-Feb-21 10:36 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “As long as we’re asking questions way faster than you can possibly answer, are there any non-disclosed relations in the game? ” — The musician and I used to be roommates in college and after (early adult working life). He and I will play online games together (mostly rainbow six, since that’s the only game I’ll want to play – sorry Will)
[12-Feb-21 10:36 PM] by kl
What is the link?
[12-Feb-21 10:37 PM] by kl
This is very important
[12-Feb-21 10:37 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Inquiring minds need to know: Got a :link: to that song?
[12-Feb-21 10:37 PM] by Warotar
For… science
[12-Feb-21 10:38 PM] by FoxBot
What was the thought process behind making Gail more expressive than she was in the flash game?
[12-Feb-21 10:38 PM] by NoahIvaldi
I meant in-game chars, but that’s cool, too!
[12-Feb-21 10:39 PM] by NoahIvaldi
You’re a bloody legend.
[12-Feb-21 10:39 PM] by Firanka
oh my goooooood
[12-Feb-21 10:40 PM] by QuellsDev
Ah yeah! Amberite actually means something in real life. I remember when I thought up the name, I was annoyed it was already taken by a real life thing. In the end, we decided to barrel ahead anyway
[12-Feb-21 10:40 PM] by Firanka
lololololol
[12-Feb-21 10:40 PM] by Elefong
Are you a fan of the game characters? Which one is your favourite?
[12-Feb-21 10:41 PM] by Firanka
~~i kinda like the thought of gunpowder jewelry actually~~
[12-Feb-21 10:41 PM] by kl
If it’s not a spoiler, who is Thomas’s mentor that he mentions in his logs, WHY DID HE ENCOURAGE THOMAS TO BUILD A WRECKER
[12-Feb-21 10:42 PM] by Warotar
perhaps it will get a bigger purpose in the sequel
[12-Feb-21 10:42 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Why bats? Any particular reason for the weapon choice? Easy to draw and animate, no doubt!
[12-Feb-21 10:42 PM] by QuellsDev
For “What are the chances of a hard copy coming out. Also are you planning on adding it on other consoles.” — We’ve actually been approached twice now by physical distributors (who shall not be named for professional reasons). They both walked after hearing the sales numbers. So no physical for the time being. Flyhigh is working on xbox and playstation ports – though I don’t know when that’ll be finished
[12-Feb-21 10:43 PM] by Firanka
what was the inspiration behind giving so many characters biblical names? (abi)gail, thomas, seth, (e)lisa(beth), bartholomew, zophiel, adam, ava (some sources list it as an alternative form of eva), ruth (renamed to rutea in phoa but still), the game’s files even refer to zero as “kain”. was it just something like “hey cool names” or is there more reason behind this?
[12-Feb-21 10:45 PM] by QuellsDev
For “How do the giant toads work in relation to the Anuri? Are they just giant toads that are used as horses, or are they a subspecies?” — You can see the giant toads being ridden in one of the opening cutscene shots. I think of them like loyal steeds that get passed down noble Anuri lines. The big one you fight is maintaining its duty to protect its owners even long after they’ve passed
[12-Feb-21 10:46 PM] by NoahIvaldi
What if *Zelda II: Link’s Adventure* was given a Star Wars story before the revisions and modernizations, then the mechanics were scaled up to modern standards and the production values were more charming?
[12-Feb-21 10:46 PM] by Gitrogatog
How do Heart Rubies and Energy Gems work? Were they created for Phoenixes for the war? Do heart rubies have some sort of romantic connotation to them? Are energy gems and the weird green stone found in mul caves (and elsewhere) related?
[12-Feb-21 10:46 PM] by Gitrogatog
Also if it had actual puzzles like a zelda game
[12-Feb-21 10:47 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Spoiler tags, please.
[12-Feb-21 10:48 PM] by Unreal2
What is the name origin of the perros? Because that’s the exact word for dogs in spanish
[12-Feb-21 10:48 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “How do trolls and harpies reproduce?” — Trolls grow from the Earth via a spore. As for harpies, best not to think about it too much. If you do, you’ll notice the egg shells the little ones wear with them are way too big. Let’s say this falls under the “intentional ambiguous lore” thing
[12-Feb-21 10:49 PM] by QuellsDev
After the razing
[12-Feb-21 10:51 PM] by Rich
For me, itโ€™s apparent Zelda II, was an inspiration, at what age did you beat Zelda II. I played it as a kid, but didnโ€™t beat it till I was much older
[12-Feb-21 10:52 PM] by kl
What are the current development plans for future projects (after Phoenotopia: Awakening)?
[12-Feb-21 10:53 PM] by kl
Is the sequel the next priority?
[12-Feb-21 10:53 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Poor guys must be resting their fingers. At least they know that they’re appreciated!
[12-Feb-21 10:54 PM] by Firanka
@sillythewilly do you have any other silly stories like the recorder one
[12-Feb-21 10:54 PM] by NoahIvaldi
With a name like that, he’d better.
[12-Feb-21 10:54 PM] by Firanka
LMAOOOOOOOO
[12-Feb-21 10:55 PM] by QuellsDev
Heh, sorry for the pauses. I copy/paste all the questions to a separate doc then go through and process them – easier that way since when I “reply” to something, it scroll jumps all the way to the bottom
[12-Feb-21 10:55 PM] by Firanka
its okay
[12-Feb-21 10:55 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “what engine did you use and are you looking to use a different engine in your next game?” — We use Unity. We’ll probably continue to use Unity for the next game
[12-Feb-21 10:55 PM] by FoxBot
how much longer will you be answering questions for?
[12-Feb-21 10:55 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Don’t apologize when I’m teasing you! Just noogie me back!
[12-Feb-21 10:56 PM] by QuellsDev
We’re thinking we’ll exit around 8:10 if that’s alright
[12-Feb-21 10:56 PM] by Firanka
what timezone
[12-Feb-21 10:56 PM] by Warotar
PST?
[12-Feb-21 10:56 PM] by kl
I wish it was PST
[12-Feb-21 10:57 PM] by QuellsDev
yes, so in ~15 minutes or so. We can go longer too depending… how long do AMA’s usually go for?
[12-Feb-21 10:57 PM] by Rich
Usually an hr
[12-Feb-21 10:57 PM] by NoahIvaldi
~~As long as you’re willing to put up with our crap.~~
[12-Feb-21 10:57 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “Does this mean the sequel will have a completely new artstyle, or be a polish like the flash game to awakening?” — If a sequel happens, definitely a new art style
[12-Feb-21 10:57 PM] by Rich
But we are happy to continue asking questions as long as you are willing to stay and chat with us
[12-Feb-21 10:58 PM] by kl
Maybe not, we only have around 50 questions prepared
[12-Feb-21 10:58 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Each.
[12-Feb-21 10:59 PM] by Rich
Again, while @QuellsDev and @sillythewilly continue to answer questions, I would like to thank them again for taking the time and joining us this evening, we greatly appreciate it!
[12-Feb-21 10:59 PM] by kl
Yes, thank you
[12-Feb-21 10:59 PM] by QuellsDev
For “What was the thought process behind making Gail more expressive than she was in the flash game?” — that was largely driven by Clement (lead animator). He really wants to push the art medium, and was a bit annoyed that the characters were so low-res. So whenever he drew something, he pushed it as far as he could and made them really expressive. That was a big takeaway for me too. Choose an art style from the beginning that artists could actually be excited drawing for
[12-Feb-21 10:59 PM] by Unreal2
Yeah, means a lot
[12-Feb-21 10:59 PM] by QuellsDev
especially since games take so long to make
[12-Feb-21 10:59 PM] by Firanka
:O
[12-Feb-21 11:00 PM] by Gitrogatog
What is Zophiel in the new, post-Great Awakening society? Is she some sort of religious figure? Or something else? Why are there so many statues of her?
[12-Feb-21 11:00 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “Are you a fan of the game characters? Which one is your favourite?” — I do like the game’s characters! My favorite is Gail naturally
[12-Feb-21 11:02 PM] by QuellsDev
in fact, regarding the ending that was one of my motivators for changing the “betrayal” scene. I felt guilty for making Billy a last minute traitor at the end of the flash game. I wanted to preserve his good qualities, so I split them up
[12-Feb-21 11:03 PM] by kl
What were the biggest lessons learned from working on this project?
[12-Feb-21 11:03 PM] by Warotar
What will you do differently going forward into the sequel?
[12-Feb-21 11:04 PM] by QuellsDev
For “If it’s not a spoiler, who is Thomas’s mentor that he mentions in his logs…” — Thomas didn’t have a mentor? heh, need to recheck my lore now. He had a handler. And he was building wreckers under orders – all the countries in Phoenotopia were secretly amassing their own weapons – it’s like an open secret
[12-Feb-21 11:04 PM] by sillythewilly
nope that’s it, that was the only good one -__-
… that comes to mind atm. There’s other random tidbits. I vaguely remember the flute at one point being whistling instead, so I had to record myself whistling.
another one: I would’ve been down to re-use the old Among Friends song from the old game, but that happened to be the only project that somehow didn’t get archived properly, which is part of the reason why Merry Fellowship came into being
[12-Feb-21 11:05 PM] by Firanka
ohhh
[12-Feb-21 11:06 PM] by FoxBot
What were the strange purple pods at world’s end in the flash game, and why were they removed for awakening?
[12-Feb-21 11:06 PM] by NoahIvaldi
For what it’s worth, Merry Fellowship is a delight.
[12-Feb-21 11:06 PM] by QuellsDev
For “Why bats? Any particular reason for the weapon choice? Easy to draw and animate, no doubt!” — It’s kinda like how in One Piece, Luffy can “pummel” someone and send them flying in a cartoony/animated fashion. I felt bats could achieve that sensation better than swords
[12-Feb-21 11:07 PM] by NoahIvaldi
So you just wanted a bludgeon, and that was an easy, practical one! Cool! Thank you. ๐Ÿ’š
[12-Feb-21 11:07 PM] by Firanka
oh hes here
hi pimez
[12-Feb-21 11:07 PM] by Gitrogatog

Why did you add in the Cosette region (including the windmills and royal archives)? They weren’t in the flash game

[12-Feb-21 11:07 PM] by Pimez
It also sounds less morbid to have an orphan girl going out to the world alone to have to kill things with a knife
[12-Feb-21 11:07 PM] by kl
This is my last question if you want to end soon, but I really want to know this. What does E.D.E.N. stand for? Do SPHERE and PHALANX stand for anything, or are their names just stylized in capitals?
[12-Feb-21 11:08 PM] by Firanka
PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT
[12-Feb-21 11:08 PM] by Gitrogatog
I liked that area a lot, don’t get me wrong
[12-Feb-21 11:08 PM] by kl
This should be a different game
[12-Feb-21 11:09 PM] by NoahIvaldi
*laughs in RPGs*
[12-Feb-21 11:09 PM] by Pimez
Phoeno-dystopia
[12-Feb-21 11:09 PM] by CaESar
There was an area in the original flash game called “Farmer’s Block” it didn’t add much to the game outside of getting an item called the “Lucky Belt”

Maybe Cosette was made to expand on that?

[12-Feb-21 11:09 PM] by Pimez
It amazes me how the Axe Bandits are not outright slicing Gail in halves
[12-Feb-21 11:10 PM] by kl
Phoenix powers?
[12-Feb-21 11:10 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Use these.
[12-Feb-21 11:10 PM] by Unreal2
She has axe resistance
[12-Feb-21 11:10 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Double | on both sides, @kl.
[12-Feb-21 11:11 PM] by kl
Thank you
[12-Feb-21 11:11 PM] by QuellsDev
For “what was the inspiration behind giving so many characters biblical names? …” — Thomas, Seth, and Lisa being biblical names are news to me! One of my thought processes when naming the characters was to just take really English sounding names (kinda like how Resident Evil has Chris, Rebecca, Claire, etc). Gives the game a kinda quaint quality. As for “Adam”, and the others, we definitely amped it up from the previous flash game. I didn’t know what to do with Adam actually at first. That’s why he appears as an amorphous alien in the flash game
[12-Feb-21 11:11 PM] by QuellsDev
I was aware that “Adam” is used in Neon Genesis Evangelion, and in Bioshock
[12-Feb-21 11:11 PM] by Firanka
pfffft
[12-Feb-21 11:12 PM] by Pimez
And you know, in the bible, as in “Adam and Eve”?
[12-Feb-21 11:12 PM] by QuellsDev
so when we came back to the drawing board for the remake, I finally decided what Adam was, and then went all in on it. Hence why calling the last area “EDEN” and so forth
[12-Feb-21 11:12 PM] by NoahIvaldi
That was my second guess. Damn. Wonder what @CRMagic’s was. We should’ve made a bet.
[12-Feb-21 11:12 PM] by Firanka
yea, seth was the 3rd brother of kain and abel
was born after kain killed abel off and was shooed off the village
thomas was an apostle
and elisabeth… idk actually
[12-Feb-21 11:13 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Like, whoever loses has to buy @TheNerdBasement P:A because, **clearly**, he needs to play this *immediately*.
[12-Feb-21 11:13 PM] by QuellsDev
Regarding “How do Heart Rubies and Energy Gems work?” — It’s a game thing. Kinda like how in Zelda, you can get a “heart piece” from an NPC for completing a sidequest. Did the NPC take a chunk off his health meter and give it to you? Was it jewelery for the NPC? If you drill down into the game world too much, it will fall apart as all games do. Phoenotopia is a game too, so I recommend you don’t drill down too much. Because the game world will absolutely fall apart
[12-Feb-21 11:13 PM] by Firanka
pfft
[12-Feb-21 11:13 PM] by QuellsDev
We take a little effort to make it exist as a game thing and as just canonical jewelery – probably better to leave it there
[12-Feb-21 11:13 PM] by TheNerdBasement
I’ll get it, eventually
[12-Feb-21 11:13 PM] by Pimez
I would say the game has done a good job not falling apart – Keys actually behave like how they would IRL
[12-Feb-21 11:14 PM] by Gitrogatog
Alright last question from me:
Katash and Phalanx are unlike any other bosses in Awakening and the flash game. What inspired them and why did you add them?
[12-Feb-21 11:15 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Elisabeth was John the Baptist’s mom. She was old when she concieved.
[12-Feb-21 11:15 PM] by Firanka
AH

[12-Feb-21 11:15 PM] by Firanka
she was called elลผbieta here
i havent made the connection lmao
[12-Feb-21 11:16 PM] by QuellsDev
For “What is the name origin of the perros? Because that’s the exact word for dogs in spanish” — Regarding names in general, I have a book of baby names that I keep at my desk. I’ll flip through when I need names. Sometimes I go for a loose connection based on the character’s hook. For instance, “Adar” means “Fire” which I thought was appropriate for a bombmaker. For Perro, I’m positive I picked up the name Perros to mean “bird” in some language before. But haven’t been able to refind it…
[12-Feb-21 11:16 PM] by QuellsDev
maybe I imagined it…
[12-Feb-21 11:16 PM] by Firanka
pfft
[12-Feb-21 11:16 PM] by QuellsDev
alright everyone, I think Will and I are going to close up
[12-Feb-21 11:16 PM] by Elefong
thank you so much for your time!
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by Firanka
o/
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by QuellsDev
we’ll take a closing question or two from Rich perhaps?
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by kl
Thank you for doing this! And typing out responses for over an hour
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by Gitrogatog
Yeah, thanks! This was really insightful
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Okay, wait, wait, last question:
Do you know that you are loved and appreciated? :1up:
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by Unreal2
Thank you very much!
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by QuellsDev
Sorry I couldn’t get to everyone. I’m glad the interest in the game seems high
[12-Feb-21 11:17 PM] by Warotar
thank you and happy new year!
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by Pimez
Wait, I haven’t asked ~~when the Rhodus DLC is coming out~~
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by Rich
Thank you very much for your time this evening !
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by Firanka
*not the rhodus dlc*
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by QuellsDev
hah, no Rhodus DLC probably…
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by Pimez
*oh no*
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by FoxBot
“probably” means there’s still a chance!
[12-Feb-21 11:18 PM] by kl
***probably***
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by Firanka
you guys are terrible cmon
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by TheNerdBasement
I want to thank @QuellsDev and @sillythewilly for taking the time out of their day/night. Also want to thank everyone who joined the Discord.
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by TheNerdBasement
You’re all welcome to stick around
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by sillythewilly
thanks for having us! It’s been fun seeing all the questions and interest
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by Firanka
๐Ÿ˜€
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by sillythewilly
I’ll probably poke my head in here and there
[12-Feb-21 11:19 PM] by Firanka
:O
[12-Feb-21 11:20 PM] by NoahIvaldi
Please do!
[12-Feb-21 11:20 PM] by Rich
And thanks everyone for showing up and showing these guys a lot of attention and interesting questions for their game
[12-Feb-21 11:20 PM] by QuellsDev
Thank you everyone! It’s a bit late for it, but happy new year too!
[12-Feb-21 11:20 PM] by Firanka
o/
[12-Feb-21 11:20 PM] by TheNerdBasement
LoL
[12-Feb-21 11:21 PM] by Pimez
Happy Chinese New Year, actually ( or Lunar New Year, whatever it’s called )
[12-Feb-21 11:21 PM] by TheNerdBasement
Everyone is welcome to chat in the #phoenotopia channel anytime
[12-Feb-21 11:21 PM] by Warotar
Lunar new year, and it’s still new years lmao
[13-Feb-21 03:00 AM] by Caroline’s
The Year of the Metal Buffalo๐Ÿƒ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ˜‰
[13-Feb-21 09:12 PM] by Lumpy
Woo!

About the Author

  • Rich

    Editor. Resident database wizard. Bringer of news and keeper of peace on Discord.

Rich

Rich

Editor. Resident database wizard. Bringer of news and keeper of peace on Discord.

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