‘BEEP’ or the rather nicely put ‘Exploration of Extra-solar Planets’ is a fantastic new platformer out for the PC available on STEAM, I’ve been playing it this week and so far its brilliant, I recommend everyone give it a try. We contacted ‘Big Fat Alien’ and had a chat with ‘Kiaran Ritchie’ about the new physics based platformer.
To anyone who has not yet heard of ‘BEEP’ how would you describe it to them?
Kiaran: First of all, thanks for the opportunity to chat about ‘BEEP’ here on ‘ctrl2crouch’. Engaging with the gaming community is an important part of being an indie dev and we enjoy talking about our game with the people who play games! ‘BEEP’ is a 2d side-scrolling, physics-based shooter with a twist.
In ‘BEEP’, you play a little robot that can pick-up and throw almost anything in the level (including enemies!) which makes for a lot of fun. It’s really all about the anti-gravity device.
What were your biggest influences for the game?
Kiaran: We drew a lot of inspiration for ‘BEEP’ from earlier platformer games. I studied the jumping mechanics and timing of ‘Super Mario’ games. The design and style is definitely inspired by a mix of ‘Lego’, ‘Angry Birds’, ‘World of Goo’ and the work of ’Michael Gagne’. Gameplay-wise, I was heavily inspired by the gravity-gun gameplay found in ‘Half-Life 2’ and the physics-based puzzles in games like ‘Little Big Planet’.
Where there any challenges to overcome in the development?
Kiaran: There were plenty. ‘BEEP’ is built with a custom engine that glues together a lot of cutting-edge open source technology. Getting the physics, sound, AI and graphics to run at 60 fps, with no hitches or jitter is no easy task! Mid-development I had to scrap our custom sound system as it would cause noticeable performance issues when mixing lots of samples at once. We swapped in fmod the night before the Indy Games Festival; I was up till 7am redoing 12 days of work in 12 hours.
Can you tell us about the games main gameplay features?
Kiaran: Playing ‘BEEP’ is a mixture of precision jumping/jetpacking, shooting and grabbing/throwing objects. Everything in the game is physics-based. You can grab a rock, throw it at an enemy robot, then grab that robot and use it as a shield to get past a laser. The game lets you get creative and play it however you like; I think that’s the best part of ‘BEEP’.
‘BEEP’ looks to have a very Si-Fi feel, can you tell us a bit about the story?
Kiaran: We wanted to abolish the idea of ‘lives’. What’s the point of ‘lives’ in ‘Mario’? I could never figure that out. Anyway, we explain in the story that you have an infinite amount of robots. You control a ‘BEEP-ship’ which is a special sort of ship that is equipped with a factory that can pump out ‘BEEP-bots’ just as fast as you can destroy them.
The ‘BEEP-ship’ has travelled through deep space for a very long time; as a sort of remote exploration vehicle for humanity. The game takes place in a very curious star system, and the player will discover that the planets have fallen victim to a very pervasive robot army…
Were you inspired by any other Si-Fi work?
Kiaran: I’m definitely a big sci-fi junky, but more than that, I really like astronomy, cosmology and robotics. ‘Battlestar Gallactica’ really explores the implications of intelligent machines. But I wanted to highlight the potential that autonomous machines might have to help humanity explore the heavens. ‘BEEP’ stands for ‘Built For Exploration of Extra-solar Planets’.
Is ‘BEEP’ a PC exclusive or will you be porting to other platforms?
Kiaran: Because it relies so heavily on the mouse, ‘BEEP’ will remain on the PC. We supported an xbox controller during development, but I was never happy with how it handled the gravity-gun. So at the last minute, we cut that. It really needs a mouse.
Do you have any advice for people trying to be an indie developer?
Kiaran: Try to make a design that is as simple as possible. Then scrap that idea, and make it even simpler. Figure out what your core gameplay is, and make that as fun as possible. I spent 2-months working on just the player locomotion system in ‘BEEP’. If controlling the robot was not fun, then nothing else would be either.
As indie devs whats your stance on the transition to digital media?
Kiaran: It’s essential. Digital distribution cuts costs and removes parasites. Most gamers would be surprised to know just how little of the retail cost of a game actually goes to the developer. There’s the people who actually make the game, and then there are parasites who eat away at that value and add almost nothing.
Digital distribution is an opportunity to buy direct from the manufacturer. It’s better for the consumer in the long run because their money directly funds the development of better games!
What’s next for the ‘Big Fat Alien’?
Kiaran: I’ve got a few ideas rolling around in my head. There are no plans right now for a ‘BEEP 2’ or anything like that. Making ‘BEEP’ was a monumental effort; a major life decision for me and my wife (who also happened to do most of the artwork in ‘BEEP’). We’ve got a short-list of ideas, any one of which may compel me to do it all over again…
Thanks for the opportunity to chat with ‘ctrl2crouch.com‘! Keep up the great work and thanks for giving a voice to the little guys!
Visit their website Here.
Buy the game on STEAM Here.
