Interviews

WORLD EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK AT THE PREVIEW EDITION OF MAYABIN!

Alexander Tait interviews Cheyenne Wolford, creator of Nacah, Derek, and the forthcoming, Mayabin.

January 25, 2005

Cheyenne Wolford has not rested on his laurels since creating his second game, Derek. Instead he has honed his skills and increased his team to create the even more ambitious, Mayabin. He took some time out from a well-deserved family vacation to update JustAdventure+ about the progress of the game.

Cheyenne, many thanks for the exclusive look at Mayabin. The visuals are, to say the least, jaw-dropping when compared with your previous efforts, even Derek. Obviously, I am somewhat biased toward these kind of games. Who do you think will like Mayabin?

People of all ages who like adventure games (and probably a lot who don’t).

There’s a demo on your website. What percentage of the completed game is it?

It's about 10% to 15% give or take some. In the preview, you should be able to get a feel for the style of game play we will be using throughout the game. The preview stops just before you enter the city. In the city, we are working on making a lot of really neat gameplay with live actors. The quality will be as good or better than what you see in the preview. Mayabin is going to be a lot of fun for a huge group of people. There will be no dead ends, just lots of pathways to go down that lead to great endings. The game is going to have a very open feel to it and offer great replay value. Even the preview has a lot of replay value. You will see what I mean as you try it out.

Mayabin will also appeal to hard core Myst fans by having pathways with greater difficulty for those who want some harder game play, and their efforts will be rewarded. At any time in the land of Mayabin, you can go back to any place you visited previously. It will be a game that small children will play with great enjoyment but also it will have the ability to stump even adults. You get to choose your level of difficulty by the path you choose to follow.

What other games have inspired the development?

I was first inspired to make this type of game by Myst. Since then, I’ve continued to be inspired by the Myst sequels, especially Riven, as well as games like Syberia, Amerzone, and Connections.

Tell us about the storyline.

The coastal defenses of Mayabin are being penetrated by small vessels carrying an invitation from a place called Neverla. The message born across the seas describes a sort of Utopia-a land without need of laws. For in this land men have discovered the secrets of fulfillment, happiness, and harmony through what they call the "emerald light". You must find out the truth about Neverla. And you must do it quickly, for tied up in your quest hangs the life of a young man.

Does the game require any knowledge of the Nacah or Derek plots?

No, Mayabin is completely independent of Nacah and Derek. It’s plot, story and even aspects of the game play are entirely new.

As in Nacah and Derek, I noticed there were a number of actors and voice actors in the Mayabin demo. How many voice actors will there in the final game?

We’re not completely sure yet, but there will be somewhere between 20 and 40 acting parts in the game. Some of these will be voice, but most of them will actually be filmed.

Tell us about Virtue Creations.

Virtue Creations is dedicated to producing quality Christian computer games that are non-violent, based on Biblical values, and loads of fun. Our games appeal not only to those who are looking for a quality Christian game, but also to many others who simply enjoy good adventures.

I started the company when I was a teenager living in the high Sierras of California. After working on Nacah for many years it finally hit the market in 2001, as one of the first Christian games in the adventure genre. The sequel game, Derek, was released in July of 2003. It has, with Nacah, sold to over 15 countries worldwide.

Who is on the team?

For this project, we are working together with 1000 Mile Productions. They are the ones who will be marketing it upon its release in 2005. On site we have only myself, doing the 3D graphics and game making, and my wife, Evie, who does most of the scripts and document writing. We work together on the story development, puzzle formation, and layouts.

We're still living in the USA while we develop Mayabin. We do plan on going down to the Dominican Republic after we get the computer game side of Thousand Mile Productions up and going. And, yes, we do have more games planed for the future!

How difficult is it to make a game of this quality?

Extremely difficult! It is a work of patience and perseverance that I would not be able to accomplish without the encouragement of my precious wife, family, and friends.

Will there be any action sequences in the game? Mazes?

Sort of. We’re not planning any mazes, but there will be parts of the game that will keep you on your toes and fill you with suspense, where split second decisions could precipitate success or failure.

Are there subplots that might be discovered in subsequent replays of the game? Does this game have replayability (beyond the fact it is an adventure game and often enjoyed with repeated plays)?

The game will be full of subplots! You’ll want to play it over and over again just to try out all the options.

Are there any in-jokes in the game or nods to other games?

You’ll have to wait and see!

Will there be hints in the game?

There will be in-game clues, but other than that, no hints.

Will there be a companion in the game?

There will be many other people in the game, but no full time companion.

Will there be different levels of difficulty?

Yes and no. It will all depend on the choices made by the player. Some paths will be hard and some, easy.

Will there be a point system?

There won’t be a point system, but there will be a money system in which you can buy and sell.

Do you see that commercial interest in adventure games can be restored? What would it take?

I do believe that commercial interest in adventure games can be restored. It’s going to take games that are more open ended and in which the story and complexity can be directed by the players themselves.

There is currently a huge interest growing in amateur adventure game creation and release online. Do free games help or hinder the popularity of commercial games?

If a game is truly free, then production cost must not have been very high, in which case it wouldn’t be a sales threat to games of higher quality.

Do you think adventure gamers need to branch out or welcome experimentation in the structure of an adventure game or should they be more proactive to further the cause of traditional adventure gamers?

I think variety is good as long as there’s a market!

Increasingly, I see the influence of adventure games in other genres of gaming, particularly with storyline development and puzzles. What are the five best non-adventure games?

My favorites are: Red Ace Squadron, Stunt Island, Lemmings, Big Red Racing, and Need for Speed. These games may not all be on the cutting edge graphically, but they’ve provided me with hours of fun.

So, what’s next when this is finished?

Mayabin may end up with a sequel, we’re not sure yet. We also have ideas for a couple of unrelated games.

So, where to from here?

I'm working on making the game easier to understand. I'm also adding some really neat effects. I'm just finishing up a puzzle in a secret tunnel. I think Myst fans will really have fun with this puzzle. One of the things driving me crazy is all the torches in this area. They all are made up of moving video clips and it's become a real pain.

Thanks for your time, Cheyenne. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Don’t spend too long on vacation though, Mayabin is waiting!

God bless, Cheyenne.

There isn’t a section for Mayabin at Virtue Games website yet because Cheyenne has been too busy to update the site. All information about Mayabin is found in the forums: http://www.virtuegames.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=6.