Joyverter - News - Joyverter Features: Special Interview with Eternal Grace developer.

Joyverter Features: Special Interview with Eternal Grace developer.

Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:30 PM

Yesterday, we had an opportunity to interview the Etherean Guardian, an Indonesian local game developer team who are responsible with their Eternal Grace game. The game itself was made using the RPG Maker XP for its engine. This is still quite a proud moment for Indonesian game developer because this game has shown that at least Indonesian game developers even though they are small but they still manage to create this interesting RPG title.

Bellow is our interview with the Etherean Guardian team, talking about their game Eternal Guardian Episode 1:

Aloha! Before we start, can you introduce your team behind the Eternal Grace first?

The team that developed the Eternal Grace is Etherean Guardian team, that are consist of 7 people from different places in Indonesia. An IT lecturer from Kristen Satya Wacana Salatiga university named Jasson Prestiliano or known as jasprelao, act as a game designer and also the producer of this project. Also there is Lazcht and Clea Leshlick who are game developer freelancers that came from Northern Jakarta, both of them also involved as the game designers, besides the game design aspects, Lazcht also responsible for the artworks and the game characters while Clea is our composer for this game.

There are also a Bandung freelancer named Samuel Setiawan who is better known with his nickname “kodoktua”, in which he is responsible for the sprites and animation for this game. While for the lead programmer for Eternal Grace is handled by Regiana who is better known with her nickname “reijubv”, an university student from Poltek Telkom Bandung and in programming, reijubv also getting assistance from Jason Vendy, a high school student from South Jakarta that is better known with his nickname wltr3565. Finally, there are also a high school student from Bogor named Hilman Munadi or “Manz” who is responsible for the environment design and setting in this game.

Other than these 7 members, for the English language matters, we got assistance from Virginia, USA whom are members from RPG Maker Pavilion. These people are Jason Commander (wavelength), Rick Cook (Vig Rick and Loren Hall (Obright). Not forget that this game is also fully sponsored by a bus company from Kutoarjo, Sumber Alam and a software company called “Awi IT Pro”.

Joyverter: Is this your first game? Or is there any other games that you guys made before this?

For Enthrean Guardian team, Eternal Grace is our first game, but for the rest of our members, some of them are already often make other games. For example: jasprelao, once made “Saving Kantan” and “Indonesian Language Learning” and then Lazcht and Clea are once involved on the creation of “Sword of August” and many more.

Joyverter: Can you tell us a little bit on the Eternal Grace synopsis and the concept behind this game?

The concept behind this game is actually a story about one planet called Enthrea that near the brink of destruction because of the greed of its inhabitants. Wars ravaging and the struggle of power has causes the planet to become fragile and easily struck by meteor which is the big problem for this planet. However sadly, the heroes that once contributed to this planet are no longer care with the situation ‘cause they think the condition is already beyond repair.

A girl named Millia suddenly appeared from an organization called SOFRA (Special Organization For Restorative Action) who is looking for chosen people who wants to join her to save the planet. Again, these people reject her. In the middle of her desperation, Millia finally meet some people who are bellow her expectation but have a will to restore Enthrea. Finally Millia change her way of thinking and she no longer looking for great people who are able but those who would, which is why our game tagline is “Not those who could, but those who would”

In the game’s first episode, the story will tell us about the beginning of journey where Millia and Razh, a mercenary that willing to do anything for money with couple of exceptions began their journey. These two character’s journey that we are going to follow in this game.

Joyverter: Is it hard to developed the Eternal Grace? Can you tell us about ups and down from the game development process?

Because our team are consisted from different area that can be considered pretty far apart, even some of them are from another country, then we could say that internet is our main concern in the development for this game. When the internet is working fine, then we can communicate and have a nice coordination, but when the internet become problematic, this matter might become a hurdle of our progress in the development of this game.

Anyways there are no full time personnel in our team in developing this game which also cause the progress on this game get delayed pretty long. Some are working full time at the office, while some are still at college or high school. So sometimes is more like a waiting game and with a different in our working hours, this has become the biggest problem on creating this game especially in coordination.

Joyverter: Besides the Eternal Grace, do you guys have any plans to create another new games in the future? Also in the future, will the team stays indie or you guys plan to become a full studio?

For the moment, Entherean Guardian still preparing episode 2 and the rest of Eternal Grace story, while perhaps we might prepare a spin off from Enthrea tale. However, there are still an opening for us to create other games as well. If things will go according to the plan then we might go into a full studio, but we still think a way to realizing it.

Joyverter: Can you explain your future vision and focus will be headed?

For Eternal Grace itself will keep being an RPG for PC platform, but there are big chances, team will also develop this game for other platforms like mobile or other promising platforms.

Joyverter: Do you have any advice or message for your fans?

Our message for the fans, Thank you for being loyal. Waiting for our first game that are still far from perfect, we hope that this might give hope and will in playing a classic RPG and enjoying any existing aspects inside it. Our advice, if you have a strong will to realizing your dream, then there will be a way for you to realize it, because not those who able to realize it but those who really wants it to be realized. (“Not those who could, but those who would”)

Joyverter: Thanks for this interview opportunity! All the best for the Eternal Grace and Enthrean Guardian team.

All the best for Joyverter as well, and long live the Indonesian game development.

And there you go, our interview with the Enthrean Guardian team. In our opinion the concept behind Eternal Grace game is surely interesting because in a way, the story feels a bit symbolical with the Indonesian Game industry nowadays. Until now, the Indonesian Game Industry are still way left behind many other game industry in the world because many of “the great people who are able” in Indonesia are no longer care with the state of our local game industry.

Even for people with great art or programming skill are rather find an easy way to make money and so nobody in Indonesia who probably have the ability are willing to invest or taking a serious approach on Indonesian untapped game industry prospect. Therefore, this is why a game like Eternal Grace should be a bit wake up call for many local investor and local game developer that if we want to realize our dream in the game industry and you really want it bad enough then there will be a way to make it come true.

By RonW. English Translation by RonW.