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The Broomcloset Interviews Jeff Stewart
      Designer of Space Quest 0: Replicated

On June 25, 2003, Space Quest fans around the world were introduced to a new chapter in the galactic misadventures of Roger Wilco: Space Quest 0: Replicated. An adventure game in the classic Sierra On-Line tradition, Space Quest 0 seemed to appear from nowhere and quickly took Space Quest fandom by storm. Attached to this project was a name unfamiliar to Wilco fanatics: Jeff Stewart. So, who is Jeff Stewart? Jeff is the one-man team responsible for the design, writing, graphics, and programming of SQ0. I recently had an opportunity to chat with Jeff about his project. Here's what he had to say...

Screenshot

    Decaffeinated Jedi: Obviously, you're a devoted fan of the Space Quest games. Tell us a little about your personal Space Quest experience. When did you first come into contact with the series? What's your favorite Space Quest game?

    Jeff Stewart: I got Space Quest 2 for Christmas, along with a lightning fast Tandy 1000HX, and I was hooked. I enjoyed SQ1 the most, though.

    Jess: What made you decide that you wanted to design your own Space Quest game?

    Jeff: I was tired of waiting for a professional Space Quest revival. I had a bit of free time, a bit of knowledge in most basic game development disciplines, and a desire to create. Of the genres, adventure games seem to be the easiest to make, and I was just hoping to learn something along the way.
    Jess: What were some of your inspirations (other than Space Quest, obviously) in writing and designing SQ0?
    Jeff: More recent mainstream movies like the Matrix and Star Wars were an inspiration, as well as cult hits like Heavy Metal. I pulled ideas from anything I thought I could steal from successfully.
Screenshot     Jess: From start to finish, how long did it take you to finish SQ0?
    Jeff: The conception phase took about 2-3 weeks. Some of my designs proved to be either too elaborate (I'm lazy) or too obscure. The rest of the project kind of just flowed on from there. It took around 3 months of late evenings (when I felt like working on it).
    Jess: Were there any major changes to the game during the design process? Any sequences that you planned that didn't make it into the final product?
    Jeff: I planned to have a Mario Brothers clone you could play at Monolith called "Pinkun Brothers," and Galaga-style sequence later with Roger being chased by police. These wouldn't have been too difficult to implement, but I started getting too busy at work, and wanted to finish the project before I ran out of "inspiration."
    Jess: Why did you choose to design SQ0 in AGI?
    Jeff: It's the only way to play, baby. I like the parser. It forces you to think creatively, rather than being a click-spaz. The low resolutions and simple game mechanics also meant implementation time would be tremendously reduced.
    Jess: Was SQ0 your first game-design effort?
    Jeff: No. I've worked in game development for a few years now, and have a hard drive full of experimental personal ideas, but I regard it as the first "full sized" game I've produced from start to finish.
Screenshot     Jess: The development of SQ0 was kept under wraps for the most part. Was there any particular reason that you chose to keep the project a secret until it was ready for release?
    Jeff: Call me crazy, but there seems to be a fuzzy link between making a game, and marketing a game. I tend to spend a lot of creative energy explaining an idea to people, and I think it takes that energy away from the game. The same relationship can be seen in companies that spend a lot on marketing versus those that make a good game and don't need to spend a lot of money to convince you to buy it. I think having that little "secret" to myself helped take off some of the pressure of people wanting it released, too.

    Jess: Of all the puzzles in SQ0, which one are you most proud of? Is there anything in the game that you wish you had done differently?

    Jeff: I liked the idea behind the guard ambush in the spaceport, and the light saber fight. I tried to implement more than a few different kinds of games/puzzles, something I think a good adventure game should be able to do.

    I would like to have teams of talent at my fingertips, implementing my every desire, yes. On the contrary, if you want something done right. I'm not completely satisfied with the details, but I'm proud of the game as a whole.

    Jess: Speaking of puzzles, it's obvious from playing SQ0 that you went to great lengths to eliminate any deadends--a common problem in many early Sierra games--and include multiple solutions to many puzzles. Was this an important design goal for you?
    Jeff: I think its safe to say that I did go to great lengths to do this, even changing the fiction in areas, to avoid the "saving and loading game." This is difficult thing to do most times for me. Hopefully the few fairly simplistic situations in this game have helped me get better at it.
    Jess: Following a news posting at Slashdot on June 29, Replicated "hit it big" with over 12,000 downloads in a single day. What was your reaction to this sudden wave of virtual fame? Did you ever expect your work to reach that many gamers?

    Jeff: Never. I considered this project to be a sort of "present" for fellow AGI developers, Space Quest fans, and the like, as well as a personal exercise. This was very surprising, and humbling. My buddies at work got a kick out of it, too.

    Jess: That brings us to the big question: what's next? Are there any plans in the works for a follow-up to Replicated?
    Jeff: I'm always experimenting with something, playable or not. I've personally exhausted this concept for now, but I can't say it's dead to me. I've got other things in the works, none of which are really similar, but who knows?
Screenshot     Jess: Numerous industry sources have pronounced adventure gaming dead in recent years. What do you see as the future of the genre? Where do fan games fit in?
    Jeff: Adventure gaming is one of the simplest forms of pc gaming (excluding shooting galleries). For me, personally, these genres rotate like fashions. I like all types of games. I certainly hope that in some form, adventure games live on, if only as an integrated concept within a more complex game design. In many ways, adventure gaming never left, it only got merged into other genres.

    I personally play many more fan games than published games in a given month. Implementation is often crude in fan games, but there is an abundance of creative freedom.

    Jess: What advice would you offer to other would-be fan-game designers?
    Jeff: Sleep is your friend. Put down the snacks.
    Jess: Thanks for your time! Any parting words for the growing legions of SQ0 fans out there?
    Jeff: I want to thank everyone for playing. I'd like to give a shout-out to Nick Sonneveld for helping me playtest, Jess and Dee for hosting this thing, and big kiss to my wife for being so understanding. Oh, and don't quit playing! It gets better, I promise!


Download Space Quest 0: Replicated today!

Comments, questions, suggestions... jess@wiw.org

Roger Wilco and related materials are © Sierra On-Line.
Space Quest is a registered trademark of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.
This page is © Decaffeinated Jedi, 2003. Design & layout © Frost Byte Interactive, 2003.
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