Legendary is a talented game developer that always seems to fly under the radar when it comes to the larger ‘indie’ spectrum. His releases includeSuper Mega Awesome Dude, Huey Packard, Sulkeis (a Seiklus de-make) and A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Orbs. While he has no desire for a full-time indie gig, he has a passion to bring new ideas to his audience.

Name?



Ryan Langewisch

Age?

18

Location?

Colorado, USA

Development tool(s) of choice?

What do you do?



I am currently finishing up my senior year of high school and plan on attending Colorado School of Mines next fall to pursue a degree in computer software engineering or something in computer science. I have been involved in football, basketball, and track all through high school and some of my hobbies include creating games, playing/composing music, doing / making puzzles, playing board games, and improving my memory in events similar to those found at the World Memory Championships.

How did you begin your game development journey?

When I was in seventh grade, my older brother and I searched “game maker” on google, and stumbled upon the original Game Maker site. It is the cliche story of most indie game designers, but it was that google search that really changed the next 6 years of my life. We started using the tutorials and trying to learn and created many crappy games. But those were the building blocks to eventually having the skills to make something decent. I remember being inspired by other Game Maker games such as Seiklus and the Jumper series and that probably is a lot of what kept me believing that the program could really do some great things.

What are your goals as a game developer?

I would like to simply create games that people enjoy. Nothing is better as a “creator” in any field than feedback that shows that people appreciate your work. I also enjoy seeing my ideas come to life. I try to be original and bring something new to the table, but I’ll be the first to admit that a large majority of my games are not very original. But through it all I have learned so long as I continue to improve and create new things that I am proud of, that is fine by me.

What sorts of things influence your games - where do your ideas come from?

The first thing that an idea usually comes from is a previous work. You have to decide some sort of base to work with, but then it is simply brainstorming to try to find ways to make your idea different. Some games only take one new idea or mechanic and it can be built completely on it. Other times you have to sort out a lot of details to make a complete, original product. I have a lot of confidence in my creativity; if I sit down and decide to come up with an idea, I usually will. But most of these ideas go unused, not because they aren’t good, but because I don’t have the time.

Which developers do you take influence from - is there anyone that you would like to collaborate with in the future?

I have never really thought about collaboration probably because I am lazy and I also like to do everything myself. On the other hand, I suppose you could say that my brother and I have collaborated on a lot of projects. As far as influences, my favorite indie developers would be Matt Thorson, Cactus, Messhof, and Pug Fugly. Matt Thorson’s Jumper series is not just one of my favorite indie games of all time, but one of my favorite video games of all time. It probably shows in my work how much his work as impacted me, and I am also inspired by his ability to finish long project after long project. Cactus’ and Messhof’s games are an excellent example of how to think outside of the box. A lot of them are really strange, but that is a good thing in my opinion. Pug Fugly is another person who has shown that it is possible to stick with long projects and his polished, addicting games are inspiring as well.

How would you rate your skills as a game developer - what are your strengths and weaknesses?

Honestly I think I am a very average game developer. My coding skills are good enough. I think my graphics are my biggest weakness, anything that my brother doesn’t do just ends up being very pixelly and simplistic. I think my only strength that stands out is my creativity and development of ideas.

What is it about Game Maker that you like and dislike?

I love how Game Maker is so easy to use, and yet it does not limit me at all. I know their are users that will point out where Game Maker is not as powerful as other programs or languages, but for my uses, it is more than capable. It is especially good for rapid game development, I can literally have a prototype up and running in a matter of minutes. I can’t think of anything specific that I dislike; perhaps it would be cool if it could export flash games.

How do you attack the game development process from the initial idea stage to finishing off a game?

Once I have an idea that I think has potential, I think the biggest step is to crank out as much as possible in the first day. If the prototype gets off and running, then it will probably get you excited and want to work on it more. If you hardly finish anything, the next time you open it up you’ll probably just test it a couple times, get bored, and decide you’ll work on it later (aka never). In the past, contests have been a big motivation for me because there was a set deadline so I had to force myself to finish it, even if that meant a 14 hour programming session the final day. The ability to force yourself to work when you don’t want to is probably one of the most useful skills as a game developer.

How long do you comfortably spend working on a game before the initial spark fades?

It depends on the game. Some games have enough interest that I stay excited about it for a long time. With others, the spark is gone after one day. But no matter what, the spark is going to be gone eventually. The only way you can ever be a decent game designer is if you are able to work without a spark. If you need that spark, prepare to have a giant folder of unfinished projects.

You recently vented some frustrations that seemed to stem both from your lack of productivity, the cycle of only developing games for contents and not wanting to release anything too derivative. What sort of motivational challenges do you face as a young game developer?

My frustration was kind of sparked from the most recent contest that I entered over at Game Jolt. I really did not have time in my schedule to make a game, but I decided to anyway. This resulted in very sloppy, unoriginal work that ended up having to many glitches and problems to be considered for placing. I look back on it and wish I would spend my time working on better games, rather than just trying to cram and finish an “ok” game for a contest. I really believe I am a better game developer than what most of my games show, so I am hoping that into the future I can improve the quality of my games. As far as challenges, it is difficult for me to find any time for game making with my schedule. Being in high school as a three sport athlete, and with college right around the corner, there a lot of things that demand my time before game making. The challenge is to use the little time I do have efficiently. I have had some encouragement recently as I have an idea that I truly feel is innovative and something that I can be proud of if I put the time and effort into it.

Do you feel that everything you release has to have a 'unique’ game mechanic or be considered 'innovative’?

I would like for that to be the case, but I know that many of my games don’t fit those criteria. If you aren’t creating something 'innovative’, that means you are making something that has already been done. If you want any recognition as an indie developer, you have to try things that haven’t been done before. This relates a lot to my frustration with some of my current efforts; they are nothing different than what the indie scene already offers.

What do competitions mean to you - are they purely a tool used to motivate yourself enough to finish games via a deadline or do you also see them as friendly competition and a way to take part in the indie community?

Definitely both. The deadline essentially makes it so that I have to finish it. This forces me to work on it. So in a sense, by committing to a contest, I am guaranteeing that at the end, I will have another game done that I am hopefully pleased with. But it definitely also helps to have the indie community’s support. Their are probably several contests that I wouldn’t have entered if people hadn’t encouraged me to make something. I think contests are also good practice with time management skills.

Are you a competitive person by nature? Have you ever won a competition?

Do you want game development to be more then just a hobby or are you happy to continue the way you are? Have you thought about learning to use any tool(s) other then Game Maker?