This interview may contain very minor spoilers to Oneshot.

Today I’m interviewing NightMargin, an artist/game dev who’s worked on Oneshot and Bless You, Rip. We talked about various game development subjects and asked about the upcoming re-release of Oneshot.

Comet: Hello, NightMargin! I’d like to thank you for coming on here! Before we start, I’d like to ask if this has been your first interview before!

Night: Sup? I don’t think I’ve been interviewed before, no 😮

Note: It’s also my first time interviewing someone! :O

Alright, that’s pretty cool!

You are currently working on a new release for Oneshot, a game you worked on with Mathew Velasquez! For those curious, would you like to maybe share some small details on the things that you’ll touch up on (change, revise, add) in the new version?

That is correct! Mat and I have been working on the extended version of the game for commercial release for quite a while now. We’re focusing on 3 things: 1) Redesigning/streamlining one of the areas due to player feedback 2) Putting in the content that didn’t make the original cut (there’s a lot! we had to significantly shorten two areas to meet the deadline) and 3) Oneshot was originally only meant to be played once, which is a mechanic unsuitable for a commercial game. We’ve been working on postgame segments that will keep the spirit of the original ending’s impact over multiple playthroughs. There will be a few mysteries to uncover, for sure!

Those sound like some pretty cool inclusions! I’m definitely interested in seeing how both you and Mat can touch things up for a commercial release!

Note: The area in question is the first one, the Barrens.

Do you have a release date or a window on when you think the Extended Version will be ready for release? What platforms/digital services do you think you’ll try to sell the game on?

Release window, not sure yet! Our publisher brought up some valid concerns about releasing in steam sale season (October-December), so we’ll see where that goes… As for platforms, we’re going for Steam, yeah!

So let’s move on to a few questions on game dev. What’s it like working on art (game assets) for video games, from creating artwork/sprites to character design? How is it different from working on commissions or other media, like a comic?

The challenge of making game assets, I find, is that you’re making parts of a whole. It’s not like, say, a painting where everything you need to show is in one image. For games you make all the pieces separately, and you have to make sure it all comes together in the end….and that’s not just graphics, but, well, everything!….not to mention it can get kinda hard managing all the pieces! Organization is pretty important when it comes to asset making, I think.

RPG Maker seems to be a tool you like using a lot! What are your opinions on the upcoming RPG Maker MV version (and all of its sweet new features)?

It looks neat! I heard it has point and click support now, so I’m pretty interested in that! And apparently for mobile devices too…it’s nice to see the engine expand to new horizons.

That’s neat! I’m also hoping on picking up myself…. Still pretty expensive though

You really nail the atmosphere on games like Oneshot and Bless You, Rip really well! How do you create this kind of emotional immersion in games?

Atmosphere is important for me, so it’s always something I strive to get right! I like to put a lot of attention in the backgrounds and how everything looks together. Trying to match the background with the music is also something I like to do. (this goes both ways if I’m writing the music)

Are there any games you’re pretty excited for/intrigued by?

I’m looking SUPER forward to Hyper Light Drifter!

That game looks pretty awesome! I’m hoping I can pick it up myself sometime in the future.

Do you have any advice to aspiring artists wanting to work on Video Games?

Oh gosh, I’m never one for giving advice, haha… I’m not even that experienced! But if there’s one thing, I’d say…be aware of scopecreep. Be very aware……..

[Comet Note: For those unaware, “Scope creep (also called requirement creep, function creep and feature creep) in project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project’s scope. This can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered harmful.” -Wikipedia]

Now before we wrap up, I’d like to give you what I’d like to call….Side-Quest Questions. At the end of every interview on MeltingComet, I will ask various forum members, my friends, and etc. to vote on a pool of silly questions for the interviewee! We have a tie, so there’s going to be two.

Now the first one is…..Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized zombies or 10 zombie-sized chickens?

I’d take a zombie to a chicken any day. I mean have you SEEN a chicken. They can blind you with just one well-aimed kick. They’ve evolved for the purpose to kill

Chickens are the literal devil nowadays.

Context: This question was directly taken out of Minecraft: Story Mode. For some reason.

Now here’s the last one! If your life was controlled by a bunch of random people online, would you want them to decide YOUR actions based on democracy or ANARCHY? [Context: In reference to Twitch Plays Pokemon, Dark Souls, etc.)

Democracy. I’ve seen the twitch streams. “Twitch Plays Dark Souls” would’ve never made any progress otherwise

Do you have a message for those reading/viewing the interview?

Support indie games! they’re cool

Haha, Awesome! Thank you for your time Night! Really appreciate having you on here!

not a prob! ❤

You can follow NightMargin on Twitter at @NightMargin, and on tumblr at nightmargin.tumblr.com. You can check out her various works including Oneshot (oneshot.cu.cc) and Bless You, Rip (axebunny.com) on their respective sites!