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If you´re a fan of Skullgirls and games such as “Super Metroid“, “Chrono Trigger” and “Valkyrie Profile“. Then you´re probably going to like “Indivisible” for sure. Me, I got hooked on the game as soon as I saw the very first trailer for “Indivisible”. And once I started to play the “Indivisible” prototype demo, I just knew that Lab Zero Games had something very “special” in the making. So I decided to do a Q and A interview Lab Zero Games. And this is what Peter Bartholow (CEO of Lab Zero Games) had to say to us.

Robin TGG

I know that it´s said that “Indivisible” will be released to Windows, MAC, Linux, PS4 and Xbox One, but what about mobile units? iOS, Android, 3DS and PSV? A concerned reader of ours also pointed out that it took quite a while for Skullgirls to get a Linux port. So my question would be this, will the Linux version of “Indivisible” launch on the same date as the other formats?

Peter Bartholow

No plans for any other platforms, at the moment. Our engine doesn’t currently run on mobile devices, and the way our animation and shader technology works it could never be ported to Nintendo 3DS. As for the Vita version, there were too many development unknowns for us to feel confident about making a quality Vita port, and there’s no telling where the system will be when the game is done in two years’ time or so.

And we don’t expect the Linux delay will happen again. After all, Skullgirls is now available on Linux, which uses the same engine that Indivisible runs. And we should have the Linux version of the Indivisible prototype out within the week so Linux players can play it.

Skullgirls’ Linux port took so long because it was always intended to be a volunteer effort, but the volunteers had to keep quitting to get paid work, which of course we don’t blame them for. But a constant churn of part-timers coders made it difficult to made any real progress on the Linux version until Humble Bundle stepped in to finish it up.

Robin TGG

How did the deal with 505 games go down? Did you (Lab Zero Games) contact them about “Indivisible”, or did they find out about the game just recently? And what part will 505 Games play in the development of “Indivisible”?

Peter Bartholow

Before Indivisible was signed, we’d been talking to 505 Games for about 18 months, trying to make something happen. They initially approached us to make another game, but that didn’t work out, so we kept talking and hammered out the plan that eventually became the deal we signed for Indivisible.

Last November we pitched them Indivisible itself, and they liked it and trusted that we could deliver after our success with Skullgirls. But 505 Games doesn’t typically fully fund projects and prefer partnerships, thus requiring us to raise some of the Indivisible budget ourselves. But because we had to raise so much, we hammered out an agreement for 505 Games to pay for the playable prototype we released.

I’m extremely happy with the deal, and how open-minded 505 Games has been. It’s truly progressive and I don’t think anyone’s done anything quite like this before.

Robin TGG

What was the character development process of Ajna like? Because she´s a rather unique character, I have to say (she´s a tomboy martial artists with a Jedi knight strong mind). Ajna also reminded me a bit of Elena (Street Fighter) and Nausicaä (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind). Is that nothing more than a pure coincidence, or am I onto something here? Another thing. Who´s the voice actor for Ajna? Because I think, I´ve heard that voice somewhere before.

Peter Bartholow

So with Skullgirls, pretty much all the character design came from its creative director, Alex Ahad. On Indivisible, we’re taking a more collaborative approach. All of our artists did a ton of character and outfit concepts, and the whole team sifted through them and worked together to refine and combine them until we got what you see now.

Ajna is currently voiced by G.K. Bowes, but all the voices are considered temporary right now. We put them in at the last second for flavor. In the final game, we’d like to hire voice actors with ethnicities that match the characters’ if at all possible.

Robin TGG

When I experienced my very first combat in “Indivisible”, I immediately thought of a mix between Chrono Trigger and Skullgirls. As you got both turn-based and real-time combat sequences in the game. Not only that, I also felt that there was an arcade kind of feel to the battles in “Indivisible”. Was that something which you aimed for at the very start? Or was that something that developed over time?

I would also like to ask what you got in store for us in terms of character progression, weapons, powers and items?

Peter Bartholow

The main inspiration for Indivisible’s combat was an old PSone game called Valkyrie Profile. It’s got one of our favorite RPG battle systems ever, and in it your party is essentially a single, customizable fighting game character. So we started from there and applied our fighting game knowledge to expand on it, like with new additions like the Up/Down attacks.

We still have more planned for the combat in the final game, though, like more rewards for juggling, targetable enemy sections, and other strategic options like that.

While we are calling Indivisible an RPG, character progression will be different than most. Weapon and Armor upgrades will be driven by exploration – so instead of, say, finding Missile Expansions and Energy Tanks, you’ll be finding materials so your Inner Realm blacksmith can forge upgrades for you.

We’re also trying to downplay the importance of stats. Right now we’re thinking that leveling up will give your characters more HP and faster recharge times, with attack strength being a function of how many Incarnations Ajna has fused with, and the number of attack bars will likely come from weapon upgrades. So it’s more about giving you tools to make you a better and more effective player than buffing you to the point of steamrolling everything.

Robin TGG

I´ve been told that “Indivisible” uses the same engine as “Skullgirls” (Z-Engine). Even so, I thought that the graphics had been somewhat improved and modified? Because it sure felt like you were inside of an AAA 2D anime movie.

And how did the Scarlet Moon Productions and Hiroki Kikuta cooperation come by? Because, in my opinion, the music fits the game perfectly (it´s very organic and brings a very nice atmosphere to “Indivisible”).

Peter Bartholow

We’ve made some improvements to the Z-Engine, but it’s still very much the same engine we used for Skullgirls. I think what you’re responding to is the new colored lines. With Skullgirls, we went with thick, black outlines to give the characters a strong graphic edge and make them stand out from the environments. But with Indivisible, we’ve added new technology so we can color the lines, too, giving a softer, more blended look.

And getting Kikuta was surprisingly straightforward. I’ve known Jayson Napolitano for a while through our previous stints in the gaming press, who runs Scarlet Moon Productions. We knew we wanted Kikuta because he has the kind of ethnic and tonal range that an RPG like Indivisible needs, so it was just a matter of asking. Kikuta knew about Skullgirls and our team’s passion for quality, and he liked the Indivisible pitch, and we were off.

Robin TGG

“Indivisible” is said to be inspired by classics such as Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid. Well, I sure felt those vibes for sure, but I also thought of games such as Batman for the Nes (when you jump from wall to wall) and old-school Aladdin (some parts of the prototype reminded me about some stages from Aladdin) (Snes/Megadrive).

So my question would be this, which other games have “Indivisible” been inspired by?

Peter Bartholow

You got the two big ones. There’s likely to be a fair amount of Chrono Trigger influence, too, just in how we handle the game’s pacing, story and battles. Ajna’s Inner Realm is very much inspired by Suikoden’s castles, as well.

And we have plenty of other ideas that draw on things we liked in other games, but there are just too many to list.

Robin TGG

I have been playing the “Indivisible” prototype for almost two days straight now, and really love the game. And so far I have not experienced any bugs or crashes either. That´s also why I want to ask you if it´s true that the prototype took you almost four months to develop? If so, which parts took the longest to create? And did you ever believe that you would be able to make such an impressive prototype on time?

Peter Bartholow

First, it’s great to hear that you enjoyed it. We put a lot of work into that prototype and we’re thrilled people are having so much fun with it. And it seems like pretty much everyone that play the prototype wants to back us, so just gotta get more people to play it.

And, yes, we did put it together in 3-4 months. The biggest challenge was making the temple environment and developing the production pipeline for that, just because that sort of level construction isn’t something we had to do on Skullgirls. The bulk of Indivisible’s levels will be built from modular 3D pieces, just because it’s not feasible to hand-paint levels of that size.

And we always knew the prototype would be fun, but I think it turned out better than even we expected. There were some things we had to cut in order to finish it in time, but it’s still a strong proof of concept for what the final game will be like.

Robin TGG

“Indivisible” has taken inspiration from a variety of cultures and myths from all over the world (Southeast Asian mythology, for example). Am I far off If I say that there are some Inca, Aztech and Maya vibes to the game? At least, that´s the vibes I’ve got from playing the prototype.

Peter Bartholow

The prototype is meant to take place in a Southeast Asian sort of area – the temple itself was imagined as an overgrown Angkor Wat-style temple.

We are planning on a South American region in the final game, though, which would draw on Aztec, Incan and Mayan mythologies and culture. There’s even a concept of that city in the campaign.

Robin TGG

What could you tell us about the Incarnations in “Indivisible”? Because if I´m not wrong now, they will work as support units to Ajna? You can also recruit them throughout her adventure right? How many Incarnations will there be in-total in the game?

Peter Bartholow

It’s hard to talk about this too much without spoiling the story, but if you think of the term “Incarnation” in the Buddhist context, you might get some ideas where we might be going with it.

But as you integrate more Incarnations into Ajna’s being, she’ll not only be able to summon them in battle, she’ll also be able to manifest new weapons and abilities. So, for example, after fusing with a spear-wielding Incarnation, Ajna will be able to manifest a spear herself. And new abilities will likely not be limited to weapons, either, with abilities like double jumping coming from Incarnations as well.

And we’re a little afraid to commit to the total number of Incarnations right now. But we’re planning on a pretty sizable number of both playable and Inner Realm Incarnations.

Robin TGG

Just this morning I found about something called “Ajna´s inner realm” (which would be a mysterious dimension that Ajna can visit when she meditates), could you tell us a little more about the meditation part of the game? And how big of a roll will Ajna´s meditation play in ”Indivisible”?

Peter Bartholow

After Ajna discovers her Inner Realm, it’ll be a pretty central part of the game, serving as a primary hub for character progression and sidequests. Like I mentioned before, it’s similar to Suikoden’s castle, only it’s inside you.

So once she finds it, she’ll be able to meditate anywhere it’s safe and enter her Inner Realm, and there she can upgrade her weapons at the Blacksmith, or talk to her Incarnations and take on quests to resolve their personal stories.

Robin TGG

“Indivisible” needs to collect 1,5 million dollars on Indiegogo in-order to be fully funded. So what do you think of your chances of raising all that money on time? You´re doing really well so far though, and there is still 39 days left to go. And from what I can tell, people are quite excited for “Indivisible”.

Peter Bartholow

Our campaign got off to a bit of a rocky start, but I think we can still do it. We never thought it was going to be easy, and we’ve got some new things we’re working on

And, yeah, people who play the prototype seem to love it and want to contribute. So the best we can do is get it in as many peoples’ hands as possible and hope they’ll follow through. I think we did a pretty good job designing the kind of campaign everyone says they want, now just need for more people to find out about it.

Robin TGG

My last question concerns the total amount of playtime that “Indivisible” will offer. I have heard that there will be about 20-30 hours of gameplay, is that true? And is there any plans for any DLC´s in the future?

Peter Bartholow

Yes, our targeted game length is 20-30 hours, without sidequests. While this may seem short compared to some of the RPGs out there, it’s the approximate length of some of our favorites, like Valkyrie Profile and Chrono Trigger.

So we’re looking for something tighter and without a lot of filler content. Not only do we think that these games tend to be better in the end, they’re also more replayable. And if our funding is successful, we’d like to build off of there with things like New Game+ and multiple endings.

Robin TGG

And that was the whole interview, so a big thank you to Peter Bartholow from Lab Zero Games for taking his time to answer our questions. And don´t forget to support “Indivisible” on indiegogo!



Robin “V-Act” Ek

The Gaming Ground

Twitter: @TheGamingGround

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Tags: Indiegogo, Indivisible, Indivisible Q and A interview, Lab Zero Games, Skullgirls