Bored Meeting Developer Q&A

Written by Jigsaw hc

Thursday, 12 March 2009 09:14

Looks like today is another double interview day. Starting things off we have Steven Jones the creator if XNA Community Game Bored Meeting. Mr. Jones thanks for taking time to answer some questions for us.

Question: How did the idea for Bored Meeting come about?

Steven Jones: It's a case of everything coming together. I'll back up a few years and start from some Viking folklore courses I took in college; it's fascinating how modern those stories are! One aspect that became especially interesting to me was the flow of supplies behind the scenes, and how messing with supply chains shifted power. Backing up further, I'd taken some time off from college to start a mesh networking company, and part of that was developing a real-time logistics simulation; it was a lot like developing a game, actually. Finally, go back further still to high school and Chu Chu Rocket. One of my friends had a Dreamcast, and I remember Chu Chu Rocket being an absolute blast to play in a group.

Now, fast forward to a few months ago, add a bunch of other experiences, and especially one fateful night looking for a game to have ready for some friends coming the next day. I wanted something simple, smart, and addictive, and not finding anything that fit the bill, I set to work brainstorming what eventually became Bored Meeting. It's a combination of the great casual gameplay I remember from Chu Chu Rocket, supply chains from Viking folklore, logistics simulation from a commercial network development environment, experiences from running a small business, and lots of brainstorming and playtesting. That sounds really fun, doesn't it? Somehow, even with those ingredients, it's a blast!

Question: Could you describe Bored Meeting for anyone who hasn't played it?

Steven Jones: It's pretty simple. To set the stage, Bored Meeting takes place on a conference room white board during a budget meeting. Money flows around the white board, and players draw arrows on the board to direct money into their goals. While they do that, other players are competing for the same money, and can really start to mess with each other's supply lines. At the same time, Bored Meeting quietly runs a market simulator in the background to determine how much money is available, when budget cuts are necessary (white board erasers - you can go on offense with them), and when to flood the board with cash. Actually, it's funny I said "quietly," because the market simulator dictates Bored Meeting's music tempo. What's not so quiet is when a swarm of angry bees appear; they simulate market meltdown and the chaos that ensues!

Question: How large was the team that created Bored Meeting and how long did it take to develop?

Steven Jones: Pretty small, it was just me on art and code, and a number of friends who helped brainstorm and playtest. As for time, probably a month or so, though the 80/20 rule applies, and polish took longer.

Question: Bored Meeting is a multiplayer game for 2 to 4 players. Why did you decide to not include online modes and have just local multiplayer?

Steven Jones: First, my goal with Bored Meeting was to have a great game to round out a small library someone might have ready on their Xbox 360 when friends come over, so I wanted to get an awesome core game out there to meet that goal. Second, since this is still the early experimental stage for XBLCG, and there is no precedent for how successful it will be, I needed to gauge for myself whether further development of Bored Meeting might be worthwhile. I'm happy to say the initial response to Bored Meeting has been positive, and gamers can expect a free update to enable Live play in the coming weeks!

Question: Was it difficult to develop and release an XNA Community Game?

Steven Jones: I've had previous work that made the transition to XNA almost painless. First, I've programmed for GPUs before, though not in games. We use GPUs to provide the compute horsepower for a "million man mesh" networking simulation. Second, I've used Visual Studio extensively for work with a major automotive tuner. Finally, the XNA community is strong and helpful, and the collective knowledge we provide each other really helps independent developers make better games. I'd say Microsoft has made XNA development as easy as it could be while still giving developers powerful control over their games.

Question: Looking back on Bored Meeting what are the things that you are most proud of?

Steven Jones: Mostly that we got Bored Meeting out there and that it's so easy to get into and have fun. The other day some family from out of state came over, and I left them the controllers while I went to get something from another room. While I was across the house, I smiled at hearing them shouting and laughing after only a minute or two of play. We ended up playing Bored Meeting for a few hours!

Question: Was there anything you were hoping to get into Bored Meeting that did not make it?

Steven Jones: I think Bored Meeting is a pretty solid package, and even beyond adding Live support, I plan to provide free updates as I get feedback from the community. One aspect that makes games like Counter-Strike great is their evolution and refinement over time.

Question: Now that Bored Meeting has released are you planning another XNA game?

Steven Jones: Of course! Where Bored Meeting is more of a casual game, the next game will be geared towards hardcore gamers and tournament play. My brother/business partner and I are teaming up for this one. We have a special spot in our hearts for tournament games, me having been in a competitive Counter-Strike team (smdb), and my brother having been in a competitive Subspace team (pickelmen). Anyway, this next game is far more ambitious, and we've already begun storyboarding. The networking groundwork I'm developing for the Bored Meeting update will be applicable here as well.

Question: Can you give us some tips or strategies for Bored Meeting?

Steven Jones: It's a delicate balance of managing your own supply lines, disrupting enemy supply lines, and going on offense with budget cuts. You can't expect to focus on one aspect and win. More advanced players will take advantage of money's habit of turning right when it hits walls. You can actually reshape the map during play by removing walls in strategic locations so money flows naturally into your goal. This is called "generating market buzz" (yup, more bees!) and simulates generating enough interest in the market to break down barriers to funding. Still, the biggest tip I can give is to get a group of friends together and have fun!