The Conception of Deathfire Blog

Should you be wanting to read some additional info on Guido Henkel’s latest project, Deathfire, he has you taken care of with this new blog entry covering the game’s conception:

I always loved to make games in an intimate environment. The games I consider my best were created with small teams, sometimes extremely small teams even. There is something to be said about having the agility of a small team and the ability to rely on your team members on a personal level, when they’re not around merely to fulfill a job obligation or, what’s even worse, point out to you that a certain task is not part of their job description. We made games like the Realms of Arkania series because we wanted to make these games. Each and every member on the team was totally invested, and it resulted in real friendships that extended way beyond the work space. We enjoyed each others’ companies and respected each others’ opinions while also relying on each person’s respective strengths and abilities. We were all in it together, and were all pulling for it.

It was around Christmas that I decided I wanted to go back to those roots. To bring a level of idealism back to the table that simply cannot be found in a project of a certain size. Therefore, I needed a concept that allowed me to start small and expand from there if fancy took me.

Every time I undertake a creative endeavor seriously, it is sparked by some kind of a. let’s call it (vision) for the lack of a better word. It has always been like that for me. Whether I’ve been thinking of the story for a new book to write, whether it was a song I was writing, an orchestral piece I was composing or a game I was developing. It always started with a singular spark that got me completely excited. It is usually easy for me to separate short-lived ideas from real inspirations. The difference is time. When I have a true inspiration it will linger with me and refuse to go away. Almost, like a love affair. For days. Every free minute, it will pop back into my head uninvited and it will beg to be explored, fleshed out more and expanded upon. If this is still the case with an idea after a week or so, I know that I have found something lasting. Something that truly intrigues me and wasn’t just a short-lived idea, a fad, essentially.

So, when I had this vision in my head around Christmas, it kept occupying my thoughts throughout the holiday season, and afterwards I knew that this is something I really wanted to do. Thus the concept of Deathfire was born.

The vision I had seen in my mind’s eye was a role-playing game game that was electric and right in your face with action. Instantly, I knew that the only way to make this happen was with a first-person view, where the player is right in the thick of things.

Also, if you want to read some more thoughts from Guido Henkel there’s a brief interview at Alien Lion.