Interview with Alex Lu of PHOSEPO INC.

As a novelist, I have published more than twenty commercial works. Despite my efforts, the barriers of language and geography remain significant challenges, preventing my stories from reaching a wider international audience.

In response, I turned to the creative form of game development, resolved to move beyond the boundaries of novel writing into the realm of game design. This transition has opened a new chapter for my stories, allowing them to captivate a larger readership.

In my multi-faceted role as a producer, scriptwriter, and game balancing designer, communication is vital, alongside professional skills. I must translate my ideas into clear instructions and engage effectively with team members from diverse fields to ensure our project progresses in the right direction.

I work at PHOSEPO, an independent game development team. We have released a great deal of game projects which includes: "Rail of Möbius", an adventure game with multiple endings.

We are currently dedicated to developing a new game titled "Project: AHNO's Ark." It is a unique Japanese-style tactical RPG game, and it is expected to be released on Steam in early 2024.

I believe an excellent game is one where players feel a sense of reward after playing ; achieving satisfaction from investing time in character development, and gaining a sense of accomplishment from devising strategies to overcome difficult challenges. Even without astonishing graphics or technical prowess, as long as the game leaves players feeling that their time was well spent without regret, that constitutes an excellent game.

The establishment of PHOSEPO, originated from a passion and aspiration for my country's cultural and creative industries. I firmly believe in the power of words and creativity and my team and I are very much dedicated to providing a free platform for professionals in my country to flourish through diverse mediums such as novels, comics, and games.

Traditional tactical RPGs are known for their strategic depth, requiring a considerable amount of time for each session. This characteristic can be both a strength and a limitation, as such games tend to appeal to a selective audience due to their slow-burn nature and high barrier to entry.

Therefore, I wanted to create a tactical RPG that would suit modern players. This is how the prototype for our current project was born. By incorporating elements like siege, continuous combat, and roguelite features, a battle can now be completed in less than five minutes without losing strategic depth. I hope that through this design, even players who have never engaged with tactical RPGs can enjoy this experience.

This award marks a significant recognition and milestone for my team's work, offering an affirmation that has drawn the attention of those previously unfamiliar with our games.

For independent teams with limited marketing resources, achieving recognition is crucial. It serves as a solid anchor for my team's self-promotion, and we are deeply grateful for the affirmation and support from the judges.

Localized marketing is incredibly challenging, and even high-quality games can go unnoticed in this era. Therefore, finding the right agency or marketing firm is key, though it often relies on luck and opportunity.

My country hosts an annual grant competition for independent games, where professional judges select and support exceptional games. Fortunately, my team and I won their approval and received initial funding!

Following the emergence of AI-generated art, the internet has seen a proliferation of high-quality AI images. However, due to copyright disputes, they have not been widely utilized in commercial games.

With that, I look forward to the maturation of AI art generation technologies. With such advancements, even independent teams could produce high-quality games with limited resources.

1. The ability to attract people of all ages and from all countries.

2. The opportunity to have one's creations seen by a wide audience.

3. If you make a good game, it has the potential to endure for a very long time.

ChatGPT!

I am convinced that the advent of AI will revolutionize the ecosystem, with more and more game development tasks being delegated to AI, meaning even low-budget teams can create impressive blockbuster games!

Having studied Go for many years, I managed to integrate the concept of "Capture" into the core design of the game after numerous whiteboard tests.

A quote that I abide by is "The key to success is finding a group of like-minded companions willing to strive together.

Another quote that never fails to encourage me is,

"Do not shy away from doing difficult things."