Behind the Scenes at NantGames

Today We Go Behind The Scenes!

Hello, weekly readers! This time, we have a different type of Weekly Update for you all. Previously we've shared about our convention adventures and some other MythWalker events & announcements, but in this week's update we take you behind the scenes to see a little about who we are and how some of the game was made.

Over time, you’ll discover more and more about how MythWalker was created, how some of the features of the game were designed and developed, and what NantGames is all about!

A TLDR for y'all in case you need it:

• MythWalker & Accessibility

• A First Look Inside NantGames

• Employee Spotlight

• Designing Madra MacLachlan
  
  

MythWalker & Accessibility

For those who aren't already aware, MythWalker is a mobile geolocation fantasy rpg, where players are exploring the world of Mytherra as they walk around here on Earth. However, we know this can be an issue for people who have limitations to how far or how much they can move on the daily, so we wanted to be sure that we built features into MythWalker that allow all players to experience the full game.

Geolocation Limitations

A game genre like geolocation is not only a challenge to develop in the first place, but bringing in features and systems that are unique compared to others in the same genre can be a beast all on its own.

Early on in the process of testing features for MythWalker, we noticed that there were times where enemies and other spawns would be slightly out of reach, compared to how far we were willing or able to travel at that moment. So of course we thought to ourselves, "We don't want players to feel discouraged or frustrated because spawns are too far from their location. If players wish they could reach just a little further, why not justlet them?"

At that moment, our Navigator Mode / Tap-To-Move feature was born – well , at least the first discussions on how we bring more accessibility to the player were born!

In one of our latest social posts, we shared a cool introduction to the Navigator Mode system where it showcases a player merging with their Navigator and then tapping to move around the World Map. This means that the player isn't forced to move their physical location!

Find it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Xx9YYPdZC/

This not only opens up a whole world of accessibility options for players with movement limitations, it also allows players to continue playing MythWalker from the comfort of their home (or wherever they may be) on days where leaving might not be an option!

A First Look Inside NantGames

It’s natural for gamers to be curious about the studio making a new game, and honestly, we are beyond excited to begin sharing some of the behind the scenes of who we are and how we got here!

First and foremost, it’s worth stating that we are, proudly, a fully remote studio! The start of the studio was just before COVID turned the entire industry into a work-from-home environment. Now, even though it’s pretty common to see studios moving back to an in-office or hybrid setup, we are very fortunate to have full support on staying a remote studio.

Because of that, we have developers scattered all around the US, coming from all sorts of backgrounds and with a vast portfolio of games to their credit! Even as a NantGames employee of over 3 years standing, I am still learning about some of the really cool projects others have spent time working on.

The MythWalker Team Spotlight section included in each Weekly Update introduces you  to some of the amazing and talented people on the team. It is probably my favorite section to write each week, because I not only get a chance to share some fun facts about each of these people to all of you readers, but I make sure to ask some unique questions so that even I get to learn a little bit more about them. Hopefully you all feel the same way!

MythWalker Team Spotlight

David Oelkers - Lead Animator

What is your name and what role do you play in the development of MythWalker?

• Hello, my name is David Oelkers, and I am the lead animator for MythWalker. People usually call me Dave. However, I have also gone by “Big O”, “Oakee” and “Hey You”.

What is the thing you are most proud of that you built / created / worked on for MythWalker?

• There are way too many things I am proud to have worked on for MythWalker. Please allow me to name a few. First, I get to lead a fantastic group of animators. These guys do great work and are always inspiring me to elevate my creativity. Each animator has their own super power, and I get to learn from them every day. I had a ton of fun animating the Navigator / player transformations. It was super fun giving each Navigator their own transformation animation, while the player character performs the same action for each Navigator! This allowed me more time to devote to these charming characters. I also got a kick out of building our animation rigs. I have learned so much since the first rig I put together for this project! Doing this technical work has been great because it allows me to utilize the left side of my brain, giving me a small break from being creative.

What Class & Species would you classify yourself as?

• The Class and Species I would classify myself as has got to be the Annu Spellslinger. I chose the Annu because they are the tallest of our player characters, and I am fairly tall. The reason I chose Spellslinger is because I get claustrophobic in crowds, and prefer to operate from a safe distance.

Outside of MythWalker, what are you actively playing?

• The game I am currently playing (besides MythWalker) is Dirt. I recently dusted off my Logitech steering wheel and re-ignited my love for driving fast over dirt roads and drifting around dangerous turns. I love how this game gets me excited and extremely frustrated in the same session. I find myself saying “just one more race” more often than I should.

When did you decide you wanted to be an artist for a living? Did you always know you wanted to work as an artist in games?

• I decided to pursue art as a career when I was in college. I started my college journey with a focus on business. However, one night as I was walking to one of my classes, I passed by a room where all the students were focused and watching an episode of the Simpsons! I knew this cartooning class was one I needed to take. I enrolled in it the next semester, and learned I could utilize my life long hobby (drawing) as a career. Originally I wanted to do 2D animation. It was my goal to work for one of the feature animation studios. Luckily the universe had other plans for me. A colleague of mine convinced me to join him at a game studio in San Diego and I never looked back.

I always find it interesting to know, as an artist what is your favorite piece of art?

• I love a bunch of different kinds of art, but there are two types that I can’t get enough of. The first is rough animation drawing. I love to see the “under drawings” of skilled animators. I find these drawings extremely expressive and full of life. My second choice is sculpture. I am horrible at sculpting, which fuels my admiration for those who can do it. My absolute favorite sculptor is a modern-day master named Richard McDonald. His knowledge of anatomy is second to none, and the dynamic poses that he uses in his work blows my mind. I can stare at his sculptures for hours.

If you were to explore a world from any fictional game/book/show/movie, where would you want to explore?

• I am a sucker for a tropical setting. So, if I could explore a fictional place, it would have to be the islands that were featured in the movie “Surfs Up”. And as an added bonus, I would get to surf some pretty epic waves with a bunch of fun-loving animals! Who could ask for anything better?

Do you have anything else you’d like to share about yourself / say to our community?

• Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. It’s the passionate people who play our games that keep me energized and excited to turn on the computer and bring our characters to life. I truly appreciate all of you. I hope you enjoy playing MythWalker half as much as I enjoyed being part of the team that is making it. See y’all in Mytherra!
  
  

Designing Madra Maclachlan

With some help, I managed to find a really early piece of concept art when the team was designing Hyport's shopkeepers!

During this time in the development of MythWalker we had been pretty far along the process of developing the Wulven and we simply knew that we needed a memorable Wulven shopkeep to manage the Market for players looking to manage their inventory. Madra clearly went through a few iterations before we ended up with what truly felt like Madra himself!

A little bit about Madra:

A Wulven from Threshland, Madra adventured widely across Mytherra like many of his kin – until tragedy prompted him to retire and open Mad’s Market in Hyport. Now, he offers all manner of gear and other goods for sale, along with advice based on his own hard-won experience.

We now bring this Weekly Update to a close

Thank you so much for reading this week's update! Whether you are a weekly reader or a first-timer, we appreciate you giving us even a moment of your time! As we continue these Weekly Updates we will be exploring different subjects, and we would love to know what you enjoyed the most. If you'd like to share, leave us a comment on any of our social posts sharing a Weekly Update!

Enjoy your weekend – unless of course you are reading this at the beginning of the week... then enjoy the rest of your week!

We'll see you here next week,

Keith & Everyone on the MythWalker Team