Roguelike Radio Episode 56: Interview with FTL Developers, Justin Ma and Matthew Davis
Dec 18, 2012
Justin Ma and Matthew Davis, developers of the roguelike spaceship sim FTL, discuss the game's influences from board games, its scale and setting, the mechanics and design choices of crew members, advanced tactics and dialogue events, risk and crew member survival, flaws in the system, and post-release activities and future plans.
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Episode notes
Roguelike Elements As Atmosphere
- Roguelike elements were chosen for atmosphere, not as a starting mandate.
- They adopted permadeath and tension because those mechanics matched the ship-command fantasy they wanted.
Show A Working Demo On Kickstarter
- Provide a playable demo when crowdfunding to prove your idea works and is fun.
- A demo helps backers trust your team and increases campaign credibility.
Budget For Business Tasks
- Plan for non-development work: PR, business, taxes, and contractor management take significant time.
- Allocate schedule buffer for those tasks or enlist help to avoid delays.