In this issue, we will present questions in Q&A form that were not asked during the original interviews in this Bonus Complitation」！
Interview #1 is available here→ https://steamcommunity.com/games/1436590/announcements/detail/4179973693293839601
Interview (Bonus)
Ochoko In this issue, I would like to ask some questions in the Q&A form that were not asked during the previous interview articles. Thank you so much for joining me again today.
There's a sense of Phoenotopia's charm in that there is more than one way to solve puzzles and the various equipment used. Do you have a personal favorite puzzle, item, etc., that you like?
Quang Being able to solve puzzles in multiple ways was definitely something I wanted to encourage. Games are just more fun when there are multiple solutions. That's something I'm thinking about more and more in my future games as well.
As for my favorite puzzle, that would be the 「Megalith」, which is more of a puzzle/enemy hybrid. There are numerous ways to "solve" a Megalith. With the right tools you can disable it, or you can sneak by it, or trip it up with objects or enemies. It was dangerous, but it also had a very predictable pattern, making it very fair. Seeing speedrunners play with it made me like the Megalith even more.
Ochoko Do you have origin stories for the names of any main characters, sub-characters, etc.? If so, can you please share those stories with me?
Quang Ah yes, there is generally a reason behind the names. I have a "baby name book" on my desk and I'll flip through it whenever I have to name an NPC, haha. I look for names that sound cool and have a meaning related to them somehow. For example, "Adar" is a bombmaker and his name means "fire".
Originally, the main character was named "Gale." And I chose this name because I liked how "gale" sounded and because it meant "strong wind". If the main character had an element, it would be "wind"!
Later, I discovered that "Gale" is actually a boy's named, so I fixed it to be "Gail". So the association with wind was lost.
There's generally a story behind each named NPC. However, some names were chosen really quickly and don't really have much meaning behind them other than for a joke. For example, the Atai mayor's name is just called "Mayor".
Ochoko Do you have a favorite boss? Please tell me about them.
Quang Hmmm... my favorite boss is probably 「Birdy」.
Her fight is designed like a pokemon fight, where she'll be shouting out attacks, and the Sand Drake obeys. I also thought the mechanism used to trick the Sand Drake into eating a bomb was pretty clever, so I was happy with how it turned out. You can also attack her directly for some money.
Ochoko Is there any way to talk to the kids playing in the sand under the staircase in the city of Daea?
Quang There is not. I wanted to fill the space more to create the mood of a bustling town, so that's how those kids ended up in an unreachable area.
Come to think of it, I got a few inquiries about the unreachable door in the previous flash game. So I learned my lesson and made sure there were no unreachable doors this time around. But now I have unreachable NPCs, so I've messed up again, haha.
Ochoko The item description for Doggoro reads, “You might already like it more than your other golem companion!” (haha). So how does Gail feel about Bart?
Quang Gail has a good and favorable impression of Bart. She just likes the dog more sometimes, because it's cuter, haha. The description does say "might".
Ochoko Within the story, family relationships are set up even for mob characters (characters without a personality/character trait), and the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship seems exceptionally prominent. Was this setup intentional?
Quang Oh, that's interesting! I try to go for an even mix, but I don't keep meticulous records to ensure they're exactly equal. So if there's an imbalance, it may be a blindspot in my subconscious that I'm not aware of.
Ochoko Lisa owes the mayor of Atai a large debt, so I wanted to know if there is a reason why she owes such a huge debt?
Quang It's a little hinted at, but she takes on a large debt to save Garnet from a bad situation. It's also why Garnet is so grateful to Lisa.
Ochoko Are Lisa and Alex blood-related siblings?
Quang Yes!
Ochoko Rutea writes about someone she is interested in, in her diary. Who is that person?
Quang That would be Gail's brother, Kitt.
Ochoko Is Phoentopia set in the future of the real world? (I want to know…how does the world map look? And where in the world is it set in?)
Quang Phoenotopia is not set in the real world, but a fantasy one that has some similarities to our own.
Ochoko Cats are often seen, but hardly any dogs are seen. Why is that? (And I noticed that there aren’t any cows either…)
Quang The cows and sheep were combined into one pooki species - hence why there aren't any cows. As for the ratio of cats and dogs... hmmm... I think it just came about organically as we were developing. I think we had the art assets for dogs and cats for a while and we just forgot to use them.
By the time one of the last towns, Cosette, was being developed, a dog on a farm just felt right. And that's when we remembered we had dogs and cats. But by that time, the placement for most NPCs was already done, and to retroactively go back and remove NPCs to create space for dogs and change character text to reflect their pet animals was not a priority. But a sleeping cat graphic is different - you can easily tuck a sleeping cat anywhere and it's not as big a deal. After that, the lore text reflected the path we had set upon, so we acknowledged in the game's lore that dogs were a rarity.
Ochoko Statues of Zophiel are seen worldwide, but how do the inhabitants of Phoenotopia feel about them? (It seems it is merged into a part of their lives…)
Quang Some people still pay respects to the Zophiel statue, but most people just ignore them - kinda like in real life! There must be tons of statues that we pass through in our day to day that we don't pay any mind to.
Ochoko When I restart the game from a savepoint near Zophiel’s statue, the heart meter is fully restored, isn’t it? Is there a special effect or something related to the statue?
Quang The Statue does have a healing power. However, people will feel its beneficial effects to varying degrees. Some people don't feel anything at all. Gail, being what she is, feels it more than most people.
Ochoko Is there a particular reason the Peace Ministers enforced regulation on telegrams and toasters?
Quang That was written mainly as a joke. The Peace Ministers want to reduce disruptive technology, but sometimes they go too far and regulate something that's harmless like a toaster.
Ochoko Bart is a Stellanite of royalty and is protecting Earthlings against his father, so do the Stellanites as a race, or the whole planet is inactive to protect Earth?
Quang Bart is a Stellanite royalty, but he's not protecting Earthlings from his father. His father is a king of the Stellanites in the Galactic Federation, and they want to stay uninvolved. The one Bart is helping Earthlings to resist is the incoming Astral Empire.
As for Stellanites as a race, they're conflicted about whether or not they can get involved. Some feel it's not their problem and that this could cause a war, and others think they should make a stand and fight. The setup is that there is a lot of political intrigue and it's a messy situation - hence why Bart has to act in secret.
Ochoko There are ancient ruins deep under Atai, Daea, and Cosette, but are there any ruins deep underneath Panselo?
Quang I want to keep Panselo's vibe as a very carefree and idyllic farming village, so there are no ruins below. There are ruins nearby (like Anuri Temple), but nothing below.
Ochoko I want to know about settings in other countries. Does the legend of the Phoenix differ in other countries?
Quang The legend of the Phoenix does differ in other countries! How they differ is to be decided, haha. I don't have to figure out the exact details unless the game or story requires I do, so I can't tell you how they differ yet. Maybe in a sequel game those topics will be discussed.
Ochoko In Terrelum, there is a stone statue of Grasso, who is depicted as a young man. He visited Terrelum after taking care of his students, so he must be pretty old now. Why does his statue depict him as young?
Quang Grasso does look old - I think because he's a statue, we didn't successfully capture that he had gray hairs. It was a limitation of our pixel art style. Grasso also does have an extraordinarily long life - he outlived his students so there's also something special about him.
Ochoko Was the merfolk race you met at a particular place some kind of living bioweapons?
Quang In the Phoenotopia universe, all the fantasy races are a result of science or they're aliens from another planet. So for the merfolk, they were created in a laboratory - but not necessarily to be weapons. It's possible the humans would have created some races for other purposes such as art or for intellectual curiosity.
Ochoko Who was the person that took Gail and the Phoenix from E.D.E.N. 16 years ago?
Quang Ava and her expedition of explorers.
Ochoko What happened to Ava, who took Gail and Kitt to Nana? Also, I would like to hear if there were any episodes related to Ava.
Quang Ava went into hiding. If there's ever a sequel, I'd like to create a big moment for when Gail can finally meet her mom. But until then, Ava must remain in hiding.
Ochoko What do you think or feel about the moment Gail learns about her true self/origins? She uses her strength to save everyone, but are there still any conflicts in the end?
Quang I think Gail took that discovery in stride - maybe she subconsciously already knew she was different from regular humans. Gail is a silent protagonist, so the player can decide what Gail must have felt as she went through the events that she did. I did leave some trails for a sequel - for example,
I think it would be natural for Gail to feel conflicted about staying to protect her village or venturing out to find the lost villagers. Hopefully, this subject can be explored in more detail some day.
Ochoko Very happy to hear so many exciting stories. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions！
Afterwords
So, what do you think about the「Phoenotopia」Extended Interview「#Bonus」？ This concludes the Phoenotopia Long Interview compilation！We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Long Interview！#8
This interview is from 2022.
Hello, everyone. It's Kou from FLYHIGH WORKS. Today, we would like to present part #8 of an in-depth interview with Quang, the original creator of “Phoenotopia.” The interviewer is Ochoko, "Phoenotopia Strategy Memo. ( フェノトピア攻略メモ。)" blogger who is also considered to be a representative of the Japanese Phoenotopia fans.
Interview #1 is available here→ https://steamcommunity.com/games/1436590/announcements/detail/4179973693293839601
Interview(#8)
Ochoko I have only a few questions left for the development team…I would like to ask you questions related to CAPE COSMIC. I hear that CAPE COSMIC is a four-member development team, so how do your 4 members come together? And why is your company called CAPE COSMIC?
Quang Sure! It's an interesting story... the only person officially in Cape Cosmic is myself! We're a very "indie" company. The musician and artists are not employees. The musician actually has a full-time job, one artist runs a cafe business, and another also works on another game. In a way, it's like we're "hobbyists", and I opened a company because I was required to in order to officially proceed with selling the game. The game was officially founded in late 2017, but we have been working together since as early as 2014.
As for how we met. The musician is a friend of mine. We met in college and attended the same church for a while. We were even roommates for a few years! I got very excited when I learned he made music as a hobby. I immediately poached him, "make music for my game!" He probably didn't think I was very serious at the time, haha.
As for the artists, I met them online. There was an online forum for pixel artists. I listed a request asking for help, and they answered. Their quality was very good, so I kept returning to them. We just kept working together for years and years hence why I consider them teammates.
Anyway, we're not a 4 person development team now. One artist has moved on, and the musician has become very busy with life (he's getting married!) Haha, congratulations Will! I think you'll still hear Will's music in my future games, but he might only be able to score a few tracks.
As for the name "Cape Cosmic." I mostly just think it sounds cool, haha. The name has alliteration. I also like starry sky imagery, so I wanted the word "Cosmic" in there.
Ochoko Congratulations on getting married, Will! We wish you many years of peace and happiness.
Ochoko Will you be sharing any information on your blog from now on? Developer blogs are fascinating, so I hope there will be an opportunity for you to resume blogging.
Quang If there's something noteworthy to announce, I will! But for now, there's nothing planned. I think once I officially reveal my next game, I'll begin blogging again :D
Ochoko Also, this is more a request than a question…If possible, I hope you will consider releasing a design works book and a collection of piano music sheets. (not necessarily physical, an ebook is also good).
Quang I don't think we have a strong enough legacy to fill out a full book. All the stuff in the in-game Art Gallery is most of it, haha. Maybe one day if Phoenotopia continues and we do a sequel, we'll have enough material for a book.
As for the piano music sheets, you might be in luck. The musician Will released an album online that includes sheet music.
This one was released in 2015 - it came after the flash game, and it contains 13 songs. Maybe one day... I'll let Will know there's demand for it, haha!
Ochoko Please allow me to ask a few final questions.These questions came to me when Kou shacho asked me about the interview.
Everyone who has cleared Phoenotopia has been wondering about this. So, I will ask about this on behalf of the fans. The word "sequel" popped up in this interview earlier…can we expect Phoenotopia's sequel someday? Also, what are you currently working on? If that is okay to share.
Quang I can't say 100% there will be a sequel. Many developers think there'll be a sequel to their game, but it never comes to fruition for varying reasons. Actually, if you compare the Phoenotopia Flash game and "Awakening", they have different endings!
During the development of Phoenotopia Awakening, I realized my limitations as a developer, and I had to acknowledge that it's possible the sequel might never come to pass. So I made Phoenotopia: Awakening have a more satisfying ending - it ends on a hopeful note. In the flash game, the game had a cliffhanger ending - it was very unsatisfying, haha.
I will say that I "want" to create the sequel one day. In my head, there are like 10 game ideas that are fighting for their chance to be created. I don't have time for them all, haha. I do have a fond spot for Phoenotopia, however. Maybe one day, when the circumstances are right.
As for what I'm working on, its genre is "metroidvania." I haven't revealed it yet - keeping it under wraps for now. I'll likely reveal it publicly next year - I'll announce it on Phoenotopia's twitter when it's ready, so look forward to it!
Ochoko I cannot wait until next year. I am looking forward to your announcement about your new project (and, of course, the Phoenotopia sequel if it happens…!)
Ochoko Lastly, do you have a message for every player out there?
Quang First, thank you very much Ochoko-san for interviewing me! And for the players out there, thank you for playing Phoenotopia!
I've been really touched and encouraged by all the fanart and fanmail the game has received. They give me the strength to keep going. So thank you, and thank you!
Ochoko Thank you so much for answering my questions.It is a dream come true to hear all these beautiful stories. Even though I am merely a fan, I cannot describe my gratitude to the developers and Kou shacho for this opportunity. I will continue to support CAPE COSMIC from here on out. Thank you so much for your time today.
Afterwords
So, what do you think about「Phoenotopia」Long Interview #8？ We plan on continuing long interviews for just a little longer!
Long Interview！ #7
This interview is from 2022.
Hello, everyone. It's Kou from FLYHIGH WORKS. Today, we would like to present part #7 of an in-depth interview with Quang, the original creator of “Phoenotopia.” The interviewer is Ochoko, "Phoenotopia Strategy Memo. ( フェノトピア攻略メモ。)" blogger who is also considered to be a representative of the Japanese Phoenotopia fans.
Interview #1 is available here→ https://steamcommunity.com/games/1436590/announcements/detail/4179973693293839601
Interview(#7)
Ochoko I would now like to ask you about RTA (known as Real Time Attack in Japan, a speedrun event) challenges. While playing the game many times, there’s a sense that there is an adjustment to pay attention to the finer details of the system features. I was surprised when I first found out that the game can be cleared without obtaining the main weapon, the bat, and rocket boots. Were speedrun challenges considered during game development?
Quang I did think about speedrunning when I was making the game. I had a mental map of developer-intended speed running "secrets" I would allow. During development, I had the Phoenotopia FLASH game RTA videos as reference, so I was aware of which tricks people had used previously.
One trick I didn't like in the FLASH game was how you could move a door if you stacked 2 boxes against it - so I made sure to fix that in Awakening. However, I did like the trick people used where they put a bomb on a door to weigh it down. This would prevent the door from closing. So I kept that trick in from the FLASH game.
Ochoko A crucial technique used during RTA is called the *“Ouroboros Skip,” but I wonder if this technique was considered in development beforehand? There’s a part in which Gail has to make sure that the bomb is stuck into the wall to use it as a platform to jump on (Haha).
I heard that you like watching RTA. Can you tell me if a particular speedrun video stood out or left a lasting impression on you?
Also, from the developer’s perspective, is there anything that can be done to save time during a speedrun?
Quang Ultimately, the RTA community completely surprised me, and RTA did not unfold the way I imagined! Haha.
For example, in Sand Drift Ruins, there is a tower that is out of reach. I intended that if the player could stack 3 boxes, they would be able to enter the tower and this would let them skip the "Forlorn Ruins" area. Instead, RTA players found a better shortcut that allowed them to skip the entire Ouroboros section. Haha, that was way more skipping than I wanted. So all those techniques you described (bridge skipping, no main weapon, no rocket boots) were really not expected.
I like to watch speed run videos however! So once those tricks were discovered I figured it was okay to leave them in, since I know the RTA community likes them. So long as a speedrun trick doesn't break the game in a bad way, I think it's fine to leave it in.
The last RTA speedrun I saw was the competition held in Japan in August of last year. I really enjoyed it! I was really surprised by all the tricks the players could do. My favorite tricks are the ones involving setup with bombs and switches - especially in the megalith fields and scorchlands. When I see those sections performed so skillfully, I think, "Wow! This game looks COOL!", haha. There are times speedrunners have to slow down because of the Stamina system, so that's something I'll think about more deeply for future games.
As for whether or not there is anything else that could be done to save time during a speedrun... I have no idea! The RTA community has completely surpassed my expectations and abilities, haha. They know more than me at this point.
Ochoko Recently, there has been an increase of people attempting the RTA speedrun challenges again, so from now on, I look forward to seeing them.
Ochoko I’m changing the subject just a bit…
Previously, I exchanged mail with an overseas American fan. I was surprised by what they said: “I’m jealous that there’s a lot of fan art from Japan! I wonder if there are more Japanese players than American ones”. So may I ask about the regional sales? I specifically want to know about the ratio of American sales compared to the Japanese ones.
Quang Sure! Perhaps a good place to compare is Steam, since the game had a simultaneous release worldwide there. On Steam, USA vs JPN is 3:2. So I think it's quite impressive, considering the USA's population is nearly 3x Japan's. Proportionally, Japan has a greater ratio when population is considered. Both USA and Japan are two of the game's strongest territories at spots #2 and #3 respectively (#1 in terms of units sold is China).
(To be continued in #8)
Two small bug fixes and a Korean script update
Korean Language Script has been updated!
Bug Fix 1 : When learning the GEO song from Georgia, talking to her while she is whistling will cause the song to become unlearnable. This was previously worked around by exiting the room and talking to her again. With the new fix, talking to Georgia while she is whistling won't cause the song to be unlearnable.
Bug Fix 2 : Mashing the text in Ouroboros Hideout may cause an Ouroboros Proof to not be given to players. With this new fix, even if this occurs, the player can still proceed through the boss door so long as the three trials are finished.
Hotfix to revert change affecting RTA / speed running community
The change where the "player is blocked from leaving until they also learn the song from Zeke" was reverted as to not adversely affect the RTA/speed running community.
Korean localization added!
Phoenotopia finally supports the Korean language! Major thanks to Solarias and the Smilegate LQA team for making it happen.
A few additional things have also been added: - menu reorganization ("Accessibility Options" menu split into "Preferences" and "Difficulty Options") - Reworked a difficulty option to support more invincibility frames when damaged - gameplay flow (After receiving the flute, the player is blocked from leaving until they also learn the song)
Game build is now updated to v1.2.7. The major wins for this update are script improvements, releasing of the soundtrack to the app store, and *almost* steam community items!
Major thanks to the "PLAY on Words" team for huge edits and polish to the Chinese script . See the detailed update notes of v1.2.7. here.
Lastly, community items are unfortunately still stuck undergoing Steam's review. I'm hopeful they can pass soon and be available within the next 1 or 2 days. Expect a more full announcement on that when they arrive.
