Dyson is a realtime strategy with much of the content generated procedurally. Game is constantly updated with new features, so remember to check official site often in case we forget.
The goal in each level is to colonize the asteroid belt with your seedlings before AI opponents do the same. You start with one asteroid and a couple of seedlings which you can use in variety of ways: send them to colonize nearby asteroids (sometimes through fight with enemy seedlings) or use them as material for planted trees. There are two types of trees: Dyson which produce new seedlings and defensive which produce exploding pods automatically attacking enemies. To win the game you must maintain the balance between production of trees, fights and colonization.
Dyson is mouse-operated with wheel used for zooming the view.
We decided to contact the developers behind Dyson - Alex May, Rudolf Kremers, Brian Grainger - after playing their amazing game. Due to being very busy Alex May could not answer the questions but Rudolf Kremers did find the time.
The game is never the same whenever you start it up, and you tend to be overthrown by the shear beauty of the simplicity in the game. This is so rare that we had to talk to these guys. I decided to write them an email with the following questions, and here is what they answered.
To underline how good this game is we can tell you that it is nominated in the Independent Game Festival for the title of BEST GAME!
Chroelle:
Tell us more about yourself - how old are you, where do you live, what do you do for a living? (one of these basic interview questions)
Rudolf:
My name is Rudolf Kremers, I am one of the co-developers of the game together with Alex May, who does programming and art among other things. Brian Grainger is responsible for the game's audio. I am 39, run a tiny game development company and have just finished a book on level design. I also run a shop selling antique and collectable technological items. And errm, some other stuff like comics writing.
Chroelle:
Dyson has a very rare quality of being great game play in so simple a way that you get blown away by it.
Did you get inspired by any other titles or did your inspiration come from elsewhere to build such a simple game play?
Rudolf:
Inspiration has come from many places, with regards to the design it was heavily influenced by a number of theoretical concepts first proposed by Freeman Dyson and likeminded people, as well as from more traditional sources like videogames I have played in the past. Z by the Bitmap Brothers is a good example, the lack of resource management in that game is very attractive to me.
Chroelle:
The setting of colonization and defending has been seen before in other titles, but where others try to make their games have hundreds of different units and lots of functionalities you go the opposite way and make a game where there are so few units and so few functions and yet it works perfectly. Why?
Rudolf:
Great to hear that you think it works well! I think what is important is that all variation in the game has a purpose, the game's choices and the environment all interact with each other at a fundamental gameplay level. Choices have understandable consequences, risk reward considerations and strategy all come to the fore even when just commanding your seedlings to go to an unknown area of space or to fly past an occupied asteroid. There may be few individual units and factors in the game, but together they lead to a large amount of individual choices. Well, that is the plan anyway. ?
Chroelle:
What kind of tools have you used to make this simplistic gem?
Rudolf:
C#/Open Gl. Xml. Notepad, Sound Forge, Word.
Chroelle:
Where did you learn about using these tools?
Rudolf:
We have been making games for a while so these are to us just tools of the trade.
Chroelle:
Will we see Dyson 2 ever? Or something of the same quality from you?
Rudolf:
I certainly hope so! At least something of quality that is. As to a sequel to Dyson; we are keeping our options open. If we do we may call it "Dyson 2 : The Dysoning". (Joke)
Chroelle:
Dyson has a game play that will never have you playing the same game twice. Do you think this will make it harder to get good at? And do you believe it will make it live longer on peoples computers?
Rudolf:
I think it adds variety and replayability, and therefore hopefully longevity. The game should not be significantly harder to learn as we don't change the basic rules between play sessions.
Chroelle:
Can you tell me anything I don't know about Dyson or the production of the game. Simple trivia/fun facts.
Rudolf:
Hmmmm Let me think... Dyson at one point was slated to have a mini tower defense game within the asteroid based rootsystems... ?
Chroelle:
Can you tell us about the other games you worked on? Which is your own personal favorite(s) and why?
Rudolf:
Hmmm quite a few, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Stolen, Harry Potter, Avatar the Last Airbender, Championship Manager... Not sure about my favourite, although I had a blast on Avatar.
(ED: See the games here.)
Chroelle:
And are you currently involved in other game creation? Freeware or commercial?
Rudolf:
I am indeed working on other games, specifically for my own company. Neopolis is a title I hope to spend more time on, and there are some in the background that are slowly progressing.
Chroelle:
When did you start playing games? Do you have any fond memories of those times and did you decide to make a game of your own because of some of them? Is Dyson based on one/some of them?
Rudolf:
Ouch, I will show my age now: I started in the 70s, specifically the old Atari system and the arcade cabinets. I made my first game in the early 80s as a direct result.
Much of my work is at least partly influenced by this period in my life.
Chroelle:
More people worked on this game. Did that make it difficult leading the progress with partners/volunteers/paid workers working for you.
Rudolf:
We made this game together as equals, nobody leading the other, and it has been very nice to do it this way. Much more so than being stuck in a strict hierarchical system.
Chroelle:
How do people react to the game when they talk to you about it?
Rudolf:
INCREDIBLY positive and kind. It is really humbling to get such nice reactions. People like the art a lot, the atmosphere, and the simplicity and elegance of the design. I think it is important that the game has its own identity, which I think we have succeeded in creating.
Chroelle:
Have you thought about making it into a multi-part series? Or simply enhancing the Dyson experience into even bigger universes?
Rudolf:
Yes, for sure. Time will tell if this is viable. ?
Chroelle:
Do you remember any ideas you had for the game that didn't make it?
Rudolf:
Too many to mention, and I am scared to reveal them as people will probably ask for their inclusion if I do.
Chroelle:
Which has bigger chance of being in Dyson version 1.?
A: A race of technocratic beings that will rule without emotions. (No - it hasn't been overexposed at all...)
B: More levels with enhanced size
C: More unit-types
D: There will never be a version 1.?
Rudolf:
Hahah, a bit of A and B I think...
Chroelle:
Were the games ever in danger of not being published? Why? And at what state?
Rudolf:
I think not, we are steadily progressing and that hasn't really changed at any time.
Chroelle:
Which freeware games do you remember playing that made you take on freeware game development?
Rudolf:
The freeware aspect of Dyson comes from the competition element, we did not make the game initially with commercial motivation at first. We do like freeware though and there should always be a free component to Dyson.
Chroelle:
Were there any games that inspired you for Dyson? Maybe something other than games?
Rudolf:
Too many to count, but for me personally those games that create a real sense of wonder and exploration.
Chroelle:
What part of Dyson was the hardest part getting done?
Rudolf:
Balancing is really hard as so much play-testing is needed.
Chroelle:
What kind of game you would love to make if you had the resources needed and open boundaries?
Rudolf:
Exploration based games that allow the player to luxuriate in a sense of adventure and wonder. (Although I also love making other types of games
Chroelle:
What do you think was the coolest feature in the game?
Rudolf:
Hehehe, growing your own units from plants is pretty rad I think although sending out seedlings to explore or do battle is also father fun.
Chroelle:
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now regarding game making?
Rudolf:
Making more and better games!
Chroelle:
Do you have any favorite games from the freeware scene?
Rudolf:
Nope, I like many of them. Try Glumbuster though, and use it to donate to charity!
Chroelle:
Any other freeware games you think we should know about for our site?
Yeah, see above!
Chroelle:
Which leads up to the next question.
If you were to mention a GOD of freeware, who would that be?
Rudolf:
I don't like to single out some developers over others. But look at Nifflas and what he has done, or Cactus for example.
Chroelle:
What are your views on giving away commercial games as freeware when they have been commercial for some amount (you decide) of years?
Rudolf:
I don't have a specific view on this, it depends on the game and the individual involved. I love people who decide to release their game's for free though after they think it won't make them more money.
Chroelle:
If you could choose to do a freeware game with any game developer or publisher(freeware or commercial) who would it be?
Rudolf:
Fumito Ueda!
Chroelle:
Ok. To finish off the interview. The classic question:
Any words for enthusiastic independent game developers?
Rudolf:
Make the games that you love to make, not the games that others think you should make.