PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:
Hello! I’m Natalia, a freelance digital artist, co-founder of Pandoneum Studio, and solo game developer of Tales of Frah’Akin. I’m what can be considered a “one-woman team” - I design the game, write the script, make all the art, and even voice act!
TELL US ABOUT TALES OF FRAH'AKIN.
Tales of Frah’Akin is a story-based fantasy RPG, in the style of the old classics but with a modern touch, rich with cinematic cutscenes.
Take the role of Ennea, the princess of the Forest Elves. Embark on a journey through the lands of Frah’Akin and discover more about a mysterious enemy that threatens the elven realm. Meet new companions along the way and reveal hidden truths about the past, present, and future. Your decisions will shape the world you reside in. Take destiny into your own hands!
This is my first RPG project. Ever since I was a teenage girl I loved fantasy and RPGs. What greatly inspired me to make my own game was “Lord of The Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien and games such as “Star Ocean” or “Final Fantasy IX”. I used to create characters and stories in my mind, set in a fantasy world. Over time the stories turned more detailed and complex and became the base for my game.
HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN
It’s been a journey! I’ve been working for 2 years on developing a demo for Tales of Frah’Akin. That being said, I mostly worked on the demo in my spare time, after work. It started as a small hobby but as time passed on, the project kept growing and growing. With encouragement from friends and loved ones, I decided to turn it into a commercial game.
WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
I originally chose to work in RPG Maker MV but then switched to a newer version, RPG Maker MZ. The reason why I chose this game engine is because it’s simple to use and has a large community of developers providing help and supporting each other. There’s also a plethora of plugins that provide new options and enrich the game.
WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
Time! It’s not easy being a single developer. Especially when one has a day job aside from game development. As a freelance digital artist, I work till late evenings. This means I have only a couple of hours a day left for the development of my game. If you don’t have a big budget for your project, you have to rely on your own skills. I make all of the art for my game, the coding, and writing. It takes a lot of time and often I feel overworked.
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?
Be patient and keep on going! It might take a long time to get a game done but the whole process is very satisfying and the end result will be worth it. I also highly recommend joining a social media platform of their choice and building a community around the game. A lot of developers help each other so don’t be afraid to ask questions!
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
- Working on the game brings me much joy and satisfaction. It helped me grow as a developer, as an artist, and as a person. I encourage all developers to create and turn their ideas into reality.
If the game sounds good to you, please check out Tales of Frah’Akin on Steam. The demo will be released by the end of July! It would mean the world to me if you added the game to your Wishlist ^^
-Natalia
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3063950/Tales_of_FrahAkin/
❤️
