Ask your questions

[neon]

Today we have the chance to welcome Jean-Baptiste de Clerfayt. You can ask your questions about Lancelot's Hangover right here.

[declerfayt]

Hey everyone!

I'm very glad to be here and hang out with you guys. Thanks so much to all the Adventure-Treff team for invinting me.

If you haven't seen it, here's the German full-voiced trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1eFdMxo6es

AT Exclusive!

Don't be shy, ask me what you want

[Loma]

Bonsoir, Monsieur le Baron! Nice to have you here.

Not sure, if I can think of some sexy enough questions for you to answer, but maybe you can tell us something about your most inspiring drink that helped you creating this game.

[declerfayt]

Ah ah ah ah! I can see I'm amongst the wise and the tasteful tonight. Hi Loma!

I won't gonna lie: I drank a lot of beers while making Lancelot (I hope my mom is not online for the moment - and please don't repeat her if you see her

[neon]

I've seen that strange conversation with the St. Germaine (don't know if it's right) guy/guard in the demo. Is it actually inspired by the swordmaster riddle in Monkey Island?

[declerfayt]

LOMA: To actualy reply a bit seriously: I once hear that once Darius, the emperor of the Persians who has been fighted by Alexander the Great, took a decision - he spend the night drinking afterwards. If when he was drunk, he hasn't changed his mind - he sticks with his decision. (and this is actualy a very true historical idea)

Franckly, I've applied to same concept while writing Lancelot's script. I played a lot Lancelot's demo while drinking beers - it's a very cool attitude to judge what's funny or not

[Loma]

Maybe you just would have had to offer your mother a beer as well.

In the meanwhile I could think of some pretty serious questions you might would like to answer:

- What kind of research did you do for the game?
Only watching The Holy Grail as often as possible or also reading/looking at the pictures of some incunabula for getting ideas about the design?

- And how did you manage your time - I'm always impressed when people are capable of working on such a project but also having a job for earning money. Any tips/advice?

[Loma]

LOMA: To actualy reply a bit seriously: I once hear that once Darius, the emperor of the Persians who has been fighted by Alexander the Great, took a decision - he spend the night drinking afterwards. If when he was drunk, he hasn't changed his mind - he sticks with his decision. (and this is actualy a very true historical idea)

Oh yes. This is a great strategy - good for decision-making and feeling old after such a night.

[declerfayt]

I've seen that strange conversation with the St. Germaine (don't know if it's right) guy/guard in the demo. Is it actually inspired by the swordmaster riddle in Monkey Island?

Ah ah ah! I've hoped nobody would seen how I ripped off Monkey Island - it looks like I got caught

Yes, it was a bit inspired by the sword fight - but... (OK, spoiler alert)

It made me laugh while designing that puzzle that the player will think they're would be a way to solve this puzzle like in Monkey Island (with the conversation and looking for the right answer with others characters) - but actualy the solution is completely different

[neon]

I thought so. But actually it's a combination between the swordmaster riddle and the bridge scene in Monty Pythons Holy Grail, isn't it?

[declerfayt]

Maybe you just would have had to offer your mother a beer as well.

This is serious business: Mom is born and still lives in Chimay - yes, Chimay, where the best beer in the world is brew. And she can keep bottles for year in her basement (it's better after some years, like the wine). I can barely keep a beer in my fridge for one day

[neon]

Jean-Baptiste, people can start own threads, check here:

https://www.adventure-treff.de/forum/viewforum.php?f=51

[declerfayt]

What kind of research did you do for the game?

Only watching The Holy Grail as often as possible or also reading/looking at the pictures of some incunabula for getting ideas about the design?

To be frank with you, I didn't watch any of the Monty Python during the whole process of Lancelot - but, in other hand, I know them so well that doesn't make a real change

Actually, the Grail idea didn't really came from the Pythons, rather than from the manuscript art.

I knew I wanted to make a point-and-click game, but I didn't have a specific theme in mind. I've tried different concept - and I remebered we learn when I was student in art school the rules of medieval art. It's very coded, strict - and it's also quite simple and naïve art (no perspective, no shadows)

The problem when you work solo is the art assets. Lancelot contains dozen of drawings - so I had to make them in a short amount of time (otherwise the game would make 10 year of production) with maximum visual impact.

Plus, that medieval art wasn't very used in point-and-click adventure.

[declerfayt]

Jean-Baptiste, people can start own threads, check here:

https://www.adventure-treff.de/forum/viewforum.php?f=51

All right

[declerfayt]

And how did you manage your time - I'm always impressed when people are capable of working on such a project but also having a job for earning money. Any tips/advice?

Thanks a lot! Before I made this game, I didn't realized the thousand of works needed.

My best advice came from Tim Ferris and his marvelous book "The 4-Hour Workweek". A must read for efficiency!

The big idea is very, very, very short deadlines! Like deadline that are insanely short.

Why? Because with sort deadlines, you know you can look for perfection, but rather for finding what really has the max impact in a limited time. You don't focus on details, but focus on what really important. Plus the pressure will give you energy to work more and with more efficiency