Welcome to our very first Developer series Interviews for the Daily Click Website. We start by sitting down with MJK to talk about his latest project called: Hotelier
Rikus: Hi MJK! For the people who do not know this very vital information can you tell us what else you do besides making awesome games, what country you are from and most importantly your favourite food to eat!
MJK: Well, I also make less-awesome games from time to time.. Seriously though, a lot of time (too much) is consumed in my job, in the area of online sales business development. So I'm sort of a business person besides a game-maker, I guess. I live in Finland and my favourite food is, let's say, a well-done grilled steak or minute steak, yummy!
Rikus: Currently you are working on a new game called Project Hotelier. Would you mind telling us how you came up with the idea about a game that focuses on creating a hotel business?
MJK: I've always enjoyed small business simulations, for example all those old tycoon games from the 90's. I think the concept idea has been crawling in my mind for some years already, but I have lacked some competencies in the graphics area to actually produce the game. But now I have some great talented people onboard with this project, especially NeoMonkey in charge of the pixel graphics and animations, and NE helping out with the title screen and stuff, that it has now become possible to actually develop this type of a game.
Rikus: The game reminds me a lot on a game called Theme Park is it this type of light hearted game you are trying to create or does the game more focus on the management side of sim games?
MJK: The management and simulation sides of the game are really quite lightweight. It's aimed to be rather casual, meaning that the game is easy to pick up and doesn't require too much effort or time to play. In some ways, it's a pretty simple customization game (think all those dress-up games!) added with some business aspects and missions of increasing difficulty. But the basic goal is that everyone can have a few moments of fun and easily build, customize and run their own hotel. Of course for more competitive players, there will be real challenge, too, and rankings and stuff.
Rikus: Any real programming issues that are driving you mad while creating such a complex engine?
MJK: It's actually not too complex, but surely the isometric setting is never the easiest to work with in MMF. I'm trying to make the game flash compatible, so all flash related restrictions - in terms of extension availability but also performance-wise - are giving me some headaches for sure.
Rikus: In the past you have managed to finish many great games. Would you like to give a tip to folks on how to stay focussed on actually finishing a project you start?
MJK: From my personal point of view, I simply hate abandoning any project that have already progressed for some time (let's say >20% finished). Without releasing to the public - even if the game hasn't turned out exactly like you planned it in the first place - the game making process has completely failed, in my opinion. I'm still 'angry' for myself for abandoning one project over 4 years ago, haha! Maybe I'm a bit of a purist, and I understand that it's not always healthy to force yourself to work on something even if you don't have the inspiration, but it works in my case, I guess.
Also even when I always try to make quality games, regardless of the size and scope of the project, I understand that aiming at full 100% quality is not a wise move. Instead, try to reach 95% and then release. The quest for that last 5% can become neverending and you'll end up releasing nothing, and after all, for the end-user that 5% might be nice to have, yes, but not necessarily adding any that significant value.
Rikus Anything else you would like to say to all other developers out there?
MJK: Well, for the users of Clickteam software especially, it's a really great time to be a Click developer! All the new runtimes - flash, iOs, Android - are really changing the Click World in terms of how well Clickers can really get their creations out there for larger audiences.
You can call me crazy or whatever, but I claim that in 2011 it's possible that Click games are played/viewed for more than 100,000,000 times (100 million!) in total around the globe, across all different platforms.. It may sound over-the-top but in fact is achievable. The potential is enormous.
Rikus: Thanks for the great answers MJK! We all look forward on become our very own Hotelier in the near future!
I like the idea of this game Hopefully it'll work out. I love decorating rooms in the Sims and such. MJK, you might want to check with your pixel artist, but he seems to be copying Habbo Hotel! http://www.habbo.com
I like the idea of this game Hopefully it'll work out. I love decorating rooms in the Sims and such. MJK, you might want to check with your pixel artist, but he seems to be copying Habbo Hotel! </QUOTE>
Can you be more spefied in which part? Althought the style I make is basic isometric style, which you can find in any tutorial.
No offence I just watched pictures from habbo hotel and it looks totally different. Like it should be as I have drew everything myself!
Although I have created some objects f.ex. bus by watching tens of pictures on the internet and choosing what it would look like or joining 2 types of busses into together and drawing isometric version.
So mr. Aliashoj, could you show me what is similiar to the kids game named habbo hotel?
Hmm there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding here... The style is the same, i.e. isometric pixel graphics, and the theme is partly the same, but that is still far from being copied.
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Hopefully it'll work out. I love decorating rooms in the Sims and such. MJK, you might want to check with your pixel artist, but he seems to be copying Habbo Hotel! 
