People.

Paul Pekkarinen / Krice

This column is dedicated to you, the roguelike community. Its purpose is to introduce single individuals and their personal view on the RL scene. We start with Paul Pekkarinen, also known as Krice. Thanks for taking time to answer my questions.

 

Where are you at the moment, how was the day until now and how’s the weather?

I live in a small village located at central Finland. The day was sunny and clear, +10 celcius degrees warm. Some spots of snow still on ground, but they are quickly disappearing.

What do you like most on the roguelike genre? Do you have a favorite RL?

I like role playing of course and replay value from randomness. My favourite RL is Nethack.

Do you believe that role playing can be done better in roguelikes or in more classical RPGs?

I think role playing experience could be made deeper but at the same time non-restrictive. The restrictions come from balancing between character classes. I don’t believe in those restrictions.

You are developing the roguelike Kaduria. Its website states the game will be finished in 2 years. This statement is sarcasm, isn’t it? How is the state of re-coding so far?

It’s very good, because it’s mostly object oriented now and much easier to maintain.

When will you release a new public version?

It’s hard to say. It depends on so many things that are still unfinished.

When and why did you start to develop Kaduria?

I guess the project has seen several starts so to speak. In general the project began at 1995 and the reason I started to make it was just to create something like Nethack, but with easier gameplay. The newest start was a couple of months ago when I installed Visual C++. It's a great developing tool! I never realized how much it would matter to have a proper developing tool.

Do you speak of the latest version? I agree that Visual »whatever« 2005 is the best IDE Microsoft has yet released, and indeed one of the best tools in general.

Yes.

Do you have any advice for new developers who just start a RL?

Learn good programming skills. It took me really long time to realize that I was a poor programmer. I try to be a better one each time I write code.

If one has a look at Kriceland, your personal website, one gets to know you as damn creative person. Your output seems to be very high; just two days ago, for instance, you uploaded another of your several guitar music mp3s (which are actually rather good). Additonally, you draw, you paint, you write. So – where does this need for total expression arise from?

I would say I’m an artistic kind of person. When you are an artist you don’t have a choice, you must create stuff all the time.

Is programming Kaduria art, too? Could the game be seen the same way one could watch your drawings or read your texts?

No.

And a rather dumb question: A cliché says that finnish people are always sad and therefore drink much beer. Is this true and influences this your art?

I don’t drink alcohol at all, but it’s true that finns are sad and depressed people. Maybe I should drink beer a lot, too.

By reading some of your postings on r.g.r.d, not much leads to the finding that »Krice« is active on so many different fields. Instead one gets the impression you wish to behave as troll, or as a person who enjoys to neglect many things going on in r.g.r.d.!?

I’m a half-troll.

How do you see the roguelike community, in relation to creativity, individuality or self-awareness?

It’s important to know there are people like you. Even guys like me feel somehow connected to that bunch of people who share the same dreams. The most important thing in life is to realize you are not alone.

Why did you change your real name to Krice on r.g.r.d?

I believe Google Groups asked for a nickname and began to use that for newsgroup posts.

You once stated that there is a lack of innovation in new RLs. Which topic should be covered?

The secret of a good game is small things done right. It’s all in the details and in the way of always trying to make something better than what already exists.

What does »Kitara, hevi ja naiset« (the title of your blog at blogspot.com) mean? What is your blog all about?

It means »Guitar, heavy (music) and women« and it’s about those three things. I also have a personal web diary, but I wanted to talk more about guitars and playing them etc. and of course about women. Or in my case lack of them.

What do you do in »real life«, when not being creative?

Not much. I’m all creative person. I work as computer assistant for six hours per day, but I call that »a distraction« which sadly takes six hours away from all the fun of making roguelikes. Occasionally I go to gym and pump iron. It’s good to have some physical activity so your brains can rest for a while.

Mario Donick