Argy: OK, first things first. Tell us a bit about your gaming history. How did you get into games?
Trust: Oh god, where to start. The first game I remember playing was Mario on the NES. It amazed me that you could have your very own world, do whatever you wanted, inside a television.

Argy: How old were you when you started playing?
Trust: Now that, I can't give a definite answer to, maybe 7 or 8. Couldn't have been much older than that.

Argy: Mario is first and foremost a platformer. Is that your favourite genre of game?
Trust: I wouldn't say it's my favourite, but it's in the Top 3.

Argy: I'm curious, now. What are the other two genres you really like?
Trust: Role playing games is on the top (Can't go past a good RPG), and second is the First Person Shooter.

Argy: Nice. On Steam you are known as Trust. Any story behind your name?
Trust: It's kind of a stupid story really. A few years back, I was really into the game Uplink: Hacker Elite, and one of the main phrases I remember from it is "Trust is a weakness". It's just stuck with me since then.

Argy: So, you and two friends have set up an independent games development company and are on the verge of releasing your first game for the iPhone App Store. How did you first come up with the idea of making a game?
Trust: It was a couple years ago, start of 2009 I believe, I was playing around with the XNA Game Studio (Microsoft), did a few tutorials on it, and managed to get something playable. A very simple game, but a game nontheless. It didn't actually have a name, or a story behind it. It was just a simple space invaders clone, to help learn the ropes. Excitedly, I showed one of my mates, who also had an interest in getting into development, but didn't know where to start. From there, we started working together, to try and make something we could actually put on the market.

Argy: Tell us about the game you have made. It's name, genre, story and anything else you'd like to share with us.
Trust: It is called Avoidance: A Knightly Duty (or, Avoidance for short). It is a 2.5D (3D graphics, but 2D effect) side scroller.

Argy: Just like NES Mario!
Trust: Yes! I got the basic idea from one of the 1960s Batman episodes, where Batman finds a bomb, and has to run through the town trying to dispose of it, but at every turn there's something that forces him to go another direction. After throwing a few ideas back and forth with SweptSquash, we decided it would look best in a Medieval setting.

Argy: So you're a knight, moving a bomb in Avoidance.
Trust: Yeah. The basic story is someone (a wizard probably) has planted bombs around your home castle, and it's your job to take it far enough away so it won't cause any damage to the castle, or the surrounding village.

Argy: Is there a time limit involved?
Trust: It wouldn't be a very effective bomb if there wasn't, would it? There is a time limit before the bomb explodes, but throughout each level there are powerups that can temporarily freeze the timer, or add additional time to the clock. In addition to a timer on the bomb, there are various obsticles the player will have to avoid, such as crates carelessly left in the middle of the street, exploding barrels, bridges so poorly maintained that there are holes in the middle of them, and gates that need opening via a nearby lever.

Argy: Is there a limit to how many bombs you need to clear on each map?
Trust: There's only one bomb per level, before proceeding to the next area. We do have a Time Attack game mode in mind for a future update, where you will need to take care of as many bombs as possible before they all explode.

Argy: It all sounds like a very interesting game. I hear that a lot of game designers are never 100% happy with the games they make. Some of them say that they always feel there is more they could have done, before release date. Hence the amount of DLC and patches that gamers are faced with.
Trust: I would've loved to get the Knight's animations a little smoother, but the way they are now works for someone in a full suit of armor. I don't want to release a game that I myself don't enjoy playing, so we're going to make sure it's as fun and bug-free as possible. While we do have patches planned for the future, with additional content, there will be no extra DLC. Once you buy the game, you're getting the game and all the trimmings we'll add in the future. I didn't want to include DLC because having to pay for something as small as a skin, or level, in a game I already own leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn't want to do that to anyone playing my games.

Argy: That seems to be how most iPhone games work. When do you think we'll be able to get our hands on this amazing game?
Trust: Well, I've seen a few with "In App Purchases" for extra content, but most do work like that, yes. I can't give a definite date at this stage, but we're looking at the middle of November. Either the second or third week in I'd say.

Argy: Well, I for one can't wait to play it. It would be a good Christmas present for my iPhone.
Trust: As we get closer there will be announcements on the TeamBPS.net.au website. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about it.

Argy: Thanks for your time, Trust, and all the best with the launch.
Trust: Not a problem, and thanks for taking interest.


If you're interested in checking out the Avoidance Trailer, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt9YX8Lg5EA

Wow that sounds an awesome game! Thanks for sharing guys xxx