RobTop Q&A March 2015
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On 27 March 2015, RaonicHero (renamed Qwertyman1) published to the Geometry Dash Wiki the developer's responses to a Q&A that the two of them organised.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Q&A with Robert Topala Has Begun! 22-03-2015
[edit | edit source]It's here! After weeks of planning, the Geometry Dash Wiki will be hosting a Q&A session with Robert Topala, who as you all know, is the developer of the great game of Geometry Dash. This will be done through the forum, so you can simply post your questions on this thread and I will post his responses as soon as possible. He may be busy with the update, so please be patient. Please abide by the rules below to make the entire process easier:
- You are allowed to post a maximum of 3 questions in the entire Q&A.
- You must be a registered user in order to take part.
- Please refrain from asking questions concerning Update 2.0, as they will very likely be ignored. This includes when he will release the sneak peek and upcoming teaser images.
- Do not create multiple accounts in an attempt to ask more questions. You may be blocked if you are caught doing so.
- Think your questions through before posting them. Going back to edit them will only slow down the process.
If you have any suggestions or comments about the Q&A, leave a message on my message wall rather than on this thread. Due to the size of the wiki's community, Robert will only choose 15-20 questions to answer. The deadline for submitting your questions is currently not set, but try to get them in before Thursday, March 26.
Again, think them through and good luck!
Hackey5 suggests:
- A Q&A is questions and answers, not questioning and asking for things.
- Don't ask about why something is the way it is. It is that way because that is the way it is.
- Don't pose 'can you do this?' questions. We are not submitting a request list.
- Do ask about inspirations or opinions. We can only guess, which is why these kinds of questions are always interesting to have answered!
- Do ask about how the game is developed. Developer insight is top Q&A material!
We'll try mark your questions with indicators. As well as some of the less suitable questions mentioned above, questions similar to others' may also be tagged. Use that as an opportunity to ask other things!
ANNOUNCEMENT: Robert Topala Answers Your Q&A Questions! 27-03-2015
[edit | edit source]NOTE: This is not the Q&A thread! It is already over!
That much awaited moment has arrived! Robert Topala, otherwise known as RobTop or the developer of the great game of Geometry Dash has answered some of your questions. And not only a handful, but nearly 50 of them! Find your questions and discuss. In addition, feel free to use some information he has provided to add/fix the articles on this wiki! Robert has only answered the questions he has deemed most interesting, so please don't expect to see all of them here.
| Community member's question | Topala's answer |
|---|---|
| KinglerMaster: Why is it that all the featured levels have to have good decorations but not just be a good level in terms of structure like it is with some of the map pack levels? | RobTop: The game has evolved a lot since the first release, and the complexity in the design/structure of levels has increased. Many of the levels in map packs were made before update 1.7/1.8/1.9 when there wasn't as many detailing options available, which is why they can look very simple. A level can still be very good without details (a lot of levels even use to many details). But players often want a new experience when playing user-created maps, which is why details can be important. I will try to make an official level creation guide in the future, but in short: *Build a level that has good structure, and is synchronized (more/less) with the music. Add details to make the level interesting. Don't add too much, sometimes a simple design will give a better result. |
| Ioprocessing: How do you manage to find a good-looking level out of all the levels there are? For example, you may find a really good level made by someone and make it featured and give it stars. How do you find those awesome levels? | RobTop: The review system needs to be improved, and I will try to focus on that soon. There are a lot of really great levels that I miss, and I will try to fix that in the future. The levels I find now come from different sources. The trending tab in the search options is one tool I use to find and rate levels that the community votes for. I also use the "Magic" search option to find new levels. Forums and players contacting me are another source of finding levels. |
| Hyperboy2001: How did you get the idea for Geometry Dash? | RobTop: I really enjoy platform games, and I wanted to put some ideas into rhythm platformers. I built the base and then kept adding things to make it fun, just like I keep adding new things every update. (Update 2.0 has some crazy stuff!) |
| SB7989: Where do you find inspiration for official levels? | RobTop: It's a mix of things. I work on art and try to find a design that fits the game, but brings new environments to the game. You will see a lot of this in Update 2.0. I also look at user-created levels and examine what users need and what tools they require to be as creative as possible. |
| RaonicHero: I know countless Geometry Dash players have been hounding you about the new update since 1.9 was released. How many e-mails do you receive on a daily basis regarding the update? | RobTop: Hehe, a lot of them :) |
| RaonicHero: How quickly can you complete ridiculously difficult official levels like Theory of Everything 2? | RobTop: It's hard even for me. I am better at official levels since you know the timing of your own levels better, but user-created demon levels can be reeaaaally tricky :D |
| RaonicHero: How do you choose soundtracks for new levels, and what sorts of things do you have to discuss with the composers before using their work | RobTop: Usually I try to find a song I like that fits with the level design I have in mind. Trying to find a song that has a lot of variation makes for a more interesting level. At this point I have contact with several great artists which makes the process simpler. |
| Lil' Freddy Fazbear: For Geometry Dash, you may have had ideas that you scrapped. What are some ideas that did not make the cut? | RobTop: Most ideas actually work, but they usually require a lot of re-design before they feel right. I have scrapped some art though like spiral sawblades etc. They made me dizzy ^^ |
| Brick Creeper: Will you ever make official auto levels sometime in the future? | RobTop: Probably not, I think the players already make awesome auto levels so I will leave it to them. |
| Brick Creeper: What is your favorite part of Geometry Dash? | RobTop: User-created levels and the community. There is always something new and interesting to look at :) |
| Brick Creeper: Do you have any other unreleased levels besides Ultimate Destruction? | RobTop: Not really, all I have besides the official levels is a lot of feature test-levels that I work in. But Ultimate Destruction was just a test level (some parts were used in Base after Base). |
| Spooky Rish: Is there any way we can contribute to the official part of Geometry Dash? | RobTop: It's not possible to create official levels or icons right now, but levels for mappacks etc. are pretty much an official part of the game that is created by users. I listen a lot to ideas and requests from players, so they do contribute to the official part in many ways. |
| Spooky Rish: Do you manage the entire game by yourself or do you have a team? | RobTop: Just me :) |
| Rrobertus02: How long does it take you to make and beat those official levels? | RobTop: Beating the levels doesn't take very long, but creating a level takes weeks. I usually work and edit art while working on a new level. I will build the base of the level, add and test different designs, draw/edit art, add features I need in programming etc. It's a process that goes back and forth between programming, making art, and building the level. |
| Rrobertus02: Do you always work or have some break time? | RobTop: Work work. |
| NielzGames: Do you have a Geometry Dash account? | RobTop: Yes (muahaha) |
| Giometry Dash: Do you play Geometry Dash to get inspiration? | RobTop: I play user-created levels all the time, I love them! |
| Geometry Dasher13: Do you plan on fixing the leaderboard so that people with over 120 coins like me would have their coin count correctly shown on the leaderboards? | RobTop: Yes. |
| Geometry Dasher13: Did you have any idea how popular Geometry Dash would become when you first released the game? | RobTop: I really liked the game and people seemed to enjoy it, but I never thought it would become as big as it is (and growing!) |
| SnufflesTheDog: What is your favourite mode? | RobTop: Hard to say, I really like them all and I enjoy mixing modes. |
| Dafunkyazn3000: What do you have planned in the future about those certain people who hack their way up in the leaderboard, and what are you going to do about hacking for stars, icons, and coins? | RobTop: I am constantly working on ways to make hacking more difficult. While it is very hard to remove completely, hopefully you will see less and less hackers. |
| Dafunkyazn3000: What other games and applications besides Geometry Dash, Boomlings, and Memory Mastermind are you planning to release? | RobTop: I do have a few ideas, but nothing I have time for right now :) |
| Dafunkyazn3000: Who is your favorite music composer? | RobTop: They are all really awesome and the different styles mix well in the game. I can't pick a favourite! |
| Hackey5: Geometry Dash used to be called Geometry Jump before it was released. What led you to decide on these names? | RobTop: I picked Geometry because the game is pretty much built up of simple geometric shapes. I was planning to use "Jump" from the start, but in the end I think "Dash" sounded better. |
| Hackey5: People have always been interested about the unreleased level shown in the original trailer, which used the soundtrack Ultimate Destruction by TMM43. Was the level ever planned to be finished and released? | RobTop: I found Ultimate Destruction on Newgrounds and used it temporarily because it fit the style of music I was looking for (this was before I had any music for the game). The level was just a test, so I never planned to release it. |
| Hackey5: There have been rumours that TMM43 did not allow you to use the soundtrack. Is this the reason the song was never used for subsequent levels? | RobTop: I never contacted TMM43 about using the track, so he never said yes or no :) |
| Swedish Geometrizer: When did you know for sure that you wanted to become a game developer? | RobTop: I started making games not to long ago, and first built a simple platform game using Flash. When building that game I found that it was something I really enjoyed. You get to be creative, get visual results from the work you put in, solve problems almost like puzzles etc. It's a special feeling to create something from scratch and evolve an idea into an actual game. |
| Swedish Geometrizer: What is your favorite customizable icon, and why? | RobTop: Don't think I have a favourite, and I play with a lot of different icons. But I do like icons that have faces/expressions! |
| The lego mind: What do you think about YouTubers who play your game? | RobTop: I love it. It's great to see players enjoy the game and want to spread the word! :) |
| The lego mind: How do you decide what kind of "form" (game mode) you should make for an update? | RobTop: First I need an idea/concept, then I try to implement it and see if it works. Game modes take a lot of testing to get right. The feeling and control is very important, and it has to work together with all the features of the game. |
| The lego mind: Have you ever raged while playing your/fan levels? | RobTop: Of course, the game can make me crazy too! |
| TheWikiGamePlayer: How much time do you spend working on this game and others? | RobTop: I only work on Geometry Dash, and I work pretty much all the time. |
| Chris and Co.: What level do you like the most? | RobTop: I don't think I have a favourite level, since the game has always evolved with new stuff. But I specially enjoyed building Theory of Everything and Clubstep! |
| CheckItGee5454 KM: What inspires you to create updates for the game? | RobTop: I have ideas that I want to try, but the players and the community is what makes all the work worth it. Creating updates takes a lot of work and long nights, but it's so much fun to see what everyone thinks of the new content and how they use the new features. |
| Homerheartdonuts: Did Geometry Dash start out as a little project? | RobTop: I think it was a pretty big project for one person (user-created levels etc.) from the beginning, but it's definitely grown to something a lot bigger with each update. |
| Averagegeodasher: Do you plan on releasing Geometry Dash on another platform? (I've seen Xbox requests, which is weird...) | RobTop: It would be fun, but it's a very big undertaking that I just don't have time for right now. |
| ElectroX44: Was wave mode actually inspired by Darnoc's level, "Wave Wave?" | RobTop: I had the idea for a long time, but it was definitely fun to see that players were creating their own version of the game mode before it was released. It made me certain that it was something that would work :) |
| Spooky Rish: What was your dream job before making Geometry Dash? Was Geometry Dash a part of the plan? | RobTop: I don't think I ever had a dream job, but making games was always something I would like to do (but never tried). |
| Spooky Rish: Do you specialize in games like Geometry Dash or are you comfortable with...let's say, shooters? | RobTop: I really like platform games, so its something I enjoy building. But I think I could build any game, just would take a bit of practice. I have ideas for all types of games, just not enough time :D |
| Shuddervolt: Do you mainly focus on Geometry Dash or do you work on other games as well? (e.g. Boomlings) | RobTop: I work 100% on Geometry Dash. |
| Shuddervolt: What game engine do you use for Geometry Dash? | RobTop: Cocos2d-x. |
| Dragonlover73: What do you do in your free time? | RobTop: What is free time? ^^ |
| Shan5481: How much longer do you think you'll be involved in Geometry Dash? | RobTop: I don't have any plans to stop updating or stop supporting the game. :) |
| GD SpeirMint: What software do you use to make the textures? | RobTop: Adobe Flash. |
| UltraNeko3000: What is your personal favorite demon? | RobTop: I like Clubstep most out of the two official Demon levels. The design took a lot of work, but I had a lot of fun! |
| Bx25fr5g753ghjjm: What is the approximate ratio of the amount of time you spend developing vs. the amount of time you spend rating levels? | RobTop: I rate levels less when I feel pressure to release an update, since I need to work on features. But after updates are released I can rate levels all day. Will try to improve the rating system in the future. |
| Bx25fr5g753ghjjm: When adding a new block, gamemode or icon, how do you go about designing? | RobTop: I draw the art in Flash, and place it on a background to see how it fits and if everything works. I then export the art, test it in-game, go back to Flash and do edits, and that continues back and forth until I have something that feels right. |
| Shocksidian: Did you expect that PewDiePie would play Geometry Dash? | RobTop: I definitely hoped he would play the game, but I had no idea he would. |
| C 0 0 L C 0 L 0 N: Do you use the in-game Level Editor to make the official levels? | RobTop: I use the exact editor as everyone else. Players have the tools that I have :) |
| Viprin: Do you have good contact with any regular Geometry Dash player? | RobTop: I have contact with players on forums etc. And some players email me from time to time. But I try to read forums and suggestions as much as possible. |
| RealDeltaFrost: How do you beat your own demon levels? (like Clubstep and ToE2) | RobTop: With lots of attempts :) |