Behind the Scenes:
Meet Blockchain Game Designer, Christoph Carstensen
With Fableborne, we challenge mainstream esports and web3 gaming alike. To achieve our bold vision of accessible competitive experiences on mobile devices, having the best industry talent is paramount. Take a gander ‘Behind the Scenes’ and meet the team who is innovating the industry, here at Pixion Games.
Welcome to the third ‘Behind the Scenes’ interview with Christoph Carstensen, who is, like Milo, whom we interviewed a few weeks ago, a Blockchain Game Designer at Pixion Games. Christoph is responsible for developing the Blockchain systems for our game, Fableborne. With over a decade of experience in the gaming industry, and Christoph’s deep knowledge and experience in the world of crypto, he makes the perfect fit to develop the Blockchain systems for our game.
Welcome, Christoph! It’s great to have you with us today. With over a decade of experience in Game Design, I’m sure you have lots of stories to tell! Can you tell us more about your career path and why you joined Pixion Games?
Sure thing! I always loved video games growing up, but I never considered games to be a viable career path since there were no game studios around in rural Germany, and people weren’t as connected as they are now. At that time, I actually had a background in IT, but I certainly can’t imagine working as a system administrator anymore.
While studying Media/IT, I met many people who were interested in games as well, and we created a very ambitious web-based game that, while never seeing the light of day, was still a great learning experience.
After graduating, I got picked up by a small indie studio where I mostly worked on console games before moving to InnoGames, a large web/mobile game company. I feel very fortunate that I got to know both extremes of the gaming industry fairly early in my career. It took another five years and three projects at Daedalic and Yager before I met Kam, our CEO at Pixion Games, and we began to talk about creating the blockchain title that we now know as Fableborne. The main reason why I wanted to join was because of the experience of the team and the potential that I saw and am still seeing in the game.
As an absolute crypto enthusiast, can you tell us more about your experience with Blockchain and how you first got interested in it?
In the beginning, I was only interested in Blockchain as an investment. When the first gaming projects showed up, however, I got caught up in the topic of merging games and Blockchain for a better future experience. Nowadays, I see how much potential Blockchain has to enhance many industry sectors. I believe that it will greatly change the way monetization works in multiplayer games long-term, and in games, that is usually where paradigm shifts start.
As a Blockchain game designer at Pixion Games, what are some of your primary responsibilities when it comes to developing the Blockchain systems for Fableborne? What do you enjoy most about your job, and what do you find most challenging?
I am always working in a team with the other designers on various topics, but I am currently focused on the core gameplay experience, the Hero and defence design, and part of the progression. We don’t look at Blockchain as an isolated tool for specific sectors of the game but try to look at every topic and see where we can enhance the player experience with it.
It overlaps with almost every sector I am working in and many more others like monetization, competition, or ownership. Where I feel challenged the most is when integrating new ways to enhance gameplay without being able to rely on previous data. We are charting new ground here, and flying without knowing the map is quite exciting.
Can you walk us through the process of integrating Blockchain into a game like Fableborne? What are some unique considerations that need to be taken into account when developing a Blockchain game?
When I want to integrate Blockchain into design, I first have to have a reason for doing so. I think a common misconception today is to “just make it web3”, and it will magically improve the game you are creating. Finding a relevant space for Blockchain is as, if not more, important as the correct implementation itself. How can Blockchain actually add to the experience and what are the risks that come with it. Designing games is making compromises, Blockchain is no exception.
What do you think sets Fableborne apart from other Blockchain games on the market? What makes it unique?
Our production history, for sure. We already had a proven vertical slice before most projects even started to develop. I think building first and therefore showing that you have the stuff that it takes to make a great product before selling any tokens shows a great deal of confidence and transparency.
I believe that the game itself is not only different from other Blockchain games, but also from traditional web2 games as well. The niche we are in has not been fully explored in my opinion, and I am really looking forward to doing exactly that.
Let’s talk about the latest Hero introduced in Fableborne, Leon. You owned the design process of this Hero, so you are the best to ask! Can you tell us more about the process of designing and implementing Leon into the game?
Happy to! We are still working on defining various archetypes of Heroes in the game, and Leon is one of them for sure. The process itself is very straightforward and gets enhanced while we work with it. We were inspired by the way some companies with Hero-centric games, like Riot Games, creates characters and have defined our own development model that combines art, design and narrative.
The process has different phases like Ideation and Production, and every phase has gates that have special requirements. For example, if a character lacks a proven (fun to play) gameplay pattern, it won’t pass through the Ideation gate. It’s a very collaborative way to create actual characters that have a rich history, look interesting and are fun to play.
How does Leon’s unique abilities and playstyle add to the overall gameplay experience of Fableborne? How do you balance his strengths and weaknesses to ensure he is a fun and balanced character to play?
What a great question to ask a designer! I will try to contain my excitement and keep it brief. When designing a new character, especially in the early stages of a game, there is a lot of unexplored design space. While this allows me to create new mechanics and go in all kinds of different directions, it is important to have a clear understanding of what is needed.
We are trying to create characters that add something to the game and don’t repeat what other characters did before them. New Heroes should always play differently than the ones before them. Finding that playstyle of the character, making sure they excel in situations other characters fall flat, and adding a lot of feedback, so players get good information on how they perform is critical.
Balancing is another long and important process which in all honesty is never finished, but we are still trying to create the best experience possible with the power of maths and the feedback from internal- and community playtest.
How do you see Blockchain technology evolving in the gaming industry over the next few years? What impact do you think it will have on the industry as a whole?
Let me check my crystal ball! Ok, here is my prediction: I believe that Blockchain technology will become more mainstream in the gaming industry over the next few years. As regulations become more clear and web3 technology matures, large corporations will feel more comfortable entering the market with games that support Blockchain technology. Players will also realize that Blockchain can enhance their gaming experience if implemented correctly. Additionally, true ownership of in-game assets will become the standard for online multiplayer games.
Can you tell us more about your interests outside Game Design and Blockchain technology, and how you got involved with them?
Unsurprisingly, even aside from Game Design, I do play a lot. I enjoy playing board games, Pen & Paper games, and other digital games. I also picked up lockpicking as a hobby a while ago, inspired by my preference for rogue characters in RPGs. Quite useful if you lock yourself out! Reading fiction for fun is also something I recently got back into.
What advice would you give to aspiring Game Designers who are interested in getting into the Blockchain space?
For aspiring Game Designers interested in the Blockchain space, I recommend educating yourself while working on your own small projects. I know you want to create that grand MMO really badly, but start simpler, maybe with a Connect Four tutorial in your favourite game engine
Celebrate your successes and try to learn from your failures as much as possible. The more you fail, the faster you will grow.
And if you are interested in web3, try to stay up to date in the world of Blockchain. We are still very early and technology is improving rapidly.
Lastly, where can our community connect with you to stay updated on your work and projects?
The best way to connect with me is to tag me directly on our Discord server. I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible. Our Townhall meetings are also a great way to get project-specific updates, and our Roundtable discussions cover a variety of interesting topics!
Thank you for tuning into the third ‘Behind the Scenes’ with our Blockchain Game Designer, Christoph Carstensen. We hope you enjoyed learning more about the people behind Fableborne at Pixion Games. Stay tuned for the next interview!
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Let’s embark on an exciting journey together, let’s #becomefableborne.
THE FABLEBORNE TEAM
