Immu's interview (International version)

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the international version of Immu's interview. If you want to read the Spanish version, just click here.

First of all, let's introduce our guest:

Alexis Foletto, alias Immudelki or Immu, is a Code Lyoko fan known in the worldwide Lyokofan community for being the creator of the Fictive Code Lyoko's Supercomputer Interface (IFSCL). He also has other Lyoko videogames projects in hand, like Lyoko Wanderer and The Fandom Strategy. His talent for drawing, animating and programming and his high level of self-commitment and perfectionism make his projects true wonders for the Lyokofan community.

Now let's get down to the interview!

Q: Hello Immu! Thank you for accepting this interview. To start off, how old are you?

A: 24 years old.

Q: And where do you live?

A: France!

QUESTIONS ABOUT CODE LYOKO

Q: When and how did you discover Code Lyoko? Did you get passionate about the series then, or that was later?

A: I discovered Code Lyoko on TV at the time of the broadcast of the first episodes (at about 11-12 years old). But it wasn’t until 15-16 years, during the third season, that I became interested again in the series.

Q: What did you love in the series?

A: Several things: the Matrix-style concept for young people; the progressive and evolving plot; the fact that it takes place in France and it is made by French people; the 2D/3D mix, and the original artistic direction.

Q: Why do you think that, after all these years, even being an adult, you still love the series?

A: The potential is endless; the story has a large background which gives free rein to interpretation. The overall could perfectly fit in an adult series (we should just add more consequences for the heroes and their actions). And, above all, nothing comparable has been done yet.

Q: What is your favorite episode, and why?

A: Marabounta (36). The idea is great.

Q: And your favorite character? Why?

A: I’d say Jérémie and Franz Hopper. I identify myself more with them: their need of moments of solitude to work better, their perseverance, their willingness to correct the past errors by doing better in the future, their constant need to surpass themselves…

Q: Tell us a scene from the series that has left a mark on you.

A: Hard to tell… Jérémie replacing the supercomputer’s nuclear battery… Xana’s victory escaping into the network… The launching of the multi-agent program to destroy Xana…

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU

Q: Why are you so perfectionist and meticulous?

A: Because that allows me to be satisfied with my work years afterwards, and it is also a form of self-respect and respect for the people who I decide to share it with.

Q: One of your passions is definitely programming. Where does that passion for informatics come from?

A: Code Lyoko!

Q: When and with what software did you start studying programming?

A: RPG Maker introduced me to the notion of events and functions (even if I wasn’t really into the “coding” part). It was with Flash, at about 10-12 years old, that I started to do ActionScript, my first “language”.

Q: You’re also a great illustrator and graphic artist, and you’re interested in animation as well! Where does that passion for the world of drawing and cartoons come from?

A: Code Lyoko! Cartoons in general, and Franco-Belgian comics.

Q: Whether you believe it or not, you seem to be exceptionally gifted. Confess: what is your IQ?

A: I don’t know, I’m not exceptionally gifted. I’m hard worker, and everybody can be that. You must be curious, find something that you like and that motivates you (in my case, my childhood dream of using an interactive Lyoko interface) and work hard. Everyone who gets to do what they want to do will tell you. They have worked hard. (Note: the answer is the same for those who want to make muscles or lose weight)

QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Q: What did you study?

A: I did the ordinary studies and a 4-year course in a graphic art school.

Q: We know that you currently work at Ubisoft Studios. What is your job there exactly?

A: I’m a UI (User Interface) Artist; I’m in charge of the interfaces and menus in the games ;)

QUESTIONS ABOUT IFSCL AND YOUR OTHER CODE LYOKO PROJECTS

Q: How did you come up with the idea of creating the IFSCL?

A: I’ve always liked User Interfaces, and I found the Code Lyoko’s supercomputer one very interesting, so I’ve always wanted to see it become a reality.

Q: You were partly inspired by the previous interface project by Korki (Lyoko-interface.net). How did you discover it?

A: Considering that Flash was used to create websites and others (at that time), I wondered if a CL Flash interface was possible. A Google search proved it to me.

Q: Why did you decide to make YOUR own interface, if there already existed others?

A: Because there wasn’t any that met my expectations.

Q: Did you talk to Korki before starting de development of the IFSCL to ask him for advice or help, for example? And did you stay in touch with him?

A: I had some contact with Korki after the creation of my interface. I wanted to make sure that he didn’t see my work as an attack to his. And there wasn’t any problem at all. I sought very early how to differentiate my project from his. And I then stated my creeds: an interface reproducing the original as closely as possible, not trying to be customizable or communal (unlike Korki’s one). From there on, we never overshadowed each other, and everything was great.

Q: The development started in 2008, but you immediately realized that it would last for a long time. Then, you decided to release versions one to one, in order for them to be tested, and also to receive encouragements and keep your motivation. Why are encouragements from fans so important for you?

A: More than encouragements, what I seek is feedback. What I need, once I share my work, is to see first of all if there are people interested. If there are, I can get interesting afterthoughts from them, and also an extra motivation, a goal. Even though the secret of motivation is always to do the game first “for oneself”, since we are our first audience.

Q: You arrived at codelyoko.fr in 2010 (the 13^th April, to present your first version of the IFSCL). How did you discover the website exactly? Why do you think you didn’t arrive before? And why did you choose to present there your project?

A: The website, I had surely discovered it while searching for information about CL. I hadn’t been particularly interested in the forum before. I had already seen some projects, but I didn’t want to present mine since I wouldn’t have anything advanced enough. I’m the kind of person who only signs up and participates in a forum if he has things to contribute creatively with.

Being credible is very important, even if the game is a fanmade amateur. I didn’t want to present myself otherwise. Regarding the choice of this site, its community is fairly active, and it is the main community of CL fans. With that in mind, it was and is still the best choice in my opinion.

Q: From the beginning, the IFSCL was a great success and, since then, the fan community has grown a lot. How do you explain the IFSCL’s success?

A: A constant communication labor, a constant contact with fans (especially the creation of trailers and the publication of very complete news as soon as I can).

Q: Why do you prefer to work alone on the IFSCL and not to take other fans’ help?

A: Taking “help” requires to train people, to share creative decisions, and to become the one who manages the team instead of the one who participates in creating. This is something that people tend not to understand or to underestimate. You can hardly do both at the same time. I’m faster being “alone”.

That’s why I only ask for help in the tasks where I don’t have much to supervise: occasional help requests to search for things in the episodes, or beta testers who I have worked enough with; the same for translators.

Obviously, there’s an advantage for each possibility: ALONE you go faster, but MANY go further.

Q: We know that you tried to develop (around the version 1.5.0 of the IFSCL) another Code Lyoko game, but you stopped the development because of the little interest of the fans. Could you tell us more about this project that, unfortunately, never came to fruition?

A: It was a CL mod for the game Star Wars: Empire At War. My skills in 3D and modding were however too limited. And so was the public’s interest, probably because I didn’t have much to show or because I didn’t choose well the moment (important). My motivation and competences weren’t high enough for me to start a satisfaction “loop” (I present something > I get feedback > I present something…).

Q: We also want to know more about the Immu’s Room! Where did the idea of this IFSCL program which appeared in the version 2.0.5 come from?

A: No idea… I didn’t want to add a cheat code that destabilized the game. But the fact of adding a mysterious element is always cool; I copy a little bit the “Franz Hopper’s diary” side as well.

Q: After having released the IFSCL 2.6.2, the development was stopped for several months, and the future of the project was really uncertain. You told us that you needed new updates of the plugins you were using, but the problems were even bigger: many development problems seemed to have no solution, and you needed to meditate about the future of the project, about “what was possible and what wasn’t”… Could you tell us more about this development problems?

A: There’s not much to say. I was indeed using plugins that were becoming less and less supported (since they are reserved to big companies who can correct the bugs themselves with competences I don’t have). And everything became less and less optimized, despite the performance gain. It wouldn’t have ended well.

Q: The future of the IFSCL was thus very unsure… during that period of meditation, did you really consider quitting the project?

A: Stopping rather than quitting would be more accurate. But yes, I thought of that possibility more than once, and obviously this idea comes to my mind whenever the development is not going well or there is a big drop in support at a time when I need it (unusual). However, I’ve always wanted to make sure not to leave a work unfinished, so I would have focused my efforts on a final version without bugs, but with no more additions.

Q: Also, during these months, you started to develop another Code Lyoko videogame: The Fandom Strategy, which apparently you wanted to create since a long time. When and how did you come up with the idea of this game? Why hadn’t you started it until that moment?

A: I just wanted to try new things. It was also in order to test the transition from Flash to Unity that I continued it. My purpose was to make a prototype in Flash, and the rest in Unity. It currently works in part in Unity, but I can’t release it for now. There are too many problems in the game design.

The desire to make a multiplayer game has always been in my mind, but it is very complex. And my quality requirements don’t help…

Q: Will you continue the development of The Fandom Strategy in the future?

A: Yes, carrying out a multiplayer project is very interesting to me, and the idea is good. But I must rework it a lot and develop the concept, like Lyoko Wanderer which doesn’t satisfy me in its current state. So it’s not for tomorrow.

Q: Around February 2015, you finally started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You told us that you “tried something”, something that was really risky but that worked and that opened a bright future for the IFSCL… could you tell us more about this “trial” and why it was so beneficial for the IFSCL?

A: That “trial” was the transition to Unity; succeeding in reprogramming the bases and making sure that what I wanted to do was possible, especially in the case of the marabounta. The result is already visible in the new versions. However, the constraints related to the marabounta increase (the IFSCL becomes more and more resource-consuming), so not everything is solved for it, and its integration will be difficult in terms of optimization.

Q: Since then, the development of the IFSCL is back on track, more ambitiously than ever. But this wasn’t everything: your “trial” also seemed to have opened a future for a brand new project: Lyoko Wanderer! Why did your “trial” make this project possible?

A: The mastery of the basics of Unity enabled me to make possible many projects I had in mind, especially those involving 3D. Now I just have to find some time to work on them…

Q: The idea of Lyoko Wanderer came to your mind immediately after your “trial”, or you had always wanted to make a videogame to explore a Lyoko sector?

A: It’s an idea I’ve always wanted to explore. Like many fans. However, I needed to get used to Unity before. The Fandom Strategy allowed me to discover Unity in depth; the IFSCL was a practical implementation, and Lyoko Wanderer allows me to discover 3D in Unity.

Q: Why make a different videogame to explore Cortex, instead of integrating it into the IFSCL?

A: The artistic and technical constraints are different. It’s also simpler technically to keep both separated. The IFSCL is really made and optimized to run on the maximum number of PCs possible. Lyoko Wanderer is likely to use technologies requiring a higher minimum (independently of the optimizations I make).

And, finally, the IFSCL is not related to Code Lyoko Evolution.

Q: Do you plan to add all Lyoko sectors in Lyoko Wanderer, or only Cortex?

A: Cortex only; it is ambitious enough.

Q: What is the current development status of Lyoko Wanderer?

A: Paused. It’s hard to tell its exact progression. It’s playable, but it doesn’t fit what I wish for the moment.

Q: Why is it better to reprogram the IFSCL directly in Unity?

A: Performance gain, better optimizations, new possibilities, better editors… the reasons are numerous.

Q: Why did you decide to switch to 3D? Was it hard?

A: New challenges, new renderings. Also, regarding the IFSCL, this would obviously allow to get closer to the series version!

I had already done a bit of 3D before but, like all fields we’re not very used to, it’s always hard.

Q: How did you learn to model, texture and animate in 3D?

A: A little bit in school, but mostly by myself, thanks to the countless tutorials on the Internet.

Q: What is the average time that it takes to create a sector in 3D?

A: Hard to tell, especially with all the additions and changes that may be done (for example, I didn’t have to add Aélita’s visual or aerial paths in the first version)… I’d say that it takes me between 30 and 150 hours, counting the debugging. This may take several months. Since I haven’t made any sector with a completely determined production pipeline, it’s very hard to quantify.

Q: You had said numerous times that the translation of the IFSCL to other languages (apart from French and English) wouldn’t be possible until the last version. But, after having relaunched the development of the IFSCL, you allowed foreign fans to translate the IFSCL to Spanish, Italian and Polish. Why did you change your mind about this?

A: Because I chose to remove the campaign mode and not to reintegrate it until much later. It was that what posed many problems to translate to other languages at the slightest addition, or even worse, at the slightest modification.

Moreover, I started the translation in Google Docs (which made many volunteers come) and I integrated a system to export it into the game fairly quickly, which simplified a lot the process.

Q: In the future, will sector 5 change every time we enter it (like in the series), or will it always be identical, with the same maze (like in the version 2.6.2)?

A: There are chances that we won’t see at all inside the maze, and that we will only be able to zoom in the core room. I cannot confirm anything for now.

Q: Are you happy with the IFSCL’s current state?

A: Too many remaining bugs because of a too rushed release. It’s not the best of the moments. But I appreciate the users being more comprehensive generally (maybe because they see more games from big companies which are unfinished even though they are paying for them).  

Q: At this time, are you optimistic about the future of the IFSCL? Do you think it will be finished someday and it will live up to your expectations, while covering the totality of the Code Lyoko series (except the things you have already planned not to add)?

A: I think it can be finished; I have in mind certain pretty big things to add which haven’t been announced yet (like the orange return to the past). I will see. I do my best to announce what I’m able to make.

Q: Are you proud of everything you’ve done while developing the IFSCL, or would you change anything of these 7-8 years of development?

A: I would have liked to switch to Unity before. But, actually, I made the transition by the time that many important functionalities of Unity came out (new UI from the version 4.6). Maybe I wouldn’t have gained much from doing that before.

Furthermore, I lost a lot of time with code compilations which last an eternity in Flash, and I lost several months between the version post-2.6.2 in Flash and the choice of switching to Unity for the version 3.0.0.

Q: What did it bring to you, personally, to develop the IFSCL?

A: An expertise in maintaining a community of players; good opportunities to experiment and learn in terms of communication and creation. Also, experience in all areas: 2D, 3D, animation, game design, UI and, of course, programming. And good IRL friends!

Q: Can you tell us briefly about your other fanprojects which are not related to Code Lyoko?

A: There are many: adventure games (especially JRPG and Point & Click) and interface-games (a bit like the IFSCL)… but I’d rather not talk about it.

Q: To conclude the interview, we would like to ask you for some teasing… about the orange RTTP window you showed us in two trailers! Could you give us any clue about this mysterious window?

A: To make it simple: you will discover what this window represents when it will be unveiled… This has never been done “this way”. Neither by the fans’ creations, nor by the creators of the series, nor by the official games. And you’re going to love it. I’m sure of it. Because I love it.  

Q: Thank you very much for your answers, Immu, and congratulations on the IFSCL!  

And that's all!

We hope you enjoyed reading this interview! We would also like to thank Immu for taking the time to answer our questions.

See you soon in CódigoLyoko.Net!