Developer interview · Part 10 of 12Why it works this way
What is a xianxia-themed fitness app like? Do you need to like xianxia?
In Data2Dao, cultivation (xianxia) is mainly a visual style, plus a sense of progress from moving up through the Realms little by little, without a heavy storyline. This post covers who the orange cat is, the references for its personality, why cultivation was chosen, and how game, fitness and cultivation are balanced.
Short answer
In Data2Dao, cultivation (xianxia) is mainly a visual style, plus a sense of progress from moving up through the Realms little by little, without a heavy storyline. The main character is an orange cat that embodies your physical state: when you're sleepy, it has dark circles under its eyes too. The developer sees the app as a combination of three things: a cat, cultivation and exercise. If you like one of them, you may like the app; if you find one of them really gets in the way, it may not be a good fit.
Key points
- The orange cat: its name is Cat Master (as shown in the app's English interface), and you can rename it. It is a companion and also the embodiment of your own state.
- Personality references: the humor and relentless chasing of the Duolingo bird, plus a bit of the cheekiness and cuteness of the bear in the movie Ted.
- Where cultivation is used: the visual style, and names such as Realm, Manual, Move, monster and Path.
- Cultivation elements it doesn't have: there is no long continuous storyline, and no systems such as elixirs, magic treasures or sects.
- Languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English and Japanese; the orange cat has 2,410 pre-recorded voice lines.
- Later: the developer says the next character may be a corgi or a Shiba Inu, depending on how people vote; it has not been decided yet.
Who the orange cat is
Why did you choose an orange cat as the main character?
I wanted a cute character, and the first things that came to mind were a cat or a dog. People don't push back against cats, and the big eyes are endearing. The next character may be a corgi or a Shiba Inu; when the time comes, it will depend on how people vote.
There's one more consideration. It's a fact that a real person demonstrates movements more clearly and with better form. But I think the first priority is to get moving, and precise movement comes second. Do the movement first; after doing it for a while, you naturally come to understand it.
What is the orange cat: a master, a pet or something else?
More like a companion, or the embodiment of your own state, with a bit of a symbiotic feel. It's independent: it surprises you and reminds you. It's also connected to you: when you're sleepy, it sleeps soundly with dark circles under its eyes too. In personality it's a bit cute, a bit sly and a bit funny.
What personality do you want it to have?
Like the Duolingo bird: very funny, and always chasing you to go practice right now. In its character setup I add a bit of the flavor of the bear in the movie Ted, cheeky yet very cute. It pushes you to improve. I hid a lot of Easter eggs in the reminder messages, and people can stumble on them for themselves.
How much weight cultivation carries
Why did you choose cultivation as the theme?
Cultivation has a feeling of always moving forward, and cultural symbols such as Realms can be used directly for the visuals and the progression system.
This app is three things put together: a cat, cultivation and exercise. If you like one of them, you may like the app, and I hope that lets it reach more people. Conversely, if you like none of the three, or find one of them really gets in the way, then it may not be a good fit.
From cultivation, what I borrow is the sense of progress from moving up through the Realms little by little, along with its imagery and art style. I don't want to make it stiff and bookish.
Will people who don't like cultivation just walk away when they see it?
The app doesn't have the kind of heavy storyline that xianxia (cultivation) novels have; the story is broken up and placed in different spots. Here cultivation is mainly a visual style, with a Chinese, classical flavor, while also being clean and modern, so you don't need to worry about it looking tacky. As for whether you like this style, I can't decide that for you.
How do you balance game, fitness and cultivation?
I looked for this balance point countless times, and it was painful: should it be more game, more fitness or more cultivation? The three points kept pulling against each other in my head.
After working on it for a full year, I finally found a fairly good spot: it has the visuals and flavor of cultivation, the cuteness of the orange cat, and the depth and breadth of a fitness app. It isn't especially professional, but it's enough for now.
FAQ
I've never read xianxia (cultivation) novels. Will I understand it?
Yes. There aren't many words you need to know: Aura is your body's battery level, Inner Demon (labelled Restlessness in the app's English interface) is its opposite indicator, Dao Years is your accumulated practice, and Realm is your level. Open the Battle tab and you can start right away.
Can I rename the orange cat?
Yes. By default it is called Cat Master.
Will there be other characters in the future?
The developer mentioned that the next character may be a corgi or a Shiba Inu and that it will depend on how people vote; nothing has been decided yet.
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