Sendy is probably my favourite author on NUMA. She's among the most prolific authors and she makes tilesets that consistently change my ideas of what is possible with only eight different tiles. I don't know how she churns them out, but I'm sure glad she does. Check out Abstract thoughts pretending to be biscuits.

Tanner: Is there a single theme or component that you feel unites all your maps?
Sendy: Nothing concrete. But I think that the way that my mind works is evident if you look at a bunch of my maps. I tend to enjoy creating 'devices' and quirky object setups, and I tend towards complication. For the first couple of years my mapping suffered from this but now I feel more able to dilute the complexity and deviousness and weave it more subtly into the fabric of the map, allowing a sense of curiosity to arise in the player as opposed to a sense of frustration and confusion.

Tanner: Where do you get inspiration for your tilesets?
Sendy: A lot of the time, from the way the ninja moves. The game is so incredibly sensitive that it's almost as if you can feel the terrain touching against your fingers in empathy with the ninja. Again my tilesets tend towards complexity and I'm very fond of combining contrasts such as straight edges with eroded sections. A lot of my inspiration comes from doodling, since I like drawing 2D worlds, and of course listening to music. Also I like to consider all the landscapes and architecture I've seen recently that stuck in my head.

Another factor is that the tileset is highly symbolic of the will of the author. By defining what's solid and what isn't, where the ninja can go and what kind of surfaces it will have at it's disposal, there is an almost sacred power attached to that, and this inspires me to express myself as fully as I can with tilesets.

Tanner: What is your favourite type of map?
Sendy: The kind of map that makes the mechanics of N feel entirely new to me when I play it. One that makes me look at a certain object in a whole new light. One that makes me giggle and scream!

Tanner: Do your favourite type of map to play and your favourite type of map to make differ?
Sendy: Not especially. I make maps primarily for myself. I have a soft spot for well thought-out linear maps on both sides of the equation, but nonlinear maps are often more tricky to make. Er... Make of that what you will.

Tanner: You also make music. How does that compare to making a map?
Sendy: It's all about playing with expectations and setting up tension and release. Not to mention form and themes. I find all creative acts similar, it's just the skill sets are different.

Tanner: Is The Nth Dimension going anywhere?
Sendy: Yes. I have tons of maps for it now! Personally I think it's my best work yet - I've managed to incorporate minimalism into my style without it going awry, which I feel was important to master for the episodic format. There are a lot of easier levels in the pack and lots of whimsical playing around with concepts.

Tanner: Where did the name "The Love Sessions" come from?
Sendy: It was made during a period of time when I stayed with my boyfriend. We have a long distance relationship, so the time we have together is always special. When I had nothing to do I would sit down for 30 minutes and force out a map. They're almost like a diary, taking me back to each day we shared, though the advantage is nobody else could read it!

Tanner: How do you think being one of the few well-known women sets you apart on NUMA?
Sendy: I'm not really sure. I'm surprised more girls don't do level designing. I always find it's a great outlet for my energy. And recently it feels like my creativity has skyrocketed. Plus I like the attention.