Graveyard Greg: Who are you people?

First Unknown Stranger: That one’s yours, babe.

Second Unknown Stranger: I’m Sean Jaffe. I’m a freelance writer….We’re a bunch of writers, gamers, musician, and artists who needed work.

First Unknown Stranger: I suppose that’s one way of putting it…

Second Unknown Stranger: We decided to team up and create a crew here in the tri-state area to inject some style into a hurtin’ industry, and maybe wake a few people up in the process..

First Unknown Stranger: One could also say we’re the followers of a madman with a vision. I’m Hala Winter, writer and assistant creative director.

Third Unknown Stranger: Joshua Brain Jaffe.

Graveyard Greg: Gaming credits please–past and present!

Sean: I’ve worked for Inquest, Pyramid, White Wolf…Aetherco/Dreamcatcher,and the Apophis Consortium.

Josh: My creds in the “industry” are that page on the alpha release of Messiah.

Hala: As for me, my experience in the gaming industry is mainly collaboration with Sean.

GG: How did you guys get into the crazy Gaming Industry?

Sean: Well, the way I see it, this is the last great undiscovered art form. So I majored in it at a liberal-arts college. Of course, I got screwed, because no one understood what I was talking about. So, upon leaving I had to put my money where my mouth was. I knew close friend at Inquest. he got me some work…

Josh: I’ve been gaming 14 years now, reaching 15. It seems that through every family tragedy Me and Sean endured,it became apparent we needed to do something. Well, we started forming this concept for a game. I’ve always been the mac nut, so of course, I ended up designing it. And lots of drawing symbols in the edges of my psych notes turned into the symbols you saw on the webpage (www.lastexodus.com). That page in general was a 12 hour epiphany

Sean: Yeah- stay tuned- those sigils do something really cool in the game.

Hala: Well, I’ve been gaming for thirteen years…Roleplaying games have always appealed to me as an actress and writer. Although I never really thought I would go into the gaming “industry”. But one of things we’re trying to do with Sean is bring gaming back to the “Entertainment” industry, which it’s going to have to find a niche in if it’s going to survive.

GG: Some would say that’s already happened, Hala–thanks to MAGIC: The Gathering

Josh: uuuh…..

Sean: Nah, that’s not the same.

Hala: Magic…and CCgs…are something separate to what I think we’re talking about here.

Sean: We’re talking RPG’s - Interactive story arc. This is about BEING. Magic’s well done, but it’s a different animal.

GG: What is this “Messiah: The Last Exodus” all about?

Sean: Who wants this one? Should I take it?

Hala: Well, I believe Sean used the term “Epic Blasphemy”…Sean, take this.

Josh: Sean starts, me next

Hala: I’ll finish.

GG: Ball’s in your court, Sean…

Sean: Alright. The basic premise, without giving away too much, is that the second coming of Christ is hundreds, maybe thousands of people. The players.

Hala: Don’t forget the antichrist…

Sean: Well, yes, there are an equal number of Antichrists.

Josh: Basically, everybody wants to save the world. Question is, who should do it, and who do you save? Sometimes sh!t happens, and who ya gonna call?

Hala: Each of the individuals deatiled on the site represent a different group with a different ideology on how to save the world.

Josh: Which path do YOU choose to save humanity? Which path do you block?

GG: This just in–Nate from Oaklahoma asks: “How serious are you about the religion in the game? I mean - how are you going to make the game appear to non-Christian players - or is the game going to be more All Faith?”

Josh: Every and all faiths

Sean: We blaspheme everybody.

Josh: Hell, I’m Ba’hai, I beleive in all religions.

Sean: No one gets out of here safe.

Josh: religion =/= christianity

Sean: We’re pretty much all deists, no- It utlizes Christ, but he’s not entirley focal.

Hala: I think Messiah is all about breaking that mold…The capital-R Religions in Messiah are all new.

Sean: It’s really a game about creating religion. Faith is a major theme.

Josh: Your Religion will affect your status, power, politics, sexlife and more.

Sean: We’re not afraid to offend people, rest assured. We’re respectful, but not reverent. We don’t just diss religion for the sake of it.

Hala: Sean and I both have studied a number of religions, both for Messiah and our own interests.

Sean: Josh is also heavy into sprituality.

GG: Here’s an easy question: Favorite Snack at midnight?

Josh: MCDONALDS. WE GOT A 24 HOUR MCDONALDS

Sean: Mc’D!

Hala: I’d have to say…Sean.

Sean: Nootch!

Josh: *doh*

Hala: Okay, so he’s a little more than a snack…

Josh: *my eyes are MELTING!!*

GG: So are mine! Next question! We hear the phrase too many times in game books - “This chapter details combat, though combat should not be the main percent of the game.” or blah blah.. then the chapter turns out to be 100 pages long and the book is only 186 pages or something… so are you guys going to like downplay combat - up-play it? Try to write more options than combat for the resolution of every adventure?

Sean: Combat is a focal point for most games because it’s a focal point for conflict- like in movies.

Hala: Can I answer that question? Please? From a chick-gamer perspective? Combat can help up the intensity of a roleplaying experience…but it can’t BE the roleplaying experience.

Sean: Hala pretty much nailed it.

Josh: I want combat to be quick and easy. So it can be as important or not, as a director wishes.

GG: What are your influences for this Messiah…let’s call it PROJECT, not a game, shall we?

Josh: My influences are certainly White Wolf before they got lazy and still had to fight for something, the modern techno-hiphop culture look, the family tragedies mentioned earlier, and the Wu-Tang Clan.

Sean: I took influence from the Old Testament, Star Wars, Busta Rhymes, Dream Theater, the Thrill Kill Kult, PREACHER, Hustler, Caligula, Hype Williams, Scot MAcCloud’s Zot (BIG ONE). and Savatages’ Dead Winter Dead

Hala: Hmmm…Neil Gaiman, definitely. William Gibson, Demonology, Hunter Thompson, and World of Darkness. My ideas for what makes good conflict in RPGs tend to be drawn more from The Iliad than from Starship troopers (although i LOVED that movie).

GG: OK, now it’s time for a surprise GAMER’S QUIZ! This will test your knowledge of gaming. Hala, pick your category!

Hala: Changeling!

GG: The question then: They are your teacher, banker, grocer, accountant: anyone who brings dullness and tedium to the world. Their very existence eats away Glamour. Who are they?

Hala: That would be the Autumn People for a thousand, Alex. Everyone knows that one, but thanks for the easy one.

GG: Yer welcome!

Josh: I’m gonna get banged up on this I know it.

GG: Then I’m saving you for last, Josh. Sean, pick your game!

Hala: Pick Werewolf, Sean. Star Wars is too easy for you.

Sean: Gimme Star Wars, I guess… Second Edition.

GG: Werewolf it is, then! Let’s see…Which of the following tribes went through a name change–Bone Gnawers, Red Talons, White Howlers, Silent Striders, or Glass Walkers?

Sean: The white howlers became Black Spiral Dancers and the Glass walkers were Iron Riders, and warders before that.

GG: Very Good! Josh, it is your turn!

Josh: TMNT!

GG: Teenage Mutant Turtles it is! Name the TMNT supplement that might be the foundation for RIFTS?

Josh: After the Bomb.

GG: Good! Next question!

On the website, it mentions “Deiforms”–What is a Deiform? I assume it deals with gods and stuff.

Sean: Um… It’s a soul. We really can’t reveal much else…Yet. Keep checking the website, tho..

GG: That’s what is called a “teaser”, folks!

Tell us about the other individuals involved with MESSIAH.

Sean: Well, Lets’ see. First, there’s Hala’s tentatively titled “Winter Arcane Press”

Hala: That’s the name for my company, a small press comic book company that may be branching out into other print media. We’re doing the Messiah: The Last exodus comic, among other things.

Sean: Peter Johnson (who is aware of the phallic nature of his name) is in his second year at SVA. Pat Helme is another artist, he does our computer stuff. Corinne, Hala’s artist, hopefully will be working with us, as well as some bigger names like Dave Fooden.

Josh: Charlie is a lab-pit-akita vampire lesbian dog with a donut attached to her rear. Bootsy (the cat) is our security force.

GG: Nice. Next question!

Favorite game of all time? Besides Messiah, that is…

Josh: Strip Poker

Hala: “Big Eyes, Small Mouth” and the Sailor Moon RPG or Cyberpunk, definitely.

Josh: Mage

Sean: I’d say Star wars or The Collective WoD…

Josh: Strip Mage–”Hahaha, you gain 2 more points of paradox, so take off that bra!”

GG: Hmmmmm…the World of Stripping? And now it’s time for CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH!

Sean, MARK*REIN HAGEN of the World of Darkness versus Gareth-Michael Skarka of HONG KONG THEATRE! The winner will get to face Round 2! Who would win, and how??

Sean: Damn, dude. I’ve seen Gareth. I’ve hung out with Gareth. I’ve kissed Gareth. He’d beat the piss out of hulk hogan.

Josh: Hala, you see the stiff competition you got?

Hala: Sean’s not ditching his redhaired queen anytime soon, I’m not worried.

Sean: Well, okay. Round one. Mark comes out and says “A gaming celebrity I am, lest a gaming celebrity I become.” Then Gareth comes out, and he’s got this flask of austrian vodka. He’s lookin for a fight–he lets out a mighty celtic bellow, and the fight is on. He beats Mark to death with a copy of 5th edition ars magica, then complains about distributors for a while. End of match.

GG: Ouch!

Josh, Gaerth has defeated Mark*Rein Hagen, but he now must contend with KEVIN SIEMBIEDA of Palladium fame! Who wins, and how?

Josh: Gareth, still blind from the drunken rage, is taken TOTALLY by surprise by Kevin and ALL four of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Splinter. They get all ninja and leave Gareth a puddle of goo–but the ref disqualifies it because the TMNT weren’t really in the game.

GG: Hmmmm…seeing as how Gareth can’t move, I still will declare Kevin the victor by a technicality!

Any final words for the gaming fans out there?

Sean: I have some, yes. Prepare to be challenged. The teen white male stereotype will fall…We’re blacks, we’re hispanics, we’re women, we’re gays, and we’re coming to the industry. Make room..

Hala: The “diversity” things seems a good note to end it on, but I suppose I’d like to add that Messiah is bringing gaming out of the basement and into the world, into clubs, into music. Gaming needs to come out of hiding.

Josh: It’s time RPG’s put down the dice and donuts, got laid and let us run the show for a while. We are all gamers, yet we get laid, listen to music recorded since 1988, and can dance. It’s time that the gaming industry broadened it’s audience, and we intend to do that.

Sean: Naga noooootch!

GG: I think “Naga noooootch!” sums it up. Thanks!

Graveyard Greg: Who are you?

Unknown Zombie: I’m George Vasilakos, head Zombie Lord over at Eden Studios —
Artist/Designer/Dad.

GG: How did you get into the Gaming Industry?

GV: I started a gaming store after I finished art school. When a few of my
customers and friends formed a gaming company to make the Battlelords CCG,
they needed a graphic designer and art director (and some money). So I jumped
feet first into a small gaming company with big dreams called New Millennium
Entertainment.

The company didn’t do to well with Battlelords, but its second game
Conspiracy X did nicely. When NME went under, I aquired the rights to
Conspiracy X, found some investors, closed my store and started Eden Studios.

GG: I remember Battlelords…and speaking of gaming credits…

Give us your Gaming Industry credits–past and present!

GV: I co-authored D&D with Gary Gygax . . . before I came along it was called
Dungeons and Gophers . . . I set the bonehead straight and the rest is
history.

GG: Tell me you’re kidding.

GV: Just kidding . . . aside from running Eden Studios, I’ve done all the graphic
design and art direction on the Conspiracy X line, the layout and covers for
the WitchCraft line, and some freelance art for Pinnacle’s Hell On Earth RPG.
I also designed the Abduction non-collectible card game.

GG: Are you the Pumpkin King?

GV: No. I’m a mild mannered game designer/artist.

GG: Right now everyone is slavering for the newest RPG coming soon from Eden
Studios–ALL FLESH MUST BE EATEN. Sounds gross! Mind telling the uninformed
about the concept behind this creepy game?

GV: Unlike most traditional RPGs out there, ALL FLESH MUST BE EATEN doesn’t have
one set campign setting or world background. You are presented with numerous
“Deadworlds,” each with a unigue setting and reason why the dead are walking
about. This style of presentation allows gamers to play in any genre,
background, theme or manner they wish. Play a serious survival game, a campy
comedy horror game, a heavy supernatural game, a lighter, more “real” world
game — it’s up to you.

To me, the core of this game is the idea of being trapped and having to deal
with mindless smelly zombies and their insatiable hunger. It’s a game about
survival horror . . . did I mention I used to run a game store?

GG: How did the title come to exist?

GV: Well Christopher Shy, cover artist and co-concept creator of ALL FLESH MUST
BE EATEN, gets the credit for the final title. I was dying when he suddenly
spewed out the name. A game with a name like that is a guaranteed sell, I
thought to myself.

GG: I…see.

Were there other titles in consideration? If so, name a few!

GV:

• ERNEST vs THE ZOMBIES
• EAT THIS FANBOY
• CORPSE: THE ROTTING
• ZOMBIE: THE SLAVERING
• SOCK MONKEYS MARCH ON BROADWAY

As you can see, they just didn’t seem to have the same impact as ALL FLESH
MUST BE EATEN.

GG: You got that right!

Favorite Zombie music?

GV: Brittany Spears. Nine Inch Nails comes a close second.

GG: Did you do all of the writing for All Flesh?

GV: Heck no. I came up with most of the concepts and found people who are good at
writing to “flesh” it out. Richard Dakan gets first credit as he worked up my
admittedly sketchy descriptions for the various “Deadworlds” and zombie
creation. The game mechanics credits go to CJ Carella since we are using his
Unisystem, the same rules used for WitchCraft and Armageddon. The flavor text
and short stories get attributed to Albert Bruno III, a very talented horror
writer and old buddy of mine. The book also has a nice Forward by Shane
(Deadlands) Hensley about Zombies. Finally, there’s Alex Jurkat, my partner
in crime over here at Eden. As head editor at Eden, he cleans up everyones
writing, fills in the gaps and transitions, and organizes it all into a
polished product. That said, ALL FLESH MUST BE EATEN does contain my first
attempt at writing. I wrote the introduction chapter.

GG: Favorite Zombie food?

GV: Brittany Spears. Mexican food . . . behold the power of cheese and the All
Flesh Must Be Eaten Chocolate Bar. Yum.

GG: How did you come up with this crazy game, anyway?

GV: That’s a funny story actually . . . see I was on a “date” with a transexual
Vietnamese escort when I happened to spot Tom Hanks across the alley from me.
I said to my companion, “Hey that’s Tom Hanks!” Thing is he/she didn’t
understand a word of English and when he/she tried to speak with her mouth
full, it sounded like “Zombie games are the next big thing.” Who was I to
argue!

But seriously . . . I think AFMBE been something every gamer has wanted. I
know I’ve wanted a game like this since the first time I saw DAWN OF THE
DEAD. Once Resident Evil came out and brought those damn zombies back into
the light, it was only a matter of time before we saw a paper and pencil
roleplaying game based on zombie survival horror. I remember sitting in front
of my TV playing Resident Evil 2 coming up with initial designs for the game.
Someone had to do it and take the blame. So blame me.

GG: What is the best zombie movie you’ve ever seen?

GV: Titanic.

GG: Oooooooookay.

Worst zombie movie you’ve ever seen?

GV: The Brittany Spears Story.

GG: …

In your opinion, what makes zombies so scary?

GV: They look human but they’re not . . .
They cannot be reasoned with . . .
They have no jobs, no desires, no hopes . . .
They smell bad . . .
They are ruled by their undying hunger for more . . . more . . . more.

(Did I mention I used to run a game store that sold collectible card games?)

GG: Yes, you did.

Waiting at the 3rd tombstone is John Kovalic, creator of DORK TOWER. His
opponent is none other than JOLLY BLACKBURN, creator of KNIGHTS OF THE
DINNER TABLE. Both are famous for making people drop dead with laughter, but
the one who loses tonight will be fresh meat for the undead! Who wins, and
how do they achieve victory? (NOTE: Be as creative and funny as possible.
You want to add some cameos, go right ahead!)

GV: Well, first John “draws” a large black marker, and pens a Muskrat Pokemon
called Dorkachew. Then, Jolly dives behind a conveniently placed dinner table
and whips out a John Wick Gaming Voard. “No fair!” cries John. Suddenly a
battle beyond description ensues between the John Wick Voard and the
Dorkachew.

Awed by the spectacle, no one hears the shambling of a hoarde of zombies as
they enter the arena. Flesh is ripped from the bone as John and Jolly try to
escape. Stabbing at the undead with art tools, but to no avail, they cannot
stop them. It gets ugly really quick and no one is laughing.

When the dust settles and the blood dries, the only thing left “alive” are
the zombies.

GG: Shameless plug time! You can find your very own Gaming Voard at http://voard.tripod.com/Voard.htm

What kind of supplements can we expect for All Flesh Must Be Eaten?

GV: Pending any Y2K complications here at Eden, we hope to release Enter the
Zombie shortly after the mainbook’s release. This book strives to open whole
new vistas for your zombies-gaming enjoyment. It includes everything
necessary to bring together the thrills of Hong Kong action films and good
old fashioned flesh-eating excitement. This book will have detailed rules on
how to play martial arts zombies. It also introduces four new campaign
settings inspired by John Woo movies, Big Trouble in Little China and Mortal
Kombat. It should be a nice little book.

We are also working on Zombie Master Screen with a 48-page insert that will
come with new archtypes, equipment and an intro adventure. Finally, we have a
a pulp setting campaign sourcebook for AFMBE, currently entitled Pulp Zombie.
This book will introduce various magics and settings set in the 30s and 40s.

GG: Any last words before we send you back to your grave?

GV: Yes, I keep seeing posts and groanings that the gaming industry’s salad days
are behind us. That paper and pencil and dice are going to be replaced by the
modem, the internet and the graphics card.

I don’t believe that. I believe that the gaming industry is headed for a
shining new Renaissance, and new age of creative freedom.

And I believe that the gaming Voard (http://voard.tripod.com/Voard.htm) will
be the bridge that brings us to this new Golden Age.

Remember . . . all flesh must be eaten.

GG: …sometimes I wonder where I dig up these interviewees…

Graveyard Greg: Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: I’m a cast-off from a failed biological replicant project during the mid-60s. My design series was deemed too obvious for mass infiltration of the human race after it was discovered the second toe on each of my feet is actually shorter than the big toe.

Since being thrown into the world by my pitiless creators to fend for myself I’ve pursued a variety of occupations to avoid having to live in a van down by the river. Recently, I decided to give full-time freelancing a try because it’s one of the few professions where it is not only acceptable to go to work in your underwear with a beeer in hand, it’s actually expected.

GG: With that kind of answer, you must be John Goff.

How did you get into the writing business?

John Goff: Shortly after completing my second enlistment in the US Army, a very good friend of mine, Shane Hensley, told me about this game he’d created called Deadlands. Shane and I met back in college through gaming and had kept in touch on and off over the years. To make a long story short, he told me he thought I could do a good job at writing RPG material. I gave it a shot, and Shane, being the nice guy that he is, hasn’t had the heart to tell me he was wrong yet.

GG: Favorite way to terminate a Player Character?

Goff: I try to avoid playing favorites. I feel it limits my creativity.

GG: Gotcha. Name your writing credits, kind sir.

Goff: Night Train. PEG, 1997. Dime Novel

Hucksters & Hexes. PEG, 1998. Character Sourcebook.

Fire & Brimstone. PEG, 1998. Character Sourcebook.

Cry Havoc. PEG, 1998. Miniatures Rules Compendium.

Hell or High Water. PEG, 1998. Full-length Adventure.

River o Blood. PEG, 1999. Boxed set.

GURPS Warriors. SJ Games, 1999. Character Sourcebook.

City o Gloom. PEG, 1997. Metal Mage booklet.

Boomtowns. PEG, 1999. Town of Liberty.

City of Lost Angels. PEG, 1999. Adventure.

Deadlands: Marshals Guide. PEG, 1999. Introductory Adventure

Load of Bull. PEG, 1999. Short Story in A Few Dead Guys More.

GURPS Special Ops 2nd edition. SJ Games, 1999. Revised and Updated.

Those are the big ones. I’ve done a magazine/website article or two and a whole fistful of convention adventures for PEG. Most of those are on the PEG website now.

GG: Favorite drink?

Goff: Coca-Cola (non-alcoholic)

Dixie Blackened Voodoo Ale (beer)

GG: What’s in the future of the Goff writings?

Goff: Let’s see…

Coming up with PEG, there are two Dime Novels, Killer Clowns (for HOE) and Worms (for Deadlands). I also have small projects with LUG, and White Wolf in various states of completion.

GG: OK, I’m sure by now many have heard of the PC Death Train–why not explain this phenomenon to our readers?

Goff: Well, that’s the fan name for the first Dime Novel I wrote, Night Train. Without going into any spoilers, it’s a particularly nasty little Deadlands adventure that’s gained a fair bit of notoriety for its propensity for killing player characters. Originally, I’d intended to write it as a series of encounters to intersperse in an ongoing campaign to build suspense. However, the Dime Novel format doesn’t lend itself well to that sort of thing–there’s just not enough room. Night Train contains a short warm-up encounter and then, to be honest, all Hell breaks loose.

Over time, it’s almost become a measure of a posse’s (a group of Deadlands heroes) toughness to say they’ve completed the adventure and lived. I think it’s telling that my own Deadlands group avoided the final encounter like the plague every time I tried to run it.

GG: Favorite TV Show?

Goff: Close race between Seinfeld and Futurama.

GG: How’s the Gaming Industry holding up? Are we doomed?

Goff: I doubt the gaming industry is “doomed.” Granted it’s hard for a new company to make a go of it and even some of the old guard are falling, but that’s largely due to the amount of competition for the hobbyist’s dollar now. It used to be there were only a handful of companies making products; now, I couldn’t even guess how many are out there. You’ve got to stand out or die out.

GG: What will you do when the Y2K Bug takes over, and enslaves us all?

Goff: All of our (my wife and I) emergency plans are designed to account for crazed, flesh-eating zombies overrunning the planet. We figure if we’re prepared for George Romero, we’re ready for anything.

I do expect I’ll grumble a lot if the entertainment industry (TV, movies, etc.) is interrupted for more than a nanosecond, though. Oh, and if I can’t take a hot shower, I’ll be a bit peeved as well.

GG: What is the one game you were (or still are) looking forward to, and why?

Goff: Jeez, that’s hard to say. I haven’t really looked forward to a game in so long I couldn’t say. Even HOE, which is probably my favorite game right now (and darn close to all-time), was just a pleasant surprise. Maybe Star Trek: TOS, ’cause I’m a total original series goober and wanted to see the stats on everything from my childhood.

GG: Favorite Movie?

Goff: Tough one. I doubt I could name just one, so here’s a few:

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Big Jake

Big Trouble in Little China

Saving Private Ryan

I’d be tempted to throw The Matrix and The Mummy in as well, but I’ll wait and see if either of those is the “see again and again” type. I suspect The Mummy is–I’ve already seen it four times. The Matrix, while very smart and very slick, however, loses some of its impact once you know the secret behind the storyline. However, it is the only movie with a scene that caused me to say “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen” so it’s got a few points right there.

GG: I still don’t see the big deal with Live Action Role-playing. What are your thoughts on the subject?

Goff: I’m not a LARPer myself, but I have tried it once or twice. I can see where it is easier to get into character and that does bring the story more to life. However, I’m too lazy to pursue it more than once a year or so. And then in a private location–I think public games are a tad overt for my tastes.

GG: What’s your favorite RPG? Favorite CCG?

RPG: Hell on Earth. Mutants, magic, zombies and automatic weapons. What’s not to love?

CCG: Doomtown. I like just about everything about the game: mechanics, storyline, and setting. David Williams, Rob Vaux and the rest at AEG/FRPG/WotC did themselves proud with that one.

GG: Gygax and Arneson–the original founding fathers of Dungeons and Dragons–are back in the saddle for D&D 3rd Edition. What do you expect from this reunion?

Goff: I’ll wait and see. I’d like to see a return to the old Greyhawk style adventuring, but then that’s me. I think there are plenty of “cutting-edge” roleplaying games (whatever that means) that attempt to appeal to a younger crowd available today, and I’d like D&D to stay the same it’s always been. However, to appeal to a younger audience, they may have to change that approach; that’s why WotC has lots of folks deciding what to do with the product and I just sit in my basement and type.

GG: John, that siren you hear is the signal for the Celebrity Deathmatch Question! Sitting over there is Ron Edwards of the SORCERER RPG. He’s waiting to rumble with John Wick of 7TH SEA and John Hopler of CYBORGS (for Deadlands: Hell on Earth). Who wins, and how do they pull it off?

Goff: Ron begins slowly mustering his netherworld allies for an attack that will surely crush both Johns once his demonic servitors arrive. Out of a billowing cloud of murky darkness behind him, a pair of searing red eyes, nearly nine feet above the floor of the ring begin to appear. Ron gestures toward his opponents and commands, “Destroy theAAWWKK” as John Wick swings down on a guy line and runs him through with his cutlass. Wick doffs his hat and bows low to the ladies with a roguish smile on his face.

With a flourish of his cape he turns to face John Hopler across the ring. Hopler aims an enormous and monstrously complex, cybernetically-linked, shoulder-fired, heat-seeking rocket launcher at the rakish pirate and pulls the trigger. The arena is rocked by the explosion and shrapnel falls onto the crowd like burning metal rain. As the smoke clears, Wick strides laughingly from the wreckage toward Hopler brandishing his wicked cutlass and proclaims, “Your weapon can’t kill me–I’m a Hero!”

Hopler grabs a rulebook and quickly rifles through it. Suddenly, he finds an obscure rule and quickly jots something on the side of his weapon. He fires again, this time to greater effect, leaving only a pair of smoking calf-high boots and a plumed hat wafting slowly to the ground. As Hopler walks from the ring, the scrawled word “Villain” is visible on his rocket-launcher.

GG: Thanks for your time, John, but before I close this interview, any words of wisdom for our readers?

Goff: Anybody that’s looking for advice from me has bigger problems than I can even begin to address…

Graveyard Greg: Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: The name’s Skarka. [straigtens bow tie on tuxedo] Gareth-Michael Skarka. Call
me Gareth–the “double-barrelled” name is a mouthful, so I only use it in my
professional credits.

GG: What’s with all the Kung Fu moves?

GMSkarka: Gotta love ‘em. On the surface, cheesy melodrama–but with some fairly
complex social lessons and morals. All that, plus lightning kicks and
thousand-palm strikes, too! How can you beat that? The only part that I
don’t like is that they remind me of my own failings–I took martial arts for
8 years, and never got taught the magical fu–not once did I project a chi
blast or fly 30 yards through the air. I must not have been a good enough
student.

GG: Writing/Gaming Credits, please–past and present!

GMSkarka: Let’s see. A couple of small releases from Epitaph Studios: _Periphery:
Science Fiction Roleplaying On the Edge_ (1994), and _Age of Empire: A
Roleplaying Game of Mad Victorian Fantasy_ (1996). Some stuff for Precedence
Publishing’s _Immortal_ line, that, now that the game has been deep-sixed, I
suppose will never see print…add that to the extensive work that I did for
Archon’s _Noir_ game that never saw the light of day (noticing a trend?).
In 1996, Event Horizon Productions premiered with my _Hong Kong Action
Theatre!_ cinematic action game. I was Line Developer for HKAT!, and worked
on _Film Festival #1_ (which was nominated for an Origins Award), _To Live
and Die in HK_, and _The Triad Sourcebook_. Before I left EHP, I was the
initial conceptual developer for _Swords of the Middle Kingdom_.
Since leaving Event Horizon, I have done freelance work for Last Unicorn
Games (on their _Way of Kolinahr_ Vulcan sourcebook), and Steve Jackson Games
(editing on the forthcoming _GURPS Traveller: Starports_).
Right now I’m part of a new start-up, Prodigal Publishing Group, that should
be releasing my Urban Fantasy game, UnderWorld, in the Summer of 2000. I’m
also involved in some other projects for some other folks, but I’m currently
covered by Non-Disclosure Agreements: I’d tell ya, but then I’d have to kill
ya.

I’ve also got a bunch of non-industy credits (from my day job), but that’s
another story.

GG: How did you get into this crazy business called the Gaming Industry?

GMSkarka: I owe it all to a couple of friends of mine, Matt Harrop (formerly of Epitaph
Studios, and Event Horizon Productions), and John Phythyon (ex-EHP head, now
with Guardians of Order). Matt and I met in college (University of Kansas) at
the gaming club (KUGAR)–after playing in several campaigns together for a
couple of years, Matt is the one that convinced me that we should publish the
game that we were working on. I wouldn’t have seen it through to the end, if
it wasn’t for him standing behind me and pushing me forward. After getting
material into print, that really got my foot in the door of the industry.
Hanging out at the conventions, I met the people I needed to know, and before
I knew it, I was in the industry.
Still, I probably would’ve eventually just sort of faded out of the industry
if it wasn’t for my other friend, John Phythyon, who founded Event Horizon
Productions, and asked me on board. That experience was what got me into
everything for good.

I never had the chance to publicly acknowledge them for starting me off.
Now, thanks to you, Greg, I’ve rectified that situation!

GG: You’re welcome!

Did you ever have a job before Gaming? What was it?

GMSkarka: Before, During and After. I’m a realist. It is too hard to make a living
doing Gaming full time–so I’ve been working at other jobs during my tenure
in this industry. Early on, it was shit jobs (pizza delivery, etc) during
college. Now, I’m living in New York City and working as the Managing Editor
of a magazine published by the charitable foundation that owns the USS
INTREPID Sea*Air*Space Museum…pretty cool. My office is on board an
aircraft carrier! I also do freelance writing here and there.

GG: If you were a pizza, what kind of toppings would you have?

GMSkarka: As a friend of mine once said, I am a Pizza Nazi. I grew up in New York,
which, as the cognescenti truly know, is the only place in the US where you
can get REAL pizza. None of this deep-dish, Chicago-style, Chain-store crap
for me. Give me the real deal. I would be an extra large pie, with red-wine
sauce, extra cheese, and pepperoni and bleu cheese as the topping (sounds
gross, but trust me–I’m not a big fan of either on their own, but put them
together and WOW!).

GG: MMMMmmmm….pizza!

What’s your favorite game?

GMSkarka: A Golden Oldie, long out of print and very, very missed: _James Bond 007:
Roleplaying On Her Majesty’s Secret Service_ by Victory Games. This game
came out in the early 80s, knocked my socks off, and still does. It was the
game that resulted in my all-time favorite campaign (a one-on-one between
myself and John Phythyon, where he played “Richard Deming, 001″)–and I’ve
never come close to that level of coolness again. There are some that come
close, though–including Precedence’s original _Immortal_ game, EHP’s _Heaven
& Earth_….There are games that I love but have never played (finding
interested players is tough): Marvel SAGA, LUG’s Star Trek….and more. I’m
a bit of a junkie, really–I’ve got a huge, old-fashioned dish cabinet in my
apartment that is filled to the top with tons of games–most of which I’ve
never played.

GG: What are you currently working on?

GMSkarka: As usual, about 10 things at once! First and foremost is UnderWorld (which
GO readers are probably already familiar with, since it got its start as a
column here). I have a couple of other games in various stages of
development, which may or may not see the light of day (I tend to do a lot of
development just for the fun of it). Of course, I’ve got the beginnings and
notes for several novels as well…although its hard to sit down and work on
these sort of things in your free time, when writing is your day job!

GG: Got any funny convention stories to tell us?

GMSkarka: None that would be appropriate on a PG-rated web site, I’m afraid. Sorry!

GG: How’s the Gaming Industry’s health, in your opinion? Will the 21st Century be better for us gamers?

GMSkarka: Honestly I don’t know. There are times when I get incredibly pessimistic
about the future of the industry…especially when I am faced with what I see
as the inability of folks who run their businesses like a hobby to conduct
themselves in a professional manner. But then, there are other times that I
get optimistic–especially at the thought of the new gamers that will be
brought in by the Hasbro/WotC wide release of D&D3E. I think that in some
form or another, this hobby will always exist–whether or not it can support
an entire industry is another matter (although some would argue that its not
capable of supporting an industy NOW.).

GG: It’s now time for CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH! Suspended over a pit of burning oil is a bridge. On one end is the man known as CHRIS PRAMAS (writer of the DRAGONFIST RPG). The other end has ROBIN LAWS (writer of FENG SHUI RPG).
Who would win a victory, and how do they do it?

GMSkarka: The sulphurous vapors rise and writhe around the thin platform suspended
above the pit, enshrouding the form of Chris Pramas, Fist of the Internet, as
he stands and waits. Suddenly, the vapors are dispelled by the blindingly
colorful Hawaiian shirt worn by Robin Laws, master of Feng Shui.

Chris shouts “PDF Download Kick!” and begins his wind-up, preparing to launch
a devastating flurry of feet at the Neon-Palm-and-Coconut-wrapped Laws.
Pramas rockets across the intervening space, and places several solid kicks
about the head and shoulders of his opponent. They have no effect! Laws
laughs derisively.

“Ha. Ha-ha-ha.” Laws, says, badly dubbed. “Your vaunted PDF Download style
has no effect on me, Hasbro-lackey—for I DO NOT POSSES ADOBE ACROBAT!!!
Your form is meaningless to me!”

“Curses, foiled again!” spits Pramas.

“Now–face the power of Feng Shui!!” shouts Laws. Then, using the might of
Feng Shui, he procedes to arrange the contents of a living room so that they
are more harmonious with the flow of living chi.

Faced with such a powerful display of traditional asian interior design,
Pramas nods, his lips moving out of synch with his words. “Nice placement of
the couch. It really gives the room the ergonomic flow-through that it
lacked. You truly are a master.”

Robin Laws bows slightly. “As are you. Each of us in our own way.”

Suddenly, a third form drops onto the platform from above. It is the Armless
Boxer–John Wick, whose arms were gratuitously severed in a Celebrity
Deathmatch written by Chris Pramas a few weeks ago. “It is far, far too late
for one such as Pramas to learn peaceful co-existance and positivity. I must
avenge myself upon him, beating him mercilessly while attempting to teach him
the valuable lesson of pacifism.”

Pramas drops into his Internet Release Stance, ready to defend himself
against the angry cripple. Laws places a calming hand on his shoulder.
“Wait, Chris. You– Wick: Is not your attempt to teach Pramas pacificism
through violence as contradictory as criticizing reviews by writing a
review? Or complaining about negativity in long, vitriolic rants?”

Wick pauses. “Good god. You’re right. How could I have been such a fool?
You know, this reminds me of one time in college, when I…..”

“Enough!” shouts a new voice. The three on the platform whirl around to see
the immensely muscled form of Peter Adkison come towards them out of the
mists. “You fools! You have prattled amongst yourselves, wasting
time–while I worked long and hard. I have been rewarded–I am now the chief
Mandarin of the Emperor Hasbro himself….and with my new 3rd Edition
stance…YOU ALL ARE DOOMED! BWAH-HA-HA-HA!!!”

To be continued….

GG: A cliffhanger ending! NOOOOO!

Any advice you want to give to our readers before we go?

GMSkarka: “Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the
ice.” That’s a quote from Doctor Sidney Friedman on M*A*S*H. No, I don’t
know what it means, either–but I’ve tried to live my life by its tenets.

GG: Ooooooooooookay….

Thanks for your time. Good luck on your future projects!

GMSkarka: Thanks a lot Greg. Keep up the good work.

Graveyard Greg: Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: The name’s C.J. Carella. I’ve been writing and designing games since the late
’80s.

GG: Name some writing credits of the past and present.

CJ: You may know me from such books as GURPS Martial Arts and GURPS Voodoo for
Steve Jackson games, and assorted projects for Palladium Books (R).

GG: Which is better, Star Trek or Star Wars?

CJ: Depends: Original Series, Next Gen, DS9, or Voyager?
DS9 is the best of the lot.

GG: How did you get into the Gaming Industry?

CJ: Was a regular gamer and game master. One day, I jotted some GURPS rules and
submitted them to Roleplayer (small magazine run by SJGames). I got a sale,
got a book offer shortly afterwards, liked the fame and fortune . I’ve
managed to make a living of gaming writing for a few years, which I guess
makes me a pro.

GG: Favorite Midnight Snack?

CJ: Cold pizza.

GG: What is Witchcraft all about? Please tell me it’s not a MAGE clone!

CJ: Not any more than Mage is a clone of Beyond the Supernatural (tm, R, etc.).
Witchcraft is a modern day dark fantasy game. A Reckoning (the apocalypse on
steroids) is on its way, and it’s up to the few who know about it to stop it.
You have mages, you have psychics, you have saint-like “holy warrior” types.
The cosmology is less esoteric than Mage, in my humble opinion (not that it
makes it better, just different).

GG: Have you seen DOGMA yet?

CJ: Not yet.

GG: Speaking of angel-related themes, what is ARMAGEDDON all about? Please tell
me it’s not an IN NOMINE clone, and when the heck is it coming out?

CJ: Armageddon is a game of war, myth and horror (cool, uh?). An
Antichrist/Lovecraftian-style figure has taken over half the world, and WWIII
is in full rage. You have angels (and demons) fighting a common enemy, pagan
gods and their avatars walking the Earth, and assorted other characters,
supernatural and mundane, fighting for the survival of all reality. One of
the themes of the game is that angels and demons both thought they would be
the ones fighting the final war, and then something even worse came out left
field and took over.

GG: If you had to be reincarnated as any animal, what would it be?

CJ: A cat. They are the rightful rulers of humankind, after all.

GG: How do you come up with all these neat settings?

CJ: Twisted imagination, I guess.

GG: How much research goes into a product like, say, ARMAGEDDON?

CJ: Anything between three to six months of research, both fiction and
nonfiction. Then I pick whatever fits the theme of the game, ignore or twist
the rest, make up another good chunk, and then I’m ready to go.

GG: If you could make a prequel to any movie, what would it be?

CJ: Star Wars. Didn’t like the one they did make…

GG: What’s the future of gaming looking like in your humble opinion?

CJ: We live in interesting times. I was rather pessimistic for a while, but I
think we are over the worst troubles. There has been a big shakedown among
publishing companies, distributors and retailers, but I think it has been
beneficial for the industry as a whole — natural selection and all that. And
product quality is really improving. When I see books like Aberrant and the
Star Trek RPGs, I feel good about where the industry is headed.

GG: Time for everyone’s favorite question, the CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH question!
Waiting in one corner is none other than Jolly Blackburn of KNIGHTS OF THE
DINNER TABLE fame! But looking to score some good hits is Sandy Petersen,
co-author of CALL OF CTHULHU RPG. Who would win, and how?

CJ: That’s a tough one. Blackburn is a wildman, and he sure knows how to put the
hurtin’ on a gamer, but Petersen is more experienced, and who knows what
darkness lurks in the mind of someone who dealt with Things Man Was Not Meant
to Know? If the stars are right, I think Petersen will reveal himself as an
Avatar of Nyarlathotep and open a can of Outer God whoopass upon Blackburn.
I’d have to consult my copy of De Vermiis Mysteriis and look at the calendar
for that, though.

GG: Any advice for the future writers out there, sir?

CJ: If you discourage easily, you ain’t gonna make it. Be stubborn and arrogant
around your friends, relatives and other people who wish you stopped wasting
time writing gaming material. Do not be stubborn and arrogant when dealing
with editors, for they are a superstitious and cowardly lot, and they shall
smack you around. Oh, and read the freaking writer’s guidelines.

GG: Thanks for your time, CJ! Any last requests before we slap the chains on you and make you write some more?

CJ: Pikachu is an avatar of Yog-Soggoth. Beware of Pikachu.

GG: Everyone knows that, CJ!

Graveyard Greg: Halt! Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: Stephan Michael Sechi - or SMS for short. Former full-time sax-player and occasional studio musician (believe it or not, that’s me playing sax in the background during the “love scene” in Hulk Hogan’s first movie), until I became a game designer, president of Bard Games, and RPG designer. I’m now back in the music biz again, this time as a freelance composer.

GG: Sweet!

Name your writing credits, past and present!

Sechi: Created, wrote, and/or co-wrote The Compleat Fantasy Series, Atlantean Trilogy (Arcanum, Lexicon, Bestiary), and the Talislanta RPG - all for Bard Games, a RPG company I started in 1983 and ran for about 7 years.

After Bard folded l wrote a couple of freelance adventures, one for Cyberpunk and another for Over the Edge. Both were really out there - lots of weird sex, violence, drugs, and general depravity. Sort of indicative of my mood at the time, I guess. I also wrote a few more Talislanta titles for WotC during the period when they were licensing the Talislanta RPG.

A few years later my old Bard partner, Joel Kaye, and I put together a spurious game company called MIB Productions, which was the entity responsible for the ill-fated PANDEMONIUM RPG - a.k.a. “the world’s worst-selling game”, as it had the misfortune to have been released during the same convention as Magic: The Gathering (oh well). Last I heard Atlas Games was giving away copies for free. Oh well…

The last game writing project I worked on was the Talislanta 4th Edition, which after many cruel and bizarre twists of fate is actually about to be published by the Seattle-based company, Shooting Iron. SI has done a great job putting together a top-knotch website for Talislanta (talislanta.com), and I’m really pleased with the way the book is being put together.

Currently, I have a small studio and write music for a living (when not otherwise occupied on that infamous project known as “the kitchen from Hell”). I wrote a couple of CDs of music for the Talislanta game, which was fun. In fact, I’d like to write more music for games, so if anyone out there has a gig, give me a call.

GG: On the subject of PANDEMONIUM, Atlas Games wasn’t exactl “giving” them away, but that’s enough of that.

Favorite food at 7pm?

Sechi: Dinner. We eat late.

GG: How did you get into this crazy career of gaming?

Sechi: Back in 1981 or so I had a younger cousin who came out to visit from Seattle. He kept perestering me to play this game called D&D, and I kept putting him off. Finally I gave in, and agreed to try a short game. Six hours later I was hooked, and wouldn’t let the poor kid stop until he promised to run a second game the next morning. Two years later I started Bard Games with two partners and was writing for RPGs full-time.

GG: Didn’t I see you at either Origins or GenCon?

Sechi: If you went to GenCon from 1985-1987, could be. Never been to an Origins, though.

GG: Too bad, Origins rocks!

Next Question! How about that Magic: The Gathering–bet you wish you still have that Black Lotus, eh? Were you surprised at its success?

GG: Who wasn’t? WotC was nearly bankrupt before putting out MtG. But Jesper Myfors (WotC’s art director at the time, and a pal of mine) told me before MtG was released that the game was going to be a huge hit, and he was right.

GG: What do you think of the state of the Gaming Industry? How would you improve it?

Sechi: To be honest, I don’t keep very close tabs on it anymore. But from what my friends at the Compleat Strategist tell me, the distribution system that handles RPGs has basically been destroyed. Many of the distributors I dealt with when I was running Bard Games were driven out of business by the CCG thing.

As for how to improve the Gaming Industry, I wouldn’t know. Maybe if everyone out there had bought a copy of PANDEMONIUM instead of MtG, none of this would have happened…

GG: Yeah, well you know what they say about “spilt milk”…

Time for Word Association. I’ll name a word, and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind: “Deadlands”

Sechi: Ummm…

GG: That was a strange response…I’ll file it under “No comment”.

Just what is your favorite game?

Sechi: I have a few. I love Madden Football, but haven’t played it since I gave my old Sega machine to my step-son, Jesse. I like Civilization II, and I really want to try Civ Gold but I’m too cheap to pay out another $50 for what is basically the same game with a few new features (Mac-users still get a raw deal on CGs).

Since my “gaming son”, John Harper, wrote the new game system for it, I guess it wouldn’t be too crass to say that I really like the Talislanta 4th edition RPG. On the other hand, it would be pretty crass to mention PANDEMONIUM again, so I won’t do it. It sure is aa funny game, though.

GG: Speaking of games, you just got the OK to revamp a pre-existing game that iscompletely dead! How would you revive this dead dinosaur?

Sechi: Turn it into a computer game and license it for as much money as you can get.

It’s a brand new world out there.

GG: So does this mean I’m going to Hell for not playing D&D?

Sechi: Yes. No. I don’t know.

GG: That sounds to me like a good time for the Celebrity Deathmatch Question!

Waiting in the wings are David William’s of the Doomtown CCG, Richard Garfield of the Magic: The Gathering CCG, and Matt Forbeck, former creator of the Wildstorms CCG! Who would win, and how do they do it?

Sechi: Man, I don’t even know who most of those guys are. Got any questions about the NY Giants? I’m a big Giants fan.

GG: Um…I’ll file that under “Inconclusive”…

What is in the future for your writings?

Sechi: Mostly music, though I still mess around with game ideas from time to time. I keep thinking that I’d like to write a novel set in Talislanta, but aside from creating large, dust-gathering piles of notes, I haven’t done so yet.

Maybe one of these days.

GG: Where is Area 51?

Sechi: I think I read about this in the PANDEMONIUM game, but I’m not sure.

GG: I’ll file this under “Fnord”…

Time to say goodbye, but before we go, any final words for our readers?

Sechi: “Good-bye” works for me. Also, thanks.

GG: Wise words from the man who played the music in Hulk Hogan’s firs love scene in a movie. G’night!

Graveyard Greg: Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: I’m Richard “Rick” “Ricko” “Rich” Dakan, game writing whor&um freelance writer.

GG: Nice to meet you. Name your writing credits–past and present

Rich Dakan: I’ve done a bunch o’ stuff. My first book was Dark Kingdom of Jade for Wraith. I did some Kult stuff, some Mutant Chronicles stuff, and then 5 of the first 6 books for Conspiracy X (including all the aliens). I’ve done some Deadlands stuff, some Star Trek stuff, some Babylon 5 Wars stuff, some Marvel stuff, some stuff stuff and of course stuff for Stuff: the Stuffing.

GG: What’s with the shaved head? Not that that’s a bad thing…

Dakan: I actually shaved my head at DragonCon three years ago so I could cover it with temporary tattoos promoting the ill fated Starshield game I designed for Tracy Hickman. I liked it so much I kept it. Nor real tattoos planned, although I get it covered in mehendi designs from time to time.

GG: How’d you get started in this crazy business?

Dakan: Well, my friend of Mark Friedman and I were on our way to Gen Con five years or so back and he knew Jen Hartshorn from the net. She was in charge of the new Wraith game White Wolf was releasing that year. We had an idea for a book based around Asia, she grooved on it and we got the job. Mark when on to make a real living with computers and I decided to stick with this biz. Now I do it full time.

GG: Favorite snack at 3am?

Dakan: Either peanut butter cookies or a Gaden Paddy 12″ sandwich from Subway. Actually, first one, then the other.

GG: How was your Origins and GenCon experience?

Dakan: Origins went well. I used to live in Columbus so it’s always weird to go back. Gen Con went great, lots of cool stuff out and I finally scored my a copy of 7th Sea, which I’ve really been wanting ever since I heard about it.

GG: Let’s play word association. I’ll give you five words, and you tell me the first thing that comes to mind: “D&D 3rd Edition”

Dakan: Jonathan Tweet’s house rules. With Jonathan (of Ars Magica Fame) working on it, I’m pretty sure it will be cool, especially since he shaved his head and joined the fashionable crowd&

GG: You wrote some stuff in Children o’ the Atom with a friend, am I right? You two were hanging with each other at Origins and GenCon. Who is he?

Dakan: That guy? Oh he’s nobod&Is that a gun cocking? Oh THAT Guy! He’s Jack Emmert. We’ve done a bunch of writing together. We met in Grad school and hit it off right away. Our minds think a lot alike, especially when it comes to writing games. We’re currently working on a big new mini’s game for RalPartha/FASA called Final Realm

GG: What was the highlight of GenCon, in your opinion?

Dakan: I got to hear Tracy Hickman sing “Knight of Solamnia” to the tune of some Bee Gees song which was, well, interesting&

GG: When the Y2K Bug destroys most of civilization, what will you be doing?

Dakan: Throwin’ my weight around. This is the moment I’ve been training for, when civilization collapses and only the big, strong, and bald have the power to rule the world!

GG: I know that’s the truth!

You’ve been given the OK to do a game! What kind of game would it be, and how would it stand out among all the other games?

Dakan: Well I have been given a game to do, the aforementioned Final Realm. It’s going to be great. We’ve already got a really cool line of figures started and the ideas Chris Bledsoe has for the world are awesome. But if I had my own little game to do all by myself it would have to be, without a doubt, The Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. It would be different because it would have Buffy. It would stand out because it had Buffy. If I was lucky, I’d get to meet Buffy. Actually more than her, I want to meet Joss Whedon, the show’s creator. I’m really impressed with what he’s done&

GG: Who is the one person you’d like to work with on a project?

Dakan: I really enjoyed working with Tracy Hickman on Starshield but alas that never came to be anything. I’d love to work with him again on something.

GG: Don’t count Starshield out yet, bub. I have a good feeling we’ll be seeing it again.

Boxers or Briefs?

Dakan: Actually I wear those in between things - part boxer, part brief and all comfort

GG: Now it’s time for the question we’ve all been waiting for– The Celebrity Deathmatch Question! Todays contestants are John Goff of Deadlands notoriety, Darrell Hardy of the new Twilight Imperium RPG, and Gary Gygax, the Gawdfather of Gaming. Who would win, and how?

Dakan: Well we all know and fear Gary’s Legendary prowess. Thinking fast, Darrell whips out a copy of the silver boxed 25th anniversary D&D which stops the rampaging Gary in his tracks as he is overcome by nostalgia. Darrell’s in a bind though. He knows if he lowers the box it will break the spell and Gary will be all over him with signed copies of Chainmail&Seizing the opportunity, John Goff wades in with his five bound, special edition, signed by Shane himself, genuine leatherbound collector’s copy of Deadlands and clocks them both over the head, leaving him the only man standing&

GG: What is in the future for you?

Dakan: Aside from Final Realm I’m working on a sequel for a game I have coming out in October called All Flesh Must be Eaten, the Zombie RPG. I’m doing a sourcebook called The Replacement Eaters, all about Hong Kong action zombies.

GG: It’s time to say goodbye. Any parting words for the readers out there?

Dakan: Don’t give into the hair conspiracy! Shave now before it’s too late!

Graveyard Greg: Hey! Who are you? Identify yourself!

Unknown Stranger: I’m Matt Forbeck.

GG: Cool. You’re the president of Pinnacle Entertainment Group–soon to be releasing the newest of superhero games! What’s it called?

Forbeck: Brave New World. The title’s based on a quote from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” “O brave new world that has such people in’t.”

GG: And what is Brave New World about? Besides superheroes, that is…

Forbeck: It’s a dark, modern-day setting in which JFK’s been running the country under martial law since Jackie was assassinated by a bunch of deltas (superpowered people) back in 1963. The players take on the role of heroes on the run from the fascist government.

GG: Sounds like another superhero game called Underground, but I suspect it’s radically different. Tell me I’m right!

Forbeck: You are. Underground is about disaffected veterans trying to reintegrate into a society that can’t handle them. It’s all about America after we pulled out of Viet Nam. BNW asks the question: How far are you willing to go to guarantee the safety of those you love? How many rights are you willing to surrender? And if you’re on the losing end of this proposition, are you willing to fight?

GG: Sweet! I love it when I’m right.

How did you get the idea for Brave New World?

Forbeck: I’ve always been a big fan of comic books, and I’d wanted to do a superhero-style game for a long time. That said, the game’s actually not much about superheroes. It’s more about the the overarching story and sticking up for what you believe in.

GG: Cool!

Tell us of your past, present, and future gaming credits. I’ll wager there’s a long list!

Forbeck: I can’t possibly list them all here. I’ve worked for Pinnacle (of course), TSR, Games Workshop, White Wolf, ICE, West End, Mayfair, Target/Heartbreaker, WildStorm, and many more. I edited just about all of the Deadlands: The Weird West products for the first two and a half years and wrote several Dime Novels and a few other books. The latest was Lost Angels. Before that, I freelanced for years. I designed Silent Death: The Next Millennium. I codesigned the WildStorms CCG. I wrote or edited most of the Mutant Chronicles RPG stuff and the first edition of Warzone. I’ve worked on well over 100 projects.

GG: How did you get into the gaming industry? I hear you started at a very young age.

Forbeck: I used to playtest for Pacesetter, the people who created Chill and Timemaster, among other great games. Troy Denning there introduced me to Will Niebling. I worked for Will as a gaming industry sales rep for a while, and he introduced me to all sorts of people, including company presidents and line developers.

Forbeck: Eventually I managed to convince some of these people to offer me freelance work. I did that while I was in college, and then after college I ended up working for Games Workshop for five months in their design studio in Nottingham. (That’s a looong story for another day.)

When I came back to the states to live with my girlfriend (now my wife and the mother of our baby boy), I decided to try freelancing full time. I did that for over seven years before starting Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc., with Shane Hensley. And now here I am.

GG: So you never had a “real” job, according to the “normal” folks?

Forbeck: Who’s normal? I’ve never taken a 9 to 5 job outside of the gaming industry, if that’s what you mean.

GG: that’s exactly what I mean! Lucky, lucky man…

Favorite snack food at 12 am?

Forbeck: Ruffles. Can’t beat ‘em.

GG: What’s the best part about your job in the gaming industry?

Forbeck: I get to work with all sorts of great people, doing what I love to do. It’s a great deal all the way around.

GG: Let’s go back to Brave New World before I die of envy. It seems that the Kennedys are doing a lot better in your world than ours. JFK Jr is no longer with us, sad to say, so will this have any impact on the future of JFK Jr in BNW?

Forbeck: Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about JFK Jr. in BNW. I’m actually a big fan of the Kennedy family, and I was shocked and saddened by the deaths of JFK Jr., his wife and sister-in-law. I can only hope that if a member of the Kennedy family ever reads BNW they understand what I’m really doing with the myth of Camelot and the Kennedy legend. I don’t intend any of them any disrespect in any way.

GG: Gotcha.

Does Diet Dr Pepper really taste like Dr Pepper?

Forbeck: I actually prefer it to the real thing.

GG: How can you say that?!?! (laughs)

Let’s go back to Brave New World again. Is it true you can download some of the pages to it? If so, is the URL available to us yet?

Forbeck: The background pages and an overview of the rules should be available before Gen Con (or just after). Check out www.deltatimes.com for all the details. Or stop by www.peginc.com for the latest news.

GG: OK, it’s Celebrity Deathmatch Time–superhero style! Hal Mangold (Deadlands: Weird West Brand Manager), James Ernest (of Cheapass Games), and Rick Loomis (of Flying Buffalo) are having a classic superhero brawl! Who would win, and what superheroics did they use?

Forbeck: James would win. He’s just too damn clever. He’d end up tricking Hal and Rick into battling it out with each other and then he’d step in to clean up against the winner.

GG: Sweet! Now, it’s time to say farewell, but before I go: What advice can you give to the future Gaming Writers, artists, and anyone else who wants to get into the business?

Forbeck: Be patient and be professional. Also, realize that most publishers treat this industry as a business, not a hobby (or at least they should). Treat them accordingly.

GG: Thanks for your time. I hope Brave New World is a smash hit!

Forbeck: Me too! Thanks for the support. One last plug: If any of your readers is going to Gen Con, be sure to be at the Pinnacle booth at 4 PM on Friday. We’re actually going to execute a rogue delta in the booth!

GG: Sounds electrifying. Catch you later!

Graveyard Greg: Hey! You there! Drop what you’re doing, and tell me this: Who are you?

Unknown Stranger: I am Chris Pramas, writer, game designer, and punk. I survived a boxcutter
to the neck in NYC, so I’m pretty sure I can make it through this interview.

GG: Why should I care? This interview could be monitored for the reader’s protection!

CP: Because there’s more to life than Deadlands, chump!

GG: Well, since you put it like THAT…

What did you currently finish, and what are you currently working on?

CP: The last book I finished was the Final Church sourcebook (for Dark Matter),
which I co-wrote with JD Wiker. If you like demons and conspiracies you’ll
love the Final Church.

I just launched Dragon Fist, my new RPG, on the WotC website November 19.
Dragon Fist is a high flyin’ martial arts game based on HK flicks of the
wuxia genre. You can download it for free at www.wizards.com/dragonfist. The
game will be supported with new material every month (starting with and
adventure, Dragon and Phoenix, in December) and a message board at the web
site.

In addition to Dragon Fist, I’m also working on a super secret miniatures
game. You’ll hear more about this later. I’m also tinkering with the first
Dragon Fist adventure, which will appear on the web site in December.

GG: As long as FINAL CHURCH has Occult Nazis for me to beat up, I’m a happy camper!

Name your past writing credits–all of them!

CP: I’ll do your readers a favor and skip all the magazine credits. Let’s just
say I’ve written articles for Dragon, Pyramid, Valkyrie, the Familiar, MARS,
Shadis, and Arcane.

Alrighty then. I contributed to the following books over the years:
Underground Player’s Handbook and Gamemaster’s Guide (Mayfair), Dangerous
Prey for the Whispering Vault (Pariah), A Medieval Tapestry for Ars Magica
(Atlas), and the Star Trek: Next Gen RPG (LUG).

I’ve also written lots of adventures: the Jackboot Stomp for Over the Edge
(Atlas), The Place of Testing for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (Hogshead), No
Dinero for In Nomine (SJG), Pai Lai for Feng Shui (Daedalus), and the Five
Pillars for Whispering Vault (Ronin). AEG has been sitting on an L5R
adventure I wrote for TWO FREAKIN’ YEARS. Maybe they’d like to tell me if
they ever plan to do anything with it.

At the moment, I’m probably best known as the author of Blood of the
Valiant, the Guiding Hand sourcebook for Feng Shui. However, a year and a
half of slaving away at TSR is finally starting to pay off. In addition to
Dragon Fist, November also sees the release of the AD&D Guide to Hell. Then
in 2000 you’ll see the Vortex of Madness, Slavers (with Sean Reynolds), the
Apocalypse Stone (with Jason Carl), and the aforementioned Final Church.

And of course, what game designer hasn’t flirted with fiction? I wrote three
short stories for the Games Workshop magazine Inferno. Two of these,
including the title story, have just been reprinted in an anthology called
Into the Maelstrom.

GG: Nice credits, Chirs!

Everquest, or Asheron’s Call–which would you play?

CP: Neither. I know I’d end up addicted and then I’d never get anything done. I
had enough trouble with Rites of War, thank you.

GG: I don’t know WHAT you’re talking about. (looks at watch) We have to hurry up this interview, I’m going to play an Everquest Marathon tonight!

What do you think of the upcoming D&D 3rd Edition? Be nice!

CP: I’ve got to hand it Jonathan, Skip, and Monte. Those guys have redefined
rigorous in their updating of the rules. A lot of people lately have bitched
that new RPGs are not complete when released. Believe me, no one will say
that about 3E. And it did pass my “can I play a kick ass archer” test
admirably (Feng Shui failed this badly, which is why I created the Guiding
Hand Archer archetype in Blood of the Valiant).

GG: I said BE NICE! Don’t dis the Feng Shui, buster! Ki-YAAAAAH!

Seriously, though–What about the D&D Movie? Think it’s going to rock?

CP: I’m reserving judgement. It’s got one strike against it in that it has a
Wayans in the cast, but I’m hoping Jeremy Irons makes up for that.

GG: Jeremy Irons alone makes it worth the price of admission.

OK, tough guy, what did you think about the old D&D Cartoon?

CP: Let me tell ya, I was the target audience for that cartoon when it came out
(early teens, avid D&D player) and I thought it blew. Uni the unicorn? A six
year old barbarian? Puh-lease. If you want to see the best D&D cartoon ever,
go check out Record of Lodoss War. It’s not official, of course, but it was
all based on the creator’s old D&D campaign.

GG: Record of Lodoss War looks good, but I LIKED the D&D cartoon. Yer askin’ fer trouble, boyo! Nobody mocks Uni! (laughs)

Did you ever read the D&D Comics (Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and Spelljammer) published by DC?

CP: Nope. I used to read DC stuff like Swamp Thing (Alan Moore; still the man),
Hellblazer, and later Sandman (though I eventually got disenchanted with
Gaiman and dropped it before it finished). I don’t read comics regularly
anymore, but I have been totally grooving to Moore’s League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen.

GG: Boxers, or briefs?

CP: Briefs. My boys need support, baby.

GG: Is Pokemon the beginning of the end, or the beginning of something wonderful?

CP: It would have been more wonderful if I had had any stock in WotC, but what
can you do? I’m hoping it has a positive effect on the gaming industry. If
the TCG can bring in new card players and the upcoming RPG can bring in a
new generation of roleplayers, that’ll benefit the industry at large.

GG: Would you buy a CCG based on the Final Fantasy series?

CP: A CCG has to be pretty special to make me care about it any more. I’ve just
got too many damn cards in my house already, and I still enjoy my
Shadowfist. Big media licenses don’t do much for me, so I’d have to say no.

GG: Why do they call it FINAL Fantasy, if it has 8 installments (and soon to have a 9th!)–what’s up with that?

CP: It’s a subtle message from the Great Old Ones. The End Times are here, the
stars are right, Cthulhu f’tagn! Iiiiaaaahhhhhh!

GG: What’s your favorite RPG?

CP: Good question, monkey boy, and hard to answer. It’s difficult to single out
one as having everything I want (perhaps why my current campaign uses Feng
Shui rules with a blend of its background and those of Deadlands,
Underground, and CoC). I used to say that Ars Magica was my favorite, but I
spent too much time on the development list for the game and that kind of
ruined it for me.

There are games I have great fondness for, like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
and Call of Cthulhu, but even these old chestnuts are showing their age.
What I really look for in a game is a skillful blending of background and
mechanics. So if I had to choose, I’d say the game that still does this best
is Pendragon. Honorable mentions to Castle Falkenstein and Over the Edge.

GG: Who you calling a monkey boy?

Favorite beverage of choice?

CP: Coffee in the morning, sake in the evening.

GG: What would you do to change the Gaming Industry to make it better?

CP: I think I’d create a new set of awards, selected by a jury of game
designers, to recognize excellence in the field. Then I’d try to work with
retailers to showcase the award winners, so they don’t become just another
pat on the back from your gaming buddies.

GG: Hey, how DID you get into this crazy business, anyway?

CP: Back when I was in college, I used to live with a guy named Aaron Loeb
(who’s now the editor of Next Generation online). Aaron and I both wanted to
break into the biz, so we made a “dark pact” to help each other. Aaron knew
Doug Tabb from Mayfair, and Doug had a writing emergency on Underground. I
was a lot more familiar with Underground than Aaron was, so he pulled me in
and said we could do the work. The writing we did ended up in two
Underground books. Once published, I was able to use those credits to get
more work via networking at cons and online. Once you establish a good
reputation, it’s a lot easier to get work.

GG: OK, it’s Celebrity Deathmatch Time! In the TSR 3rd Edition corner, we’ve got
Ryan Dancey–with no THAC0 to speak of! He goes up against the reigning king
of D&D–the one, the only– Gary Gygax, who has a THAC0 of unspeakable
numbers! Who would win, and how does he manage the victory?

CP: Ryan Dancey is sitting in his office at Wizards of the Coast, planning the
cruel destruction of the gaming industry with his super weapon, the dreaded
3E. “Once 3E is fully operational, no power in the galaxy can stand against
us,” cackles the TSR Brand Manager.

“3E, meet TriGee!” utters the dark shadow at the door. Staring down at the
desk bound Dancey is the fearsome Libertarian hero, Gary Gygax. Dancey can
only gibber as Gygax unsheathes Blumebane, a long sword +3, +6 vs. Corporate
Wags.

“Get out from behind your quadrilateral discus of polished oakwood,
doggerel,” puffs Gygax. “I want to take you on a Lejendary Adventure–to
Hell!”

Dancey slowly stands up. He knows he has only one chance. It’s never been
done, but the experts all tell him that it should work. He vaults over the
desk and attempts the Rolling Thunder Attack!

Gygax is ready for him, catching the over extended Dancey in his left hand
and hurling him back across the desk. Swinging his sword wildly about his
head, Gygax aims a blow at the prone Dancey. “I’ll flatten your rarity,
scoundrel!” he screams.

Just then the forlorn figure of John Wick appears in the door, resume in
hand. “Gary, stop it! Isn’t there enough hate and negativity in the world? If
you strike Dancey down, you’ll be killing a part of yourself too!”

“Spare me your college freshmen philosophizing,” spits Gygax. “We all know
for AD&D there can be only one edition: the first!”

“Gary, listen to me,” says Wick, as Dancey slowly picks himself up off the
floor.

“I’m going to to say something that is going to shock you.

“Yes, that’s right. Shock you.

“There’s one thing that brings all editions of AD&D together and that’s
story. Search your heart, you know it’s true.

“Surely my short paragraphs have telegraphed their monumental meaning.

“Yes, that’s right. Meaning. My words are pregnant with it.

“What was I saying again?”

“To the Nine Hells with you, you poseur. Your amateur thespianism is best
left to the dregs of this hobby: the LARPers.” Gygax’s voice oozes with derisi
on for his new foe.

“By the way,” Gygax cooes softly, hand running up and down his blade, “did I
mention that Blumebane is also a Sword of Sharpness?”

Before Wick can defend himself with purple prose or more anecdotes from
college, Gygax’s blade snicker snacks and hacks off both of Wick’s arms. As
Wick falls backwards, lifeblood spilling onto his discarded resume, Gygax
sheaths his sticky blade. Smiling wickedly, he picks up Wick’s severed arms.

“You may have gotten rid of THAC0, Dancey, but that can’t save you now.” With
the kinetic grace of a Grand Master of Flowers, Gygax rains blows on Dancey
with the arms of the deceased Wick. No corporate buyout or Big Announcement
can save the forlorn Brand Manager. His last sight is the cackling Gygax,
standing over him in blood soaked glory.

“There can be only one!”

Three thousand miles away Dave Arneson awakes with a start. Looking over at
his dusty regalia of decades past, his eyes settle on the bejeweled pommel of
his Dagger of Venom.

“Yes, Gary,” he whispers. “In the end, there will be only one…”

GG: I smell a sequel on the way…

What kind advice would you give to someone wanting to break into the Gaming
Industry?

CP: Go to GenCon and talk to people. It’s the biggest con of the year, and just
about everyone in the biz is there. You can talk to Line Developers and find
out what they are looking for, and what their process is for submissions.
Making contacts is key.

Magazines are a good place to start, especially when you have ezines like
Pyramid and Visions, who need content regularly. Not to mention Gaming
Outpost.

When you do get your first assignment, be sure and hit the deadline. If you
can establish a reputation for quality work in a timely fashion, you can have
as much work as you want in this biz.

GG: What CRUEL advice would you give to someone wanting to break into the Gaming
Industry?

CP: Don’t quit your day job. Marry a rich spouse. Get used to paying your rent
with a credit card and eating rice and beans. Also, DO NOT send your “ground
breaking” RPG off to every company under the sun. I don’t care if you and
friends have been loving it for five years. People start companies to publish
their own games, and only rarely will they even consider a new RPG from an
outside source, never mind an unknown designer. And if you start your own
company and show up at GenCon with a new RPG that is a warmed over collection
of house rules from your 1st edition AD&D campaign, prepare to pay
warehousing fees on those books for a long, long time.

GG: Well, that’s about all the time we have today–GET BACK TO WORK, and thanks
for all the dice!

CP: We don’t work at Wizards, we just play with action figures all day! Or so I
was once told.

Graveyard Greg: Hey! Who are you? And why do you have those grenades strapped to your shirt?

Unknown Stranger: Quick, look behind you, it’s a flying monkey!

GG: A monkey? Where?!

(pause)

Hey, wait a minute, I recognize that trick! It was used by Robin Laws, who is you! You’re the writer of many games and gaming supplements. In fact, let’s have
a list of past, present, and future credits!

Robin Laws: Roleplaying Games

• HERO WARS, Issaries Inc., release TBA
• FENG SHUI, Daedalus Entertainment, 1996
• OVER THE EDGE (additional material), Atlas Games, 1992
• NEXUS: THE INFINITE CITY (additional material) Daedalus Games, 1994
• PANDEMONIUM (additional material) MIB Productions, 1993

Collectible Card Games

• SHADOWFIST (co-designer), Daedalus Entertainment, 1995

Novels

• Pierced Heart, Over the Edge novel, Atlas Games, 1996

Collectible Card Game Expansions

• THE CUT-UPS PROJECT, On the Edge, Atlas Games, 1995
• NETHERWORLD (design team member), Daedalus Entertainment, 1995
• FLASHPOINT (continuity), Daedalus Entertainment, 1996

Collectible Card Game Supplements

• Surviving On the Edge (contributor), Atlas Games, 1995
• Shadowfist Player’s Guide (contributor), Daedalus Entertainment, 1996

Computer Games

• King of Dragon Pass (writing/design), release TBA; see http://a-sharp.com/opal/
• Magic: The Gathering Battlemage (additional dialogue) Acclaim Entertainment, Spring 1997

Roleplaying Sourcebooks and Supplements

• The Weather the Cuckoo Likes, Over the Edge, Atlas Games, 1994
• Infected, Earthdawn, FASA, 1994
• Parlainth: The Forgotten City, Earthdawn, FASA, 1994
• Nexus Life, Nexus: The Infinite City, Daedalus Games, 1995
• Throal: the Dwarf Kingdom, Earthdawn, FASA, 1996
• Ways and Means, Underground, Mayfair Games, 1995
• GURPS Fantasy II, GURPS, Steve Jackson Games, 1992
• Unauthorized Broadcast, Over the Edge, Atlas, 1993
• Sub-Men Rising, Talislanta, Wizards of the Coast, 1995
• Stranger Than Truth (developer, contributor), Pandemonium, Atlas Games, 1994
• Wildest Dreams (development, contributor), Over the Edge, Atlas Games, 1993
• “Dead Man’s Hand”, in Parlainth Adventures, Earthdawn, FASA, 1994
• “Revelations on the True Nature of Orks” in Denizens of Earthdawn Vol. 2,
• Earthdawn, FASA, 1994
• Friend or Foe (contributor), Over the Edge, Atlas Games, 1994
• Adept’s Way (contributor), Earthdawn, FASA, 1995
• Horrors (contributor), Earthdawn, FASA, 1995
• Blades (contributor), Earthdawn, FASA, 1995
• “Bliss of Death” and “Doppleganger Plague” in Myth of Self, Over the Edge, Atlas Games, 1996
• Prelude to War (contributor), Earthdawn, FASA, 1996
• The Theran Empire, Earthdawn, FASA, 1997
• The Great Maze, Deadlands, Pinnacle Entertainment, 1997
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Roleplaying Game (contributor), Last Unicorn Games, 1998
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Roleplaying Game (contributor), Last Unicorn Games, coming soon
• Star Trek Roleplaying Game (contributor), Last Unicorn Games, coming soon
• Player’s Companion (contributor), ST:TNG, Last Unicorn Games, coming soon
• Pirates, Renegades and Rogues (contributor), ST:DS9, Last Unicorn Games, coming soon
• Iron and Ash: Cardassian Boxed Set (contributor), ST:DS9, Last Unicorn Games, coming soon
• Through A Glass Darkly: The Mirror Universe Sourcebook,(contributor), Star Trek, Last Unicorn Games, coming soon
• Doomstones 5: Wars and Death (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay), Hogshead Publishing, coming soon
• “Escape to Level M” in End Time: Glimpses, Pagan Publishing, release TBA

GG: Dang, is that a boat load of games! Robin, what is your favorite book outside of gaming?

Laws: If you mean novel, _The Red and the Black_ by Stendhal.
If you mean anything ever published in book form, it’d
be Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

GG: How about a favorite book INSIDE of gaming?

Laws: The only piece of gaming fiction I’ve ever read all the
way through is my own novel, Pierced Heart.

GG: What’s your favorite RPG?

Laws: HERO WARS, the upcoming Glorantha game I designed
for Issaries, Inc. Followed by everything else
I’ve ever worked on, in the reverse order in
which I worked on it.

My favorite game that I’ve never worked on would
be CALL OF CTHULHU.

GG: How did you get into the gaming business?

Laws: I got involved with an APA called Alarums and
Excursions, and wrote about the games I was running
as well as various and sundry other RPG topics.
Among the A&E contributors I started corresponding
with was Jonathan Tweet, at that time just launching
the Ars Magica game with co-creator Mark Rein*Hagen.

A few years later, Jonathan, inspired by an A&E
article I wrote on adapting William S. Burroughs
to roleplaying, sent me notes on a campaign he
was running. I sent him background material to
use if he wanted. The campaign became OVER THE
EDGE, and stuff I sent him appeared in that
game close to verbatim.

Meanwhile, Steve Jackson invited me to write
a GURPS book based on the weird-fantasy game
I was writing. And before I knew it I was
getting lots of offers and working full-time.

(Check out http://www.starport.com/xeno/aande.html if you’re not sure what an APA is.)

GG: I had the pleasure of meeting you last year at one of the gaming
conventions–I think it was GenCon–and I noticed two things: You are a
humble guy, and you wore a Hawaiian shirt. I hear you wear them a lot. Is
this true?

Laws: I do like to wear colorful shirts — though only a couple of them
are Hawaiian, strictly speaking. Though now they’re really hip
and I may have to come up with a new distinguishing sartorial
feature.

GG: Tell our readers the origin story of the soon to be re-released FENG
SHUI–one of the best cinematic RPGs hands down. How did you create such an
interesting game?

Laws: I’ve been a fan of Hong Kong action movies since
seeing A BETTER TOMORROW at the 1987 Toronto
International Film Festival. By 1993, as I
got more involved in the game industry, the
genre seemed a natural for translation into
an RPG. At the same time, mainstream interest
in HK movies was beginning to bubble up. Now
we have Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chow-Yun Fat
and Michelle Yeoh all appearing in Hollywood
movies, with John Woo and others directing
mega-blockbusters. So I guess my timing was
right.

Anyhow, I pitched the idea for the RPG to
Jose Garcia of Daedalus Games, then preparing
its NEXUS: THE INFINITE CITY game. Jose
agreed to publish the game and later decided
to base a collectible card game, SHADOWFIST,
based on the same setting. The card game came
out before the RPG, even though the roleplaying
game was the original treatment of the idea.

GG: And then there was a dark moment in Feng Shui’s “life”. But thanks to Atlas
Games, we have a new beginning! What can we expect in the future for Feng
Shui?

Laws: The new book is back from the printers and seems to
be getting really good initial orders. It should
ship on Monday and be ready for GenCon, knock wood.

Greg Stolze is acting as line developer for the game.
The first Atlas supplement is his SEEDS OF THE NEW
FLESH, the Architects sourcebook. It’s due out in the
fall.

Nothing else has been announced yet.

GG: Favorite snack food at 12 am?

Laws: Bits and Bites.

GG: What do you think of the gaming industry right now? If you had the power,
would there be anything you would change?

Laws: The industry is on an upswing after suffering severe damage
to the distributor and retailer tiers due to the boom-bust
cycle of the CCG craze. Let’s hope we don’t get nailed
by a similar boom-bust on Pokemon.

If I could change something, I’d make the audience bigger.
That’s the only way to improve the industry’s many
systemic problems. WotC will actually succeed in doing
this if it successfully rolls out a credible, national
retail chain.

GG: OK, it’s Celebrity Deathmatch Time! We’ve got Steve Jackson, Matt Forbeck,
and Steve Long are fighting for control of the Feng Shui site! Who would
win, and how do they pull it off?

Laws: I am sure they would all work together to capture the
Feng Shui site in the name of truth, justice, and
hamburgers with the works. They would use their
special fu powers against the Architects of the Flesh
currently infesting the site. Steve J. would employ
The Walk of a Thousand Exclamation Points; Matt would
whip out his Cloud of Gentlemanly Poise, while Steve
“Writes” Long would dazzle them with his Path of the
Astounding Word Count.

GG: Hm. That sure does sound like them, all right. Here’s a question from a Feng Shui fan. Shane Mitrovic of St.. Catharines,
Ontario asks: “Feng Shui is said to be a ground breaking game. What was the
one thing driving its creation for you?”

Laws: I wanted to recreate the wild and woolly feel
of the source material, while also creating a
fun, distinctive world that could be spun
off into other media.

GG: Sounds sweet, but I’m sure the ladies out there would like to know this one:
Boxers or Briefs?

Laws: Boxers.

GG: Finally, what advice would you give to our gaming youth who wish to make it
in the gaming industry?

Laws: Read widely — not just game stuff, or fantasy/SF, or
even fiction. Write anything you get the chance
to write — articles for the school newspaper,
ad copy for local businesses, anything. Learn self-discipline.
Learn the basic principles of professionalism. Go to
conventions; politely ask people like me for advice.
Understand that you’ll start out by working on supplements for
existing games, not publishing the AD&D variant rules
you and your friends have been polishing for the last
decade. Make contacts. Adjust your lifestyle to the
low pay rate of the creative professional. If you want
to make a lot of money, become a computer programmer or
lawyer instead of a professional in the hobby games
industry. (I do this full time, but I’m one of a very
small number of freelancers who have done so successfully
for any significant period of time.)

Once you start getting gigs: make deadlines, meet
the specifications your clients give you, be talented,
be pleasant to work with, and continue to network.

GG: Thanks for your time, Robin, and good luck with FENG SHUI!

Laws: Take care!