Intro: Will Nesbitt took time out of his schedule to talk to me about Ral Partha Publishing's new game called BattleStorm late last year. This was the first interview that was partly done in real time via ICQ. It was an interesting experience. Will and I have talked quite a few times after this interview. He told me that BattleStorm is doing well, and wants everyone to buy it! Interview Questions: () - denote my comments or questions/clarifactions to interviewee ;-) > Q. What is your job at Ral Partha Publishing? I've written and developed the Fables Gamesystem. Battlestorm is the first volume of Fables. As the "visionary" I sort get to pretend to be the director, allowing the artists, sculptors and painters enough latitude to be creative, while keeping them focused on Lharna (our gameworld). > Q. How long have you worked for Ral Partha Publishing? About 5 years. > Q. How did you end up working for Ral Partha Publishing? Pretty simple. I started it. > Q. What is your background in the Gaming industry? Other than a few articles and adventures this is my first foray into the gaming industry. Previously I was a DJ and a writer in other fields. However, I have always been an amatuer gamer. I discovered D&D not long after reading Lord of the Rings and I was hooked. Gary Gygax and J.R.R. Tolkien are definitely my two greatest influences. Lately I've been in a shell, consumed with getting this project right. > Q. Do you have had past projects in print? If so, what are the titles and what company published them? It's been years since I've been published in the gaming industry. Actually I was in on the ground floor of a (now well-known) game company. I got burned by them financially, and I left the gaming industry to pursue other writing projects. Although I still gamed regularly, I didn't go into a game store in several years. One day I wandered into a gamestore and was stunned to see that old project I had fooled around with had grown into a large company. It was vertigo inducing as I recognized the names in the credits. Then and there I made up my mind to pursue the ideas that had been kicked around in my home-brewed campaigns for years. > Q. How has the Internet effected you and the game systems you are working on? The internet is crucial to communication between the creatives involved in this project. Without it, it would be impossible for RPP to function. > Q. Do you feel that the Internet will play a part in the development of your future gaming projects? If so, how? Anyone who wants to be involved with RPP's future and the development of the Lharna gameworld has a much higher chance if they are on the internet. Things happen way too fast to wait for mail. Stormriders (who demo games for product), miniature painters and especially writers need to be in close contact with us and the only way to do that effectively is through the internet. > Q. Ral Partha publishes RPGs? I thought Ral Partha only made miniature figures? > Q. What type of relationship does Ral Partha Publishing have to Ral Partha? And how did this come about? RPP is a subsidiary of RP. Our mission is to develop games to support the wonderful portfolio of miniatures that RP has created down through the years. RPP was created so that RP could compete with GW again. The guys at RP have tried putting out games in the past, but the market seemed to suggest that the RP gang was great at making miniatures, but less skilled at making games. Instead of taking guys who were excellent at making miniatures away from what they do best, it seemed to make more sense to let the sculptors and casters and mold-makers continue to do what they have always done well. RPP was created to focus on gaming and leave the science and art of miniature manufacturing to RP. RPP has been operating in stealth for quite sometime. We felt it was best not to warn the competition until we were ready to hit them with the products. We are completely dedicated to bringing the highest quality product to the customer. > Q. What's the difference between Battlestorm and Bloodstorm? And how does Fables Gamesystem fit into all of this? Hmmm..... well, we didn't run our trademark search until the last minute. Evidently, someone had registered the name Bloodstorm to sell POGs. We'd prefer to just pretend the name always was Battlestorm. Battlestorm is actually a bit more accurate as well. We're pretty happy with the new name. Battlestorm is Volume I of the Fables Gamesystem. Volume II is magic, psi, witchcraft, thaumaturgy, skill and powerful heros. Volume III shows you how to create characters and role-play. It's all completely interchangeable and one system. > Q. Can you go into some details about the new RPG system Fables? Characters in Fables can learn any skill do anything. However, they do pick vocations and the vocation you select determines the ease with which you learn certain skills. Fables is set in Lharna. What if a number of humans from the Age of Faith were suddenly transported to a new and dangerous world? Leaving being a medieval Earth, where plagues, social upheaval and war, had caused a near breakdown in civilization, they find themselves in a world where the line between Hindu and Christian, Norman and Zulu, Mongol and Cherokee is suddenly blurred by the need to band together in a hostile world. Lharna is a world where elves have long guarded the secrets of Nature, but now they must deal with a new and vigorous threat: the pioneering spirit of humanity. Meanwhile, a gang of thugs with maniacal dreams of world domination has stormed to power in the dwarven nation. Led by a demented dictator whose dream is total subjugation of all non-dwarves, the dwarven nation is on the march on all fronts. At the same time, restless dead threaten to overrun all of reality if a stand is not made here. Trolls, who remember the days when giants and titans ruled the lands, are on the march, hoping to regain that which was at one time theirs. These and other terrible threats loom on the horizon, but orcs do not sit idly by. The heart of a warrior beats in the orc breast. Orcs are another bag thrown in the unsteady dyke protecting that which is good from the wildfire of pestilence and misery that threaten to sweep across the Firmament. All the while goblin traders profit from the upheaval trading with either side. Barbarians who care not a wit for the eternal struggle harry goblin caravans savagely. > Q. Is Bloodstorm really a RPG or is it rules for miniatures? Battlestorm is a miniature battle game. However, the combat system is the exact same one used for Incredible Adventures---Fables RPG. The idea is first you learn how combat works. Then you learn spells and so forth, and then you learn to create your own character and world. > Q. Does Ral Partha Publishing have a WWW page(s)? What is the address? Yep. Thanks. > Q. Does Ral Partha Publishing plan to support the Fables Gamesystem on its WWW page(s)? If so how? Firstly we have plans for an e-zine which will publish scenarios, updates and keep our family of gamers involved and informed. We want to work with the public to create something new. We aren't interested in cramming our ideas down the gamers throats. If you want to be creative and do something new and original this is the place to be. The only limitation is ... we have to pace things for the sculptors, who must keep up with our wild delusions. > Q. What other supplements do you have planned in the Fables Gamesystem product line? By GenCon or sooner (depending upon how well we are received) we'd like to have volume II out. There are some pretty innovative ideas about magic, thaumaturgy and witchcraft in this book as well as cool PSI powers and neat pseudoscience (phrenology, ovoscopy, etc.). But most of all I'm proud of the Martial skills and other cool skills. These are like "spells for fighters". In most RPGs and miniatures games, a fighter in combat has a lot of choices ... he can either swing or not swing. Well, we tried to address this by giving the warriors and everyone else interesting skills that leave room for players do to what they seem to do best ... imagine. > Q. From what I read, Ral Partha will be supporting the Fables Gamesystem with miniature rules and miniatures. Is this correct? Yep. Check out the Fantasy Army collection. Expect many of these to be issued on a Battlestorm blister card. > Q. What has been the distibutor reaction to Battlestorm? A. Very positive. They are very excited ... Greenfield is gung ho ... Chessex is supportive...the Armory is fanatical. Greefield and RP owners have a personal relationship. Chessex (like all distributors) would like to stab GW. The Armory is hyped because Battlestorm uses d30's. We need to sell at least 3500 copies in the first few weeks to put ourselves in good shape. If that happens ... expect some big things over here. > Q. So, you guys are aiming to move in on GW's market. Interesting. I hope you can get though to ppl like my nephew that lives and breaths WHF/WH40k. How are you going to attract ppl like that? That are very much into WH/WH40k and don't have a lot of money to spend? A. Quite simply (and I hope you quote this) If you are happy with everything GW does .... if you drink their Kool-Aid (as Jim Jones would say) ... if you think GW is the alpha and the omega ... there is nothing we can do for you. On the other hand if you are fed up with being gouged for miniatures and if you want to see a gameworld that is different ... new and exciting ... AND if you want to be a part of that new universe ...RP is the place to be. > Q. So I assume you will be looking to work with local shops and the like to help demo the game and win some ppl over? A. we are establishing a network of Stormriders who will demo games in exchange for discounts and freebies ... GET PAID TO PLAY...it's an exciting time to become a part of that. Stormriders are numbered in the dozens now, and not the thousands. I'll also hit as many conventions and gamestores as time will permit/allow. > Q. Nods.. Sounds like a good plan. How long after Battlestorm comes out will you know if you have been successful? GW has a very solid customer base and well loyal fans. Don't you think it will take awhile to gain ground in this market? A. GW has quite a few loyal fans...GW also has quite a few disaffected fans...there are also those who are with GW because there has been no alternative until now. How soon until we know if this will fly? I don't know ... I'm really nervous and very excited. I feel that we have an excellent product ... but I know many folks won't switch just because they've invested too much in GW already. We need the youngbloods, the old timers ... everyone. > Q. Ok given that.. You have mentioned the promos, Stormriders, doing cons, and the like. What else you have planned to get the word out about Battlestorm? Another issue will be supplements, can we expect to see supplements right on the heels of the release of Battlestorm? A. We have ads in several industry magazines (geared towards business owners) as well as the obvious: Dragon, Shadis, etc. We have suppliments that are ready to go...but cash is tight and we can't let these birds fly until the Spruce Goose actually get's its big belly out of the water. Thanks, Will for your time!