[BNW] Pyramid Interview Matt Forbeck

["Olivier, Jason" <Jason.Olivier@LibertyMutual.com>]

Here is the interview with Matt...Enjoy..


>  Pyramid Interview: Matt Forbeck
> <http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/gifbin/99/mattinterview.jpg>
> 
> by Les Simpson
> 
>  Pyramid Interview: Matt Forbeck
> <http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/gifbin/99/mattforbeck.jpg> Brave New World
> is a roleplaying game about people with superpowers. These people are
> collectively known as deltas, and the game revolves around their struggles
> in a modern-day fascist America. The entire country has been under martial
> law since Jackie Kennedy was assassinated by rogue deltas in Dallas back
> in 1963. Now all deltas must register themselves as lethal weapons and
> constantly report their movements. Players' heroes are members of the
> Defiance Movement, the loosely organized delta resistance that is fighting
> to restore the country's democratic promise of liberty and justice for
> all. 
> 
> Pyramid recently had a chance to chat with Matt Forbeck, the man behind
> Brave New World, and get his thoughts on his creation and an idea of where
> it will go next. 
> 
> Pyramid: First off, Matt, let's talk a little bit about you. You're Brave
> New World's creator, but what else should we know about you? 
> 
> Matt Forbeck: Brave New World is hardly my first game. I've been working
> creatively in the adventure game industry for over 10 years now. The game
> lines I've worked on include Deadlands: The Weird West, Deadlands: Hell on
> Earth, the WildStorms CCG, Silent Death: The Next Millennium, Mutant
> Chronicles, Doomtrooper, the Kult CCG, Doomtown, The Great Rail Wars,
> Warzone, Blood Bowl, AD&D, Middle-earth Roleplaying, Chill, and Space
> Hulk. I've also written short stories for Deadlands: The Weird West,
> Vampire, Changeling, Shatterzone, TORG, and Mutant Chronicles. 
> 
> I spent the last four years as the president of Pinnacle Entertainment
> Group, which originally published Brave New World. I've since left the
> company and sold Brave New World to my good friends at AEG, the publishers
> of 7th Sea, Clan War, and the Legend of the Five Rings RPG. 
> 
> It was hard to leave Pinnacle, but it was the right thing to do. I find it
> a lot more fun to spend my days designing and writing games instead of
> helping to run a company. These days I'm writing all of the new Brave New
> World books, plus I'm doing a bit of freelance design and consulting on
> the side. 
> 
> I live in Wisconsin, where I work out of my house. The best part of this
> is that I get to spend a lot of time with my wife and our toddling son. 
> 
> Pyramid: And what about Brave New World itself? This certainly isn't the
> Aldous Huxley novel. In fact, the tag line I have seen is "Superhero
> Roleplaying in a Dark America." What, exactly, does that mean? 
> 
> Forbeck: First, it doesn't have anything to do with Huxley, which is one
> of the reasons I put my name on the cover of the book -- to help avoid
> confusion. The title actually comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest. It's a
> line from Miranda, the daughter of the wizard Prospero. She's been living
> on an island with her father and their servant her entire life, and when
> she sees a man from the outside world for the first time, she says, "O
> brave new world that has such people in't." I thought that made for a
> perfect title for a superhero game. 
> 
> The fact is that Brave New World isn't about superheroes in the way that
> most people think about them: four-color models in spandex stopping bank
> robberies and facing off against equally silly villains. It's really about
> a dark variant on the real world, and the heroes just happen to have some
> minor powers that set them apart from the herd -- in ways both good and
> bad. It makes them the target of some serious hostility while also giving
> them the power to do something about the state the world is in. 
> 
> Pyramid: The game is different from other superhero RPGs in ways other
> than its setting and back story, though. The tone is very gritty, where a
> gun is just as dangerous to most deltas as it is to your average Joe. Why
> realistic superheroes? 
> 
> Forbeck: Because they're the most fun. Seriously, Superman bores me to
> tears. Every issue, the writers have to come up with a brand-new, absurd
> means of challenging the most powerful person on the planet. After a while
> it gets ridiculous. 
> 
> What does heroism mean to someone who very likely can't be killed and
> actually risks very little to help others? When a real person risks life
> and limb to help someone else, that's heroic. The heroes in Brave New
> World are just a small step above a regular person, power-wise, and they
> take the same kinds of risks as we would. That makes the game that much
> more exciting and meaningful -- and fun. 
> 
> Pyramid: The whole Delta Registration Act, and many other concepts found
> in Brave New World, are clearly symbolic of real life issues, bringing
> another sense of realism to a fantastic setting. Would you like to comment
> on what issues in particular, if any, you were addressing? 
> 
> Forbeck: Obviously I'm making some comments on bigotry, but the larger
> issue in the game is this question: How far are we willing to go to feel
> safe from terrorism? What kinds of rights are you willing to give up? More
> importantly, when you think these rights are someone else's, how many of
> those are you willing to give up? 
> 
> In a world in which we have kids shooting kids in high schools, in which
> we have home-grown terrorists blowing up buildings, in which we have an
> armed lunatic actually storming into the Capitol building, how far are we
> willing to go to feel safe? Who are we willing to blame? And what really
> should we be doing about it? I don't claim to have the answers to these
> questions, but the game does raise the issues. 
> 
> Of course, that's all behind the scenes. Like any other game, it's all
> about having fun, and there's plenty of that to go around. 
> 
> Pyramid: Brave New World has another feature in its setting that makes it
> unique: religion. Mixed in with superpowers and dictatorships, it first
> seems like an odd element, but actually comes across very well. You
> portray religion, in the form of the Covenant, as an institution, capable
> of both good and evil. How hard is it to do justice to religion in a role
> playing game, especially one of this nature? 
> 
> Forbeck: I'm a lapsed Catholic who went through 11 years of Catholic
> school, so I've got some education in this area, and I've given it a lot
> of thought over the years. Religion actually has a lot to do with what's
> happening in Brave New World, much of which will become apparent in the
> Bargainers and Covenant books, both of which I believe are due out this
> year. 
> 
> I don't think it's hard to do religion justice in a game. It's a part of
> many people's lives across the world and especially in this country.
> Ignoring it would mean ignoring a large part of our culture. I'm still
> wrestling with some of the ways that the forces behind the religions work
> in Brave New World, although I'm pretty set on how the worshipers
> understand them. 
> 
> This actually all ties into the hidden backstory behind the game, most of
> which I'll reveal when we get to Crossroads, which is tentatively
> scheduled for 2001. 
> 
> Pyramid: I guess the only complaint I have heard about Brave New World is
> its template system for character creation, where you receive power
> packages instead of cherry picking your different super powers like in
> other games in the genre. Would you like to respond to those critics? 
> 
> Forbeck: Sure. My belief is that most of those critics are experienced
> roleplayers who were disappointed that they didn't have another game
> system to pick apart. Honestly, there are already lots of great systems
> that allow you to cherry pick your powers and develop the superhero from
> hell. I didn't want to cover that well-trodden ground. 
> 
> Brave New World was written so that beginning roleplayers could leap right
> in and start playing. Character creation is a snap, and it gives you fun,
> easy heroes that fit well into the world. If you, as a player, really want
> something else, I suggest taking your favorite game system and building
> your own hero with it. Then come on over and play in the Brave New World
> setting. 
> 
> Honestly, the only rule here is have fun. You're playing in the comfort of
> your own home, and I'm not going to come in there and tell you that you're
> doing it wrong. 
> 
> Pyramid: Okay, Matt, now that we've got a firm grip on what Brave New
> World is, let's talk where it is going in 2000. Is 2000 going to be a
> brave new year? 
> 
> Forbeck: Oh yeah. There will be six new Brave New World books in 2000,
> maybe seven since Defiants has slipped into the new year. 
> 
> The first, then, is Defiants, which is more on the rebellion against the
> oppressive American regime. After that is Delta Prime, which allows the
> players to become part of the American government that's fighting to put
> down the rebellion -- for the good of the nation, of course. Then it's
> Bargainers, which delves into a class of hero that has the ability to talk
> and make deals with demons. This might seem a bit of a tangent, but it
> actually fits nicely in with the unfolding backstory behind Brave New
> World. 
> 
> Next up is Crescent City, the main campaign setting for Brave New World.
> This is the city that grew up in the ruins around the crater where Chicago
> used to be. Then it's the special core book for the year, a monster of a
> book called Glory Days, which puts the heroes into WWII in the world of
> Brave New World. 
> 
> And much more after that, of course. 
> 
> Pyramid: A World War II superhero game? When I hear that, I have images of
> Captain America fighting the Red Skull. However, going by what has come
> before, I have a feeling this is going to be much more serious. Am I
> right? 
> 
> Forbeck: Oh yeah. I think of it more as a cross between Indiana Jones and
> Saving Private Ryan. There are some serious issues to work with here, but
> I don't think that needs to get in the way of the fun. There will be some
> cheesy costumes and the like, since this was a more idealistic age, but
> since it's a 21st-century game, there are going to have to be some modern
> sensibilities overlying it. I'm just starting some of the research on
> this. There's a lot to know! 
> 
> This is not a standalone game, however. It's a setting book which gives
> the players a whole new way to play the game. It just didn't seem to make
> much sense to include the whole ruleset again though, so we're going to
> leave that part out. It's also a standalone setting in the sense that no
> supplements for it are planned. If there's enough demand, we might do
> some, but at first we're going to simply concentrate on stuffing as much
> as we can into the book. 
> 
> Pyramid: You mentioned Crossroads a minute ago, a project that was alluded
> to in the Brave New World rulebook. That sounds like another spin off. Can
> you drop a few hints about it or is it still classified information? 
> 
> Forbeck: That's where I spill the beans on what's happening behind the
> scenes in Brave New World. It's likely going to be another setting book,
> like Glory Days. However, this is where we get into the alphas and how to
> create and play them. With a power-level jump like that, the challenges
> have to rise to meet the heroes, so you can expect to be playing on a
> whole different level. 
> 
> Pyramid: It sounds like you are going to be pretty busy, then. Has the
> switch from Pinnacle to Alderac yielded any significant changes for Brave
> New World? 
> 
> Forbeck: Not really. AEG was handling some of Pinnacle's business
> management duties before this new arrangement, so I was already good
> friends with the people at AEG. I'm still writing the books and handling
> the layout. The only real change is that the art direction is now in the
> capable hands of AEG's Jim Pinto. 
> 
> Unfortunately, the transition did cause some inevitable delays, so
> Defiants is now very late. As I write this, though, it's just getting off
> the press. Plus, Delta Prime is already in final production, and I'm
> working on Bargainers right now, so we're right back on schedule. With any
> luck, there shouldn't be any real delays in 2000. 
> 
> Pyramid: Alderac is trying for a new level of player interaction with 7th
> Sea, with different fan clubs, websites, contests and the like. Is
> anything of this nature planned for Brave New World? If it is, it would
> seem that the Delta Times website, www.deltatimes.com
> <http://www.deltatimes.com>, would be a perfect staging ground. 
> 
> Forbeck: It certainly would. We're having some conversations about that
> right now. It's really up to AEG to set this stuff up. They've done such a
> great job with 7th Sea, though, that I don't think it'll be long until you
> see a similar amount of support for Brave New World. 
> 
> Pyramid: How about other Brave New World products? Is a line of miniature
> figures still planned? Will there ever be a Brave New World collectible
> card game, novels, or comic books? 
> 
> Forbeck: I'd love to see all of these things. I believe AEG is still
> planning on a Brave New World miniatures line, and I've had some thoughts
> about a game for it someday. As for CCGs, novels, and comics, I'd love to
> do all of those -- and we very likely will -- but for right now I'm going
> to concentrate on getting the game back on track and making it the most
> fun it can be. 
> 
> Pyramid: Well, even without those additions, Brave New World has generated
> a devoted following. Is there anything you would like to add before we go?
> 
> 
> Forbeck: I'd like to thank all the players out there for picking up and
> playing Brave New World and -- most of all -- for being patient. There is
> a lot more Brave New World stuff on the way, and I know you're going to
> love it. 
> 
>