1) How did you get your foot in the door in the gaming industry- Well, it was not easy. We made a bunch of mistakes along the way, including a game called GruntBuggler!. The effort itself was not bad, it was the business follow through that was poor. We did not know what we were doing as far as printing and marketing were concerned. We had no contacts in the distribution world and no "concept" of "industry guidelines". So, we spent a lot of time and money pushing a product that was not professionally engineered. Forge: Out of Chaos was our second attempt, and a far better effort. I left my day job and entered the world of the entrepreneur. I made Basement Games my work: established the industry contacts, learned the industry, and was able to make better decisions concerning printing, marketing, advertising, etc. It has been a successful endeavor and something that has made all the designers and writers proud. 2) Were there certain systems that inspired or influenced you? The creators of Forge have been gaming for over 16 years and have played a variety of systems. As time went by we found ourselves altering rules and concepts to fit our own designs. Was there one system that inspired us above all others, I would have to say no. But, we were intrigued with the fantasy-based cultures of magic, monsters, and dragons. That genre inspired us to make the World of Juravia and the FRPG, Forge: Out of Chaos. 3) What are some of the future plans for Basement Games? Basement Games is striving to become the first "consumer oriented" game company in the industry. We are not about making "cookie cutter" games that fit the "game of the month" attitude. We want to support our consumers with free material, helpful hints, source mate'rial, and other supplemental aids. In March 1999 we are implementing a Gaming Club that will grant a variety of benefits to our members, support Forge: Out of Chaos, and help garners develop their campaigns, regardless of the systems they play. It is our goal to become a hot spot for gaming ideas and influences. 4) What advice would you have for those trying to get their own systems or supplements sold or published? Take it slow. Learn the ins and outs of the gaming industry before jumping in feet first. There are a lot of people out there that will sit down and help you along the way. Listen to their advice and use it to mold your own opinions. There are a variety of options available to you. The best advice is to sit down, consider all the avenues, and make the best decision for you, your game, and your dreams. 5) What general developments in the gaming industry have you liked or disliked? What changes or improvements would you like to see in the future? Over time I have grown to dislike the cc greed" that seems to have consumed the gaming industry. It seems that a lot of the large companies have moved away from creating 4C enjoyable" supplements and instead "mass produce" material to make a higher profit. This disregard for the consumer forced me away from traditional venues and made me want to create a new attitude for the gaming hobby. After all, we are creating games to entertain people. Everything else is second. 6) Have you ever kissed a girl? Does my girlfriend count? Back to Masters of Role Playing #7 Table of Contents Back to Masters of Role Playing List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Chalice Publications. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com