Interview with Ben McFarland part 1

Illustration by Jonathan Roberts

Welcome to the first part of our interview with the ENnie award winning game designer Ben Mcfarland as we discuss his latest project Breaking of Fostor Nagar.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself

What would you like to know? I'm a long term gamer, I started back with basic D&D and the Erol Otis covers, when I probably shouldn't have been playing or really even knowing I was doing more than playing make-believe. But it stuck, and I've been going ever since. I love to read through systems and source material, I can't get enough. I was in the military for a while. I lived on a desert island for a while. I fence, brew beer, and cook Chinese food-- although I do none of those things as much as I would like anymore. I'm a busy father of two and I do boring boring computer work for a day gig.

2. What attracted you as a designer to Breaking of Fostor Nagar?

What wouldn't attract you to this kind of project? I love razor's edge adventures, where there's a time element combined with difficult choices and bloodthirsty combat. I think that when characters need to consider the moral and tactical consequences, when you've got that kind of opportunity to evoke emotion, you don't turn it down.

3. Why do you think patronage projects are expanding?

Patron projects are expanding because they provide several things. A patron project means a regular source of new content to read and enjoy over the project life. It means a chance to contribute and see your ideas forged into something a wider audience will play and enjoy. It means the opportunity to improve your design skills with nearly immediate feedback from a large group of people who are familiar with the game. All of those things are gold, in my opinion.

4. Could you please sum up "Breaking of Fostor Nagar" in a sentence or three?

A high tension race through a collapsing ice-carved city filled with ravenous cannibals, desperate refugees, and panicked defenders. Full of hard choices, hard fought battles, and gorgeous views that would probably be a lot more enjoyable if people weren't trying to kill your characters or thwart your mission.

5. Could you please sum up your design philosophy for this project ?

Dedication. Discussion. Feedback. I love feedback, but I do realize you can't please everyone. I have an image for the arc in my head, but it's not etched in stone. I want to tap into that fantastic creativity that comes with a patronage project and make that mental image spring to inspirational life.

6. How did you feel, when you discovered someone has signed up for the Patronage Project? For the Senior Patronage?

Totally flattered and really excited! It's really fantastic to find out that someone's ready to jump into this with me and rock this out!

7. Could you list some of your major influences in your initial thoughts on Breaking of Fostor Nagar?

Wow... Hmmm, well, there's old school movie _Fire and Ice_ tinged with _Return of the King_, there's _Tears of the Sun_ and a few episodes of _Band of Brothers_. There's a lot of looking at architecture in ancient India, and a recent return to reading _Beowulf_.

8. What are the strengths of BoFN being compatible with the Pathfinder RolePlaying Game ?

By being Pathfinder compatible, you've got access to OGL tables, you've got the whole range of folks new to gaming through Pathfinder Society, and the folks that have been working on it since Alpha. I like the system and I think the robust nature of the system is going to let us create a lot of entertaining locations to interact with and explore.

9. Can you tell me about your experience so far of working with Rite Publishing Vs. Other publishers you have worked with?

Rite Publishing has been great to work with on this project as we started brainstorming and considering options. This is the first time I've gotten to work on a project from the first glimmer of an idea to its post for patronage, and so I don't have a lot of basis to draw from. The communication has been frequent and straightforward, and as a writer, I couldn't ask for better than that!

10. Can you tell me how you felt when you first saw the maps created by Jonathan Roberts, for this project?

Jealous? :D They're gorgeous, they're obsessively beautifully detailed, they put me on my toes and tell me, "You damn well better write your ass off because we're not meant for anything less!"

More next time as we continue our disscussion with Ben McFarland about the Breaking of Fostor Nagar!