Passion alone may not guarantee success in the games business, but it sure doesn’t hurt. Tom Reeves of Peregrine Games has plenty of enthusiasm and a good-natured sense of humor as well.
Jason (Gamesizing): Which came first? Did you create Prince of Chaos then decided to build a company around it? Or did you know you wanted to run a game company then came up with your product? Give us some background on how everything started.
Tom (Peregrine Games): I began working on Prince of Chaos as a hobby (spelled o.b.s.e.s.s.i.o.n.) several years ago. As it evolved, my Idea Genie kept supplying me with other concepts for games, each jockeying for position to be the first produced. (I realize some people may find it strange that I get my creative ideas from an invisible genie that lives under my pillow and WON”T LET ME SLEEP, but that’s how it works with me. All my best ideas seem to be insomnia induced.) But having all these concepts was a bit like trying to choose between my favorite lunch, dinner and dessert (I skip breakfast) – I love them all for different reasons but I had to choose just one to start with. PoC is definitely the most involved and intricate of the bunch. After months of research into how the four primary weapon systems of ancient warfare (Light Infantry, Light Cavalry, Heavy Infantry, Heavy Cavalry) supported and fought each other, I began what seemed like an endless cycle of prototyping, playtesting and tweaking, all of which kept my obnoxious Idea Genie (I.G. for short – pronounced Iggy.) very happy and busy, but left room for little else. My wife, who lives on a far distant planet called Earth, just shook her head and did what any woman does when her husband flips out and quits his day job to pursue an obsession – she supported me. Go figure. (I never said she was completely sane – just beautiful and wonderful.) It became clear to me that PoC was demanding to be first, even though its target audience isn’t nearly as large as some of the other games I have in mind. So, for better or worse, PoC is my firstborn. But because of the other game concepts supplied by dear impetuous I.G., I decided to start my own company.
Jason: I have to say that I admire your obsessive drive. I’m sure it comes in handy in dealing with those pesky obstacles that inevitably come up!
Can you talk about how you decided on the dark fantasy theme? What were some of the influences that served as inspiration in this area?
Tom: The main impetus for creating a dark fantasy wargame was to eliminate the “good guy vs. bad guy” mentality. So many games – fantasy or otherwise – have players assume either the forces of good or evil, and battles can assume an almost scripted feel. If the good guys win, the script makes sense. But when the bad guys win, well that’s not how it’s supposed to be at all! And sometimes how you view the side you are playing can alter your decisions along the way. PoC offers an even, unscripted playing field for all. Every Prince is a “bad guy” in the sense that they are Chaos born and their sole ambition is to become the dominant ruler, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals. Players are free to forge and break alliances at will, kick the guy who is down, or do whatever it takes to get ahead. And a brief look at ancient history reveals this to be a much more accurate portrait of warfare and human nature. Who were the good guys in the Peloponnesian wars, the Athenians or the Spartans? The answer is, it depends on where you were born at the time. So freeing players to assume the role of a selfish, singularly motivated commander was the main driving force. The other was because hey, dark fantasy is way cool! Deathwyrms, Bloodmares and Flying Terrors are far more fun to me than tripping over hobbits, wood elves and unicorns all the time. I mean, when was the last time you uttered, “Eeek, it’s a fairy! Retreeeeat!”?
Jason: Sounds like you were really cognizant of making a different type of game. Are there other attributes you feel differentiates your game from others on the marketplace?
Tom: Absolutely. One of the challenges early on was how to provide a level of unit customization that was extremely detailed and yet still accessible. The traditional style of putting as much information on each token as would fit wasn’t going to work for us because we wanted to address so many details without compromising due to space limitations. For example, what happens to a unit’s Movement, Shock Attack, Missile Attack, Shock Defense, Missile Defense, or Spell Resistance as the unit becomes Fatigued, Damaged, gains in Rank, changes Formation, becomes enchanted or cursed, etc? So many factors can come into play that alter a unit’s statistics that trying to print all these possibilities onto one token would require players to purchase an electron microscope. To solve this problem, we came up with the notion of Prince Handbooks that list all the custom details for each unit type specific to the Prince who commands them. And while there is a lot of information regarding each unit, the Handbooks break things down into very easy to reference sections. Highly detailed Record Sheets customized for each Prince are used in conjunction with the Handbooks to quickly answer such questions as how many Movement Points a Tired Elite Heavy Cavalry unit in Loose Formation with a Speed enchantment has, as well as its uniquely specified Movement Cost through a Forest. While this may sound complicated, it can be calculated in seconds! Anybody that enjoys playing D&D, Starfleet Battles, ASL, etc., who appreciates a rich, robust, meticulously detailed game should appreciate Prince of Chaos. Beyond unit customization, we offer a modular game board that offers almost infinite replayability, a card driven battle system that requires strategy and planning ahead versus placing your fate on the roll of the dice, unique Events, Exploration, Resource Management, and most importantly – just a darn good time! (Even better if you win!)
Jason: Ah, one of the more challenging aspects of game design: having game depth without being too complicated!
Who were some of the other contributors to Prince of Chaos, both in terms of design and playtesting?
Tom: I owe my deepest gratitude to a young man by the name of Max Dalton for his myriad contributions to fine tuning the rules, his endless hours of playtesting, and yes, even for beating me at my own game. Ned Gilardino, teacher extraordinaire, offered valuable insights into improving the pace of the game and has been extremely supportive in every aspect, including the use of his high-end digital camera. Greg Stanley, a friend I’ve known since my high school days, was able to find the time to play a wargame and offer his valuable criticism. Luck plays less of a factor now due to his colossal ability to pick all the wrong cards. Anthony Reeves, my brother, drove from Utah just to play and ultimately proved the bow can indeed be mightier than the sword when used effectively. I thank the Sky Vista Middle School geniuses who ate pizza, drank pop, and played the prototype all afternoon and ultimately wanted more! Theirs was the game that inspired the concurrent turn sequence, which sped up play and keeps everyone involved (as opposed to the more common IGOUGO system originally implemented). There are several others who offered great advice along the way as well, but I won’t list everybody here. I would like to give a special acknowledgment to my Mother however; her experience as a professional typesetter, graphic artist and editor were invaluable to the final product. Ann-Cathrine Loo developed much of the artwork seen on the tokens and Handbooks, while the inventive team at MassiveBrain created the artwork for the box cover and final terrain. And finally I thank my lovely wife Mary who may not always get why I do what I do, but stands beside me nonetheless. A game of this magnitude is definitely a team effort and I couldn’t have done it without the fantastic help and support of those mentioned here.
Jason: That’s quite a team! Now that your game is published, who do you have helping you run Peregrine Games?
Tom: There are many positions and job titles held at Peregrine Games. I, Tom Reeves, am the President. Vice President of Sales and Marketing is Tom Reeves. The CFO is Tom Reeves (an admittedly strange fellow). Manager in charge of Web Design and Content Maintenance is Tom Reeves. New Design, Tom Reeves. Office Manager, Tom Reeves. Bookkeeper, Tom Reeves. Customer Relations, Tom Reeves. Guy who works evenings and weekends for no pay and could really, really use a vacation, Tom Reeves. Now just between you and me, not all of these guys are the best a what they do, but until we expand, I can’t really replace any of them as they all work for peanuts! (The Fools!)
Jason: I’m sure you’re busier than ever with your game launched! What plans do you have to promote and market your game to your target audience?
Tom: Ah, marketing. If there is one position I could replace tomorrow with someone more experienced, it would be my VP of Marketing. (He seems like a nice enough guy, but between you and me he’s learning as he goes.) Our website is the main portal to learning about the game, but the trick is getting our target market to find it. I’ve done some online advertising and had some success there. I’ll be looking into specific trade mags and test a print ad or two soon. Lawrence Spode of Bookshelf Games has done a fantastic summary video review of PoC which I think people will find helpful and informative. And then there’s always good old fashioned pounding the pavement. I’m not much of a salesman, but the game demo’s well enough that three local retailers have supported me so far, and I hope to get it in front of others soon. I tried attending a local convention, but wasn’t able to sign up early enough to get into the exhibitors’ area which is where I think people are more receptive to seeing what’s new. But I know I’m not the first self published designer to tackle these hurdles, they’re just new to me. Ask me again in a year or so and I’m sure I’ll be able to provide you with a long list of all the things not to do!
Jason: You’ve mentioned some of the challenges involving marketing. Talk about the biggest obstacles you’ve faced so far.
Tom: In the design phase, the biggest obstacle was how much detail to include in what was shaping up to be a fairly complex game. The goal was to develop a wargame that faithfully simulated the dynamics of ancient warfare and craft this in a fantasy universe where magic and unique creatures would come alive. Ultimately, I decided I would be happier developing the game without compromising the details and rich components which gives PoC its unique flavor as opposed to constructing false limitations and artificial game mechanics which might hasten play but sacrifice the integrity of my vision. This may knock PoC out of the realm of casual gamers, but I hope to develop a loyal following of players who appreciate games with abundant depth and replayability. Another obstacle early on was finding a diverse group of playtesters. I eventually found the people I needed by tapping the “friends of friends” network, but it took quite awhile. I even posted notices on the bulletin board at a local hobby retail store, though this met with only limited success. In the end I got what I needed, but it was a challenge. Every step in the process of bringing a board game to life presents you with obstacles. The only way to overcome these hurdles is to persevere and believe that what you are trying to bring to market is something unique and challenging and a game others will truly enjoy playing.
Jason: I like your conviction! What’s up next in your plan of attack?
Tom: Well, one of the things that surprised me a bit was the demand to see the rules posted online. When I first invented PoC, I imagined people reading the rules and referencing the detailed Handbooks and Record Sheets together. Without the other two components, the rules by themselves can be a bit confusing – kind of like trying to figure out Dungeons & Dragons with just the Dungeon Master’s guide and not having the Player’s Handbook or Monster Manual to reference. So I am combining the rules that come with the game along with various graphics from the Handbooks and Record Sheets that will allow readers to see how these components all work together. In addition, I’m including some of the rule addendum, new variants and player suggestions that have developed since the game first went into production, which will enhance the player experience even more. (Right now these changes are available as a free download once you purchase the game). PoC is a complex system that I can see evolving over time as the community grows. Eventually I’d like to offer expansion sets, and I even have plans for other games that would take place in the PoC universe. But like Bill Murray learned in the movie “What about Bob?” – It’s all about baby steps!
Jason: There’s not doubt that you’ve spent an enormous amount of time and energy to get to this point. What would you say is the most rewarding aspect so far? How about the most unexpected?
Tom: The most rewarding aspect so far has been each and every sale. It’s not the money that excites me (although to be honest, it doesn’t hurt my feelings either), but knowing that someone I’ve never met will be cracking open the box for the first time, examining each component, reading through the rules and handbooks, and setting up to play their first battle over the mythical lands of Tae Orn (pronounced Tay as in hay, and Orn as in horn – drop the h.) And for those hours while they play with their friends, it’s like they are truly playing inside my imagination. As for the most unexpected experience so far, I’d have to say that goes to one of my very first customers. He requested that I autograph the box lid, which was awkward and weird for me, but okay, I did it. Then I hear through his wife that he’s enshrined the game in a protectively sealed box and wants to keep it in mint condition like some kind of limited run comic book that might be worth something someday! I was shocked and flattered, but ultimately told his wife to tell him to not be silly and just play the darn thing! I hear he wants to order another copy to play, but will keep his first signed copy safely stored away in his bizarre time capsule. Go figure.
Jason: That’s great — having experiences like those must really make all your hard work worthwhile. Thanks again for spending the time to do this interview.
