Unity RPG Q&A with Project Director Anson!

Q&A with the man behind the Unity Tabletop RPG

As you might know, last October I backed a Kickstarter to fund the development of a new tabletop role-playing game system called Unity being created by Zensara Studios.  As a writer and lover of high fantasy worlds, I asked the head of the project, Anson Tran, if he would like to answer some questions.  The following is the Q&A that follow, which was conducted via email.

Unity:  Four Factions.  One Destiny

Draconic Author:  So tell me about yourself. Who is Anson and what inspired you to create your own tabletop role-playing game?
Anson Tran: These questions are always hard. I’m a working professional in the IT industry who’s always had a love for stories and games. I was introduced to tabletop gaming a little over 13 years ago and I fell head over heels in love with it as a hobby because it combined my two favorite things when it comes to entertainment. Before tabletop gaming, I had been an avid fan of video games since I was a child. I was blown away by the freedom and openness that tabletop roleplaying afforded me while still giving me the same feelings I get as I sink my teeth into a good video game. Growing up, I always had this burning desire to create my own game but it was very daunting when the only medium I was familiar with were video games. I would ruminate a lot on game design ideas and it was a nice escape for me from the real world. This was done with the caution and understanding that I’ll probably never get to design a video game. Stepping into the tabletop gaming world blew the doors wide open on what was possible and made design and creation a very real thing – I feel the very act of GMing games acts like an educational institution for design.  Certain unfortunate life events (that might have been a blessing in disguise) coupled with my burning desire to create something and fulfill a dream I’ve had since I was a kid pushed me over that edge of “this would be a cool idea” to “oh my god I’m doing it!” I was afforded a small reprieve from work and I started creating Unity and testing it with my local groups of players. The feedback was positive and it spurred me to continue down the path that I am currently on.

DA:  That's a great feeling to have, and anytime I share my own work with people it encourages me work on it even more.  Now. I’ve been a fan of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and role-playing games (RPGs) since I first got Baldur’s Gate on the computer almost 16 years ago. Things have changed a lot since then, especially how people play. What was important for you to make part of your game that you enjoyed over years of gaming?
AT: Baldur’s Gate! Many, many a good hours were lost over that game and its sequel for me.  I think for me, gaming and how we game may have evolved significantly over the years but the feelings remain the same. It was important for me to understand those feelings and really drill down to get to the heart of them and what were the triggers that made them possible. I believe it’s subjective so I can only speak from my own experiences, but some of the best gaming moments I’ve had were shared with friends. There are some amazing single player experiences out there and I’m a huge fan of the single player experience, but for me, working together with a buddy or two to accomplish goals and sharing in the adventure as we reach those goals was paramount and the reason that I kept playing. When designing Unity, I focused a lot on teamwork, synergy, and gently prodding players into a dialogue with each other and rewarding them for it. Those were the most fulfilling moments for me when playing games over the years, video or tabletop. Something that ties in with this was also remembering the frustrating moments in my gaming career where there were barriers or obstacles that made it difficult to achieve those fulfilling moments I previously mentioned. It helps to keep me cognizant of designing rules that might impede the central concept of Unity.

DA: You mention in your Kickstarter Project video that your professional career makes you a good candidate to trust with completing your goals for Unity. What exactly do you do and how does it make your project one that Backers can take comfort knowing their money will be used as they intend: to complete the project and provide them with a product?
AT:  As mentioned earlier, I work within the IT industry and have held roles as a project manager and analyst. The stakes are higher in my industry as it’s focused on healthcare IT but the general challenges are the same when it comes to the majority of project work. Doing the Kickstarter and entering a new industry (tabletop gaming) has been an incredible learning experience and part of that has been translating the skills and knowledge from previous IT projects and finding a way to fit them to some of the more specific/unique challenges that have cropped up with designing a tabletop RPG.
Planning is so critical to project work and even more so when you are dealing with systems that save lives. Being immersed in the industry for 5+ years really drills this into your head and I’ve done my best to let this rigor spill over into everything I do for Unity. As it’s a new industry for me with its own unique challenges, I tried to install as many safety nets as possible to provide my backers with confidence that completion and delivery are inevitable conclusions. One of these would be the fact that I invested a large portion of the money, time, and effort upfront to have something substantial to show the world that I was dead serious about delivering a quality product. Another would be having contingencies – backup printers, backup artists, back up fulfillment etc.

DA:  If you could have included something into Unity that didn’t make the cut and wasn’t revealed as a stretch goal, what might it be?
AT:  I would have loved to include an additional bestiary, a separate supplement just filled with monsters and foes to fight.

DA:  You released your Kickstarter under Zensara Studios. Where does the name come from and who makes up the studio besides yourself?
AT:  I’ve always been a pretty spiritual person and that’s reflected in the name. Zensara came from Zen and the “sara” is from Samsara (which alludes to the infinite cycle of life and death). Zensara Studios is largely myself with my contractors for artwork and things that will take me far too long to learn (like animating videos). I have a business partner who is hands-off creatively but helped me get the company going initially. As the Core Rulebook nears completion, we’ll be looking to expand the company a bit by bringing in additional writers to help with the stretch goals.

DA:  How far do you see this project going? Dreams of a phone call from Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast? Paizo Publishing? How high is the ceiling for Zensara Studios?
AT:  Honestly Shane, if people are enjoying Unity and want more then I’d love to deliver more. One thing I’ve learned from this whole experience is that it can be a balancing act to make sure you don’t burn out on the thing that you love and you don’t slowly turn the thing that you love into a chore. Because I own all the creative aspects of my game, I’ve found the balancing act achievable and it sometimes makes me wonder if I could maintain this level of passion if I was making someone else’s game. Because of this, I haven’t really been spending my daydreaming hours thinking about a call from the big dogs.  Thought it would be better spent trying to see how I could fit more lizardmen into Unity because I know that makes certain people giddy.

Giddy is an understatement.  Have you seen my page banner?  

DA:  Just from your Kickstarter page, any veteran D&D player would recognize the page style used in your samples, but your book looks to be much more colorful than the standard D&D handbook. What considerations did you put into your design style? Do you think the benefit of having a full-color book outweighs the added costs of production?
AT:  Unity has been a passion project since the beginning. I knew I would probably lose money but I’ve been enamoured with the idea of a little guy like myself releasing a high quality product, not just content wise but production values as well. When you ask if I think the benefit of a full-colour book outweighs the added costs of production, the answer would be that it depends on the creator’s goals. My goal as mentioned just now, is just to have the kind of game book that I would be salivating for myself, that I would feel really good to hold in my hands and flip through, that I would be super excited to bring and show my friends and try to rope them into trying the game with me. In that sense, yeah it’s worth it.

DA:  I’m a huge fan of what Wizards/Hasbro did with the Fourth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons, especially coming from 3.5. Before 4th, melee characters were limited in most combat situations to just swinging their weapon, even with the horde of supplementary content, both official and home-brewed, while the casters had a plethora of effects and options. 4th gave everyone a ‘spell book’ of sorts to choose from, each with effects that could help allies and hinder enemies while adding flavor and appeal to combat.What was it about the Power Card system that you liked so much, and in what ways do you think you improved it?
AT:  The Power Card system gave me that video game feel and as an avid gamer all my life, it was incredibly comforting tucking into that when 4th first came out. It also spoke to video gamer sensibilities about ‘balance’ in that you didn’t have caster types having all the fun, and martial types had variety and depth beyond “I swing my sword.” as well. I’ve always been a huge proponent of every type of class having depth and variety. I felt pigeonholed into playing a caster in earlier editions of D&D and some other tabletop RPGs because they actually had a bunch of different things they could do (fun!) even though sometimes I really wanted to play a warrior type.
One thing that became apparent as we played 4th more that didn’t jive too well with my groups was that there were a lot of fiddly bits and coupled with an individual turn/initiative system for all units on the battlefield, combat began to feel incredibly long and tedious. I understand a lot of folks don’t mind this and embrace the long combats inherent to 4th but it wasn’t our cup of tea even though we loved the variety of powers and the tactical nuance that was afforded by them. I’m always loathe to say “we tried to make X better by…” because tabletop gaming is so largely subjective to individual tastes but for us streamlining the powers on top of a system that supported simultaneous turns made combat feel smoother and faster while still remaining a fulfilling and thrilling experience that rewarded smart and creative thinking.

DA:  We had our problems with combat taking forever too.  Fourth Edition also made role-playing feel secondary to combat. With so many combat choices, role-playing (in my experience playing) could feel stunted by confusing skill categories and ‘Skill Challenges’ which made the game more about ‘roll playing’ than role playing. That said, a good Game Master/Dungeon Master (GM/DM) can make any system better with effort. Did you have similar experiences? Was and is making role playing a key foundation in Unity as important as making players feel powerful?
AT:  Absolutely. Unity is this abomination child (said with all the love a father can muster) that has both parts roleplaying and gaming tweaked to the tastes of myself and the groups I play with. You have the combat and the powers that are rigidly defined with rules and conditions, and then you have something like Core Paths which are open, free-flowing, and a bit nebulous. I tried to make the game in a way where I could have my cake and eat it too. Roleplaying is hugely important to me and speaks to that side that loves hearing and telling stories. I like being taken on a rollercoaster of emotions and I’m always trying to find ways for players to buy tickets to that very ride. Things like Core Paths, Spark Points, and Failing Forward are my way of saying this isn’t just a game but also a story that you’re all writing together.

DA:  While reading through the Early Access Packet I saw an interesting side-bar titled “Shades of Grey” describing Unity as a game of heroes and cooperation. The most important aspect of an RPG is the role playing. While I always play some form of Good Sword-Wielder, I know people who love to play the villain who is out for himself and more than willing to leave the ‘meat shields’ behind. What made you point this out in your game? Why did you feel it necessary to tell players that the game isn’t meant to be played as an evil character? Could you have worded that differently?
AT:  I pointed it out specifically because I wanted to inform the reader in a nice way that I did not put a single thought into making the game support evil campaigns. In fact the name of the game itself is about cooperation and working together. I actually am unsure how Unity would play if someone decided to make an evil character. Could be a fun experiment. I also might have something tucked away in the corner of my mind about another game where you are encouraged to make evil characters.

DA:  Okay, last question for now.  The idea of Synergistic Combat Solutions (to paraphrase my favorite nonsensical Cards Against Humanity card) is one of the reasons I Backed this project. The scene in The Avengers when Captain America deflects Iron Man’s repulsor blasts around a corner is visually appealing, and to be able to create combos between players is a first in my tabletop experience. Sure, casting Magic Weapon on an ally's weapon is a neat buff, but throwing the barbarian over a wall so his ground slam attack inflicts more damage is usually something done at the DM’s discretion, not built into the rules. What gave you this idea, and what sort of crazy combos did you build into the game? Do you expect players to find new ways to synergize powers that may be ‘broken’ or overpowered? What (if any) is one that you didn’t add that sounded like a good idea in theory but didn’t work out when the rules were applied?
AT:  What you describe about throwing the barbarian over the wall so he can land with grand aplomb and send his foes scattering through the air while possibly caving in some ogre’s skull with his hammer from the force of his landing is pretty much what gave me the idea for this “Synergistic Combat Solutions” :P We found over the years, we were doing a lot of these GM discretion moments when we gamed and almost every time, it would be AWESOME. It made us look voraciously around for a game that had this built into the rules and supported it but we came up pretty short of what we envisioned.
There are a lot of combos that come to mind and many more still to be discovered. One thing that surprised me in a session was watching my players utilize a 3 person combo to land some significant damage on a monster. The Primalist class has an ability called Aspect of the Rhino that encourages the Primalist to move before they attack as every range band they cover adds a chunk of damage on top of their normal attack damage. The 3 players tried to create and cover as much distance as possible between the monster and the Primalist. The Dreadnought in the group used a power to swat the monster back a range band further and the Sentinel crouched down low with her shield braced to launch the Primalist another 2 extra range bands, who was charging across the battlefield with Aspect of the Rhino up. The resulting hit was massive and instantly killed the monster. Having players discover these combos is an incredible feeling.
I absolutely expect folks to discover some broken combos out there. The nature of this type of system creates many different possibilities. As you add more powers or more classes etc, things begin to multiply. But now that the Early Access Packet (EAP) is out and folks are playing, we’re getting a lot of good feedback and will hopefully catch some of these overpowered combos. With regards to your question about something that I wanted to add but didn’t, to be honest, I didn’t have this struggle BUT you might notice the Overdrive power Prismatic Shard for the Primalist in the Early Access Packet. It’s an idea that I’m fond of but I’m unsure if its execution and rule set are easily understood by the player/GM. I deliberately left it in there to see how folks with fresh eyes will utilize it (if they can) and I’m watching the feedback on that power closely. I’m hoping it makes sense and people see what I’m trying to do there but it could very well end up removed/replaced and that would be my answer to your question.

Thank you, Anson, for your time and for answering these questions for me.  I look forward to more meaty updates to test and possibly another -more punctually delivered- round of questions with you.  For those who want to learn more about the Unity RPG, please visit the links below.

• Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/215931791/unity-tabletop-rpg/description
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ZensaraStudios/
• Website: http://www.unity-rpg.com/

New Year's Day Video Game Review! Two Science Fiction Titles that couldn't be more different

Starting the New Year off Right!

Happy New Year Everyone!  Starting off with a review of two games I got after Christmas, Astroneer and Project Genom, both in their Alpha stages and both fun as they are so far.

Astroneer: Space Minecraft without the blocks

Astroneer is a survival-lite planetary exploration game.  So far, the premise is you are an astronaut who is sent down to a vibrantly colored world to explore the planet, expand your base of operations, exploit the resources around you, and exterminate the threats that you can.  "But Shane, this isn't like Masters of Orion or Sins of a Solar Empire, right?"  Right!  This is not a classic 4X strategy game, and (so far) there are no hostile aliens roaming around coming to kill you.  After landing, you are left with your capsule (called a habitat) and your own ingenuity to survive the new world.  Your astroneer (Astro-pioneer?) is equipped with a backpack that serves as your most basic battery and oxygen supply.  These two resources are key to getting anything done, as you expend oxygen by moving around away from things you can tether to like your base.  Tethering is automatic with proximity and allows for refilling oxygen as well as power if your base has one of many types of generators running.  Away from tethers, you can find supplies of raw oxygen and power buried or embedded in the various minable surfaces of the planet (meaning the entire planet).

Let me take a moment to explain how the game plays.  The only other thing your astroneer starts with is a multi-tool which doubles as both a vacuum mining device, sucking up both land and resources, and an extruder, spewing out 'land' to build bridges and walls, and also fill in holes and smooth out the terrain.  Doing so uses power, which must be managed as your backpack recharges slowly.

Now, the game has many resources for you to collect in order to improve your situation.  Very quickly, you will find the first two which are Compound and Resin, which will help you build the beginnings of your base, which is usually a Research system and a Smelter.  The first turns Research pods you find into either new tech to build or a random resource, while the smelter allows you to refine certain materials into metals needed for construction of more advanced tech, like vehicles, generators, and additional base systems.  The first you will end up building is likely a tiny solar dish and a wind turbine to power your backpack, and then your base.

From the ten hours I've put into it (the first 5 all in one sitting) I've managed to build a giant segmented truck covered in storage containers and power plants that allows me to go on huge mining trips and collect as much as possible.  I also have a lunar lander style vehicle that I can use to hop from one area to another, though I have not explored the possibilities with the lander because I don't have enough hydrazine to fuel it.

So instead I take my solar- and wind-powered truck across the surface and down into caves to get hopelessly stuck and then have to tunnel my way back out.

The developers have created an interesting feature where the terrain is all voxels and polygons, and when you use your tool, you can bore straight through any surface you come across.  This allows your to make tunnels through mountains, or if you find yourself stuck in a pit, to make a ramp to get where you want to go.  You can also build up the terrain to make bridges over chasms, or up to areas that are currently inaccessible.  I have not done much building, and have concentrated on digging in my current playthrough.  But digging can get dangerous!  You never know if you'll dig into a huge void and suddenly have to change direction to avoid falling to your death!

Speaking of death, I did mention this is a survival game, correct?  Well, death in this game is annoying, as anything you were carrying when you died is lost and left at your corpse, while your 'respawn' back at base.  You get to keep any generators stuck to the sides of your backpack (which has a limit of 2) but if you just hit a jackpot of titanium, or had exited a vehicle, you have to hoof it back to recover whatever you lost.  The game kindly leaves a marker to help you find your corpse, though, as well as vehicles, bases, or beacons you leave near points of interest.  

Beyond that, the game offers multiplayer for cooperative exploration.  My truck currently has three seats, but I lack any friends to ride with, currently.  The game is addictively fun, though, so I hope to attract some fellow astroneers when the game gets further into development.  I'll make updates about any features I find especially noteworthy.  As it is, the game is fun and provides constant reasons to play just 5 more minutes with the promise of achieving some goal or finding that one mineral deposit you needed to finish building your giant drilling rig!  It is currently available on Steam Early Access and is totally worth the $19.99 USD.  If you pick it up, I'm CDR Shiff D on Steam.  Come play with me!

Project Genom: A Russian Sci-Fi MMO highlighting customization and crafting

You wake from cryosleep, trapped your stasis pod.  In a panic, you fumble for the emergency release and feel relieved as the hiss of the hydraulics releasing fills your ears.  You push up the lid, still shivering from the cryo-stasis gel, and step out into a dimly lit hall in nothing but the boxers they froze you in.  You immediately realize something isn't right.  Electrical wires snap and spark above you.  Parts of the ceiling struts have crashed into a neighboring pod.  Numerous other pods sit empty, but a trail of blood leads you to one of your former cohorts.  He lies slumped against a wall, his hands covered in luminescent blue goo, a strange red shrimp-like creature at his feet.  The puddle of red upon which he sits indicates he at least killed his killer.  You thank him without words, else the creature may have claimed you as well.  Looking around, you find some pants you recognize as basic security leggings.  The tough fabric will keep your legs warm, and hopefully, repel the claws of any more critters that may be around.

Your attention is suddenly drawn to a camera fixated above the door to your cryo-storage vault.  "Hey!  You're alive!  We had to seal the vault when the Diggers broke in, and then you all started thawing!  Some managed to escape but you are the only one left that isn't still a block of ice.  There should be a laser cutter in a box nearby.  Use it to get out!  You're lucky this door isn't the main bulkhead.  Cut the locking clamps and you should be free.  But be careful, the diggers are everywhere!  If you make it to the elevator, I can turn them on to get you out.  Good luck!"  

The snap of the electrical connection being cut makes this one way call a short one.  You search for the laser cutter and tune it to sever the clamps, and after a few moments, you slice through the steel and the door automatically opens.  Stepping cautiously into the waiting chamber, you see all manner of scientific equipment scattered around.  Vials of strange liquid, barrels leaking other fluids, hypo-injectors, surgical equipment, and you realize that in the panic of the last few moments, you don't remember why you were in that cryo-pod.  It matters little when you see the red carapace of a Digger crawl around a corner and stop.  It looks at you as you level your weapon, and then emits a screech, answered by the clatter of a dozen more bug-legs.  You unload your charges at the bugs, and the last falls dead at your feet a minute later as it tried to lunge for you.  Shaken by the encounter you grab as many extra power packs as you find in the crate and stuff the into the waist strap of your leggings, and continue on.

Project Genom Trailer (Note: Some features not yet implemented)

This is your introduction to Project Genom.  Feels like Fallout 4, right?  Well, that's where the similarities end, as you work your way through to the Ark, the remains of a colony ship sent to a far off world called Avalon.  As you poke around and get your bearings in this game which lacks a clear path at first, considering it's Pre-Alpha in development.  You eventually catch wind of what's been going on, and that your rude awakening is the result of these Diggers chewing their way into your cryo-unit and waking you all up before the colony was ready for you.  Exploration will reveal a series of scavenger hunt styled quests which will earn you some context as well as some starting equipment, though make sure you explored enough in the tutorial to find a better starting gun.  Eventually, you leave the colony to explore the planet and the game quickly becomes your normal questing and killing and searching MMO style of gameplay.

Where PG sets itself apart is the systems in place for advancing your character, only some of which are active.  The main one is how you advance your skills.  So far, the only two sets of skills I've noticed online are the armor and weapon skills, with the weapon skills limited to using pistols and automatic rifles.  The game has 6 classes of armor (Only three are available currently: Tactical, Saboteur/Commando, and Assault) and 6 classes of weapons (Pistols, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, Automatic Rifles, Blades, and Glaives).  So far, advancing these skills involves using the associated weapon or armor, which involves either killing appropriate level enemies or getting him by them.  Each subsection of skill has various bonuses that can be unlocked like extra ammo, damage, critical hit chance, or special actions like hitting your enemy with the butt of the rifle.  Some of these things have not been implemented yet, such as mech suits, flying wing-gliders, pets and placeables like turrets and shield, and once you choose to unlock a skill or new tier of item level, you can not (as of yet) undo you choices or redistribute them.  Whether this will carry over to the final product is as of yet undetermined, and with none of the other advancement systems unlocked as of yet, we will have to see where this all ends up.  So far, though, it's fun to run around killing bugs and realizing you have a bunch of points to spend unlocking new tiers of gear.  I did not know what I was doing at first, however, so now I have points spent in things I'd rather not use.  But such is the life of a Pre-Alpha game tester.

Project Genom is also available on Steam Early Access for $13.99 USD, currently 30% off (Normally $19.99).  You can also buy some DLC packs to help further fund the game which will provide you with some bonus stuff once the game systems come online.  They are slightly less exclusive versions of crowdfunding packages they offered several months ago (I can't find the specifics currently).  Are they worth it?  Not presently, since you won't get anything out of them.  Is the $13.99 worth it?  So far, yes.  It's fun and has interesting features and could be quite entertaining if the team can accomplish the goals they have set for it.  Right now, it's an unfinished game with enough polish and content to keep you entertained, and with enough options that starting over once you hit the content wall is worthwhile.  I will definitely keep people posted on any interesting developments.  If you want to check out their website, click here!