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| Jacob (L) & Joel (R) Rasmussen |
We love the opportunity to talk to people within the TTRPG community, and one of the interviews we're really proud of this year is this one with Para Bellum Games Jacob and Joel Rasmussen, designers of Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings and Conquest: First Blood. Getting to delve into their past, their straight forward approach to gaming being easy to learn and where their love for TTRPG's all began...
Totally Pawsome: As a creator for the Conquest games, what inspired you to design it and what do you feel it brings to a table that will have people falling in love with the setting?
Jacob: Our goal with the new First Blood was to create a system with simple yet very flavorful and immersive rules. You can truly feel each clash as a struggle between two warriors which makes for some very heroic and memorable moments!
Joel: For the new First Blood, a goal established early on was creating an experience that was truly unique yet familiar to the rank-and-flank version of Conquest. We asked ourselves: “how can we experiment and differentiate while maintaining the essence of the prior versions”? We feel that we landed on quite the sweet spot, incorporating some essentials such as rolling low=good and same statlines, while adding new innovations such as a dice comparative combat system and hidden card based deployment.
We also place a high value on variety, theming, and differentiation when writing statlines and armies. When you look at a miniature and read their lore, that should translate to how they play on the tabletop. The naming of abilities and addition of unique special rules act as a gateway to the full background and setting of Conquest. If a player reads a cool name or effect, they will be inclined to read more about the lore to get a better understanding of their faction and the world of Eä.
TP: What would you say is the best selling point of your Wargames?
Jacob: Something we are both very pleased with is that First Blood is a very approachable game, simple to learn yet hard to master, the best sort of game for all sorts of players. As players battle it out, they will slowly find ways to improve and get more out of each Warrior on the battlefield. (but none of these tricks/optimizations learned come at the expense of the experience!) It is truly magical when a competitive player can battle it out against a laid back opponent where both can walk away satisfied.
TP: With so many Heroes and species within what was your favourite to design, play and why? (This could be multiple answers.)
Joel: I feel that the City States turned out very well. Translating a faction that relies on order, discipline, and the formation of soldiers into a skirmish game is no easy task. Having the choice of maintaining the strategy that you set at the start of the round which benefits your disciplined Hoplites versus breaking formation that abandons the set gameplan which benefits your auxiliary troops such as Minotaurs is great fun.
Jacob: The Yoroni are an obvious choice when discussing fun, as each Warrior is of brutish stature (worth about 4x that of a normal warrior) they all are extremely noteworthy and unique. From their Unique Activation system to all of their fun flavor rules (Yes, the Sumo-like Kami Ayakashi can body slam Enemies), each individual Warrior truly brings something new to the table.
TP: Where do you see the Conquest world developing to and can you tell us anything about future products?
Joel: We would love to implement even more variety in how our players can interact with our games and setting. Official support for slow-grow league play, narrative map-based campaign systems, multiplayer battles, and anything else that we can add to the Conquest experience. For what shiny new miniatures are in the pipeline, all we can say is to tune into our Happy Hour streaming events for the first glimpses into what is currently in the works.
TP: When you designed your world what were the key things you wanted to include and why?
Joel: Our home lies in the dungeons of game design, such lore questions are better answered by Leo Stavros, as the world of Conquest is his brainchild. Para-Bellum does offer an incredibly beautiful and insightful lore book which covers factions not yet adapted into playable armies. I would recommend looking there if you want to see what the future may hold!
TP: Who do you think would love to play your Wargames and why?
Jacob: We like to think there is something in First Blood for everyone, but the players that will be most fulfilled playing First Blood are those looking for replayability, on-your-toes strategy, and memorable experiences. First Blood’s Dynamic Scenario system along with hidden deployment truly makes no two games quite the same.
TP: Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?
Joel: There are a plethora of new factions and mysteries to yet explore in the world of Conquest. There are also possibilities of even more ways to use your miniature collection, such as dungeon crawling games and siege battles. At Para-Bellum there are even more esoteric ideas and endeavors that are pondered that I cannot discuss here!
TP: If budget was not a problem and you had an infinite fund to call upon, what do you think you'd like to develop and bring to the fore?
Jacob: This is a difficult one to pin down, there of course are many ideas that are kicked around and some are definitely more “realistic” than others but we feel that we can't share too much here as no one truly knows what the future holds…
Joel: I see room for innovation by incorporating more digital aspects into miniature games, merging video game and tabletop game experiences together. Touch screen battlefields that interface with miniatures, dynamic apps that track ability cooldowns; the possibilities are endless!
TP: Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?
Joel: We have to pay respects to the giants that exist in this space for their legacy and for onboarding new players into the wider world of tabletop gaming. With that being said, we are always appreciative of companies and individuals that truly try to do their own thing that offers game mechanics and experiences seen nowhere else in our sphere.
Jacob: With how big the once-niche hobby of tabletop gaming has grown, it is a bright future where many individual designers and small teams are creating some truly unique experiences for all to have. We greatly appreciate when we see things that are genuinely new appear in the market, as their success pushes everyone else to grow and create better games for us all to enjoy.
TP: What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?
Joel: We come from a very nerdy little area of the American midwest in Wisconsin, with a strong tabletop gaming community that stretches back decades. We are right by some of the largest miniature and tabletop gaming conventions, and also only a 20 minute drive to the town where Dungeons and Dragons was created. It was only a matter of time before we would get sucked in!
I love the blend of artistry, strategy, and creativity that miniature gaming consists of. There is something I find so satisfying about pushing your little dudes around the table that you built and painted yourself that you cannot find in any other hobby.
Jacob: When we set our first foot into our local hobby shop, it was love at first sight. The tactile experience of building/painting minis, rich fictional worlds to explore, AND fun games to play with your friends? The multi-faceted nature of TTRPGs is what makes it the vastly growing success that it is; no matter your mood, the individual, or your time to spare there is always some way to engage with it. As we become more and more attached to our technology, it really is no wonder so many people are picking it up!
For those going to UKGE please visit the Para Bellum Games area on Conquest Avenue (3-462) for a chance to learn how to play the games, discuss history and pick up some fab miniatures.
All the best,
ThunderMouser
