Free League’s latest Kickstarter is already a smash hit. The campaign for The Electric State Roleplaying game asked for SEK 250,000 and already has SEK 1,500,000 pledged.
However, as we find out in this interview with Tomas Härenstam, Free League does not take their crowdfunding for granted.
The RPG is inspired by Simon Stålenhag‘s captivating narrative art book, The Electric State. The book will be transformed into a blockbuster motion picture directed by the Russo brothers and starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, making the RPG a timely delve into a hauntingly beautiful alternate 1990s America.
The Electric State RPG has Nils Hintze (Tales from the Loop) as the lead designer, with Free League’s co-founder and vet designer Tomas Härenstam (Blade Runner) getting the first mention in the supporting team.
Tomas was kind enough to make some time for us, and given his role as Free League big wig and RPG designer, we dived in!
Is the RPG tied into the new movie at all?
Tomas: The RPG is based on the art book, but we’re very excited to see what the movie will bring to the world of The Electric State.
How much like Tales from the Loop is The Electric State?
Tomas: They definitely share a very distinct “Simon-ness” – a quality that’s hard to define but quite clear when you see it! Also, both are retro sci-fi worlds set in alternate pasts. But they are not set in the same universes.
Will the game use the original art from the book, or will it contain new/original pieces?
Tomas: It will include some art from the art book, but also a bunch of new art from Simon Stålenhag that was originally made for the art book project but has never been published before. In addition to that, the game will include character art by Reine Rosenberg, who has done similar pieces for the Tales From the Loop RPG.
What tweaks to the Year Zero Engine might we expect for The Electric State?
Tomas: We’re doing quite a few tweaks that I’m really excited about. We’re using the “original” D6 version of the engine, but slimming it down to give room for the characters and the story telling. The system introduces a system of Hope, which will be reduced by pushing rolls and witnessing traumatic events, and increased by meaningful character interactions and overcoming obstacles. The game also includes rules for neurocasting – the Electric State’s equivalent to entering cyberspace, cyberpunk style. When inside a neuroscape, you accumulate Bliss and if you get too much, you might not be able to leave!
Do you get nervous for Free League’s Kickstarters launching? What happens if they don’t fund?
Tomas: Always! We’ve done quite a few Kickstarters and feel confident in our work, but it’s always a leap of faith. None of our 30+ Kickstarters have failed to reach their base funding goal, but should that happen, we’d most likely simply not move forward with the project.
Do you get nervous for the fate of Kickstarter at all?
Tomas: You mean Kickstarter as a platform? I think crowdfunding is here to stay, and hope we’ll be able to use it for a long time going forward.
What’s your favourite scene in the graphic novel?
Tomas: It’s hard to pick one, but I love the scene where Michelle is inside the house to look for her brother and the agent is approaching the house, only to be … interrupted. I think that scene is beautifully done. But it’s just one out of many!
Free League’s relationship with Simon Stalenhag has been great for customers and, hopefully, the business. Is it a big chunk of Free League’s efforts?
Tomas: Simon has certainly played a great part in the development of Free League. Him placing his faith in us to publish his art book Tales From the Loop ten years ago was a big step in our early history. And while the Tales From the Loop RPG a few years later was not our first game by any means, I think it placed Free League on the map and made quite a few people take notice. These days, Simon is more focused on his own projects, but he remains a good friend and partner of Free League.
How long do deals with creators and third-party IPs tend to last? Will Free League be looking at new editions of Things from the Flood after The Electric State is safely on the way?
Tomas: That can vary a lot. The Tales From the Loop RPG remains a core game in our portfolio and is still very popular, so we hope we can continue to keep it and support it for the foreseeable future.
Are you working on any other projects at the moment? And if so, what can you tell us about them?
Tomas: Yes we certainly have a lot going on, both me personally and Free League as a whole. Beyond The Electric State RPG, I’m currently working on the next expansions for the Blade Runner RPG (after Fiery Angels which is currently on pre-order and being printed) as well as the upcoming Path of Glory campaign book for Dragonbane. And some other cool things I wish I could tell you more about, but it will have to wait, I’m afraid…
Thank you so much for your time, Tomas! We wish you all the best with the Kickstarter.
Tomas: Thank you!
Following the discovery of neuronics in the late 1960s, technology diverged from our own world. It is now the year 1997 and the world is on the verge of apocalypse.
The USA, ravaged by a second Civil War, has split into new federations. In Pacifica, formerly California, the everpresent Sentre corporation pushes the neuronic technology to the population via cheap headsets. If life was somehow almost normal before it isn’t anymore.
Backers for the campaign have several reward tiers they can unlock. Those who pledge SEK 248 or more, about £19, get a digital edition of the RPG.
Then, at SEK 498, £38, the standard edition is added to the loot, as well as optional add-ons.
A collector’s edition is swapped in, knocking out the standard edition for backers who pledge SEK 898.
The optional add-ons include many of Free League’s other RPGs, such as Tales from the Loop, Symbaroum, Vaesen, Blade Runner and Dragonbane.
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- Back: The Electric State
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