News Update: 09.02.2005

AndyC interview with RAMPAGE

1/ How and why did you join Mongoose? What's your role in the company?

After GW I set up Red Star games so I could work freelance for anyone who wanted games designs or writing. Mongoose approached me to design the Starship Troopers miniatures game, I've been working for them as lead games designer for the Starship Troopers rules and subsequently as a consultant.

2/ What is your approach/focus/choice for the rules system? What are your influences for this game system? How has the game engine been designed?

My initial design was very skirmish based, too much so for Mongoose so the game has developed to a squad/battle level which will be very familiar to players of Warhammer 40,000. My focus was on making the game fast paced and deadly, with a full range of weapons up to and including nukes for the Mobile Infantry - Starship Troopers has always been the epitome hard Sci Fi in that respect. The most interesting challenge has been making the bugs and the humans balance out - the ultimate firepower vs melee match-up. Mechanically I've used the opportunity to try some ideas I've always wanted to use somewhere, along with a lot core game mechanics that I've learned just work well for tabletop games. In terms of influence I'd give about equal measure to 40K, Space Hulk, Flames of War and War Machine.

3/ Why did you choose to use the background of the TV series instead of Verhoven's movie or Heinlein's book?

The TV series takes a middle ground which uses all the cool imagery of the film but expands on it to give the Mobile Infantry their power armour suits from the novel plus sexy looking vehicles and new varieties of bugs. From the standpoint of developing a tabletop game the TV series is the most fertile background to use by far. Doing a game based purely on the novel would be interesting but would require a different scale I think - 6-15mm would be cool. A game based on Verhoven's movie would be kind of limited in scope, more of a computer or board game I'd think.

4/ You are not afraid of the limited number of factions (human, bug, skinnies)?

Three core archetypes is good to start with, and there a lot of flexible options in the lists to ensure armies aren't all the same. I think to a large extent most players are going to pick up Starship Troopers with the idea of playing bugs or MI - initially at least.

5/ Do you propose in the future new factions (human pirates, new aliens)?

Yes and yes, we've been discussing ideas for various extremist groups of humans (federated and otherwise - Mormons anyone?) and various aliens to expand the Starship Troopers universe in the future.

6/ What kind of supplements will you release in the future (campaign books like in the TV series, battle settings and environment, etc.)?

Yes, Mongoose are working on a series of expansion books for the different armies and campaigns of Starship Troopers.

7/ Do you plan, one wonderful day, to release a French version of your game (and find a French distributor)?

That would be something for Mongoose to decide, it would be nice though...