Review Fix chats with Tin Man Games’ Neil Rennison, who discusses “The Warlock of Firetop Mountain” coming August 31 to Windows and Mac via Steam. One of the most beloved tabletop RPGs of all time, Rennison and his team have worked tirelessly to put a modern spin on the game, all the while retaining what made it so special in the first place.
ABOUT THE WARLOCK OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN: In 1982, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone (co-founders of Games Workshop and the first Dungeons & Dragons distributors in Europe) wrote the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. Its overwhelming success paved the way for the more than 50 Fighting Fantasy books that followed, eight of which Tin Man Games has already adapted into digital gamebooks.
But this upcoming Steam release is much more than a simple text adaptation. It’s a tabletop adventure come to life complete with an expansive, interactive map populated by digital figurines, simultaneous turn-based combat, and rich storylines that vary depending on which of 12 unique heroes you choose to quest with.
For More on The Game, Click Here.
Review Fix: How important was the original “The Warlock of Firetop Mountain” to you?
Neil Rennison: Strangely The Warlock of Firetop Mountain wasn’t the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook I played. That honour went to Deathtrap Dungeon by Ian Livingstone! I came to Warlock a few books later, after I had to go backwards to fill in the gaps – I remember fondly really enjoying as it was full of so many monsters. From chatting with FF fans, I do know that Warlock was the first ever gamebook for many young readers in the early 80s and set into motion a life-long love affair with fantasy literature and role-playing games.
Review Fix: Was it a difficult game to turn into a video game? Any pressure?
Rennison: Yes, it was very tough to turn into a video game. Balancing what made the gamebook work as a choice-based paperback book and mix that with the expectations of the modern RPG gamer is no easy task. We had to choose carefully what we could keep and what had to change and adapt to make it work visually. We’ve been releasing digital gamebook apps for a few years now which have been more traditional in their approach, so we had a good base point to evolve from.
As for the pressure, well, dealing with such a treasured license is always going to add pressure, because the fans have such fond memories! Overall we relished the challenge though and Steve and Ian were both very supportive of our changes, which helped a lot.
Review Fix: What has development been like?
Rennison: This has been our biggest and longest development cycle yet – around 2 years since we first started drafting the new look Firetop Mountain on paper and taking our first 3D steps forward with environment creation. It’s not always been plain sailing and the game has changed a lot over that time, but it has been so much fun seeing the gamebook grow and expand with new characters, challenges and locations. The Kickstarter really helped last year, as it not only helped us financially but validated a lot of the design decisions we had made up to that point. The fans were very excited and supportive!
Review Fix: How do you feel now that release is rapidly approaching?
Rennison: Busy! We still have a few important loose ends to tie up in the writing and design and then we need to work hard to promote it as much as possible. We’re debuting the game at PAX West in Seattle in September and then bringing in back for PAX Australia in November. We also have a bunch of updates planned over the coming months which include new implementing new heroes and new previously unvisited parts of the mountain.
Review Fix: How close did you work with Steve Jackson on this?
Rennison: Quite close! Both Ian and Steve have been informed of all our major design decisions and have given us feedback at key stages. I’m still receiving emails daily from Steve as he plays the game himself and picks up bugs and suggests last minute changes!
Review Fix: Has he shared his thoughts on the game?
Rennison: Yes! He’s really pleased with it, which obviously puts big smiles on my team’s faces.
Review Fix: What do you think truly makes this game special?
Rennison: Warlock was the entrance point for kids to the world of gaming in the early ‘80s. It was literally the first fantasy RPG they had ever laid eyes on and pre-dated many digital and table-top adventure games. Those kids then went on to play RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, creating their own worlds on their parent’s dining-room tables. What I think is really special is that we’ve distilled the gamebook into its purest form, keeping much of what made it work but at the same time recognising where those gamebooks lead next, and trying as hard as possible to create a visual flavour of what a gamebook could be if it became an RPG-based adventure. Combining that with effects that you can only do on a computer, we’ve almost created a hybrid genre that we feel really works well.
Review Fix: How do you want this game to be remembered?
Rennison: The first in a new tradition of digital gamebooks. We want to take this further with subsequent releases and do more and more with each new project.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Rennison: My first gamebook love, Deathtrap Dungeon! I can’t wait to get going on that.
Review Fix: Bottom line, why should someone play it?
Rennison: If you love interactive fiction with a dash of fantasy table-top RPG thrown in, all set within a rich, detailed world over thirty years in the making, you love The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.
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