Six Questions with Eloy Lasanta

Eloy Lasanta took the time to answer six questions from me about AMP: Year One, AMP: Year Two and Third Eye Games in general. And don't forget, the Year One giveaway is still going on!

I'm not a very good interviewer, but I thought something fairly short and to the point could be nice here.

Q1: AMP: Year One reminds me, in the loosest sense, of two other RPGs I've had a little experience with - White Wolf's Aberrant and Green Ronin's Paragons. Did either of those have a conscious or subconscious impact on the development of AMP? 

A1: When designing AMP: Year One, I had to really dig deep and find out what I wanted it to be. I looked into several supers RPG, played as many as I could and took time to pick apart their systems. Aberrant was definitely one of those game, as well as being one I played several times back even before I was a publisher, but it was far from the only supers RPG that I drew inspirations from. Mutants and Masterminds, ICONS and even the Savage Worlds Superpowers Companion all had a hand in what AMP: Year One came to be. I'll have to look into Paragons, though, as that's just not one that crossed my table during the development process.

Q2. How has the reception to AMP been in comparison to the other DGS games (Apocalypse Prevention, Inc., Wu Xing and Part-Time Gods)? Has it had an easier or harder to gaining traction in the RPG world? 

A2: With so many supers RPGs on the market, I really thought Third Eye Games would have a harder time getting traction with AMP: Year One. But the opposite actually came to pass! People are excited about this unique supers RPG and have rallied behind it. I am seeing more discussion of it's setting and mechanics on forums, receiving more emails, and having people rabidly wanting to run and play it at conventions.  The Kickstarter for AMP: Year One is my highest funded to date, and the recent Kickstarter for AMP: Year Two (currently ongoing) was the fastest funded in my company's history. To say that the response to AMP: Year One has been amazing would be an understatement in my mind. 

Q3. This is your first game that has a metaplot. For those that don't know, AMP Year One has a 2015 timeline detailing the rise of the AMPs, and Year Two has a 2016 timeline that continues the overarching plot. How detailed is the metaplot in Year Two, and are we looking at annual releases for AMP going forward? 

A3: Yep, the idea of doing a game with a metaplot was a tricky one, as that topic is something that can divide any group of fans. AMP: Year One takes the reader along the story of what happens when people with power pop up in the year 2015. To answer your question on details for AMP: Year Two, after the terrible events that reveal AMPs to the world, the new book takes you all through 2016 as well, in a similar manner of giving snapshots into the events of the year. What's different about AMP: Year Two is Year One introduced characters that the reader is now attached to, and we follow them through the continuing story as well as give glimpses of what is to come for future books. Lots of great story elements and seeds players the ability to set their game off at any particular point in the timeline. It is there to guide the reader through a story of what we at Third Eye Games think thing would go, but at any point timelines can split and create crazy tangents. Yes, there will be annual releases, with the finale being AMP: Year Five, unless I get any other cool ideas to extend it beyond that.

Q4. Throw me a bone here, as I've dedicated two full weeks of posts on my blog to AMP. Give us a tidbit from Year Two that you haven't revealed yet. Please? 
A4: That's a tough one, since I'm being pretty transparent on the Kickstarter itself. We've introduced rules for playing Saps (regular people) and gadgeteer rules, as well as new powers, new gifts and drawbacks and a collection of new pregenerated characters, similar to the ones AMP: Year One. 

The only things I've kept psuedo-secret are specific elements of the story. I'll divulge one here though... ready? 

The president is only mostly dead.

Q5. What does the future hold for the DGS family? Anything coming down the line for Apocalypse Prevention Inc., Wu Xing or Part-Time Gods? What about a new Pip offering to join Mermaids, Camp Myth and Infestation? 

A5: The Dynamic Gaming System family of games is alive and well! Down the line we have Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. 2nd Edition coming out soon (first to backers obviously), as well as new books and expansions for Wu Xing and Part-Time Gods. On the horizon is Storm Battalion and work is being done on Sinister which will also use a version of the DGS as well. So much great stuff coming down the line. 

The Pip System is also alive and kicking. Infestation, An RPG of Bugs and Heroes is the newest release (and should be hitting stores in April I believe), so it's a little soon to be talking about our next family-friendly game, though we do have a couple in the works. Best of all, we have Atlantis and the Dark Lands in the works for Mermaid Adventures and hopefully a new Care Package for Camp Myth: The RPG.

Q6. You have done Men in Black Sci-Fi Horror, Anime Action, Demigod Urban Fantasy, Modern Superheroes, Mermaid Adventures, Mythological Camping and Bug on the Loose. What genre does Third Eye Games tackle next? Where do you go from here? 
A6: You know me, Tommy; there's always something in the works over at Third Eye Games. Sinister is going to be our post-apocalyptic monster catching RPG, Storm Battalion is a mix of sci-fi and wartime, and I've been working on other super secret projects that I may be announcing here soon (after I get just a bit more down). Genre is something I've always tried to conquer. Every new game we come out with has to be distinctly different than the one before, or we end up looking like a one trick pony. Third Eye Games is nothing, if not willing to go out on a limb and challenge our readers with something they might not expect from us.