MMORPG: First, for those living under a rock, give us some background on LFG the comic.
Ryan Sohmer: LFG is one of those things that started life as one animal and ended up being a very different beast. Way back when, Lar and I were contracted out to make a World of Warcraft comic for a gaming accessory comic. It was going to be a once a month type thing and would be on their site. We spent the next 2 weeks brainstorming, and it resulted in this ridiculous world filled with these ridiculous characters. We went way too far, and it wasn't even close to being what the company wanted, but it was what we wanted to do. So, we got out of the contract, and LFG was born. LFG is a webcomic that's published at lfgcomic.com, and updates every Monday and Thursday with a new page. It's an epic adventure with an unlikely cast, that somehow manages to parody everything we love.
MMORPG: So, we can assume then that you're no stranger to RPGs or MMOs?
Ryan Sohmer: I challenge anyone to try and convince me that Baldur's Gate II is not one of the finest RPGs ever created.
MMORPG: Have you always wanted to make a game? Why go with LFG, as opposed to a new property?
Ryan Sohmer: Always, I wanted to make something that I wanted to play, the same reason I make comics that I want to read. More importantly, I wanted to make a game that strikes on multiple levels, more than just a good story or good gameplay. I wanted it to be funny. LFG fit perfectly.
MMORPG: How will the game tie into the comic? Will we be following the story or is it a sort of side-tale?
Ryan Sohmer: The story of the game takes place within the first 12 issues of LFG, and it interweaves within the main storyline, but it's a completely stand alone tale. You won't need to be familiar with LFG at all to enjoy the game, but if you know LFG, there's plenty of easter eggs in there.
MMORPG: What will the game be like? It has a distinctly more "cartoony" look than the comic.
Ryan Sohmer: It has that old school 'Gauntlet' vibe to it, but with better purpose and rewards. You can play the game as one of 4 characters in the group, each character having unique abilities and methods of play. From there, you and your group will travel around the continent of Kethenecia on your quest, fighting off villagers and monsters, pillaging, looting, and generally doing everything a moraly-deficient adventurer would do. We changed the look of the characters, to give them a little distinction from the comic. We really wanted the game to stand on its own visually.
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MMORPG: How much RPG will be present in Fork of Truth? You mention Gauntlet as a sort of inspiration.
Ryan Sohmer: Hugely present. You're not just playing a character, you need to be Richard. Or Cale. Or Benny. Or Krunch. Make decisions based on what they would do, not you. You might find something appalling, but Richard would enjoy the hell out of it.
The more you embody your character, and leave yourself out of the game, the more you'll progress. To me, that's the best part of any RPG.
MMORPG: You've decided to reach out to Kickstarter to get this thing funded. Can you let our readers know where their money is going?
Ryan Sohmer: More than anything, we want to make the game we want to make, and the only way to do that is to retain complete control, which is why we went to Kickstarter and our readers. They trust us to entertain them every week, and hopefully they'll trust us to make this game for them. As to where the money is going, every penny of it is going right into the game. If we make a profit off this thing, it won't be through Kickstarter, it'll be selling the game later. Here's a handy little breakdown.
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MMORPG: And what will the stretch goals be, then?
Ryan Sohmer: We've setup two main categories of stretch goals, one for in-game extra content and the other to port the game to multiple platforms. I'm hoping we get to do them all.
MMORPG: Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers, all avid MMO and RPG fans before we let you go? Ryan Sohmer: Like me, you're all MMO and RPG fans. This game is for me, and this game is for you. If you're not sure, or still on the fence, please head on over to www.lfgcomic.com and read the comic from the beginning. It'll cost you nothing but time, and hopefully, you'll enjoy it enough that you'll join us in the Kickstarter campaign for this game. Thanks to everyone for their support!
