This interview was conducted by a representative of Gamesradio.gr, a Greek gaming site. The Greek translation can be found here.

Kevin Siembieda: Thank you, Kostas, for your interest in doing this interview with me. I apologize for taking so many weeks to get back to you, but I was buried in work at Palladium.

Gamesradio: Would you mind telling us a few things about yourself and Palladium Books in general?

Kevin Siembieda: I'm the publisher and owner of Palladium Books Inc., a role-playing game company that has been in business for 25 years now. I started Palladium back in 1981. Back then I was pretty much a one-man company working out of the back of my small, Detroit home. I started Palladium Books with a dream and $3,000 US Dollars, half of which was borrowed from a friend's mother.

My first product was the Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy, followed by the Palladium Weapon Series. I put all the money these RPG books made back into the company and lived on hot dogs, tuna sandwiches and maccaroni and cheese noodles for the first two years. I was able to build on each success and eventually Palladium started to hit it big as a role-playing game company. I introduced the idea of "one universal game system" and introduced the concept of using softcover books.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was Palladium's first big selling role-playing game in 1985, followed by Robotech in 1986. However, our historically based Weapons and Castles series of books were quiet hits that sold 100,000+ copies each. Of course, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game, Heroes Unlimited, and Ninjas & Superspies were also very popular, but Rifts is our all-time best seller, nothing else comes close.

Gamesradio: What about you, Kevin, how did you become a game designer?

Kevin Siembieda: It was all an accident. Or maybe it was fate. I was working as a freelance artist with dreams of becoming a comic book artist and writer. I was introduced to role-playing games by a friend in 1979. The first game I ever played was basic Dungeons & Dragons, and I was hooked. The next thing I knew, I was creating my own rules and game settings and publishing them.

Gamesradio: How difficult is the process of making a brand new rpg? Is it the idea that matters, or the mechanics that backs it up?

Kevin Siembieda: Good question. I'd have to say both are equally important. A great idea or unique world setting will only carry you so far, unless you have the mechanics that make it all work. I think people sometimes miss that, especially with Palladium's games, because I try to make the rules as invisible as possible. If a role-playing game were a house, the game mechanics are your foundation and infrastructure, the electical wiring, and vents, and heating systems, but what you mostly "see" is the exterior structure. That makes the ideas, writing and setting the finished walls, paint, carpeting, decorative elements and furnishings that make the home livable, attractive, and desirable. The ideas are also the fuel that drives the engine of the game. You can't have one without the other. Both work hand in hand to create the complete gaming experience.

Personally, I start with the idea and build on it. Once my ideas are fleshed out, I figure out the rules I need to make it all work and make sense. I take an idea and think, "Hmm, this would be fun to play. Now, what are the rules I need to make it playable?"

Gamesradio: What was the concept behind the Palladium Megaverse®?

Kevin Siembieda: I wanted to create one basic game system that would let the players be able to play and do anything. I liked the idea of infinite possibilities limited only by the imagination. I liked the idea that once a gamer learned one Palladium game they could play any of them. I wanted something epic, yet linked by one set of rules. Today, that's a common idea, but in 1981 it was a new and challenging concept.

I think this idea grew from my experiences as a Game Master and organizer at the Detroit Gaming Center back in 1979-1983. There I saw every new game and idea shortly after publication and what the gamers thought about it. I kept hearing complaints about how they liked a particular setting, idea or game, but hated that every new game was different from the last. There were also debates, at that time, about whether or not different genres of adventure could be combined, i.e., science fiction and fantasy/magic. Today, that argument sounds silly, but back then, all the game settings were separate and distinct. In fact, for a long time, you only had D&D and Runequest representing fantasy and Traveller for sci-fi. A few years later, super-heroes would be introduced into role-playing by Champions, Villians & Vigilantes and the Marvel Superhero Game, but all remained individual settings and game systems. It seemed natural to me, that one set of rules could incorporate EVERY setting and genre, but that was crazy talk in the early days of RPGs.

Gamesradio: Which is the most demanding part of a game’s production?

Kevin Siembieda: That's a hard question, because each aspect of production has its own set of demands. Writing takes the longest and the greatest effort. It is certainly very demanding as well, but writing is also the most fun and creative part of game design, so I don't mind the demands it puts on me. I think I'd have to say, another demanding and not as fun job is doing editing and rewriting on another author's works. This is a tough job, especially when trying to preserve the author's ideas and intentions.

Gamesradio: Which is the most enjoyable part of a game's production?

Kevin Siembieda: Writing and art. I don't get to do much artwork these days, but when I do, it's wonderful. I think art will always be my first love, but I can't do everything at Palladium. Consequently, I hire many artists who are better than I am to do the bulk (99%) of the artwork.

Writing is my second love, a very close second love, I might add. For me, game design and writing go hand in hand, and I think of them as one and the same. They are the core of the creative process in creating role-playing games and the most fun. They are often the most demanding and time consuming, but definitely the most challenging, creative, fun and rewarding aspect of game design. Of course, game design and writing are two of my primary responsibilities at Palladium Books.

Gamesradio: Fast forward, 10 years from now, what will the RPG Industry be like?

Kevin Siembieda: Another great question, Kostas. In some ways, I think there may be big changes, yet at the same time, I think role-playing will remain very unique and very recognizable.

Without a doubt, role-playing games are moving into the electronic/videogame arena. There will be more and more online role-playing games, including pen and paper games that are translated into the videogame and computer mediums.

I also think you may see role-playing games follow the pattern of Collectible Card Games with RPGs run by big companies (maybe even the same card game companies) as regional and global tournament events with cash prices. In addition, I think there will be greater diversification of RPGs in the mainstream markets, with games designed for children used to educate as well as used for pure entertainment. This, in turn, will give traditional RPGs a new renaissance. I think the Golden Age of RPGs is yet to come as their style of gaming spreads into new and varied mediums and into popular culture.

Gamesradio: Any advice you'd like to give aspiring writers?

Kevin Siembieda: Yes. One, if this is what you love to do, keep at it. Don't give up. Learn from your mistakes and keep on writing. Don't let other people discourage you or convince you that you can't make a living at this. I've been living nicely writing role-playing games for 22 out of 25 years in the business. It's wonderful when your job is something you love to do. Sure it's tough getting to that point, and many never do, but that's true of every profession.

Two, develop a tough skin and accept constructive criticism. Analyze your work and the works of those you admire. Study them, learn from them, tear your own work apart in a quest to understand it better and perfect the craft. Don't let rejection and failure crush your spirit. See it as a challenge and a learning experience that makes you better than ever.

Three, trust your gut - your instincts. You know what you like as a fan, trust those feelings and build on them.

Four, keep at it. Write, write, write. The more you do it, the better you'll become, especially if you look at your writing with a critical eye. The day you think you have nothing else to learn is the day you become a hack. Keep improving your craft. Keep challenging yourself. Stay in love with what you do and don't give up.

Gamesradio: Any teasers you'd like to share with your fans for upcoming products from Palladium Books?

Kevin Siembieda: Wow, there is so much we have planned for 2007. I think we have one of the most exciting line-ups of new product that we've ever had. That's because we have some of the best new talent around.

The new Robotech RPG series is exciting for us. Unfortunately, our license is limited to the USA and Canada, so it will not be available in Europe or Asia, but we look forward to working on it.

The Minion War crossover series will be fun and different as we take the gamer from the pits of Hell across the Megaverse. The concept is simple and fun: the twin Hells of Hades and Dyval go to war with each other. A war that spills into the rest of the Megaverse with sourcebooks set on Phase World, Heroes Unlimited and Rifts Earth. This will be a five or six book series. The first four have already been written and are ready for publication. Dimension Book: Hades should see release in January 2007.

Rifts RPG books will continue to please and surprise fans as we plan to push the envelope and present places, settings and ideas never seen before in Rifts. I have one freelancer working on a pair of books for Rifts India, another is working on Rifts Triax 2, and we plan to cover other countries in Europe and around the world over the next three years. Many of these places have been transformed into alien landscapes both beautiful and terrifying.

Personally, I want to do much more with Beyond the Supernatural and I'm enjoying working with Jeffry Scott Hansen on Warpath: Urban Jungle, a gritty game of modern combat, secret wars, terrorism and heroism in the global community. I also plan to bring the Palladium Fantasy RPG back into prominence, go farther with Heroes Unlimited and unleash some settings and ideas that nobody has a clue are coming. Plus you'll see us experimenting with new formats, sizes and products for all our game lines. Palladium Books is returning to its roots as cutting edge and an industry leader. Actually, we've looked into and are considering every possibility: live action film, animated feature or television series, toys, miniature game, comic books, manga, novels, and more. The trick is finding the right development team and publishing/manufacturing partner to do the best job. This is much more difficult, time consuming and expensive than you might think.

Gamesradio: What is the progress of the Rifts® MMORPG?

Kevin Siembieda: I'm afraid right now it is stalled. Every time we think we have found a company that can do the job, something happens to kill the deal. The company goes out of business, fails to get the necessary financing, or experiences other problems that put an end to our hopes for a Rifts® online game. We're still looking for an established electronic game company who can make this dream a reality, but right now we are stalled. A pity, because we think Rifts® is the perfect vehicle for an epic and endless MMORPG with unlimited possibilities.

Gamesradio: A team of players has a chance to play a game G.M.ed by you. How would you present the Megaverse®?

Kevin Siembieda: Infinite possibilities for adventure. An endless Megaverse, where all worlds and realities exist and anything is possible. I'd ask them to tell me what type of experience they'd like to have and then pick a starting point: science fiction, fantasy, horror, superheroes, etc., and then narrow our focus to that setting. However, they'd know that the next alien world, a new dimension or a warped reality merging into our own could be around the corner or through the next door.

Kevin Siembieda: Hey Kostas, let me ask you a question. What changes do you see for the rpg industry 10 years from now? Are you excited about the next, 10 years or concerned?

Gamesradio: That is a difficult question to answer. I have been an avid fan of p&p rpgs for almost a decade now and I have had the chance to play many great games (including of course Heroes Unlimited and Rifts).

Unfortunately, I have to be pessimistic for the coming 10 years. I keep seeing excellent rpgs that reach the selves (such as dragonmech for example, an rpg set in a post apocalyptic world of steam and sorcery), that simply don't make the cut. Most of the rpgs are faced with denial from the gamers, who prefer to stick to certain titles, instead of trying something new. Some of them give up on rpgs altogether, choosing card gaming instead.

If you want my most sincere opinion, I believe that p&p rpgs must adapt to the new fad of MMORPGing that has led most people away from the typical taleweaving and take advantage of the new wave of fantasy that has affected gaming, literature and the movie industry.

Though I do not believe that p&p rpgs are faced with extinction, they could just as well recede into being a thing of obscurity and weirdness by the greatest part of the public, just like they were in the 80's, when role-players were faced with discrimination.

It is my firm belief that the new generation of p&p rpgs must be works made by fans for the fans, their content easily modifiable to the gamer's needs. Such a thing could be achieved, for example, by allowing gamers to actively participate in an upcoming supplement's theme and content, as well as by allowing them to publish adventures of their own in collective modules. Palladium has set up a pretty good example of the new generation and I believe that the other great companies should also take heed of that example.

Kevin Siembieda: Thank you for the wonderful interview, Kostas. It was fun. To you and everyone reading this, keep your imagination burning bright and game on.

Palladium Books®, Rifts® and all game titles are Trademarks or Registered Trademarks owned and licensed by Palladium Books Inc. © copyright Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc., all rights reserved, worldwide.