An update to an older post, covering some common questions that get asked once in a while.
Who are you exactly?
My name is Ivan, I am in my early 40s, I was born and grew up in Denmark and live in the United States currently. At this point I have spent about half my life in each place and depending on which day of the week I feel like one, both or neither.
What is your day job?
Nordic Weasel Games is my day job and pays for my rent, car and other things. It has been so for quite a few years.
Are you / do you believe in / do you support X ?
These days I do not tend to discuss politics with people I am not friends with.
If you understand Danish politics, I voted SF before I moved.
What is your opinion on X hobby/industry topic?
I do not generally comment on hobby drama or personality clashes.
Do you do x social media platform?
Probably not. I try out things now and again but I tend to find the experience aggravating and unpleasant.
I do post on the Five Parsecs and Five Leagues Facebook groups since that is where the majority of fans seem to contribute these days and even I must go with the flow of progress.
What do you play personally?
A bit of everything when I get the chance. I often play games made by other people when playing recreationally, since it helps me to not be in "work brain" mode all the time. I also like to try different games.
With a couple of exceptions I tend not to like games that require purchasing a specific range of figures so I prefer more generic science fiction games.
These days most of my miniatures gaming is historical with WW1 and WW2 being the primary topics. I also enjoy hex-and-counter wargames and do a lot of roleplaying. I don't really play CCG's any longer though I do enjoy the format.
Are you part of OSR/Oldhammer/some other movement?
Not generally though I have dabbled in all kinds of things over the years.
What scales of miniatures do you collect?
15mm and 1/72 are the primary ranges.
I have some smaller piles of other stuff but I try to avoid accumulating too much stuff.
Is it true you write for 15mm first?
I usually test games in 15mm or 1/72 scale first. It happens that the distances I like in those scales also tend to match up with common ranges and movement rates for 28mm games, so it works out just fine.
What happened to X product?
Some game lines just don't catch on and I can't justify spending time on them. Other games I did everything I wanted to and the game is finished as far as I figure it. Sometimes I just simply don't have the time to do more with it.
Specifically regarding Trench Storm and FAD the rights were sold off.
Why do some betas not get a full release?
This usually happens if there wasn't enough interest or because in hindsight the system was too fiddly or not very fun to play. Some games saw a hundred or more downloads during the beta and not a single comment on them, which is a good sign that the idea needs more work.
Why aren't you doing X obvious thing?
It may be because I am not super interested in the topic (superheroes), I need to do more research first (naval combat) or it is a really good idea but I haven't had the time for it yet.
If the idea is one that requires significant upfront money or a high chance of getting stock with unsold items, I am 1000% less likely to be interested.
Is there some secret logic behind what projects you do?
It has to be something I am interested in personally. It needs to not be overdone in the market (usually) and I need to have an idea of how to put my own spin on it. It also needs to be something that I think somebody will pay money for.
Is it FiveCore or 5Core?
Both get used online. I prefer FiveCore.
I want to write games, what advice do you have?
Write a lot. Build up a back catalogue. Every project will encounter "The Suck": Learn to power through it. Stay out of internet drama. Treat every person with kindness. Don't pursue internet trends.
What things will you never do, so we should stop asking?
Anything to do with the OSR or D&D stuff in general.
Any edgelord stuff.
What are your favorite bands of all time?
Bolt Thrower and Blind Guardian.
What are your favorite movies of all time?
Aliens, Shawshank Redemption, Pretty Woman.
What are your favorite authors of all time?
Michael Moorcock, Mercedes Lackey, Jack Vance.