Interview with Brett Seymour - Attacktix Designer

JoeAttacktix has secured an interview with the newest member of the Hasbro Attacktix team! I will let him introduce himself, but many of you already know him.

Brett: Hey, my name is Brett Seymour. I'm a freelance game designer and I'm currently working on the Attacktix Battle Figure game for Hasbro.

Joe: Is that the same Brett AKA Webhead817?

Brett: Yep. Most people probably know me by my web handle. I was a mod/admin for HCRealms, the HeroClix fansite, and some other related sites for a number years.

Joe: What can you tell us about yourself, your role with Attacktix and your experience in the gaming industry?

Brett: Before working on Attacktix I was a playtester for WizKids on their HeroClix and Pirates games, as well as a playtester for UDE's VS. trading card game. My part of the Attacktix game is working on the game text... special powers and effects. Depending on the set, I also work on the character classes, point costs, speed... all of the different parts of the printed portion of the game.

Joe: OK, so a loaded question. Of all the games you have worked on, which do you enjoy playing the most?

Brett: Ha. Well, Attacktix holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, so I'll just give the curveball answer. Attacktix is the one tabletop game that my wife will play as well, and she really likes it, so that alone makes it number one in my book.

Joe: How does the process work, from concept to finished figure? How do the figures change from paper to the real thing?

Brett: Well, it's basically a secret recipe with 18 secret herbs and spices. Realistically... my part is all handled on spreadsheets. I get a list of names, I fill in the blanks and send it back. Of course, it's not a single pass and it's done. I think the first set I worked on (Marvel), the final copy was revision eight or nine, each revision representing a major overhaul of some kind. Meanwhile, someone else is working on concept drawings and sculpting... or what I like to call the cool stuff. I think in most cases, the finished product is VERY similar to the original ideas.

Joe: What has been your favorite FIGURE to design?

Brett: I think my favorite figure to work on so far has also been the most difficult: the new Yoda. He and another character have very unique effects, and it took me about a week to come up with the underlying mechanic or idea that made them "work". But the funny thing is, even the most basic trooper style characters can be challenging to get right.

Joe: A new Yoda, with a unique effect, I can't wait to see that! What has been your favorite new power?

Brett: Well, I can't get into specifics of course, but I'm really excited about the new ways of using the back-ups and defeated areas as resources in the game. New powers and effects will really change the way you look at the various "zones" a figure can be in at any point during a contest.

Joe: It sounds like you are making some interesting changes for the game, will this make it any more complicated for the younger Attacktix players?

Brett: I don't think so. The game is still "move everyone, attack twice", this simplicity is one of the games strongest suits. Attacktix also benefits from having all of the powers and effects "unloaded" from their keywords. What I mean is, everything is always spelled out on the figure, every time. You never have to memorize the difference between Rally and Recruit, because every figure tells you exactly what to do. The keywords just become shorthand for when you do have everything memorized. So, every new keyword will still come with the actual instructions printed on each figures base or what have you.

Joe: Any clues as to what to expect for Marvel, what is going stun us with the new figures, or effects? We did see three figures with "special" bases at SDCC.

Brett: The current sets, Star Wars 4 and Transformers, have a lot of new physical components... the flyers, the different types of attacks, but no effects and just a couple of new powers. Marvel will be bringing back effects in a big way... new effects will have "keywords" just like the powers do, so you can see variations of new effects going forward as well. Marvel will also introduce a handful of new powers, as will each new set for the forseeable future.

Joe: Very nice, named effects will eliminate the confusion of the Luke and Han Stormtroopers. If you look into the future can you tell us how many UNIVERSES and series you can see?

Brett: Well, heh, I can imagine quite a few! As was said at SDCC... Marvel is not likely the last new line for the game. Those decisions are made far away from me... however, I can say that I think the game lends itself to virtually any property or genre... and I have a very broad area of personal interests. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm interested in working on any new Universe we can open the game up to.

Joe: Do you have anything else you would you like to tell us, anything we didn't cover?

Brett: Hmm. Yes, I do. I know that every character, no matter how obscure, is someone's favorite. I try to take that to heart when I'm looking at each figure... and treat it like that figure is MY favorite, too, when I'm working on it. I hope that shows through because, ultimately, that's my goal.

Joe: Thanks for your time, and I guess this explains why you haven't released your second set of Attacktix Cards :)

Brett Seymour is a member of the Attacktix Forum and will be more than pleased to see your support. However, please keep in mind he is not allowed to discuss future sets and powers, and he is forbidden from accepting ideas and concepts for new figures. Any news Brett may release can be found here, or on his own website, Web of Webhead. Check it out today!