Brandon G. Osorio (used with permission)
As part of my continuing series of I-CON profiles, I interviewed Brandon Osorio, author and game designer for Dark Refuge Games.
MT: What would you say is your gaming specialty?
BGO: What is my gaming specialty, now that is an interesting question. I believe I provide an immersive gaming experience during my demonstration games. However my greatest strength has been in building cohesive and interesting fantasy worlds in both my novels and the games I have designed. At I-Con this year, I have been honored to be asked to speak on a variety of topics. The one I am most excited about is Independent Publishing. I look forward to sharing some of the experiences, challenges and successes I've had, with the newest generation of game designers and authors coming up in a challenging industry.
MT: Have you been to I-CON before?
BGO: The Dark Refuge Team and I have been demonstrating new products for many years at I-Con.
MT: Are you unveiling anything new at I-CON this year?
BGO: Yes, the Dark Refuge Team and I will be running events connected to the release of our EEF Military Gaming Sourcebook, our Border Wars:Aftermath Campaign Expansion, and Nightmare Lord & the Infamous Group 2 novel. Our fantastic artist Justin Fishman will also be at our events to sign artwork and sketches. One exciting thing I'd like to share with you about our Border Wars:Aftermath Campaign Expansion, is that it is composed of many player-grown and player-submitted factions and kingdoms. During 2008, the Dark Refuge Team and I ran an online correspondence game taking place in our Northern Kingdoms of Refuge setting. By the end of the 52 week game, we had hundreds of gaming groups from around the U.S. involved. Their actions changed the face of this campaign setting. We at Dark Refuge Games are really proud to be able to show off the level of player interactivity and personal customization that our products encourage.
MT: I-CON has a very varied audience, including sci-fi fans, hard science fans, anime fans, movie fans, gaming fans and more. What audience will find your work most appealing?
BGO: I think that our products are really quite firmly aimed at sci-fi fans and gaming fans. While hard science fans will appreciate the time and effort we put into our research, it is gaming fans who are going to really enjoy and appreciate the fast paced magic and combat systems we've developed. Our products are approachable for newbie gamers and advanced gamers alike, allowing exceptional customization while retaining unique and original background worlds and a deeply layered mythology all its own.
MT: Is there any event at the con that you are particularly interested in seeing yourself?
BGO: I look forward to many of the panels that I-Con will be holding. I am really excited that I-Con was able to secure Charisma Carpenter of Buffy fame, and the prodigious actor Tony Todd. Its going to be a great convention.
MT: Where can we find you at I-CON? What's your schedule?
BGO: Saturday March 27 at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Sunday March 28 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. the Dark Refuge Team and I will be demonstrating some of the most exciting sci-fi gaming available (see I-Con official schedule for Room Numbers). All are invited and welcome, we love new players and look forward to seeing you there.
MT: What other conventions will you be attending?
BGO: We will be attending quite a few conventions this year. If you'd like to see our convention schedule, its usually a good idea to check our website at www.darkrefuge.net
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