“Roswell – The Reawakening” Q&A
In August, Bradley created the new Roswell RPG community “Roswell – The Reawakening” and invited fans to join the fun. The group just started writing and if you are as curious as I am about this awesome idea to keep “Roswell” alive, don’t hesitate and read the first part of the Q&A with the creator himself.
It was supposed to be a short question and answer session, but I apparently didn’t manage to skimp. If you’re interested in getting involved with the story, read on and find out how you can still join!
Thank you for your creativity, Bradley and your time to bring the Roswell RPG idea closer to us.
“I would like to say a BIG “Thank You” to Lena for helping to get the word out about the new “Roswell: The Reawakening RPG”. It’s been great to know that so many other fans out there are interested in advancing the Roswell universe with us.”
Q: Are you a Roswell Fan from the very beginning?
I can remember the very first time I heard of Roswell. I was in 11th grade and I saw an ad for the first season on TV for the show and it instantly caught my attention. I then went online to research the show and discovered the books. I started reading the books and watching the show and I fell completely in love with it. I followed the show during the 3 years it was on the air. I had to stay up really late to watch it as well. And I still have a VHS tape with some episodes on it. I’ve also got seasons 1 and 2 on DVD and plan on getting season 3 soon so my collection will be complete. Roswell was seriously 3 of the best years of my life. And I’ve been a fan ever since.
Q: It is clearly unique that there’s a very loyal and active fan base even so many years after the show went off the air and it’s great to see this new project, which you brought to life. When did you have the idea to develop a new Roswell roleplay game?
I had the idea to develop the RPG after desperately trying to reboot some other RPGs that I’ve been involved in over the last couple of years. As most of the RPGs I write for have involved characters with special abilities the thought of doing a Roswell RPG was a no-brainer.
So a few weeks ago on a cold, late night I ended up writing the full backstory for the RPG and all the relevant information and the next day I started writing the biographies for the characters…and thus the Roswell RPG was born.
Q: Could you please explain the roleplaying game concept to fans who have never done it?
Roleplaying games can take many different forms, depending on what website or community you visit. The Roswell RPG that I created has followed the basic concept of collaborative-writing, where the members of the group create characters for the story and then everyone adds their piece to the literature-based puzzle. It’s been a great way to meet like-minded people, as well as developing my writing skills.
Q: Did you play Roswell related RPG’s before?
The very first time I ever joined an RPG was in 2004 and it happened to be a Roswell RPG. The story contained a bunch of new, original characters, one of which I created. I was instantly drawn to the way they did things as I’ve always been a dreamer and futurist, always looking towards the future and thinking of what could happen in years to come. That first Roswell RPG sparked my own idea for a Roswell-based RPG which had a successful 2 year run before everyone dropped off the map and the story died. I’ve always disliked when that happens. But it always opens up new opportunities for new stories to be birthed.
Q: Do you remember any great storyline/scene/../ in a RPG, which you and the players wrote during the original run of “Roswell”, that you wished would have happened in the series?
In the RPGs that I was apart of the majority of them focused on completely new characters not related to the original cast, or we focused on the children of the Pod Squad.
And I guess if anything was to happen in the series, I would’ve loved to see a concept like mine developed, where the next generation of alien-hybrids came into the fold.
Q: Which role did you play then and which character(s) are you playing now?
As I have always been a lover of Max and Liz I was usually the one who would play a son of theirs, which I would create. And it’s been no different now. Except this time (while we wait for more people to join and take on characters), I’m writing for all four of the Evans kids, which can be challenging at times, but also rewarding.
Q: Which characters are still available? If fans would like to join you now, what do they have to do?
The characters that are available are as follows:
The kids: Alysia Evans, Maiya Evans, Damon Guerin, Rylee Guerin, Tyler Guerin, Davinia Valenti, Isaac Valenti
As for the original Pod Squad I have made them available to whoever is writing for their children. Cause even though the story will eventually revolve around the next generation, I (and the moderators) would still love the original cast to be involved.
If fans would like to get involved with the story (which has begun & is in the early stages), they can go to this link:
groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/roswell-reawakening/info
All they have to do is create a Yahoo account if they don’t already have one. Once they’ve joined they’ll receive a personal message from me and then they can join in the fun.
Q: A well-played role playing game is a lot of work. How long does it take to write and add a new part to the story?
Writing for an RPG like this really depends on the person. For myself and one of the moderators, we post at least every second day. Others may take a little bit longer. But it works out best if everyone could post at least once a week. Think of it as a rotating roster, after one person posts for their character, whoever has a character in that same scene or near the location of that scene would post next. And so on and so forth….I really hope that make sense LOL.
Q: Do you have any special guidelines or rules the players have to follow?
All the guidelines and general information about the Roswell RPG are contained in a small collection of files that get sent out to every new member who joins the group. And it is vitally important that they read through those documents, as they explain how the game/story works, as well as the general rules and character information.
Q: Did you keep the past of the original show? I know that in some RPG’s, the death of Alex Whitman, in the second season of Roswell, was denied. Did you change anything in the history of the series for “Roswell – The Reawakening”?
In relation to the show, I kept everything as it was, for the sake on continuity. Alex’s death, Isabel’ marriage, Tess’ return I decided to keep it all. Most of those details are scattered through the bios of the Pod Squad. Yet some details aren’t mentioned as I assumed that some or most people would know the general story of the show. But if there’s any information that I missed, other fans are more than welcome to remind me of it and I’ill fit it into the story.
Q: The story is settled 25 years after Liz, Max, Isabel, Kyle, Michael and Maria left “Roswell”. The description reads “Since the Pod Squad left their beloved town of Roswell after graduation a lot has happened along the way. They have moved from place to place, traveling the backboards of America to find a somewhere they could call home. Along the way they encountered many dangers, yet they also experienced many glorious occasions and surprises as well. And this has all be in the interest of staying alive, staying safe and staying together.” Will you tell what happened in the years between “Graduation” and the beginning of the role play?
I’ll try to condense it all for the sake of this Q & A.
After “Graduation” the Pod Squad left Roswell and hit the open road. Along the way Max and Liz got married and Michael and Maria followed soon after. During the many battles and triumphs Kyle and Isabel developed a relationship just as Kyle was coming into his own unique abilities. They got married soon after that.
The rest of their time was spent running from the government, who was still after them, as well as using their powers to save and rescue people and towns from destruction. They managed to stay under the radar for a while and went back to Roswell so Max could bring Zan back into his life. A few years after that Liz, Maria and Isabel gave birth to each of their respective children.
In the years that followed the eldest children of the pack were forced to endure the battles their families faced as they sought for a place to call home. Eventually the families agreed that splitting up would be the best thing for their safety and agreed to have a reunion in Roswell every two years. And since that day and a few children later the Pod Squad has held true to that tradition.
The story picks up years later on the eve of another reunion, when everyone is a lot older.
Related News:
New RPG: Roswell – The Reawakening, August 13th, 2013