Burden of Command - Interview

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Rock Paper Shotgun interviewed Luke Hughes - the project leader of the leadership RPG Burden of Command:

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The Flare Path: Emotionally Authentic

Because Luke Hughes has a master's degree in neurophysiology and psychology from Oxford, and uses terms like "emotional authenticity" when talking about his upcoming "leadership RPG" Burden of Command, I reached for my little tin of Big Questions when preparing today's interview. Amongst the sensitive subjects discussed below: the glorification of war through video games, swearing on virtual battlefields, and why players of XCOM resemble seagulls.

RPS: How are you hoping to achieve "emotional authenticity" in Burden of Command?

Luke: By making it first and foremost a human experience rather than a tactics and strategy experience. Thanks primarily to permadeath, death has real significance in Burden of Command.

Permadeath matters not just because your player character might die but because as a leader you have to think about your NPC lieutenants and enlisted men's deaths. You will have to consciously send men you've grown to like and respect into harm's way. If they don't come back, you can't just reload and bring them back. Time and again vets on the team, including ones with combat tours behind them, have emphasized the importance of this aspect of command. What we call Men versus the Mission. This War of Mine, Darkest Dungeon, XCOM and of course more traditional roguelikes have employed this mechanic, but here we use it to make you think about the virtual lives you hold in your hands, not just your own.
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