Exclusive interview with Joey McGuire of This is Not a Test
Fallout/Gamma World meets Necromunda
This is Not a Test (TNT) debuted in 2015 and is one of my all-time favourite tabletop wargames. So when I heard the creator of the ruleset, Joey McGuire, teamed up with Black Site Studios to launch a second edition I was overjoyed and had to learn more.
Fortunately, Joey responded to my message and agreed to chat!
Word Tweak in conversation with Joey McGuire
Q: Congratulations on creating a second edition of This is Not a Test with Black Site Studios. What can you say about this partnership and the overall experience?
A: Honestly, it's been great. I have known Ben from Black Site for over a decade and I was introduced to his business partner Connor a few years after that. Both are solid dudes with real enthusiasm for our industry.
They have been supportive when I need it and hands off when I don't. It is a bit weird partnering up with someone though. Since we are friends first, I really don't want to fail them.
So, everyone, go buy a book or three!
And just to be clear as I get asked this a lot: Black Site does not own TNT. They licensed the rights to publish the second edition with my full input. Basically, I supply the rules, they do nearly everything else.
Q: How would you describe TNT to someone who has never played it?
A: I consider it a tabletop adventure skirmish game.
It's part miniatures game, part RPG campaign. Instead of a single character, you lead a whole warband of wastelanders into danger and glory.
The fun of the game is focused on having cinematic moments with your models, rather than on ‘winning’ the game. For those familiar with miniatures games, its vibe is Fallout/Gamma World meets Necromunda, though it draws a lot of inspiration from other sources as well.
My first love was the warband skirmish games from the 1990s and this is my love letter to those games.
Q: Was it a daunting task to revisit the core rules?
A: Oh yes. I mean the old TNT was a great game, but there is always room for improvement. Plus, the game is like 200 pages long and almost every portion got a rework of some kind.
It was a lot of work.
My writing style is very messy. I often have no idea where to start from and I just start in the middle and work my way either backwards or forwards.
Rulesets are like machines, tinkering with one part can mess up a later part, so there is a lot of back and forth trying to catch all the parts you break by messing around.
Q: Did anything surprise you during the playtesting phase of this edition?
A: I would say the strong feelings the playtesters had about flamers and the poison rule. I changed those rules quite a bit and ended up reverting to first edition. People can be very passionate about things.
Q: The community support from what I've observed has been overwhelmingly positive. Has this helped make a more refined and fun game?
A: Yes. TNT does not have the largest audience (yet) but what fans we have are very passionate. This helped us have a larger portion of playtesters, leading to a better game, and frankly it keeps me motivated when people say nice things about my work. Vibing with your fans is a great positive feedback loop.
Q: I know from my own experience that assault rifles, for example, were maybe a little too powerful which impacted the effectiveness of melee fighters. It looks like this has been addressed in the update?
A: Oh yes. Under the old rules, assault rifles were practically an auto take. I, with a lot of feedback from the playtesters, tweaked quite a few things to remedy this.
First, we made better tactical alternatives. Melee is deadlier, so guns don’t have to first choice anymore, the other weapon options are better, giving more choice, and I did raise the cost of assault rifles by a few points.
Q: What else has seen a shake-up?
A: The biggest change is that the game now rewards going on the offensive.
Under the old game, if two players rolled a tied result, in close combat for example, the defender would win. This kept the defender safe, but that could lead to uninteresting outcomes. It’s a wargame, cool stuff should happen. Now ties go to the attacker. I cannot undersell what a change this has made to the game. It’s a wargame after all, players should not be shy with their toys. A model dying is much more interesting than a model living.
Q: In addition to simple head-to-head skirmishes, TNT also allows for nuanced campaigns where warbands gain experience, acquire better equipment and encounter baddies and strange phenomena in the wasteland. Can we expect to see more of the same with the new edition?
A: Yes, the campaign rules are mostly intact and as you said are core to the TNT experience.
I tweaked the critter tables to make certain common creatures show up more. For instance, the humble giant rat was sadly excluded from the charts, but they are there now. The biggest change here is the addition of five more scenarios, for a total of 10. This should give warbands plenty to do as I work on future supplements.
Q: The miniatures that have been designed for this release are immaculate. I love the caravanners – particularly the guy with the monitor for a helmet. Did you have a say in any of the sculpts?
A: Yes and no. I sell my own miniatures, so I wanted any Black Site offerings to complement my ranges, not replace them. So, we made sure that any new warbands would be different.
For instance, my original peacekeeper models were based on the Maryland State Troopers, where the new Black Site ones are more city beat cops. Ben really knocked it out of the park with those caravanners. Everyone loves ‘TV Head’. But I think I am most partial to the mutants.
Q: Is TNT still mini agnostic?
A: Absolutely. But I will say that the new book will have mostly miniatures from Black Site and my own ranges. Between us we make enough variety of miniatures to cover most of the available options.
Q: What are you most excited about regarding the upcoming release of TNT second edition?
A: Speaking for myself, the new add-on items Ben created. The Wasteland Deck is an actual deck you can draw from instead of a generic deck of cards. The awesome tokens packs. Plus, the amazing terrain, with my absolute favorite the Biscuit Box set. Chef’s kiss on that one.
Q: Can you recommend any social media groups for international players (like Australians) to share their TNT battle reports?
A: The main one is the TNT Facebook group. There is also a TNT Discord over in the Black Site Studios Discord.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to mention?
A: I think we covered the basics. Thanks for letting me ramble. I hope everyone buys a book or two. Your support is really important and appreciated.
You heard Joey – buy multiple copies of TNT today!
But wait, there’s more!
TNT second edition is due to drop next year. If you’re keen for more information Black Site Studios also recently published a two-part interview series with Joey on YouTube.
Thanks for reading
See you soon in the wasteland.