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Meet Zach Rishling Author and Game Designer Enjoy a fantasy world, where magic and science meet to tease your imagination. Delve into the world of...The Branded! Email: z.rishling@gmail.com Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/2VqHpQFHW9 An interview by Andreas Gross Pictures provided by Zach Rishling Date of Interview: 3/25/2021 Last Updated: 5/6/2021  Hi Zach, thank you very much for availing yourself of this interview. We’re excited to get to know you a little more and take a peek inside the life and mind of a creative author and game creator laying his foundation in the world. Let’s go ahead and start off with some general background, shall we? I know you and I have at least one thing in common – we are both from the Inland Northwest (that’s the Northwestern U.S. I’m talking about, for our international readers) but spent a significant amount of our childhoods overseas. Tell us some more, please, Zach. Ah yes, the Inland Northwest, or at least that’s where I am living now. And yes, like you have mentioned, Andreas, I grew up around the world. My parents both worked for the government, so I was exposed to dozens of different cultures as I matured. Eventually, I realized that I really liked fantasy games and novels. I had friends in Finland who were of like mind, so I decided to be a Game Master for them. For the past 12 years I have been constructing a tabletop role playing game from the ground up. Everything from story, rules, and world design have come from months of writing and developing. The novel I have recently published is a small part of this game world. My players wanted more info about the characters, so I gave them a novel! As I was writing this novel, I began creating various rule books and other supplementary written materials for my game as well, making sure to pack all the books full of plenty of art and visuals; although I am currently having trouble figuring out how to publish and sell the rule books. It has been difficult to make defining decisions along the way, as I am the only one working on all these projects. As the sole proprietor of Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises, I hear you loud and clear on the challenges of running a one-man-show, Zach! When it’s just you laying out the plans and calling the shots, it can really push your own inner limits some times. But, you’ve come this far, and that’s definitely reason to celebrate! We’re excited to hear about the specifics of your novel and game – so don’t be shy, tell us more about them! Sure thing! Both the novel – book one of The Branded series: The Uprising – and my game are set in the world of The Branded. It's a primitive world of fantasy, magic, and factions that have super advanced technology, too. The struggle for power is ever present, as the bad actors seek to manipulate everything to their favor. The novel is set 400 years before the players can begin their games. So, when the players begin, they are thrust into a world with thousands of years of history, dungeons, gods, exotic cities, and puzzles to explore. The game is designed for adults who enjoy letting their imaginations take control. The game itself has sandbox-style play. This means that I have enough content for players to do absolutely anything they could want to do. From dangerous exploration, to idly chatting with the people of The Branded world, there is a whole wide world to explore. The novel mostly takes place in the city of Unity, where the players of the game would also spend most of their time before venturing into the dangerous world around them. This is all very awesome to hear, Zach. Wow! What a creative mind! You have, essentially, created your own world and are offering people a chance to jump in and experience it! You’ve alluded to some of the challenges of decision making, and I’m sure there are other challenges that come with your creative writing and design endeavors. Other than the decision making, what aspect of writing and design present the greatest challenge to you? Finding the right mood to sit down and focus. When I get into the zone, I can write and create for hours. But if I can't get into the ‘zone,’ it's just impossible to write anything worth reading. As such, my biggest challenge has always been self-discipline and manipulation of my own psyche. And what about the most rewarding aspect? Without a doubt, seeing the eagerness of my fans. The way they light up and discuss their adventures or the way they focus intently on a subject that I rarely speak or write about. I definitely believe my world to be intriguing, and I really am grateful that many people I know think so as well.  Let’s see, Zach, just to make sure the readers and I have got everything straight: you’ve been developing the magical and mysterious fantasy world of The Branded for 12 years now, and now you have a tabletop role playing game (RPG) that allows players “access” to this world, if you will, and a book called The Uprising, the first book in The Branded series, where players and readers can get a glimpse into (some of) the history of The Branded world – with other books in the series slated to come out in the future. Did I catch the gist of it? Yes, you did, Andreas. Also, as I mentioned previously, I have an unpublished rule book of my RPG and other various unpublished supplemental books about it which came about as I was writing The Uprising. I am currently play-testing the game for free. I am accepting new players all the time and encourage anyone interested to reach out if they would like to give it a try! Fantastic, Zach! And just how can people who are interested in your world of The Branded get in touch with you to buy your book and game? As mentioned, the game is currently in the play-testing stage at this moment – it’s not yet available for sale on the commercial market. For those interested in play-testing, I offer both in-person and online avenues for that. I have plans to host sessions via my Discord channel and record them for YouTube. That way, I can eventually have a live audience. But those plans are in the distant future. The Discord channel is a great way to ask players and fans what they think of my game and novel, rather than taking it all on a leap of faith. My novel, The Uprising, just recently [as of the date of publication of this interview] came in from the printer and is available for purchase directly from me. Furthermore, I would like to note that I am currently working on the next books in The Branded series now. My email is z.rishling@gmail.com and my Discord channel is https://discord.gg/2VqHpQFHW9. Please reach out to me if you are interested in buying the book and/or play-testing the game!
And remember, you read about it all on Biz Opp Empire - promoting ideas, inspiration, and opportunity within the realm of small business, freelance, and entrepreneurship!
-Andreas Owner and Operator of Biz Opp Empire, a website by Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises
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WARNING: THERE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS ON THIS WEBSITE! YES, ANDREAS PHILIP GROSS ENTERPRISES LLC MAKES MONEY THROUGH THIS WEBSITE THROUGH BOTH AFFILIATE SALES AND DIRECT OFFERINGS. CONTINUE READING THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT TO FIND OUT MORE!
The terms "the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website," "the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC site," "this website," "the website," "this site, "the site," "this website you are currently browsing," or "the website you are currently browsing" refer to the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website found at this URL: www.apg-enterprises.com, built on Weebly by Square, Inc's. website builder platform, and established, owned, and operated by Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC.
The legal entities you have the potential to - and probably will - interact, transact, do business with, or otherwise come across and deal with in one way or another while using this site include:
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- Zazzle, Inc.: the marketplace platform Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC has an affiliate marketing relationship with. You will see affiliate links to products for sale on Zazzle in the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC Store on this website you are currently browsing and possibly in other places throughout the site. If you click on any of these affiliate links you will be directed to an outside site (www.zazzle.com) for purchase. For more about Zazzle, Inc., its company, how it works, what it sells, its privacy policy, and terms of service, visit www.zazzle.com for more information.
Zazzle, Inc. is its own sovereign company with whom Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC has a non-employee affiliate relationship with, Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC as an independent 3rd party contractor with Zazzle, Inc. Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC does not make or set any of Zazzle, Inc's. company terms, policies, operating procedures, rules, or governing agreements. Such terms, policies, operating procedures, rules, and governing agreements are made by Zazzle, Inc. itself.
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WHEN YOU USE THIS WEBSITE, ANDREAS PHILIP GROSS ENTERPRISES LLC, THE WEBSITE ITSELF, BUILT ON WEEBLY BY SQUARE INC'S. WEBSITE BUILDER PLATFORM, COLLECTS USER INFORMATION FROM END-USERS - THAT'S YOU, THE PERSON BROWSING THIS WEBSITE RIGHT NOW :). WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. REFERS TO THIS INFORMATION AS "Your Customers' Data," AND WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. COLLECTS THIS INFORMATION IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
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When you make any payment to Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC directly through the site, Weebly by Square, Inc. collects information about when and where the transaction(s) occur(s), the names of the transacting parties as entered, a description of the transactions which may include item-level data, the payment or transfer amounts, billing and shipping information, and the device(s) and payment methods used to complete the transactions.
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● Any Other Information You Voluntarily Provide:
This includes any and all information that you voluntarily provide or otherwise input into Square, Inc’s. systems (for the purposes of our discussion here covering the usage of this website, this means any information that you directly enter on the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website) including survey responses; participation in contests, promotions, or other prospective seller marketing forms or devices; suggestions for improvements; or any other actions performed when you interact with the website Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC.
WARNING: THERE ARE AFFILIATE LINKS ON THIS WEBSITE! YES, ANDREAS PHILIP GROSS ENTERPRISES LLC MAKES MONEY THROUGH THIS WEBSITE THROUGH BOTH AFFILIATE SALES AND DIRECT OFFERINGS. CONTINUE READING THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT TO FIND OUT MORE!
The terms "the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website," "the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC site," "this website," "the website," "this site, "the site," "this website you are currently browsing," or "the website you are currently browsing" refer to the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website found at this URL: www.apg-enterprises.com, built on Weebly by Square, Inc's. website builder platform, and established, owned, and operated by Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC.
The legal entities you have the potential to - and probably will - interact, transact, do business with, or otherwise come across and deal with in one way or another while using this site include:
- Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC
- Zazzle, Inc.: the marketplace platform Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC has an affiliate marketing relationship with. You will see affiliate links to products for sale on Zazzle in the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC Store on this website you are currently browsing and possibly in other places throughout the site. If you click on any of these affiliate links you will be directed to an outside site (www.zazzle.com) for purchase. For more about Zazzle, Inc., its company, how it works, what it sells, its privacy policy, and terms of service, visit www.zazzle.com for more information.
Zazzle, Inc. is its own sovereign company with whom Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC has a non-employee affiliate relationship with, Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC as an independent 3rd party contractor with Zazzle, Inc. Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC does not make or set any of Zazzle, Inc's. company terms, policies, operating procedures, rules, or governing agreements. Such terms, policies, operating procedures, rules, and governing agreements are made by Zazzle, Inc. itself.
- Weebly by Square, Inc. (formerly Weebly, Inc.; acquired by Square, Inc. in May of 2018): the website builder platform on which this website is built. To find out more about Weebly by Square, Inc., how it works, what the company does, and its privacy policy and terms of service, visit www.weebly.com for more information. Square, Inc. is its own sovereign company with whom Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC has an end-user consumer relationship in its role as an web interface to the public as the website - the "face" - of Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC. Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC uses Weebly by Square, Inc's. services to build, maintain, and host this website. Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC does not make or set any of Weebly by Square, Inc's. company terms, policies, operating procedures, rules, or governing agreements. Such terms, policies, operating procedures, rules, and governing agreements are made by Square, Inc. itself.
- Your own Internet Service Provider, data plan, managed group network, or other service by which you connect to the Internet to view and browse this site: you will have to connect to the Internet to view and browse this website. With regards to viewing, browsing, and otherwise using and interacting with this website, you are 100% solely responsible for your own connection to the Internet and knowing who is providing the connection to the Internet that you are using. Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC has no say, part, or other responsibility regarding how, when, or what service you use to connect to the Internet to view, browse, and otherwise engage with this website.
ANDREAS PHILIP GROSS ENTERPRISES LLC, DOES NOT SELL YOUR DATA, GIVE IT AWAY TO 3RD PARTIES UNAFFILIATED WITH THE DIRECT OPERATIONS OF SQUARE, INC. WITHOUT YOUR EXPLICIT CONSENT, OR USE IT FOR MARKETING PURPOSES. IF YOU DO ENTER ANY TYPE OF INFORMATION ON THIS SITE, HOWEVER, WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC., THE PLATFORM ON WHICH THIS WEBSITE IS BUILT, WILL TAKE REASONABLE MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD YOUR DATA. THIS INCLUDES ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS, TO PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION FROM LOSS, THEFT, AND MISUSE, AND UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, DISCLOUSURE, ALTERATION, AND DESTRUCTION. NEVERTHELESS, THE INTERNET IS NOT A 100% SECURE ENVIRONMENT, AND WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. CANNOT GUARANTEE ABSOLUTE SECURITY OF THE TRANSMISSION OR STORAGE OF YOUR INFORMATION. WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. HOLDS INFORMATION ABOUT YOU ON ITS OWN PREMISES AND ALSO USES THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS.
WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. MAY USE THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS TO PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND OTHER COUNTRIES.
WHEN YOU USE THIS WEBSITE, ANDREAS PHILIP GROSS ENTERPRISES LLC, THE WEBSITE ITSELF, BUILT ON WEEBLY BY SQUARE INC'S. WEBSITE BUILDER PLATFORM, COLLECTS USER INFORMATION FROM END-USERS - THAT'S YOU, THE PERSON BROWSING THIS WEBSITE RIGHT NOW :). WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. REFERS TO THIS INFORMATION AS "Your Customers' Data," AND WEEBLY BY SQUARE, INC. COLLECTS THIS INFORMATION IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
● Device Information:
Information about your device, including hardware model, operating system and version, device name, unique device identifier, mobile network information, and information about the device’s interaction with Weebly by Square, Inc's. Services.
● Identification Information:
Your name; email address; mailing address; phone number; or other historical, and contact information, if you enter it anywhere on the site Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC for any reason.
● Location Information:
The location of your device if you pay for anything on the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website using Apple or Android Pay.
● Transaction Information:
When you make any payment to Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC directly through the site, Weebly by Square, Inc. collects information about when and where the transaction(s) occur(s), the names of the transacting parties as entered, a description of the transactions which may include item-level data, the payment or transfer amounts, billing and shipping information, and the device(s) and payment methods used to complete the transactions.
● Use Information:
Information about how you interact with the site, including access time, “log-in” and “log-out” information, browser type and language, country and language setting on your device, IP address, the domain name of your internet service provider, other attributes about your browser, mobile device and operating system, features you use on the site, and the date and time of use of the Services.
● Any Other Information You Voluntarily Provide:
This includes any and all information that you voluntarily provide or otherwise input into Square, Inc’s. systems (for the purposes of our discussion here covering the usage of this website, this means any information that you directly enter on the Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC website) including survey responses; participation in contests, promotions, or other prospective seller marketing forms or devices; suggestions for improvements; or any other actions performed when you interact with the website Andreas Philip Gross Enterprises LLC.
A FULL PRIVACY POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE PAGE IS COMING SOON!