Howdy folks!
Today we're going to talk about some things that have been brought up over the last few weeks on Game Day, and how we've decided these things should be dealt with. Honestly these could have been broken up into two articles, but since I've been lazy on updates I thought I'd give you a double-tap to make up for it.
Campaign Evolution
With only a few people working on expansive open-ended campaigns, some things will slip through the cracks. Most of our campaigns are well worked out before hand, but new items are continually added for Coolness' Sake. However, there are often unforeseen problems when the ruleset is expansive and we've run into a serious one. With the new campaign model, it's possible for weeks to pass without any battles.
No sir!
Now, we are going to be using the "Expository Turn" sequence at the beginning of the campaign for every single Campaign Turn. The idea is this: if a Campaign Turn is going to pass without any battles, that turn becomes an Expository Turn and a new turn is played until a battle or three comes up. We believe that this is a simple solution to a big problem, and also alleviates an issue we have seen before involving map campaigns. With this rule in place, you can expect to see more map campaigns next year.
Consider this an official addendum to the Brightflow Gap. We don't usually modify campaign rules once they've "gone live" but this is a special case (even considering last week's rules changes). Don't look for it to happen very often, so consider yourselves lucky to be on the first free-moving large map campaign we've done since 2009.
Edition Bloat: The Scourge of Worlds
Second on the agenda today is addressing what I'm calling "Edition Bloat". It has been mentioned to me that I should jettison a large portion of the old material we have, due to the fact that it's no longer in use. Well, I might skim through various rule and army books looking for inspiration but by and large this is true. There's an entire shelf here at the Wargate that is devoted to "dead" editions of some of our favorite games.
Well, I won't name any names. Everyone knows what I'm talking about.
Anyway, a certain set of wargames have it in their mind that the edition should change every four years, apparently no matter what. While I could see this might be necessary if the ruleset is completed, it never ever is. Every edition we get a few army books, and then the main rulebook changes. This results in certain armies being renewed every edition, while others languish for far too long using older rules that either no longer apply or no longer function as intended. The books in use change, but they are essentially the same thing. Yet, we have multiple copies of books on the shelves of the same exact name. Many of these we can never use in the game again. You might call this "Edition Bloat".
Some companies, long lording their wisdom over us, have forced us into this. Or rather, they have attempted to, and by and large it has worked. It's their business model - selling incomplete games. Of course they'll have to redo the rulebook they just published when they change the basic model of the game. And now, in some circles, it can cost you $50-175 just for the text needed to run your army if you are a new player and you want a rulebook as well. It's absolutely ludicrous, and it's gone too far for this club.
Honestly, the greater crime isn't their dodgy sales model, it's the complete lack of regard they have for us long term gamers. Apparently they believe that every four years the player base completely changes. They have been depriving us of a complete edition of the game, and I believe that to be the long term plan.
I have collected miniatures for more than twenty years. I have seen editions come and go. Most players have stayed, but what it has begun to seem like to me is that they fear more than anything not being able to sell a "new edition" and it all leads up to the next one right out of the gate. I think we as veterans are done with this, and the complaints have led to the idea I'm leading up to.
First, a story. A long time ago when I was in high school, there weren't many miniature wargamers around the small town we dwelled in. Jerry Wargate and I cast around, and eventually found the only two other gamers in the entire town: the thirtysomething pair of outcasts, Keith and Randy. We had a lot of fun playing in Keith's garage, as they had a great setup close to the national forest, no adult oversight and a collection that vastly outstripped ours (at the time). We played a lot during Warhammer 40,000 Second Edition.
Keith and Randy had begun playing during Rogue Trader and there were many treasured artifacts in their massive collection. Lots of relics of games gone by. Yet when Third Edition came out, I was mystified - everything was getting cooler about the game - miniatures, game mechanics...but they refused to even look at it. They felt robbed by the publisher of the game, and I didn't understand why. A few months ago, I began to feel the exact same thing. Of course, I held out until Sixth Edition before I - and the Club - decided it was too much.
Yet now add the new rumors - when Warhammer Fantasy Battle is set to change editions next year, apparently they are extending the game's life for 1 year. Apparently, this is so they can get all the armies into hardcover books. Then, there will be Ninth Edition - which they say will completely invalidate all your fifty dollar army books. Yes - the game will shift so hard your stats won't even translate. The wind says they want to sell one rulebook and one army book with all the lists in it. At least, that's what the rumor mill says. Yet I have news for the people deciding on how to go forward.
Get a grip. It's ludicrous, and we as a club will put up with this any longer. If we don't get hardcover army books for this edition (for whatever game!), or the next edition is a huge shift that invalidates our books, then we have decided not to come to you for our rules anymore. We are very capable of adapting models to our games, and really all you need a rulebook for is a reference point. Since we do all our own gaming, and outside of the club none of our members are active in this mythical "metagame" we really only have to worry about our own "metagame". The biggest pill to swallow this year is how expensive everything is getting, way beyond what it's worth in material and far beyond what it's worth practically.
Not all games suffer from this. Warmachine and Flames of War are spectacular, with far more miniatures than rulebooks required. Even when editions change in these games, your models and squads (and sometimes armies) aren't completely invalidated. We will continue to support these games.
The Solution
- We will no longer slave to your edition grind.
- We will maintain the latest current edition that we deem to be worthy as a rules reference. We will call this edition the Reference Edition.
- We will create and maintain balanced army lists for our chosen edition of the game.
- We will publish a Wargate FAQ for each game system detailing any changes we feel necessary to maintain balance.
- We will update these armies when new models we like are created by the parent company.
There are several caveats to this, but basically that's what it boils down to at this point. If they continue to deprive of us of a complete and balanced edition simply because they are selling models instead of rules, we will publish our own rules. If this scenario occurs, if you are a member of the Wargate, you won't have to buy army books because we will maintain our own.
We have several talented wargamers here among us, and many folk seem to forget that though they might have a designer job for a large company they are really just wargamers. In fact, designer talent is at an all time low in a certain large company.
Don't get me wrong. I like shiny new texts. I love new books. I hate buying the same one with the same rehashed stories again and again. The club hates it. This article is a direct response to the will of our gaming club.
How Much is Too Much? I'm not sure. I do know that Enough is Enough. Now we're going to do things the way we want them done if no company is willing to do that for us.
So, many of our club members wanted a plan of action. I told you I had been thinking of a solution, so here it is in a nutshell. Obviously this will take some time to complete if we have to do it, yet we are all up to the task.
- Upon the release of a new edition (of one of the systems in question) where the current edition does not have a full hardcover book for all factions (or a facsimile thereof), the Wargate will suspend the change to the new edition.
- For each army that did not receive a hardcover treatment that there is at least one member who wishes to collect and pursue it, the Wargate will address that army in a format consistent with the current Reference Edition.
- When new models are released for the current edition, rules for those models and units will be made available for the Reference Edition. Basically, free army updates.
Will This Curb New Games?
As I've said, I'm not averse to new material. The problem here is how many Space Marine Codexes and Orcs & Goblins Army Books that are on the shelves. Frequently old editions get donated to the library - that's why we have three Fourth Edition Codex: Eldar. So, I'm looking forward to a bunch of stuff from Battlefront and Privateer Press.
I'd love to get some more folk into the idea of collecting Epic 40,000. A recent turn of events has our eyes on Classic Battletech. Going forward, we'll be periodically testing the waters on these fronts. There's already great room to integrate these games into larger wargame or RPG campaigns. I'd also like to check out Bolt Action. More of a personal touch to WWII, and like others I've mentioned it has great integration potential with Flames of War or perhaps even World of Darkness - or all three!
So, don't worry. We have plenty on our plates, and won't be slowing down on gaming at all any time soon. There's no need to think this is an alarmist post, because it's not. It's not one I made lightly either, since many of you know how I feel about certain intellectual properties. Yet, I'll not have you think that I need every member of the club to buy into a new edition every time it rolls around, or that your continued membership is solely dependent on your ability to continually buy new versions of your army book and all the models you'll need now that your list is invalid. From now on, we will only change when we deem it necessary.
I hope this addresses some concerns some of you had. Our club isn't a store that will die if the next edition doesn't sell - we aren't trying to sell you anything. Well, except maybe some 2013 Wargate T-Shirts that might be coming soon.