Warhammer RP goes 4ed Style

[Aragathor]

The news is a bit old (2 days) but I think this one's worth it:

FFG announces Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd edition.


I really want to see how this develops.

[glimmerrat]

I am so deeply disappointed by this announcement. 

[samsimilian]

don't be! you can use FC perfectly well

[Gentry]

Especially if you play Wyrmstone. 

As to the new WFRP, 100 bucks?! Seriously? I can do without full-color glossy, and the old WFRP rules were just fine.

[glimmerrat]

Yeah, and cards work so well with RPGs. I mean Marvel Super He.... but the Masterboo...

Oh, hold on - they don't work so well do they? And before some smart ass mentions them, the chase rules in SC don't count - you don't need the cards.

[Nepenthe]

I'm assuming that the last edition was published by Black Industries or some other GW subsidiary - so I'd say that this is definitely related to those properties moving over to FFG and them needing to get the cash required by the licensing. I'd say it's a partial reason for Rogue Trader coming out so soon, as well. Or they just like hammering out games like nobody's business.

[TheAuldGrump]

Yeah, and cards work so well with RPGs. I mean Marvel Super He.... but the Masterboo...

Oh, hold on - they don't work so well do they? And before some smart ass mentions them, the chase rules in SC don't count - you don't need the cards.

You are forgetting about first edition Changeli... oh, wait, it works even worse when you buy random packs of cards for the magic system. I love Changeling, but it is a minor miracle that it survived its first edition... the author was not all that happy with the collectible magic system either. They lost a lot of customers, who never even bothered to look at second edition.

This may kill the game, unless they are aiming at the Warhammer Quest market.

The Auld Grump

[spinningdice]

Now I like Warhammer Quest, it's a good way to kill a few hours and surprising addictive - but I wouldn't call it an RPG. This looks closer to WQ than WFRP to me.

[Txabier_Arrizotegui]

Well, they need to make money after the Mutant Chronicles F-Up and their betting on Rackham actually delivering the goods, don't they?

They are going for WQ without overpriced plastic minis. They'll settle with overpriced books and cheapo cards.

THIS is NOT good, no matter how much they spin it around.

They just killed WHFRP, AGAIN!

Great thing I still have my copy from way back when the Auld Grump was the Wee Grump.

[glimmerrat]

It's crap like this in the roleplaying industry that really annoys me. I can understand the need for innovation and streamlining, but really, if it ain't broke, why 'fix' it?

[spinningdice]

To be fair, FFG does some rather excellent boardgames, and the components are usually top-notch, so I have no doubt they'll be resilient enough to last, it just doesn't sound like an RPG to me, I'd be quite happy to be proved wrong.

Also now that I've slept on it, I have to realise that they've pretty much made everything for 2nd edition already anyway - hopefully the last few bits I need will be bargain binned on the release of the new edition.

[Krensky]

I suppose the question for me is, could they have done the same mechanics with regular dice and stuff scrawled on paper?

If so with there be a basic set without the fancy dice and tracking boards? If so just chalk this up as the deluxe edition. If not, they're trying to innovate a little too hard I think.

[glimmerrat]

I for one will not be buying it if the cards are anything other than optional. And $100 for an rpg? No, I think not. I have a lot of other stuff I can spend that much money on.

[Aragathor]

I for one will not be buying it if the cards are anything other than optional. And $100 for an rpg? No, I think not. I have a lot of other stuff I can spend that much money on.

Is $100 a lot for a starting product? I allowed myself to compare stand-alone starting books:
-Fantasycraft/Spycraft $49.95
-Unhallowed Metropolis $40
-Dark Heresy $59.95
-Shadowrun 4ed $44.99
-Star Wars Saga Edition $39.95

To most of those you need a pack of dice which comes around $4 to $7.
All systems named do not limit the amount of players to 3 plus GM.

Compared to a basic set for the 4ed of D&D (the Core Rulebook Gift Set for $104,95) Warhammer is a bit less expensive. So it breaks even with D&D.


My distanced opinion:

This is a blunder waiting to happen, sure the gung-ho fanboys will jump on the bandwagon but many players won't. I have noticed yesterday that a local WFRP group will probably disband in the near future because of that (they want to start playing Earthdawn).
I think FFG is going into the direction of WotC, a direction that is not certain to be safe.

[Krensky]

Actually, in this case I think it's less that they're following WotC and more that they're drinking GW's kool-aide.