WFB: Fantasy’s Shocking Future?
Fantasy is going through maybe it’s most exciting time in over a decade. It’s future may more shocking that you think.
I’m halfway through Nagash and loving every moment of the world shattering campaign – and shuddering at what may be left of the Old World after 2-3 more 300 page End Times books.
I’ve been doing some heavy rumormongering and data collection of late and wanted everyone to go back and carefully read this snippet from Harry from way back in January 2014. Now keep in mind all the stuff we have recently had released for WFB (End Times, Nagash, Chaos upcoming…) when you read this.
Color me VERY intriuged…
via Harry 1-15-2014
The only reason we are expecting a new edition of Warhammer fantasy Battle is because that is what we have had every few years.
BUT I remember having a conversation with Jervis and Gav …. so this is gong back a few years … where they stated that they wanted to get Warhammer to the point that it did not need updating/re-writing and they wanted to get all the army books completed in such a way that they were robust enough to survive changes to the rules so they did not need to keep re-writing them. The reason for doing this was to allow them to look at more interesting things to develop aspects of Warhammer they did not have time to do. We discussed the obvious things like Skirmish, Siege, but also fighting on boats, in tunnels/underground, exploring new areas of the map, etc.
Alright this was a few editions and many years ago but what if? What if they feel they have reached that point with 8th. Where a new edition isn’t going to change very much. Where every army has a book. What if they decide NOT to do a new edition but stick with Warhammer 8th as it is … consider this the finished product for a while. …. What would they explore next?
We already have “Storm of Magic” for ‘Big magic, Big Monster’ games.
Maybe they would look next at Skirmish? (Autumn Leaves seems convinced).
So no new BRB … as rumoured. But a new starter set … as rumoured.
Not needing full army books but where all the armies could be combined in less books … as rumoured. Would certainly be the way to present warband options.
Mmmm.
I was still left with some of the other stuff I had heard about the timeline advancing and multiple books. (Will it be two, three or four books?)
A recent conversation prompted a new line of thought ….
and started to make a different kind of sense to me.
What if this was nothing to to with the next edition …. but a “what would they explore next?”
What if they decided to explore different area of the world or different periods of history? Source books for playing warhammer in different times and places.
Same game … same rules set just changing the setting a bit … bit like the Lustria stuff.
An excuse to explore some new special rules, introduce some new characters, new monsters, exploring some undiscovered corner of the world or some undescribed period of history … currently little more than a dot on the map or a story in an army book. A chance to undertake some new modelling projects, sculpt some new minis.
One book might be 500 years ahead, one 500 years the past (or exploring some key point in recent history). One might be based in an area of the world which has not been detailed yet. (Like the Lustrian stuff).
This started to make some sort of sense to me … but it was late at night.
What if? What if you a games Developer for Warhammer fantasy? What if you were told you didn’t need to write an new edition or rewrite an army book? Where would you go next? What aspect of Warhammer would you like to explore?
Pretty sure I would start with skirmish as I love small games but after that ….
If there is ONE rumormonger who most often hits the bullseye from over 6 months out – it’s Harry.
Which leads to the shocking question – What WFB products and expansions would most excite you if the design studio was freed from remaking WFB armybooks and the main rulebook?
