40k Editorial: 8th Edition – How Much Change?
40K 8th edition rumors are swirling, but the big question is how much change should the next version have.
Hi everyone it’s your ever friendly Black Blow Fly swinging through your neighborhood again to spread mischief and the rot… Today I return to genuflect on the current state of 40k and the near future. I’ve got no crystal ball either but I’ve been around the block many times… Same old same old but yes if you let yourself get comfortable things are sure to change when you’re least expecting it – that’s called life.
So there have been some stirrings about the coming of the new eighth edition and what it’ll bring. I have no rumors to bare… Only my opinion and yes we’ve all got one. Games Workshop is doing well now and it seems to me that the Age of Sigmar (AoS) is doing okay. The company is definitely much more responsive now to what we want and that’s a good thing indeed. At first I was like screw this but then I talked to a lot people who like AoS and listened intently to what they have to say… They have lots of good things to say and it caught my attention.
Change can be hard for everyone. I tend to be a nomad and don’t grow roots. None of us can say for sure what the eighth edition will bring and I’m not here to post a wish list. What I can say based upon experience and observation is eighth edition will not be a maintenance edition. I’m looking to the new Deathwatch codex as a harbinger of change – at some point things must change and the time right now seems so ripe. That which once was might be swept away and if so expect drastic consequences – for example in regards to all the home grown FAQs. I think we need some change now more than ever before.
There’s lots of talk about the rules bloat… Let’s be honest who uses Soul Blaze, Mysterious Objectives or Death from the Skies ? I foresee a simplification to 40k while 30k will maintain its rich complexity… A split and some divergence if you will. Personally I think 40k could learn a thing or two from the design aspect of 30k in regards to both internal and external balance… Believe me when I say this could serve us all quite well.
Right now it’s all apples but maybe sooner than later it will be apples and oranges again which saddens me but oh well – what will be will be. It’s all just speculation at this point. Like I said no one really knows for sure but the time is drawing nearer and nearer on the event horizon. Remember when Apocalypse was a distinctly different animal from 40k ?
The more things stay the same the more they change. I for one welcome change and will give it a chance. Every new edition sees an exodus of players… Maybe the next edition could bring some back to the fold again if they do it right.
~Do you think 40K 8th should be a maintenance or a drastic change edition?
