Warhammer 40k - Sixth Editon

[Dustcrusher]

GW is publicly traded and have to answer to shareholders, who wouldn't care if people ordered new boxes of Chaos minis but got dog poop in a cardboard box if it meant the shares increase in price. Thus, GW only cares about dollar signs, as opposed to smaller companies, who realize building a good, loyal customer base means more money at the end of the quarter.

The good news- plenty of alternative systems that can make use of your armies. Some are free: for sci-fi, give FUBAR a look and for fantasy, most of your armies have at least beta lists for Kings of War. Most that aren't free are cheap.

The bad news- For some reason, even when they can play for a net expenditure of zero, and at most maybe $20-30 printing at Staples or Kinko's or something, GW diehards are often afraid to try anything new. If they find something they like better, will it shatter their entire world, even if they can play that new game with the same miniatures? The resistance of the local WFB players to trying Kings of War, for example, is astounding...

[mpangelu]

I'm a gamer, never been one to be a one game person. As far as the fantasy models, a buddy is wanting me to look at God's of War. But I've rarely downed a game for being a game. Some have mechanics I don't like or things that don't really get me into it. I was never a Lord of the Rings mini guy, gave it a shot, just wasn't my cup-o-tea. Haven't tried the redo of it, and probably won't, not that I won't do it if it is presented, just won't go out of my way to do so.

I'll take a look at the ones you mention when I get some spare time, thanks for the advice.

[G. Footman]

I've played GW games since the 1990's, starting with WFB, it'what got me into minatures games (actually the old PS1 game Shadow of the Horned Rat first got my interest in WFB).

I got into 40k in 1999 during the Hunt For the Fallen tour. and since then have had Space Marines, Orks and Dark Eldar.I traded my space marines last year to a friend for more skaven (skaven and vamp counts being my main WFB armies), and off and on considered selling my orks to focus on my dark eldar and a converted chaos sisters/word bearers army. I like the setting of 40k (and WFB despite how generic fantasy it can get) and have since played alot of the games in the setting (was in a roug trader campaign mrTezla GM'd last year and liked it) I don't see myself ever really giving up or rage quitting 40k, I manage to have a decent sized army (will never play apocolypse scale, they just take too long), and have given GW very little the last few years, I've mostly gotten my mins through trades, ebay, or sales at the local shop (that is currently puttin it's GW stuff buy 1 get 1 free since it's seeing less sales than warmach malifaux, or flames of war)

I'll admit alot of what get my interest in a game is the seng, art, and how minis look, the echanics, eh, if I don't like how they work, there's older versions, or house rules. The only game where the mcs alone made me quit, was 4th edition DnD (it was way too watered down for an RPG but works great as a board game)

My outlook has always been, like the setting and the game, but you't have to like the company. I like 40k, I like the setting, I don't like how GW is now, with's lawsuit happy attitude and level of facepalming ridiculousness, but I don't play GW, I play w40k, and GW influencs me and how I play the game very little.

There's free fan-made versions of the 40k ruleset, and projects like deathsquads if you need another system for your minis (I'm just waifor deathsquads to have rules for dark eldar)

6th edition i'm holding jugement on for now

[Dustcrusher]

Yep, plenty of fan-made alternatives. Forge of War too me forever to find again- it looks promising: http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/67938/forge-of-war

For fantasy skirmish, check out Song of Blades and Heroes. I can't wait to try it.

Then there's, y'know, this: http://www.freewargamesrules.co.uk/

My bitterness towards GW has mellowed over the past several years. There are so many great alternatives to the GW flagships that it's a waste of time to be upset about it.

I'd still love to have a beer with Jes Goodwin, Jervis Johnson, any of the old school alumni like Rick Priestley, or hell, even the current sculptors. I will not be selling my Rogue Trader Marines, Necromunda gangs, and Blood Bowl players unless I get that desperate for cash. I still think the Necromunda Escher are some of the coolest female sci-fi sculpts of all time.

I have gotten a lot of entertainment out of GW's products (hell, even my folks thought the Blood Bowl fluff, complete with "fun facts" was hilarious), and I don't regret buying anything- not even the mess of Marine bikes sitting unassembled in my closet. It was simply time to move on.

I don't sweat anyone who plays and enjoys 40k or Fantasy Battle even though I am astounded by what the fans are willing to put up with. I choose to vote with my wallet- I enjoy other games more and I'm having fun reading about new systems and how they do things. If they do a re-release of Blood Bowl or Necromunda, then perhaps I'll buy some.

[G. Footman]

on a semi related note, I'm seeing more and more 3rd party companies putting out their on space marines, space orks, etc that could easily work in a 40k army for less than what GW want, and they're not even being that subtle about it anymore

if it weren't for the hardcoretourney players (who apparantly do still exist), there'd likely be more 4ok armies that only a fraction are actually GW minis

[Dustcrusher]

True. I noticed this on Puppets-War not too long ago- a heavy weapon bike for less than $13. http://puppetswar.eu/product.php?id_product=112