Sunday, July 28, 2013

What-would-you-dohammer?

My nephew asked me what I would change if I was put in charge of warhammer products.  Fun question huh?

Okay, so here is my main thoughts...

1: remove 20mm bases from fantasy.  All troops on 1" bases.  All larger bases clean multiples of inches.  Launch a new set of low profile, non bevelled bases in clear, brown and black plastic with magnet sockets.

2: refocus kits, designs and rules to focus on more multiple sales of the same kit.  For example, a 'dark eldar' troop kit that lets you build six or seven types of units from the one kit- rather than four or five kits that focus on one or two types.  Imagine a single space marine squad kit that could make light, heavy weapon, veteran, command, or jet pack squads.  Shops would have less redundancy and it would be easier to buy gifts for players, and GW would greatly reduce packaging and tooling costs.  Resin bitz would be streamed out to fuel the new release hunger instead of kit after kit.

My 'more sales of same kit' drive would likewise see the crossing of 40k and fantasy kits ala chaos demons.  A zoat kit with fantasy parts, future weapons and bloodbowl helm bitz anyone?  Whats that?  Youll take seven?  Thought so!

Slan heads in the Kroot troops boxes anyone?  Fantasy weapons for kroot?

3: I would also make the huge change of making 40k a 30mm base standard. Lets face it, the minis are getting too big for 1". Starting with snap on adapter bases and moving to low profile clear and black plastic bases for all new releases.  Of course selling cheap packs of bases so you can upgrade is a must.  This would also mean wider, more dramatic stances are viable and true scale marines are go.  Yes.  I would relaunch marines true scale.

4: I would ditch the huge rulebooks for boxed sets of rules (with no minis in it).  The box would have a seperate book for rules, armies, fluff and hobby.  That makes lugging it around optional.  The rulebook itself is free to download.   Its the fluffbook/armylist book thats the premium bit.  Focus money making on minis not rulebook tomes- this encourages new players.

5: merge chaos back together into one.  Add 'evil sorcerer' as a new empire option (and add evil options to empire kits ) and allow crossovers of undead in both.  Skaven, beastmen etc can intermix.  The goal is to make players buy a mix of kits rather than single army focus.

6: race variant modules.  Tau could have been a head/weapon swap for eldar- fimir could fit orc models... slann on kroot... rhinomen on ogres... barbarians on chaos thugs... a few simple modules can enrich the universe and give players more options without more army rules or kits.

7: end wave releases.  Each month release a little of something for everyone rather than eldar month, then orc month... new variant modules, new characters... it would make WD much more appealing as a subscription.   New unit rules appear in WD and are added to website for download.  This does not need to be a whizz bang power thingie... resin head swaps or alternative weapons is enough.  Enrichen... enrichen... enrichen...

Well thats my thoughts... care to wade in ?  Comments below peeps !




5 comments:

  1. Oh, Dave. Why can't you run all the companies?

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  2. Talk is of the new terrain for 40k having the rules printed on a sheet in the box with the model. It is rumoured to be the way they want to include new units into existing armies and adding the rules on the web / WD. I remember the old empire plug weapons where the model had a hole where a two handed sword, sword and shield or halberd could be plugged in. I am sure they could do the same idea again, but much better quality and way more dynamic base model. Honestly the idea of one 'troops' kit that could cover off most choices and then could be expanded on with further kits sounds like a great idea!

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  3. The current "Apocalypse" is a joke, seriously, how many teenagers are going to have $1000 to buy the army units, or $400 to buy the tank units? I'm getting to the point where I don't even bother looking any more. They are killing their younger support base to try and gouge their older loyal followers. Some times I hope that it all falls in a huge heap, and the true masters of the miniature arts can step in and fix all the problems.

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  4. Well I would say :
    - Stop making dual kits or big kits by all means when it's not justified and you have to invent some silly alternatives for your kits.
    - write REAL new parts for the fluff (though I saw some tiny new things in the latest eldar codex)
    - stop reducing the number of magic items/special gear, I 'd rather have a truckload of mildly effective items with great descriptions than have a small fistful of "supersword - ignores any kind of save"
    - Get the multiverse back on track, yeah guns in fantasy and magic items in the future
    - Stop thinking children are idiots (though most of them are) by selling them super huge kits worth whole armies just to gain some immediate profit. Sell them dreams like those we were fed and which kept us hanging on till now. The overall amount spent by a veteran over 20 years of collection is incomparable to the few big kits and space marine chapters a teen is gonna buy over 4years. Think about the "girl break" we've all had in our teens which we came back from because of the dream we still had.

    Otherwise, I completely agree with you on all points but the basing one. Increasing the base sizes will just increase the models sizes in short to mid term... and I don't see goblins and pigmies (yes they're coming back) on the same bases as chaos warriors.

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  5. I can barely run my own company!

    Pygmies! I should definately sculpt some of those... though they should be safari goblins... more pc.

    Base! Nooo... I would also impose strict scale creep lock- all heads and arms should be in scale across all! 1 inch is perfect for goblins all the way up to minotaurs. Neat and clean... plus no scratching your dwarves. Goblins would get more whacky poses to compensate... chaos warriors would get bumped down to human but with chunkier armour so you can swap parts with thugs, millitia and other empire.

    28mm scale lock!

    I would merge necromunda, inquisitor and rogue trader rpg into one... making campaign rules sit over skirmish rules. Essentially a more detailed version of my warhammer 40k rules.

    Likewise mordheim, warhammer fantasy roleplay would be merged into one as above.

    Scale down 40k and warhammer to sit it between apocalypse and epic.

    So products are: warhammer rpg/skirmish, warhammer battle, warhammer epic
    40k rpg/skirmish, 40k battle, 40k apocalypse

    Apocalypse and epic would have rules for 15mm and 28mm versions, dreadfleet rules merge with epic and space battles in apocalypse.

    40k rpg (necromunda-inq) would be supported with blanchitsu style warbands... a main character and retinue. Main character is rpg lite. 30mm base standard. These boxed sets contain interchangeable parts with main range. Resin figs.

    Aliens are not hated by inquisition as much... aliens and mutants can be in imperial forces... but are considered inferior. Chaos is more about demonic posession... inquisitors more worried about that and tyranid infection. Rad mutants are fine... beastmen, ogryn etc




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