The game developers over at Privateer Press have been busy. Not busy producing new IKRPG material, but busy juggling what was once a nicely streamlined skirmish game WARMACHINE. Every year since its launch, Privateer Press has released a major expansion to the product, from Prime to Escalation to Apotheosis, then Superiority, and most recently Legends. Each of the four original factions has grown into new niches and fortified early strengths. It’s quite a good game.
But after six rule books and the introduction of the HORDES product line, things have gotten unwieldy. Each of the several-dozen models available has its own special rules, often creating exceptions to a core set of rules that is quite streamlined and almost elegant. The reminds me of a beautiful woman putting on makeup and jewelry. She puts a little something on to draw attention to her eyes, maybe a pair of earings. That’s all nice, but taken a little too far she’ll look like a tramp or a clown. The interactions of special rules had crossed the line at some point. The Privateers had to put an online FAQ up to keep the errata and rules-interaction rulings straight.
So they’re hitting the reset button. In April, we’ll see previews of the rules revisions. Every model’s point cost has been adjusted, unit and warjack rules have been revised, power attacks are being overhauled, and all your stat-cards will be obsolete when the second edition hits the shelves. I eagerly anticipate not the new release (I haven’t played a game of WARMACHINE in over a year), but rather the fanbase reactions. The pro-skub and anti-skub enthusiasts will be pouring out of the woodwork on this subject.
Oh, and here’s to the Juggernaut getting an tune-up.
I’ve never played a game of Warmachine. I have a feeling I’d be more into building/modeling the terrain than actually playing the game.
Be cautious, young Daniel, for along that path lies the means by which you will lose your fortune, forever tithed to the gods of Expensive Hobbies.
Jase has it right. Folks that play RPGs blink at a $40.00 rulebook and $0.75 dice, but hobbyist wargamers have no problem dropping hundreds of dollars on their little tin soldiers. This is the real reason we haven’t seen any new IKRPG books; there’s no money in it compared to their other products. Opportunity cost and all that.
Too bad the little soldiers don’t come packaged with soap and deodorant.
you wanna get into mini wargaming… http://app.fantasyflightgames.com/rackham-sale.html big sale on a couple of interesting games. also the minis are fully painted.
AT-43 is something I’d be tempted to drop some money on if I wanted to get my hands on some cyberpunky soldier minis for an ongoing RPG. Alas, my hobby time is pretty much limited to my weekly D&D night, so my WARMACHINE stuff is all gathering dust in the garage right now.
and that’s why I hate RPGers who come into my store expecting me to give them the same amount of time, service and other crap for the possibility of $30 in book sales, maybe $30 (Ever) in miniatures sales and a few bucks in dice…
jfrizzle – if providing time and service to your customers is “crap,” perhaps being in retail isn’t a good fit for you.