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 Vector Strike wrote:
9th won't come out anytime soon. Chapter Approved is like the DLC method, so GW will milk that

So is repeated edition releases that allow new starter sets etc.

GW didn't abandon edition system with AOS. Why you think they would abandon "print me some money" button for 40k?

" does protect from assault units as well in a way adding more distance they need to cover."

Difficult Terrain only interferes with Advance & Charge, not regular movement. So it doesn't slow down assault armies that much.

Unless you're talking about Impassable.

On a 6x4 table I like 2 pieces of Impassable and 6 pieces of Difficult, randomly placed. I find that breaks up shooting lanes & advancement routes nicely and adds variety.

A game store I used to play at had several tables that were old Games Day tables. They were beautiful to look at, and fun to play on AT FIRST. But because all the terrain features were mounded right into the table they got boring & predictable really fast.

phydaux wrote:
" does protect from assault units as well in a way adding more distance they need to cover."

Difficult Terrain only interferes with Advance & Charge, not regular movement. So it doesn't slow down assault armies that much.

Have big wall in there. How you suppose orks get through it fast? Can't just go through magically. Over and down? Say 5" tall wall. That's extra 10" to scale. Around? If said wall is 8" wide that's going sideways quite a bit...And with other terrain can create bottleneck.

What kind of LOS blocking terrain you use that's not going to force models to move around? Since I was talking about LOS blocking terrain any forest, 99% ruins etc are out.

 Nithaniel wrote:

 deathwinguk wrote:

So a new edition of AoS has just been announced, 3 years after the last edition. Given that's also the previous WH40K time between editions it's probably a good estimate for the future. So perhaps 9th edition in 2020?

This is the most relevant information we can assess. GW being a public company will be driven by a relentless need for profit. While the majority of revenue comes from models their rules revenue is probably significant. Did AoS need a reboot?

Age of Sigmar 2nd ed is not a reboot. It's an expansion of the currently used system with some new stuff thrown in. The closest you'll get to a reboot is the first General's Handbook and GW acknowledging that there wasn't enough of a market for the release version of Age of Sigmar. Even then it didn't change the rules foundation and just added structure to army building as a means to appease that section of (potential) customers. Since then they've gone back the tried and tested formulas for army books (with some cross pollination between AoS and 40k, and vice versa). There has also been an immense increase in lore and the game will benefit from presenting the setting to new players in the core rule book, which wasn't something that existed before for Age of Sigmar.

I wouldn't draw on the release of AoS 2nd ed after only three years to predict what's going to happen with 40k. AoS's release was botched, hastily fixed and then, in the normal time frame it takse for a project to go from concept to completion (2 years, give or take), got a new edition that GW is more confident they can sell. 40k 8th ed, by all accounts, seems to make the company a whole lot of money as is. They may want to consolidate all the Chapter Approved/FAQ changes they've done (and will keep doing) in a new edition and may want to get the sales boost of an edition change, so there's no reason to rule out a three year life span, but for the reasons stated I don't think it'll happen because Age of Sigmar sets the new trend.

2-3 year editions has been the trend for a while though...

"When is a new edition coming out?" is a good question, but the better question is "what will a new edition of 40k even look like?"

Look at AOS. They are getting a new edition... but IIRc the core rules will remain free, while generals handbook 2018 will update all points. Battletomes remain valid.

Prior editions of 40k have handled the switch in a variety of ways. 3rd and 8th editions invalidated all prior codexes and supplements. 4th, 5th, and 6th didn't affect either. 7th did require replacing a lot of supplements.

3rd edition is, in many ways, the most interesting possibility for how 8th plays out. 3rd edition was fairly heavily FAQ'd, and substantial rules changes were made mid edition, from the specific (giving terminators a 5++) to the sweeping (rewriting the assault and vehicle rules). By the end of 3rd, we were playing a very different game than in the beginning. It's also worth noting that in 3rd edition, GW rolled out a wave of codexes, then added new armies (necrons, tau, Daemonhunters, and even Dark Eldar), then went back to either revise prior codices (Dark Eldar, Dark Angels) or write them again from scratch (Chaos, IG).

GW really used 3rd edition to play with ideas. Not only were there many new armies (the most until 6th/7th), but they released tons of sublists and other materials. Two summer campaigns got full books (Armageddon and Eye of Terror), while they began the process of large scale introduction of plastic into the ranges.

So what does that mean going forward? I think that GW can keep the game in 8th for years, using patches to fix the rules and the codices. It can even add new units/models to armies (look at sly marbo) more like PP does, with more scattered releases not timed with a codex revision. OTOH, GW could easily release "9th" edition next summer, keeping all current books valid, but revising them in another cycle.

My guess is that they'll split the baby, and release an "updated" rulebook that includes all of the major core rules changes.

tneva82 wrote:
2-3 year editions has been the trend for a while though...

Warhammer Fantasy stuck with the 4-6 year cycles for a good long while, right to the end. So did 40k up until 6th ed. 6th ed got replaced after 2 years, 7th ed after 3 years. Purely by the numbers you could consider that a trend.

If you look deeper, there are factors at work which make it less clear cut. 5th ed was the last edition where GW had a good designer on board. With 6th ed the clowns took over completely. 6th ed wasn't good and 7th ed was downright catastrophic. You could read that as the designers not wanting to work with a modded 3rd ed rule set anymore, and just heaping imbalance and neglect on a system for continued releases and cash flow while they were putting all the work into replacing it with one that is to their liking.

If you believe that, there is at least reason to doubt that 2-3 years is the current trend.

Obviously the numbers for the past couple of years speak for themselves and it's more likely that accounting dictates when a new edition is released than the design studio. Just pointing out that you there may be other factors you may want to consider.

I expect them to stick to the old trusty release pattern they have done with 40k for decades. Periodic releases of editions and new versions of codexes. They have done nothing now that hints it won't be and indeed AOS shows already same pattern being done. Nothing GW has done with release schedule is particularly unique. Not even fast pace as such. Yes it's faster but monthly schedule(with new models) isn't unheard of. And now there's more factions so % of factions in period isn't that different.

Only really unique thing in current schedule is lack of models. Used to be codex is accompanied by pile of new model releases.

So maybe my opinion is invalid since I started a few months before the death of 7th ed. but I personally feel like 7th ed was just too much, the rules seemed convoluted and were difficult to learn in their entirety. 8th ed. has a nice clean and most importantly simple rule set for the base while not leaving to much to interpretation, yeah there are some things that FAQ had to clean up since common sense is severely lacking now a days, and sure some of the minutia can be tedious but if you look at the overall playablility of the game, and this part is important as I think too many folks forget that it is a game, 8th ed is a definite improvement over 7th. So I hope that GW keeps 8th around to stay for a good long time, and sure clean up the rules by listening to the community, frankly I intend to get my SW codex on my phone so I have a document that will be updated.

tneva82 wrote:

 Vector Strike wrote:
9th won't come out anytime soon. Chapter Approved is like the DLC method, so GW will milk that

So is repeated edition releases that allow new starter sets etc.

GW didn't abandon edition system with AOS. Why you think they would abandon "print me some money" button for 40k?

AoS needs a new edition though, there are a ton of issues with the ruleset mechanically, and there is a lot more flavor being added to the game.

Yeah. There's a lot of advantages to AoS 2nd edition. The game has found its own voice recently instead of being "that thing that used to be WHFB". It's built up its own following and really needs a fresh start that can make use of that momentum and rid itself of some of the stigma form its initial launch.

The future of 40k is always worth a new thread.
In the 7th ed, GW started to release supplementary campaign books, especially with new formations in there.
Not sure if GW will go the same way in the 8th ed.
Indeed, the alternative would be to release a new edition after the last codex (Genestealer Cult?) has been issued.

Almost every army has a subfaction that might justify the production of a codex of mini-dex. These mini-dexes and small model releases could keep them going for years....or at least until the new version AOS plays out.

I don't see what the point is of rolling out a new edition unless you are going to make some material changes to at least some part of the game.

Even then, given the core rules are so light, you can probably just FAQ them.

AoS needs a new edition because the core design of the game has been chopped and changed (as was frankly inevitable given it was more or less dead on arrival). Points, measuring from the base, a cull of totally broken (and silly) rules etc were always going to be on the cards.

The logical thing would be to do a “revised” version of 8th that incorporates faqs and fixes learned so far. But that tends to sell poorly - see D&D 3.5E for an example.

9E will come, there’s no doubt, but I can say I will be hopping off the merry-go-round when it does. This was their best chance to fix the game for once and for all. While they did make it better, in the end I think they blew their chance to make it right and instead went with “make it easier for the designers, point balancing gives us designers headaches”.

 ServiceGames wrote:
This is not intended to be a troll thread at all. I'm just curious what you all truly think.

With only a handful of codices remaining to be released, GW will have everything finished for 8th Edition with the exception of FAQs and this year's Chapter Approved update.

So, it makes me wonder, it's GW going to treat 8th Edition like AoS and keep it around essentially indefinitely only making changes to it via FAQs and a yearly Chapter Approved. Or do you think that once they get all of the codices out, they'll start the push to 9th Edition providing maybe one more update to Chapter Approved and the FAQs before making the switch?

SG

I really hope 8th edition is going to last for some years. I'm hoping that because I basically played 8th edition since 2 months (drukhari codex release) and 75% of my miniatures still don't have a codex. Without a codex there's no fun in playing 8th edition, worst edition if you're forced to rely on the index.

 Blackie wrote:

 ServiceGames wrote:
This is not intended to be a troll thread at all. I'm just curious what you all truly think.

With only a handful of codices remaining to be released, GW will have everything finished for 8th Edition with the exception of FAQs and this year's Chapter Approved update.

So, it makes me wonder, it's GW going to treat 8th Edition like AoS and keep it around essentially indefinitely only making changes to it via FAQs and a yearly Chapter Approved. Or do you think that once they get all of the codices out, they'll start the push to 9th Edition providing maybe one more update to Chapter Approved and the FAQs before making the switch?

SG

I really hope 8th edition is going to last for some years. I'm hoping that because I basically played 8th edition since 2 months (drukhari codex release) and 75% of my miniatures still don't have a codex. Without a codex there's no fun in playing 8th edition, worst edition if you're forced to rely on the index.

Y'know some of us play space marines, we desperately need a new codex too. I'd explode in my undies if they released a new marine codex alongside a new Badab Imperial Armour book.

 CREEEEEEEEED wrote:

 Blackie wrote:

 ServiceGames wrote:
This is not intended to be a troll thread at all. I'm just curious what you all truly think.

With only a handful of codices remaining to be released, GW will have everything finished for 8th Edition with the exception of FAQs and this year's Chapter Approved update.

So, it makes me wonder, it's GW going to treat 8th Edition like AoS and keep it around essentially indefinitely only making changes to it via FAQs and a yearly Chapter Approved. Or do you think that once they get all of the codices out, they'll start the push to 9th Edition providing maybe one more update to Chapter Approved and the FAQs before making the switch?

SG

I really hope 8th edition is going to last for some years. I'm hoping that because I basically played 8th edition since 2 months (drukhari codex release) and 75% of my miniatures still don't have a codex. Without a codex there's no fun in playing 8th edition, worst edition if you're forced to rely on the index.

Y'know some of us play space marines, we desperately need a new codex too. I'd explode in my undies if they released a new marine codex alongside a new Badab Imperial Armour book.

You had a few months of good gaming at least. And SM are not that bad in casual metas, at least ultramarines and ravenguard.

8th ed has brought me back to the game. I hope it sticks around a bit longer.

Tyel wrote:
I don't see what the point is of rolling out a new edition unless you are going to make some material changes to at least some part of the game.

Even then, given the core rules are so light, you can probably just FAQ them.

AoS needs a new edition because the core design of the game has been chopped and changed (as was frankly inevitable given it was more or less dead on arrival). Points, measuring from the base, a cull of totally broken (and silly) rules etc were always going to be on the cards.

The reason any games company throws out a new edition, warranted or not, is because it brings in a huge influx of cash because everyone who wants to play will buy the new book.

I will be surprised if we get a 9th edition of 40K. AoS needs it, somewhat, but I was always under the impression that the point of 8th was that it was a living game system that would just be updated by FAQ, errata and the adjustments of points in Chapter Approved.

 BlackLobster wrote:

Tyel wrote:
I don't see what the point is of rolling out a new edition unless you are going to make some material changes to at least some part of the game.

Even then, given the core rules are so light, you can probably just FAQ them.

AoS needs a new edition because the core design of the game has been chopped and changed (as was frankly inevitable given it was more or less dead on arrival). Points, measuring from the base, a cull of totally broken (and silly) rules etc were always going to be on the cards.

The reason any games company throws out a new edition, warranted or not, is because it brings in a huge influx of cash because everyone who wants to play will buy the new book.

I will be surprised if we get a 9th edition of 40K. AoS needs it, somewhat, but I was always under the impression that the point of 8th was that it was a living game system that would just be updated by FAQ, errata and the adjustments of points in Chapter Approved.

The thing is 8th edition is probably going to run into the same issue as AoS in another year or so with 2 CA 4Big FAQ's and all the respective codex FAQ's being a bit of a mess.

I don't think a full 9th edition is the best idea. I'd rather an 8.1 or 8.5 edition with all the FAQ Errata etc and fixed core rules and some actual terrain/cover rules added in a rules only fluff free book so that it doesn't need to be a hardback monster containing almost 70% irrelevant to the game.
Fluff is cool but models, Codex's, Imperial Armours, Captor Approved, Datacards, Dice and FAQ's are more than enough to be taking to every game.