Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Right, two things have inspired this thread. First up, the letter to Mark Wells, to which a response was obtained.

The second, was a chat I had with my local area manager today (we're on good terms, as I used to work for him). The chat revolved around the Dark Eldar, as I was building a Forgeworld Reaper. The two of us got chatting about how cool the whole Dark Eldar range is, and the obvious attention that was lavished on it by the design team. Further on, we got to discussing the images from Jes Goodwin's sketch book, showing the various concepts for the Dark Eldar. I mentioned that I would love to see a Black Library book of Jes' sketches. Either done as a straight up 'Jes Goodwin's Sketch Book' or perhaps a tad more themed, like the previous Xenos Biologis book. And do you know what? He said he'd mention it to the head of Black Library next time he sees him.

Although both largely anecdotal at this stage, I'll freely admit, it does go to show what happens when a correspondence is entered into. I believe the author of the original letter (Chimera_Calvin) is writing a follow up letter, as he feels the response was a bit lacking. Now of course it could be that no response to his follow up is written, but you don't know if you don't try. Ditto that chat I had. Will the suggestion be taken up, who knows? I think it's got a reasonable chance of success, as it is something that would sell, and sell well. Hell, with their penchant for limited edition chapbooks etc, small scale, quick ker-ching titles are indeed possible. Far as I can see, the main hurdle to cross here would be getting Jes himself (or indeed any given designer) to agree to it. No idea if he'd want the contents to be seen, as being an artist, he might prefer people to only see the finished product.

So has anyone else ever given this a bash? Actually attempting discourse with GW, no matter the subject? I know people are very vocal online, but it's not that productive a medium, as not only are these boards pretty much anonymous, but the sheer volume of feedback makes it inherently inefficient? If you haven't, I'd encourage you to give it a go. After all, what have you got to lose (apart from the cost of a stamp I suppose)?

Dear GW

I have a wicked cool idea for an army. Please make it now.

Flashman wrote:Dear GW

I have a wicked cool idea for an army. Please make it now.

It will have to wait until Codex Pan-Fo is reviled.

And here we have, the problem in a nutshell.

Don't have anything to contribute? Then just talk utter bollocks, that'll help!

Mr Mystery wrote:And here we have, the problem in a nutshell.

Don't have anything to contribute? Then just talk utter bollocks, that'll help!

Right, just for that, I'm sending in the fishmen idea

Mr Mystery wrote:I mentioned that I would love to see a Black Library book of Jes' sketches. Either done as a straight up 'Jes Goodwin's Sketch Book' or perhaps a tad more themed, like the previous Xenos Biologis book. And do you know what? He said he'd mention it to the head of Black Library next time he sees him.

It's been done.
http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/Gothic-and-the-Eldritch-The.html

Sadly OOP. :(

Balls. Still, could go print-to-order. And could do with an update I suppose.

Mr Mystery wrote:Balls. Still, could go print-to-order. And could do with an update I suppose.

I'm going to badger BL with just that, as I missed it the first time around. It goes for about £100ish on eBay... :(

1.) "We stop all GW internal communication on new projects,all incoming articles, all preorders, all Black Boxes, all preview Codices, all quarterly order forms, so that GW staff, retailers, and customers only see on release day what's new."
2.) "Then we release the detailed plans of our major concept artist for the next few years in book form."

If your local area manager has some time to spare, he might travel to North Corea and suggest free and open elections

Kroothawk wrote:1.) "We stop all GW internal communication on new projects,all incoming articles, all preorders, all Black Boxes, all preview Codices, all quarterly order forms, so that GW staff, retailers, and customers only see on release day what's new."
2.) "Then we release the detailed plans of our major concept artist for the next few years in book form."

Have any ideas on how many of the cool ones get canned?

Kroothawk wrote:1.) "We stop all GW internal communication on new projects,all incoming articles, all preorders, all Black Boxes, all preview Codices, all quarterly order forms, so that GW staff, retailers, and customers only see on release day what's new."
2.) "Then we release the detailed plans of our major concept artist for the next few years in book form."

If your local area manager has some time to spare, he might travel to North Corea and suggest free and open elections

I said nowt about sneakypeaky preview type stuff, did I? I'm interested to see the evolution of their concepts is all. If the odd sketch of 'what's that then..oooooh' pops up then so much the better, but it's hardly a necessity for the book to be an interesting production, no?

I am actually hesitant to contribute anything to GW, as they likely will swallow it, steal it, and find some way of claiming they are responsible for it, while I don't even get a handful of fiddlefaddle or a thanks. This far down its worthless to give them ideas piecemeal. My old man invented something during his employment with General Electric, and all he got for it was an irritated tip of the hat, muttering of thanks and along they went doing their own thing.....

poda_t wrote:I am actually hesitant to contribute anything to GW, as they likely will swallow it, steal it, and find some way of claiming they are responsible for it, while I don't even get a handful of fiddlefaddle or a thanks. This far down its worthless to give them ideas piecemeal. My old man invented something during his employment with General Electric, and all he got for it was an irritated tip of the hat, muttering of thanks and along they went doing their own thing.....

That is pretty much how it works, anyway. GW "Invents" everything, and your just a faceless shill. Try to do something other then that, and you get a C and D for your trouble.

Ask those Blood Bowel players how that works out for them. You even try to get a little taste in there, your going to get smacked on the nose for the trouble as well. It tends to leave your personal player made stuff out of thier conversations.

Back in the day they had Cidital Journal for you to contribute ideas to, but in the New-GW-Order, its now the companies roll to be your inspiration, persperation, and imagination.

They are thier own worst enemy on that account as well.

Remember the summer campaigns? Remember how some of the PLAYERS regiments ended up in the campaign books?

There you go then....

Grot 6 wrote:

poda_t wrote:I am actually hesitant to contribute anything to GW, as they likely will swallow it, steal it, and find some way of claiming they are responsible for it, while I don't even get a handful of fiddlefaddle or a thanks. This far down its worthless to give them ideas piecemeal. My old man invented something during his employment with General Electric, and all he got for it was an irritated tip of the hat, muttering of thanks and along they went doing their own thing.....

That is pretty much how it works, anyway. GW "Invents" everything, and your just a faceless shill. Try to do something other then that, and you get a C and D for your trouble.

Ask those Blood Bowel players how that works out for them. You even try to get a little taste in there, your going to get smacked on the nose for the trouble as well. It tends to leave your personal player made stuff out of thier conversations.

Back in the day they had Cidital Journal for you to contribute ideas to, but in the New-GW-Order, its now the companies roll to be your inspiration, persperation, and imagination.

They are thier own worst enemy on that account as well.

Remember the summer campaigns? Remember how some of the PLAYERS regiments ended up in the campaign books?

There you go then....

I remember the SC's that players had for the Eye of Terror one, or something like that, it was on a poster at the FLGS I play at.

I wrote a letter to JJ explaining why I respected his history with the company and within the larger world of miniature wargames and then explained why I was slowing down and stopping most of my purchases from GW.

Buying habits are the most effective communication possible.