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so ive been reading lots from the model section of the website but i cant seem to find where to look for history and fluff on the races as a whole.

what am i missing?

The books =)

there are books?
so far ive only read the downloadable quickstart and rule books.

Which is a damn good start =)
And all you actually need in order to play the game =)

There are 2 books currently (and a 3rd coming probably very soon)

- Rulebook 2nd Edition
- Human Sphere

Both books contain the fluff you are seeking =)

If you want the fluff both books are well worth picking up. I also personally prefer having the books to refer to for rules rather then running to a computer and searching for stuff there.

Yeah, the eBooks on the site are basically slimmed down to just the rules content sans fluff and art. The model section gives you snippets of background. But the fully fleshed out stuff is in the dead-tree copies. They are easily the most beautiful rulebooks I own so I recommend picking them up, even as a hard-core eBook user.

awesome.... ty so much all.

The rulebooks are great, but keep in mind, if you're using them for list building, you should stick to the website.

There have been a number of profile changes, ok maybe not that many, since the printing of the books.

Basically to further maintain balance.

Ariadna SAS Forward Observer
Morat Vanguard with Missile Launcher
Haqqislam Odalisque (SMS, Rifle, Boarding Shotgun)

Not to mention newer units all together.

Nomad Riot Grrls
Haqqislam Muyib with Heavy Rocket Launcher
Combined Army Cadmus Nalsh

Etc...

As well as what the guys have listed above, if you look in the Infinity Beginners thread, at the bottom of the first thread there are some short videos which explain a little about the background of the infinity universe, as well as detail on each faction: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/440048.page

It's always surprised me that neither Privateer nor Corvus Belli have at least put out one fiction book. Both worlds are ripe for novels and Black Library shows that there is a massive market for it.

Fair enough the market share and brand awareness is in a different league, but it's really something they should consider.

GW didn't do it for years (a decade plus) after their initial attempt which means it needs a critical mass to be worth it.

OT
The books are quality full colour hardbacks, the contain the rules you see in the PDF (actually the PDF are the pages from the books) the army lists and the fluff, so if you want the fluff you have to buy the books, as mentioned above though, its highly suggested that for army lists and rules to see the PDFs because things get updated.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if something does eventually come along. Remember though that it was years before 40k books started to come along after the release of Rogue Trader (4-5?), eventually GW co-opted Ian Watson, an established sci-fi author, into writing for them.

It would be great if Corvus Belli did something similar - can you imagine if someone like Dan Simmons, Peter F Hamilton or Iain M Banks was given the reins to write a book? The problem with that though is that the game creators are Spanish, meaning they are more likely to use a Spanish author (I don't know of any Spanish sci-fi authors who have had success with books translated into English?), and also it means CB giving the author some room for creativity with the books, which might not be to everyone's fancy.

For years for instance Ian Watson was actively shunned by GW, around the late 90s when the game system was becoming more established and the background was more entrenched. GW wouldn't re-print the books, despite massive fan demand, and it was funny but there was almost a hatred, a turning up of noses, against Watson despite him being such a fine writer. I heard one story of a girl who took shelter in a GW when she walked past and it was raining heavily. She recognised many of the models and said "ah my dad wrote books about these guys". After being asked who her dad was, and finding out it was Ian Watson, the shop staff kicked her out of the shop and into the rain Anyway, just a short story I wanted to share..

Although, I would argue that while CB's future universe is still forming, it would be an excellent opportunity to get someone like that on-board; not a specific fan of the game, but an established novelist. Someone who writes fiction as their trade, and that we know can write well.

I agree it would have the ability to thicken the game universe. The pieces are already in place, I think it just needs a push forward to become more of a realisation. CB being such a forward thinking company, I could quite easily imagine it becoming an animation or something eventually as well!

Great point though JazzGB, I might well make a post on the official forum and make a suggestion about it!

Pacific wrote:
For years for instance Ian Watson was actively shunned by GW, around the late 90s when the game system was becoming more established and the background was more entrenched. GW wouldn't re-print the books, despite massive fan demand, and it was funny but there was almost a hatred, a turning up of noses, against Watson despite him being such a fine writer. I heard one story of a girl who took shelter in a GW when she walked past and it was raining heavily. She recognised many of the models and said "ah my dad wrote books about these guys". After being asked who her dad was, and finding out it was Ian Watson, the shop staff kicked her out of the shop and into the rain Anyway, just a short story I wanted to share..

wow, I didn't know that at all. I have original copies of the books and enjoyed them quite a bit. I would buy the fluff of both Warmahordes and Inifinity in a heartbeat. I actually prefer the fluff to the game, especially where 40k is concerned.

@PsychoticStorm
I would agree if GW hadn't already set a precedent. People already buy the fluff books, even those who don't play the games as Thousand Sons proved. It's just a case of seeing whether GW's success would transfer over to CB and PP. Market share and marketing would be the only problem (and quality of writer..ADB can't write everything, unfortunately)

Its a big risk, both financial (books are not cheap to make) and of integrity.

Also you have to deal with an "alien" circle this of book distributors.

Overall I do not see why CB should give the reign of their background to an outsider and mess with a distribution chain outside their waters, for a slow moving product with low return value.

Yeah, that's a valid point. Though with the advent of ebooks you'd think the overheads would be lower. In PP's case they have a ton of short stories they could just package up and sell to test the waters.

I certainly get what you're saying though. It is a risky move in many ways.

Here's what they should do...

Digital format only!

Not only is it cheaper to publish it's Very in line with the Sci-fi feel of Infinity. Pulping trees to print on is so 20th century. This is something they can sell on their own site as well through other digital book sellers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. I personally own a Nook Color but I would go and buy a Kindle just to read an Infinity novel.

Yup, I have a kindle and would do the same.

I have a tablet that would let me get kindle stuff. I'd love to buy CB - Infinity ebooks.

I did just pick up The Human Sphere though! Can't wait to get my hands on it!

You won't be disappointed !

Also publishing rules country to country which are still mired in the 18th century. They haven't adapted to the internet and probably won't for the next 50 years (the publishers that do will be the ones that survive).

There are textbooks that are available to buy for (for example) kindles and so on in the US, that are mandatory for university/college here, that CANNOT be downloaded under our publishing law restrictions, for example (downloads through the US sites don't work on our devices) so we HAVE to buy the triple US price texts as a book.

That said, I wouldn't buy a game related novel anyway. I've been burned by those before. The posthumanism fiction is just like cyberpunk. It has a "use-by" date after which it just gets assimilated into the mainstream.

The unit by unit fluff on the CB website's pretty cool to. I love how Wallace, a man historically famed for resisting authority and control... did exactly what would have been in his predecessor's nature to do and rebelled against ALEPH. Albeit via a minor drop pod accident.

chromedog wrote:That said, I wouldn't buy a game related novel anyway. I've been burned by those before.

It would really really have to be a manga. And that would be the first manga I'd buy since a decade. Just don't let it be a japanese author.

The posthumanism fiction is just like cyberpunk. It has a "use-by" date after which it just gets assimilated into the mainstream.

The rumours of your hatred of all things mainstream were true!

As St. Gibson (the self-referential patron saint of 'cyberpunk') once noted:

"The street finds its OWN uses for things.".

He predicted his own obsolescence and assimilation into the mainstream. That said, Cyberpunk is a child of the 80s and as dated as 70s bell-bottoms now.

I don't hate ALL mainstream. I hate 99% of EVERYTHING because it's crap**


** Sturgeon's law: 99% of everything is crap.
Theodore 'Ted' Sturgeon was a SF writer. This is considered to be his lasting legacy - because it is true. Even of his own stuff. He even said this.