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If you were in charge of the Codex/model releases from GW, what would you change? What you leave the same?
As a secondary question, what would you change about individual codices? How would you handle power creep?

Less codices at cheaper price, but better laid out with more options to allow for more variety within each of the streamlined codices. Remove the fluff from the actual rules so that you have the option to buy rules only books and splurge on the fluff filled, hardcover, art filled books for the factions you really want.

Revamp the entire game by hitting a reset button. Rebalance everything. Start over when it comes to rules and points and army construction.

I'm finding myself more in the camp of it being time to just blow things up, and start over. I think they can take a few key things from Age of Sigmar, like free rules and unit stats for every thing, and make codexes optional fluff pieces like they are in Sigmar. The game is getting too bloated for its own good, and its 1980s game mechanics wore out their welcome some time ago.

There will be those that defend the status quo to the death. But it's not working well now, even if it is still selling. I don't want to see 40K in the same boat Fantasy was 5 years from now

None of your choices.

Design BRB + Codices in one go, then release them as you release model lines.

That way they can balance them all in one fell swoop.

Dare I say 'proper betatest'? The amount of codices is just limited by the amount of testing you can get done!

Scrap the codex model. Move to unit cards with the models. Make an app with all the unit rules which can both be updated with errata and be able to print them out after said changes are made.

Move book releases to the campaign style they are already doing.

 totalfailure wrote:
I'm finding myself more in the camp of it being time to just blow things up, and start over.

Theses two things are not intrinsically linked. They managed to essentially start over 2nd-3rd with no requirement to blow things up, nothing has changed in that regard.

What they need to start over though is time away from the treadmill, which isn't feasible because they're like sharks, financially speaking, and a pool of talent both capable and free to rebuild things, both of which are debatable.

Playtest and use way less special rules.

Massively reduce USR's and other powers to a few simple +X to Y, etc style rules a-la KoW.

Streamlime each codex to include all units from a given faction; a simple stat line and generic options, and limitations based on sub-faction and unlocking characters/units. Each codex to be ring-binder form to add in unit rule cards included in model boxes as new stuff is released.

Everything to be balaced in points vs basic guardsmen.

Sigmars rules are online for free so it's not like it's an unrealistic option. I'd personally be willing to pay for a more fleshed out faction specific fluff/artwork book as others have suggested.

As for what I'd change about them, I'd probably remove most of the ignores cover weapons and feel no pain buffs in the game for a start. A lot of other minor stuff as well.

 Eldarain wrote:
Scrap the codex model. Move to unit cards with the models. Make an app with all the unit rules which can both be updated with errata and be able to print them out after said changes are made.

Move book releases to the campaign style they are already doing.

This.

Making rules less accessible, as GW have done with their grossly overpriced current codexes, it's entirely the wrong way to grow the game.

Sorta like PP does with WM/H:

1. All armies and units are contained in the main rulebook. No fluff, just rules.
2. Models come with full rules.
3. New models are introduced through campaigns books with lots of fluff.

Units don't get invalidated by rules changes. Campaign books contain units from a variety of armies to keep everyone buying. Keep special snowflake rules to a minimum.

Do it as Infinity are doing it. Balanced, easy to access, new models balanced within game. Might make them up their sculpts to sell the new models as opposed to 'bigger is better' mantra they've got going on.

 Eldarain wrote:
Scrap the codex model. Move to unit cards with the models. Make an app with all the unit rules which can both be updated with errata and be able to print them out after said changes are made.

Move book releases to the campaign style they are already doing.

+1 on this.

Like what someone else said, I'd do all the codexes at once along with the rule book and get them properly play tested to get as much balance as possible. Release a new faction every month or two, with plans to release supplements for more specialized armies such as various craftworlds, other marine chapters, genestealer cults, etc.

Formations would be either abolished completely or toned back, with a points cost attached to them so it's not just "bring a bunch of X unit and they're all better for free."

Allies could remain, but would have far less interaction. Essentially battle brothers would be gone, with the highest level of alliance becoming like allies of convenience. This would keep some of the crazy super friends shenanigans in check and ensure that the factions with lots of ally options don't end up becoming much more powerful because of it.

Certain codexes would be either expanded or combined with others as well. Skitarii and ad mech would just be one book, as they should always have been. Harlequins get expanded further to make them more viable, or else swallowed back up by Eldar/Dark Eldar or become a supplement for either. Scions would just become part of the guard codexes.

All HQ options have a 5++ standard, or are costed more to reflect a better invuln. Your army leader should not just be getting linked by any dude with a power sword (looking at you orks). Similarly, eternal warrior would be reserved for only the toughest special characters, and greater
Daemons.

Super heavies and gargantuan creatures are taken out of regular 40k and sent back to apocalypse where they belong. Maybe release an escalation style supplement to bring them in for fluffy games, but keep them out of the standard.

It would require a huge overhaul and a lot of work, but it definitely could be done. Unfortunately, this will never ever happen.

Scrap codexes and simultaneously release new army lists written from scratch as free PDFs on the GW websites, to be updated with additional list entries when new miniatures are released.

 Shandara wrote:
None of your choices.

Design BRB + Codices in one go, then release them as you release model lines.

That way they can balance them all in one fell swoop.

Dare I say 'proper betatest'? The amount of codices is just limited by the amount of testing you can get done!

I do believe that that would be defined as "streamlining"

Simplify the unit/weapon options and change the point system. 1500 is too much. Even a single weapon undercosted by a 5 points can snowball across 10 troops in 5 units, and cause a 250pt discrepancy.

I'd make unit sizes fixed, pay X to double the size. All units come with standard equipment, no specials. Group certain weapons together, missiles and lascannons will have the same profile, lots of streamlining. I understand you'll have 3-4 different units for tac. squads, like tac-tankbusters, and tac-elite killers, but its not much different from what people are taking now anyway.

Reduce point cost by a factor of 50, so a 100pt squad is now 2 pts. Army sizes naturally will be 30 pts

I'd ditch the codex system. Rules would be available free entirely separate from books and then bring out army books like codexs that are purely fluff and art with a theoretically infinite lifespan as they would never been invalidated by rule chances.

Three releases a year, first release is a main codex for every army in the edition, second release a supplementary codex for each, third if needed a second supplementary codex.

Reduce codex cost as much possible, making it mostly a rule system for a low cost of 10$ for main, 5$ for supplement, release fluff stuff in a separate book that can take up one of the supplementary releases if needed, or come out alongside the codex.

New codices do not mean new models, supplements can release new models, these models can be then baked into the next new codex, or the new codex can have rules for models released in the future with proxy suggestions for the time being until then. A new codex could be a simple FAQ update to the old one with some extra art, FAQs would be available online too. If a codex got no updates other than the FAQs, it is not required for play.

I would streamline the existing codexes (and fold the Space Marines besides Space Wolves and Grey Knights into one codex, with SW being the only one that gets a stand-alone one, and GK being folded into an Inquisiton Dex along with SoBs and Tempestus). And then raise the power level up and keep it there. No one likes nerfs but we can still buff other races up to a certain level to even out the jedi curve.

I believe that the codex system as it used to be is irretrievably broken and needs to be replaced.

My concept is that instead of codexes, each faction would be provided with a set of standard formations accompanied by optional standard detachments.

Formations would be standardised for various power levels dictating the army size and the strength of the units allowed. So, a small IG formation would not allow Knights or heavy artillery. It could take a detachment of mechanisedd veterans. And so on.

The other aspect of formation design would be to provide formations that used different characteristics of the original faction For example, Tau could have formations and detachments based mainly on infantry, on mechanised infantry, mainly on Crisis suits, etc. etc.

All the formations and detachment would be gridded out against each other, to give a total power level for whatever combination you might choose. The players would agree say 5 army points, and choose a formation plus a detachment worth 5 points due to their strengths working together. Or the play might choose two 2P formations and a 1P detachment that did not work well together but gave him a larger army.

This clearly is the bare bones of the concept and it would need a lot of working out for each codex. But the overall concept is that instead of buying a codex that gives you very wide latitude in choosing and tailoring forces, you buy a book that gives you less choice but better balanced armies.

The other thing is that codexes are far too expensive now. The price needs to be halved to enable more people to play the game and buy models for it.

I agree with quite a lot of the suggestions in this thread, so I'm not going to regurgitate them but there's one thing I would personally add:

I would launch all the codices in one big release every 1-2 years.

This is for 2 reasons;
First of all balance - currently it always ends up that the earlier codices in an edition aren't as strong. This way they'd be balanced at the same time and would be closer to each other's power level.
Secondly, megahype - GW is a company after all and I believe one massive release that's been hyped/teased for a year would be able to generate more attention in the market they're aiming at, therefore growing the playerbase which is good for everyone.

GW does it definitely wrong.
But I guess since GW sees itself as a miniature making company selling miniatures to collectors, the codices are seen as a service to the customers.
Not sure why they put not more emphasis on the codices (update, power level). I imagine that the management came to the conclusion that this would need a large investment they are not willing to do atm.

Said it before lots of times:

Have just two Space Marine Codex's - Codex adherent, non Codex, Guard another Codex.
Have Imperial Agents and Organisations another - Inquisition, Sororitas, Aribites etc
All Xenos have a single codex
Chaos have a single big codex

All armies have the "chapter tactics".
Increase options (as they do now) through Campaigns but also sell the rules element separately at low price for those who just want rules.
Make the unit/army list entries for each a single page so they can actually work better for reference.
Sell Army card packs of the latter which include formations.

Seriously look at the price of the Codexs and consider print on demand option - I don't use digital versions unless I have to but it seems to be the way forward :(

Do what they've done with AoS:
- Remove traditional codexes; only campaign books
- Remove special rules from the core book; streamline all the unit types whilst you're at it
- Remove core rules from the unit rules
- Free unit rules in-app
- Put the unit special rules on the unit 'scroll'
- Scrap the allies chart; have 3-5 core factions
- Release quarterly/thirdly campaign books that advance the fluff, add new units/characters, add new scenarios (have it microtransaction/piecemeal via the app too)

I was about to start a new thread, but I guess this thread suit the question well:

What's the opinion about Craftworlds?

Should each Craftworld have their own codex (because of rules, not because of the background material)?

Could a single Eldar codex also include rules for all the Craftworlds (Like the 3.5 Chaos Space Marines codex) ?

Do the differences of the Craftworlds even merit separate rules for each Craftworld or can Eldar players already play their chosen Craftworld through army selection?

Edit: Grammar.

kburn wrote:
Simplify the unit/weapon options and change the point system. 1500 is too much. Even a single weapon undercosted by a 5 points can snowball across 10 troops in 5 units, and cause a 250pt discrepancy.

I'd make unit sizes fixed, pay X to double the size. All units come with standard equipment, no specials. Group certain weapons together, missiles and lascannons will have the same profile, lots of streamlining. I understand you'll have 3-4 different units for tac. squads, like tac-tankbusters, and tac-elite killers, but its not much different from what people are taking now anyway.

Reduce point cost by a factor of 50, so a 100pt squad is now 2 pts. Army sizes naturally will be 30 pts

That would be fairly bad move. It decreases granularity. You have option that's "bit too good for this point but too weak for next point" syndrome.

Just for example what about squads UNDER 50 points now? You would need to suddenly beef their value.

And with fixed unit sizes gives often players spare models they couldn't use while forcing them to get that "23rd grot so you have the unit size as defined")

Oh and if you think 5 pts undercostment is bad if 1500 pts imagine how bad 1 point off in 30 pts game is going to be...

Atm, one issue is that the information (rules, formations etc.) about a certain faction are scattered over codices, expansion and campaign books, WD and what not. Its definitely hard to keep track about your armies, let alone all armies. This was possible in the editions 3 to 5.

Chaospling wrote:
I was about to start a new thread, but I guess this thread suit the question well:

What's the opinion about Craftworlds?

Should each Craftworld have their own codex (because of rules, not because of the background material)?

Could a single Eldar codex also include rules for all the Craftworlds (Like the 3.5 Chaos Space Marines codex) ?

Do the differences of the Craftworlds even merit separate rules for each Craftworld or can Eldar players already play their chosen Craftworld through army selection?

Edit: Grammar.

Don't know much about Eldar - how big a difference does the craftworld make?

If you can cover most of the Space Marine chapters with just the chapter tactics in the SM codex, and all of the CSM legions with the CSM codex (admittedly, not very well - fingers crossed for a new codex at some point), I don't really see the justification.

I would release in short succession a codex for every major army that GW modeled - it would include FW units. I would make a primer that would ensure a balanced point system - followed by play testing and fan testing before release - if you were paying points for something it would be worth it's points. Rules would be written in plain English with examples to avoid any confusion about application. Errors in the codex would be quickly hot-fixed in a constantly updated online FAQ on my website. I would continually ensure new missions and formations are released for every codex to keep the game interesting to address weakness/strength of armies in the competitive meta.