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I know that at least a couple of modern designers have posted here, but my query is more for the old guard. You know, the ones that may have left the GW fold. I'd personally love to pick Tuomas Pirinen's brain over a recent rules question I came across from an older edition.

A couple lurk here, but there's more on Twitter.

Looks like Tuomas is on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SonataNocturne

I'm sure some of them browse and view but if they do post here, then they are certainly wise enough not to advertise who they are and what they do.

 filbert wrote:
I'm sure some of them browse and view but if they do post here, then they are certainly wise enough not to advertise who they are and what they do.

Yeah - it's always fun watching someone get into a rules argument with the person who wrote them.

beast_gts wrote:

 filbert wrote:
I'm sure some of them browse and view but if they do post here, then they are certainly wise enough not to advertise who they are and what they do.

Yeah - it's always fun watching someone get into a rules argument with the person who wrote them.

The problem there is GW are often so bad at writing rules that what they mean is often different to (and sometimes the exact opposite of) what they actually write. Just look at the Heavy Cover FAQ and the rapid change to the Look Out,Sir! FAQ for examples.

Slipspace wrote:

beast_gts wrote:

 filbert wrote:
I'm sure some of them browse and view but if they do post here, then they are certainly wise enough not to advertise who they are and what they do.

Yeah - it's always fun watching someone get into a rules argument with the person who wrote them.

The problem there is GW are often so bad at writing rules that what they mean is often different to (and sometimes the exact opposite of) what they actually write. Just look at the Heavy Cover FAQ and the rapid change to the Look Out,Sir! FAQ for examples.

And the thing we've noticed with Specialist Games is that the version printed isn't always the latest version of the rules being used in-house - the AT writers released an 'unofficial' FAQ for the game just after launch for the stuff that should have been in the book, for example.

 filbert wrote:
I'm sure some of them browse and view but if they do post here, then they are certainly wise enough not to advertise who they are and what they do.

given the hate and bile some people spread here could you imagine what would happen if someone came up and casually said "so when I was writing the latest space marines codex..."

Paul Sawyer did sign up under his own name some years back. I don't think he lasted a week, thanks to people being unable to behave themselves.

There was a period where GW staff had supposedly been specifically told to stay off forums. No idea if that was actually true, or still the case, if so.

Tuomas is on facebook, and sometimes posts in the Morheim group there.

Current employers are not allowed a board/social media presence I think.
Bottle posted here regularly before he made it into GW and all his posts were deleted.

Former game designers can often be found in Facebook groups, Andy Chambers is in the BFG group for example.

Damn it, so now I have to join Twitter and Facebook??!?!

 Hanskrampf wrote:
Current employers are not allowed a board/social media presence I think.
Bottle posted here regularly before he made it into GW and all his posts were deleted.

Former game designers can often be found in Facebook groups, Andy Chambers is in the BFG group for example.

Bottle's posts are still up.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 Hanskrampf wrote:
Current employers are not allowed a board/social media presence I think.
Bottle posted here regularly before he made it into GW and all his posts were deleted.

Former game designers can often be found in Facebook groups, Andy Chambers is in the BFG group for example.

Bottle's posts are still up.

Hm, could've sworn all his stuff just vanished. The point that he no longer (is allowed to?) posts here remains, though.

Honestly, I'm sure he could post here if he wanted to...but his painting style and armies are so recognizable that anonymity is basically nonexistent for him now here.

Yeah, GW instituted a no social media policy a while back. It applies to all full time employees and selectively to freelancers, who are mostly involved in design projects. I think they sign NDAs on a per-project basis.

You will find some freelancers on blog sites. If you look through their historical posts, you can see how they influenced some of the current designs. Here's an example:

https://leskouzes.blogspot.com/2016/02/obliterators-emperors-children.html

UK Labor law exempts long time GW staff from this policy. A few of them are still active on Dakka:

- Martel732, GW's Global VP for Community Engagement

- Slayer-Fan123, who's on the design team, mostly focused on rules

- BaconCatBug, Senior Playtester

- Peregrine, Group Finance Director for Games Workshop Group PLC

Don't say that, people will think you're serious!

 Kanluwen wrote:
Don't say that, people will think you're serious!

I am being serious. Blogs are a good way to connect with freelance design artists and get some ideas about what's coming.

Look at the pictures of the Obliterators. The scale and proportions, the feet, the heavy armor panels, even the helmets used. That's very close to the design of the new Obliterators.

The picture is from 2016. I have a list of about 20 other blogs where you can see clear influences on modern kits.

Right, right--I meant the lower half of your post.

 Kanluwen wrote:
Right, right--I meant the lower half of your post.

Stop talking about my lower half.

They would have to be mad. Far too many toxic basement dwellers on this forum to be able to have an adult discussion regarding... well... anything. Every thread descends into negative nonsense. Would be a complete waste of time.

 Hollow wrote:
They would have to be mad. Far too many toxic basement dwellers on this forum to be able to have an adult discussion regarding... well... anything. Every thread descends into negative nonsense. Would be a complete waste of time.

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll have plenty of white knights to protect them. For just but a glance of sweet lady GW to come your way, amirite?

 Grimtuff wrote:

 Hollow wrote:
They would have to be mad. Far too many toxic basement dwellers on this forum to be able to have an adult discussion regarding... well... anything. Every thread descends into negative nonsense. Would be a complete waste of time.

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll have plenty of white knights to protect them. For just but a glance of sweet lady GW to come your way, amirite?

I do a job which, on occasion, makes me unpopular with the consumer. Hence I very rarely explain where exactly I work, because I can do without peeps knowing it, and trying to find me on social media.

Why? Because it can become a massive ball ache. Despite this career having a high potential for head hunting, and a higher salary, I avoid stuff like LinkedIn for the same reasons.

In fact, we’re asked not to actively identify ourselves. Which is an odd feeling. as I sometimes encounter situations I can apply my knowledge and expertise to, but should really keep schtum.

I get I’m probably sounding a bit Austin Powers, but my job isn’t anywhere near that sexy. I mean, my actual real life friends know what I do. And I’ve helped a fair few with various issues. Even applied my knowledge to the degree two of them got their mortgage paid off.

But I can sympathise with people who design for GW in any capacity not mentioning it, because there are sadly those out there who cannot draw the line. Criticism is one thing, but on a largely anonymised forum, people go way, way too far.

Of course, anyone who dares to have any variance of opinion from your own must, de facto, be a “White Knight”, as you scream into the uncaring void. Yeah? (Do you see what I did there?)

 Kanluwen wrote:
Don't say that, people will think you're serious!

Also, at least one of those people hasn't been active on these forums for some time now...




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Grimtuff wrote:

 Hollow wrote:
They would have to be mad. Far too many toxic basement dwellers on this forum to be able to have an adult discussion regarding... well... anything. Every thread descends into negative nonsense. Would be a complete waste of time.

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll have plenty of white knights to protect them. For just but a glance of sweet lady GW to come your way, amirite?

Let's keep our civil, folks.

And no, the existence of people with a more favorable opinion wouldn't actually make going on forums without the mask of anonymity any less unpleasant for any of the GW design team, past or present.

 insaniak wrote:
Also, at least one of those people hasn't been active on these forums for some time now...

And its glorious.

Paul Sawyer did sign up under his own name some years back. I don't think he lasted a week, thanks to people being unable to behave themselves.

Who would dare blaspheme the Fat Bloke!?

Seriously though, that's a shame. His era of WD is considered by many to be the golden era.

Tycho wrote:

Paul Sawyer did sign up under his own name some years back. I don't think he lasted a week, thanks to people being unable to behave themselves.

Who would dare blaspheme the Fat Bloke!?

It's less that some would blaspheme but that many would get critical in a very negative way. Even when people ask for critique there's many who cannot give constructive positive feedback and instead err closer toward insults and negativity. For company employees they aren't even asking for it from the individual. The final say on a model might not even be totally their choice; not to mention they aren't looking for the critique from one person but rather their boss(es) and the market in general.

IT can be very tiring on a person to engage with a community which has a very powerful negative way of interacting as can often happen online.

Even when there's positive reactions and interaction it can sometimes be tiring for people. Sometimes nutty fans can be the worst because they are blinkered in their viewpoint. Either insulting or fawning over a person. Many might provide good insight out of a general desire to want to interact; no malice or ulterior motives and even that can be a tiresome thing. Plus for some creatives (Esp those working for big companies) there's always the risk of someone suggesting an idea that later (either directly or through its own approach) gets used in some form and then insults of plagiarism rear their ugly heads. It's a reason some authors limit their fan contact and online interactions and will often outright avoid some places (like fan fiction websites) because whilst they might love the creativity and ideas that their work has sparked; they don't want to even entertain the risk of a plagiarism claim.




In the end white or dark knights - many people often don't want to associate in their "famed" position and would rather engage with the hobby just as another hobby person.

Tycho wrote:

Who would dare blaspheme the Fat Bloke!?.

Penguindude was the main culprit, IIRC.

The sad thing is that it wasn't even anything specific about Sawyer. People just saw 'Someone from GW!' and chose to start dumping all their dissatisfaction on him. It's a damn shame, because it was potentially an opportunity to actually have an earpiece within the company, but people threw it away in because the lure of a misplaced rant was just too strong.

Tycho wrote:

Paul Sawyer did sign up under his own name some years back. I don't think he lasted a week, thanks to people being unable to behave themselves.

Who would dare blaspheme the Fat Bloke!?

Seriously though, that's a shame. His era of WD is considered by many to be the golden era.

Apologies for the tangent, but can anyone remember if he went from Journal to White Dwarf, or White Dwarf to Journal?

Because all my brain is doing is recalling a specific WD’s tag line being “it’s a stoater’*, and the corresponding Journal’s tag line being “It’s a Bloater!”**


*stoater being a Scots (possibly northern England?) slang word for something large. E.G. the Titanic would be described as a “stoater” of a ship.

**bloater being a general (I think) British slang word for a fat person, and Mr Sawyer was affectionately known as ‘Fat Bloke’

 techsoldaten wrote:
Yeah, GW instituted a no social media policy a while back. It applies to all full time employees and selectively to freelancers, who are mostly involved in design projects. I think they sign NDAs on a per-project basis.

You will find some freelancers on blog sites. If you look through their historical posts, you can see how they influenced some of the current designs. Here's an example:

https://leskouzes.blogspot.com/2016/02/obliterators-emperors-children.html

UK Labor law exempts long time GW staff from this policy. A few of them are still active on Dakka:

- Martel732, GW's Global VP for Community Engagement

- Slayer-Fan123, who's on the design team, mostly focused on rules

- BaconCatBug, Senior Playtester

- Peregrine, Group Finance Director for Games Workshop Group PLC

I wish they'd hire BCB...............

 Just Tony wrote:
I'd personally love to pick Tuomas Pirinen's brain over a recent rules question I came across from an older edition.

I think they pick a different part of their anatomy when they come up with 40K rules.