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Hello curious readers, I have a question for you.
I've always heard and read how GW had messed up rules, gameplay, and/or fluff that had differing levels of consequence. My question is that aside from creating the universe we all know and love (to a certain point for some) what can you think of that GW did right?

Most of the models are pretty good.

The setting as a whole is ok.

The rules and points values are sometimes a bit out of whack.

They stopped open gaming in some of their stores. Apparently, that was great news!



Seriously, for all the derpy business choices, they still produce a game that, while it has its flaws, is visually distinct from other games currently on the market, scales up to bigger battles than most other 28ish mm games, and so long as you play with like-minded opponents is still a lot of fun to play.

And for every Belial, there's a Lelith that reminds you what they can do when they try...

Despite all the garbage, they still make the best mini game out there.

Best fluff, ease of finding players, quality of product, availability or product, and ongoing support of the game.

Good minis
Generally fun games
Lots to moan about (I'm British, moaning is fun.)

You can't please all the people all the time. People disliking aspects happens, and is not unique to GW.

The rules are a bit messy sometimes, but its a complex game

Yeah great looking models, so many different races, all with rich backgrounds. A detailed timeline of events. The game is fun. The employees at my local GW shop are very helpful and friendly (games workshop Woden, Canberra). Yeah.

Of GW? Nothing.

40k? A large installed player base and a fun background

Free rules for specialist games

Some good games:epic/titan legions, manowar, warmaster, mordheim, necromunda, bloodbowl

In the past some really good metal miniatures

Plastic miniatures (many, not all of course)

Original 2 RoC volumes

Some decent terrain and painting books

You can't please all the people all the time. People disliking aspects happens, and is not unique to GW.

I'm not saying that GW is the only f**k up in the entertainment industry. I'm sure that other traditional games that people know and love all had that 'dark era' where things just didn't work brilliantly.

Despite all the garbage, they still make the best mini game out there.

Best fluff, ease of finding players, quality of product, availability or product, and ongoing support of the game.

True dat. I've always wanted to use the GK models because regardless of the fluff, I like how they look. As for "availability or product", tell that to my bro who was one day too late for the Limited Edition C:CSM.

scales up to bigger battles than most other 28ish mm games, and so long as you play with like-minded opponents is still a lot of fun to play.

mm=Multi-Melta. The imagery of 28+ people shooting each other with huge hot particle beam guns as sport. And everyone is having a blast while doing so? Orky priceless.

 Selym wrote:

Lots to moan about (I'm British, moaning is fun.)

This.

People bitch and moan about things they care about.

If people were truly fed up with it, they wouldn't come to the internet (or wherever) to complain. They'd just do something different.


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 insaniak wrote:
scales up to bigger battles than most other 28ish mm games, and so long as you play with like-minded opponents is still a lot of fun to play.

Actually, that is not one of 40Ks strong suits.

As it is an IGO-UGO system, larger battles (more units) always mean more downtime for the inactive player. If you double the number of points per army, you (more or less) double the "downtime" for the opposing player.

If you want to - say - play a game of 500.000 pts, you'd probably be able to go home for a day or two while it's the other guys turn, and vice-versa.

Games with unit-by-unit activation scale much better, because the ratio of "my-play-time-vs-your-play-time" doesn't change, no matter how large the armies are you field.

 gnoise wrote:
Hello curious readers, I have a question for you.
I've always heard and read how GW had messed up rules, gameplay, and/or fluff that had differing levels of consequence. My question is that aside from creating the universe we all know and love (to a certain point for some) what can you think of that GW did right?

this, in a nutshell. They might be expensive but gw produce some pretty cool models, and a few amazing ones (and a few crappy ones too ). And no matter what anyone says, the rules are good
for making dramatic, tense battles between my friends and I.

Sometimes, just sometimes they release realy good miniatures. (DV, DE, normal Eldar, Death Company and a few others ).

What do you think would the best looking model GW made overall or for each army (SM in general instead of each chapter)?

 Zweischneid wrote:

Actually, that is not one of 40Ks strong suits.

Can you name a commercially available game currently on the market that deals with armies as large as, say, even a 2000 point 40k army?

40k doesn't have to do large games particularly well to be better at it than games that don't do it at all.

 insaniak wrote:

 Zweischneid wrote:

Actually, that is not one of 40Ks strong suits.

Can you name a commercially available game currently on the market that deals with armies as large as, say, even a 2000 point 40k army?

Bolt Action.

What GW does right is the technical side of their production and kits - leagues ahead of anyone else in the market.

Games Workshop Customer Support is a model for all other companies to follow. I haven't heard anything but praise for the Customer Support.

The day we stop complaining about Warhammer is the day we stop caring about it

Their setting is good, it's distinct. And the models are good, easy to build, easy to convert and look dynamic.

The only problem I have with GW is their pricing and their 'cinematic' rules.

Recently one word, Riptide, that model is one of the best kits I've ever seen. The fact that all the joints are ball joints allows the model amazing possibility. I hope that is the new direction that GW will take their plastic lines with as many kits as they can. Not sure if its possible for the infintry models bit at least for the larger kits. Still the thought of my boys having ball sockets at the armpit and hip sockets would be amazing. No more cuting, reposing and the. Finishing up with green stuff. Just dry fit and glue to the desired poss. Please, pretty please.

I personally enjoy the background stories and black library quite a lot. Their art department is also extremely good. The covery of the latest daemons of chaos codex was such a beautiful picture. Their Forgeworld books are also extremely cool to read. After I think Imperial armor 6 or so, they really figured out how to make good books and the last 5+ imperial armors have been a joy to read.

If you get the spare cash, I'd highly recommend the horus herasy Betrayal book 1. That thing is a work of art in many ways. It also rekindles alot of my love of space marines that got me into the game in the first place. It really feels like a return to their roots in many ways.

The universe. I'm a huge fan of the universe.
Most of the minis look amazing. They have some "poop" ideas once in a while, but I still say I love every single army, they all look great.
Not only do they look amazing, most of them so far have been very "user-friendly" to assemble.
It's a fun and tactical game.

Dislikes: High prices (surprise, surprise ) and the lack of support for SoB. C'MON, GIVE THE WOMEN A CHANCE!

 gnoise wrote:
What do you think would the best looking model GW made overall or for each army (SM in general instead of each chapter)?

BA - Nothing, they all look like a bunch of gold-plated pansies to me.
CD - The Daemon Prince [plastic]. I love the angular spikeyness
CSM - Pretty much all the new models (except the 'drake, it looks like it needs a tail.)
DA - The deathwing
DE - No idea...
Eldar - No idea...
GK - GK Terminators
IG - The BEIHNBLAAADE!
Necrons - The warriors. Srsly. feth huge numbers of them.
Orks - Ghazghkull
SOB - The one with boobs. No, the one with the boobs. No, she has a gun and boobs. I probably shouldn't start a SOB army...
C: SM - Lysander, Vulkan, Khan and Shrike. They're badasses.
SW - Arjac Rockfist.
Tau - None.
Tyranids - Almost the entire range.

Their multi option kits. Take the Leman Russ Demolisher, for example. Out of the box with no magnets you can field almost every imaginable configuration of the thing. I used to think nothing of it until I learned what the other companies' kits are like. Now I appreciate the effort that went into it. I still wish it wasn't half a Ben but...

It saddens me to see these types of threads in 40K General Discussion, it's like people don't know WHFB exists.

As for the good things about GW, they've given to me a hobby which I enjoy very much and for that alone I'm grateful.

 insaniak wrote:
They stopped open gaming in some of their stores. Apparently, that was great news!

I've heard this a lot now, and it makes me confused because my store not only promotes gaming, but also their veteran members hanging out there and I am pretty sure they do a few of their own things .

 gnoise wrote:
What do you think would the best looking model GW made overall or for each army (SM in general instead of each chapter)?

Space Marines: Terminator Chaplain. Considering it's often posted in "best model ever" threads it shouldn't come as a surprise
Chaos Space Marines: The new Raptors/Warp Talons.
Chaos Daemons: Juggernauts. Almost tempted to start Daemons just because they have Juggernauts.
Grey Knights: Terminators. For me, the Grey Knights are their Terminators.
Tau: Hammerhead. It looks sleek and deadly.
Eldar: Wraithlord/Wraithseer. "Why yes, I have no eyes, but I'm still going to punch you in the face!"
Dark Eldar: Wyches, with Lelith in particular.
Orkz: The Aircraft and/or Stompas there's so many small, silly details on the Stompa.
Sisters of Battle: Celestine. Again, half tempted to start SoB just because of her.
Imperial Guard: Basilisks. I'm a cannon-fan.
Tyranids: Trygons.
Necrons: Monoliths. Just as the GKTs are Gk for me, Monoliths make Necrons.

 gnoise wrote:
Hello curious readers, I have a question for you.
I've always heard and read how GW had messed up rules, gameplay, and/or fluff that had differing levels of consequence. My question is that aside from creating the universe we all know and love (to a certain point for some) what can you think of that GW did right?

GW's latest models are by far the best multi-part plastics on offer from anyone, and even though some of their older plastic kits are a little dated relative to what can now be produced, the fact that so much of their line is available in plastic (and the rest is open for conversion with Finecast) means that GW has by far the most customizability on offer of any of the major producers. This in turn means that the armies typically used in 40k are far more unique than those seen in other systems, since the customizability of the models is backed up with an extreme level of customization for their army.

Further, GW has been very successful in establishing itself as the "big guys" in the industry. For this reason, it's very easy to find a GW game. Most people that get into the hobby also start with GW, so most other games owe a large part of their fanbase to the existence of GW as a "gateway drug" to miniatures wargaming.

All in all, GW certainly does make mistakes, but they still produce a very good project and are #1 in the industry for a reason.

 insaniak wrote:
They stopped open gaming in some of their stores. Apparently, that was great news!

It's great news if you plan on simply going in and buying something without being harassed by the regulars. Touch wood they ban painting and modelling for non newcomers too. It'd supposed to be a shop, not a daycare or social hub.

It's a restaurant! You're supposed to order and eat food, no talking.