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 Brother Castor wrote:
Safeguard classic SM (i.e. keep Primaris as reinforcements)

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
I'd keep Primaris, and the continual work on them.

I think both are compatible.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
I'd want some "fans" of the hobby to be less negative.

Agree with that too, although in my experience it's more of an issue here on Dakka than in my local area. Trying to answer the second question makes me realise just how much of WH40K I wouldn't want changed. Aside from the setting and characters, the quality of the miniatures and rulebooks is also one of my favourite things about the hobby.

My answers would more or less be contradictory to GW's sales methods, so it's pointless to provide that kind of feedback.

1) change? Dark elf lore. Right now they are just awful, addicted to torture? Yuck. Make them crave experience any experience the newer the better. Make them need the heightened awareness danger brings. And let them experience vicariously, they need captives to so they can show them wondrous new things. Let the Archons and elite look down on those that use simple pain to stay one step ahead of She who thirsts.

Still dark but grim dark not stupid dark. It also lines up with stories of fey taking people, artists especially. Make dark elfs elagant unseelie fey, not sado-masochists.

2) Keep the same. Space Marines as solid tough generalists. If the space Marines play how they are supposed to everything else can be balanced around them, but you need a solid "heart" of the game to do that.

As Robyn is the rules writer, I feel many of the answers here aren't on track. Here are mine.

Change: line of sight for vehicles and monsters to be drawn from each weapon, not from any point in the model.

Keep: M WS BS A T W I A LD SV. Unfortunately that's been messed with several times. At least we're only missing initiative at the moment.

1: Soup dies. Make allies work similarly to AoS (1/5 of your points). Alternatively, kill off Space Wolves.

2: I got nuttin at this time that isn’t a goofy answer.

1) Kill off Tyranids entirely. Ugly models, idiotic fluff, goodbye. I'd put something about soup here, but hopefully GW is already going to do something about such an obvious problem without wasting my answer on it.

2) The previous independence of FW. Remember when they were more than just a specialist games puppet and we got real previews, model kits for cool stuff from all factions, campaign books that made a joke out of any of the "main GW" products? Yeah, let's make that a thing again.


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Zustiur wrote:
Keep: M WS BS A T W I A LD SV. Unfortunately that's been messed with several times. At least we're only missing initiative at the moment.

It's funny, because I'd consider that a priority thing to get rid of. It's an obsolete relic of a 1980s fantasy game and it should be messed with to reflect the needs of a modern scifi game. Let the past go.

If we are talking about the rules, then these:

1) Ease up on the 'no model no rule policy.' It has really gotten out of hand, it is killing the creativity. Sure, I get not giving rules for stuff for which the bits literally do not exist in the GW catalogue, but stuff that can be achieved by simple kitbashing should be allowed. No need to worry about third party manufacturers, vast majority of people will use GW bits for this sort of thing. Hell, you can have FW to do something useful for once, and produce conversion packs for this explicit purpose.

2) Soup. Yes, keep the soup. Sure, some balancing measures might need to be taken, but the ultimately the ability to freely combine units from different factions must be retained. It makes collecting way easier and much more fun.

1 for sales) Stop using anti-consumer business models.
1 for rules) Stop leaving customers behind. (codex creed/wait)

2) Don't stop interacting with the customers.

Change: Clean up the rules via use of technical writing and a glossary of terms that are consistently used. It's not about changing the rules, just writing them in a way that emphasizes clarity and precision.

Keep: The variety that is the spice of 40K life.

1) "If you had a magic wand, and with it you could change one thing about WH40K, what would it be?"

2) "Using the same magic wand, you can safeguard one thing about WH40K and make it so it can't be changed - what would that be?"


My answer involves both questions: Model viability.
Once a model has been made, counting from RT forward, it's in the game. There WILL be current rules available even if the models are not presently in production.

Change: I'd say rework LOS to not be a joke and make terrain largely not matter. I'd like to say "rework the game from the ground up to be more tactical and less roll dice" but that's really multiple things rolled under one.

Keep: The original flavor of the setting: The twilight of humanity as it's besieged by its foes, rather than humanity's glorious triumph thanks to their heroes the Space Marines.

TangoTwoBravo wrote:
Make terrain meaningful - perhaps cover affects the "to hit" roll.

Keep the 8th edition streamlining: no templates, special vehicle rules etc. I was skeptical at firs, but now I like it!

This exists in chapter approved 2018 - I encourage you to try it out!

one thing to change: Shift the game from IgoUgo to alternating activation (obviously this necessitates other changes, but this is the top-level single change I'd want to see)

one thing to preserve: the imperium as brutal and dystopian, as said above. they have creeped steadily towards noblebright heroism since I started and it's really obnoxious.

I'll answer again, because I can

1) Living Rulebook. We're very, very nearly there, what with regular, scheduled FAQs, Beta Rules and Chapter Approved with all that contains. But I'd love to have a digital rulebook which auto-updates. I'd even be happy paying an annual subscription for the privilege (opinions may vary on that last bit of course)

2) Keep the wide range of units and unit types. Don't streamline unless it's clear two units in the same army are doing functionally the same thing.

1) Give us back blast templates.

2) Keep the settings unique and consistent. Don't change things just because SJWs or other loud minorities demand it.

Rulewise:

1.Change to alternating turn activation. Right after that comes shortening gun ranges and making melee more viable against fallback in general.
2. Simplified vehicles as a core.

Plotwise:

1. Stop forcing 40k being a story rather than being a setting. Focusing on few characters and worlds makes galaxy seem small and the whole eternal war less global and epic.
2. Imperium fluff should stick to it's roots - huge, barely functioning bureaucratic machine that does not value human lives and is incapable of progress or rational actions.

Modelwise:

1. Stop with no model - no rules policy. Create "official" kitbash guides for non existing models which use GW's bits. And better yet, stop obsessing over power armor (looking at you, ridiculous autocannon flying marines) and give your attention to all xenos if you are out of ideas for the time being.
2. Keep multiple weapons and options in a box. More bits = more conversion material and model variety.

1. As previously mentioned, make FW a more independent company, let them create new and more exciting things rather than just HH and Necromunda stuff.

2. More focus on building your own dudes. Encourage kitbashing and building your own terrain. I remember the old rulebooks where they included templates for bunkers and ruins, now everything has to be played on the Official GW Realm of Battle board with Official GW Ruins and Official GW Hill, all built with Official GW Tools and Official GW Paints.

1. Change Primaris Marines from the ultra-super perfect bs they are to a limited but powerful resource, untrusted by the majority and just as prone to corruption as regular Marines

2. Safeguard the old Marines are never going away in favour of these Primaris bs models.


Yes, I'm bitter. Leave me be.

 Hawky wrote:
1) Give us back blast templates.

2) Keep the settings unique and consistent. Don't change things just because SJWs or other loud minorities demand it.

psst. It's not SJWs that have been causing the steady erosion of 40k's unique setting in favor of a standard character-driven "fandom" type setting.

It's the dedicated space marine fanbase clamoring for more and more big awesome super-duper heroes to be added to the setting and a more and more relentlessly positive depiction of their favorite guys.

Next primarch coming to 40k WhEn Gw??

OK, going to throw my 2-cents in.

First off - I started in 8th edition because A) I could afford it now, B) the 8th edition rules simplification looked learnable. I see a lot of old-school guys here who want to "go back to the way things were", and some of that is great (I 100% agree that GW needs to focus more on allowing Kitbashing, and including rules for OOP units, I hate the rules built and narrative designed for selling new stuff rather than what people already have collected). But I can't agree with everything.

for example - I LIKE that the Imperium is turning into the good guys (a bit, they are definitely still the worse sort of people). One of the turns-offs I had as a teenager for 40k (I played LOTR instead) was that there were no good guys - everyone is evil. I know that appeals to a lot of people, but I like having the option to be the good guys. Thats why we play games, right? So the good guys can triumph over evil, because reality is a bit more suck/complicated than that?. The Narrative has progressed to where it seams a lot of different factions are, if not GOOD per se, are at least not outright EVIL. Humans can be good people making hard decisions for survival, or callused beauracrats depending on how YOU play them. Eldar can be noble and wise, or utter savages depending on YOU. Tau literaly have Greater Good in the motto, what that looks like depends on YOUR way of narrating your army. Orks can be monsterous horde, or adorkable slap-stick grots (or both at the same time). Even fricken' Chaos can be played as the tragic, noble anti-heroes betrayed by their father (looking at you Abbadon).

I like all the choice in how your army is played narratively, I think its still plenty Grimdark, while still allowing for the existence of both nobility and horror for ANY faction.


I would change - Make Space Marines competative again. I love Primaris models, don't really mind the fluff, but you don't see any pure SM armies winning tournaments. These guys are your flagship and get all the love narratively (as seen by all the complaints from Xenos players above). Give them the stratagems or points reductions they need to play against fricken IG armies, not to mention Eldar or GSC.

I would keep - Continue the interaction with the fans! I loved the suggestion of a digital, auto-updating rule book. I would total pay a subscription for that. Even if I had to DLC for the different Codexs, as long as rules updates are auto-included. I love effort they are making to listen, hopeful it continues and results in actual changes. I think the Sisters of Battle Codex will be the real metric for how that goes.


---Wargboy

1. Rewrite the rules from the ground-up to provide asymmetrical balance and tactical, decision-based play.

2. Pre 7th lore and 40k as a setting to explore and tell your own stories in, rather than a story to be told to us so that we become passive observers instead of active participants.

the_scotsman wrote:

 Hawky wrote:
1) Give us back blast templates.

2) Keep the settings unique and consistent. Don't change things just because SJWs or other loud minorities demand it.

psst. It's not SJWs that have been causing the steady erosion of 40k's unique setting in favor of a standard character-driven "fandom" type setting.

It's the dedicated space marine fanbase clamoring for more and more big awesome super-duper heroes to be added to the setting and a more and more relentlessly positive depiction of their favorite guys.

Next primarch coming to 40k WhEn Gw??

So much this. The game, I can give or take (as it can be changed without lasting damage), the background however would be the hill I choose to die on too. Right now, we have a story for some reason that contains a small cast of about a dozen or so immortal (more or less) individuals in a galaxy of untold trillions- and I say this as both a SM and CSM player. You have a massive sandbox the size of a beach to play in GW, yet you want to sit in the proverbial rockpool when there's an ocean of stories to tell that don't involve Girlyman, Cawl and the other usual suspects in some way.

Grimtuff wrote:

the_scotsman wrote:

 Hawky wrote:
1) Give us back blast templates.

2) Keep the settings unique and consistent. Don't change things just because SJWs or other loud minorities demand it.

psst. It's not SJWs that have been causing the steady erosion of 40k's unique setting in favor of a standard character-driven "fandom" type setting.

It's the dedicated space marine fanbase clamoring for more and more big awesome super-duper heroes to be added to the setting and a more and more relentlessly positive depiction of their favorite guys.

Next primarch coming to 40k WhEn Gw??

So much this. The game, I can give or take (as it can be changed without lasting damage), the background however would be the hill I choose to die on too. Right now, we have a story for some reason that contains a small cast of about a dozen or so immortal (more or less) individuals in a galaxy of untold trillions- and I say this as both a SM and CSM player. You have a massive sandbox the size of a beach to play in GW, yet you want to sit in the proverbial rockpool when there's an ocean of stories to tell that don't involve Girlyman, Cawl and the other usual suspects in some way.

Alternatively, I look at it this way:
Sure, GW are sitting in that rockpool, doing their thing. That doesn't mean that we, the audience, have to sit in it with them. As you've said, there's an ocean of stories that we can explore. Who cares what GW are doing in their rockpool? If you're not interested, don't like it, or simply want to explore your own thing, as long as the ocean's still there (which, last I saw, it is), you can go into the ocean.

Even better is that this ocean encompasses all time from pretty much everything from M30 up until where we are now in the setting, and even then, there's nothing stopping you going further or earlier. The ocean GW have provided encompasses 10,000 years of events in the entire 40k galaxy. Who cares what they're doing, when we can do it ourselves?

I'd like if we stuck to the original topic rather than discussing if Space Marine fanboys are or are not to blame. That belongs to another thread.

Thank you.

1) Get away from IGOUGO

2) Nothing is immutable or sacred.

Change the History of the Squats so that their 'demise' was just and Inquisitoral ruse to keep everyone away from the Squat Homeworlds while a massive secret undertaking with Squats and the Imperium working to bring about a heavy counter attack to chaos. This ofc is the entrance of a Squat Codex and mini campaign.

keep the current rules set but permit it to morph and change as needed and wanted.

Change: Go cold turkey on paperwork and move all rules, codices, FAQ's, errata, CA, white dwarf data sheets, E2B starter sets onto a singular digital platform. As well as simplifying accessibility to rules it will be an enabler for moving away from poster boy factions and giving attention to any factions GW sees fit (examples, release chapter tactics for marines outside of purely the 1st and 2nd founding to support a narrative campaign/release an iron hands named character outside of the window of a paperback codex release).

Keep: It's good for GW to move with the times in how it presents itself and interacts inclusively with the community, but the games' setting and foundation of the IP shouldn't be retconned to score points with a flavour of the month topical issue. In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.

Insularum wrote:
Change: Go cold turkey on paperwork and move all rules, codices, FAQ's, errata, CA, white dwarf data sheets, E2B starter sets onto a singular digital platform. As well as simplifying accessibility to rules it will be an enabler for moving away from poster boy factions and giving attention to any factions GW sees fit (examples, release chapter tactics for marines outside of purely the 1st and 2nd founding to support a narrative campaign/release an iron hands named character outside of the window of a paperback codex release).

one thing about digital only is that it make for those lesser advantaged new players to get started. That being said, I would like it if I could pay a couple of bucks a month to have the most up to date rules.

Keep: It's good for GW to move with the times in how it presents itself and interacts inclusively with the community, but the games' setting and foundation of the IP shouldn't be retconned to score points with a flavour of the month topical issue. In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.

totally agree, dont change the fundamentals of 40k but pretty much everything else is mutable.

 Brother Castor wrote:
In this month's Echoes from the Warp article in WD, Robin Cruddas, lead WH40K developer at GW, talks about judging and speaking at the NOVA Open convention in the US.

To elicit feedback on WH40K, he asked the following questions as ice breakers at his seminars, and also said that these same questions are asked when interviewing for the role of rules writer at GW:

1) "If you had a magic wand, and with it you could change one thing about WH40K, what would it be?"

2) "Using the same magic wand, you can safeguard one thing about WH40K and make it so it can't be changed - what would that be?"

How would you answer?

(I'll post mine answers below too when I've decided.)

1. I would lessen the number of factions to be between 4-5 for each of the three great groups. (Xenos, Chaos, Imperium)
2. The basic design of 8th should be the template going forward, allowing for the rules to be expanded, but not changed.

1) Give to the hobbyists more control: Give the lore and the rules more room for the players to make their own story and bring it to the table top. Is their hobby. The role of GW is just to enable their fun and get the profit from it.
2) Let our imagination run free., Keep the setting full of mystery as it is with lots of loose ends.

1) I'd say change the 30 year old Stat lines. Or Stat system

2) keep the scaling.