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PP cannot continue to release new models for every faction every 2-4 months forever. The cost would be outlandish, because they would need to keep support for every model made since release (as they do now) but eventually you make too many models/units/warjacks, and the ability to continue manufacturing with acceptable cost/profit margins drastically shrinks.

The problem with GW isn't that it takes 4-8 years for an army to cycle through. Its that they change their rule set every 4, so 1/2 of the rules for their stuff is non-current, and the complete laziness about errata. But it is the smartest way to release armies after a certain point, it has the best cost/profit margin.

And as it stands now there are a good portion of models in this game that could use a cost/ability adjustment.

So switching release systems would in fact make the most business sense for PP.

I think that PP has stated that the Legends is the last supplement for the WM as it is now. So some change to the release cycle is going to happen, but what it is has not been communicated beyond that the old figs are still valid.

I think that their solution is to put a new product like hordes but for the warmachine factions to the market. So new cygnar, khador ... factions with separate casters etc with time line transferred forward from the current point. I also expect the current cast to stay on the stage so we would have new incarnations of stryker, gaspy etc.

Listen to Russ's interview on the D6Generation. Matt Wilson has said that they're not going
to release for all factions simultaneously forever. He also said that that's going to be a very
rough year as a some faction will have to wait for their book.

How about this idea?

PP releases a book for each faction that contains all the core rules, plus all the special rules/army lists for that faction, with all the background/fluff focussing on that faction and their point of view.

Kind of like what White Wolf did with Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, etc. where the same core rules were presented for each book and all characters were freely interchangeable between games (so you could have a Mage PC in a game of Vampire, for example).

Any thoughts?

Chimera_Calvin wrote:How about this idea?

PP releases a book for each faction that contains all the core rules, plus all the special rules/army lists for that faction, with all the background/fluff focusing on that faction and their point of view.

Any thoughts?

How is that different than the GW system?

Because GW has a core rulebook, and then a codex for each army that ONLY has stuff for that army.

The idea was that each army book would contain the core rules AND the army-specific stuff (hence the analogy with White Wolf, where their rulebooks are dedicated to one particular group, but contain all the core rules as well)

Chimera_Calvin wrote:Because GW has a core rulebook, and then a codex for each army that ONLY has stuff for that army.

The idea was that each army book would contain the core rules AND the army-specific stuff (hence the analogy with White Wolf, where their rulebooks are dedicated to one particular group, but contain all the core rules as well)

I wouldn't know about Whitewolf, not really in to the whole vampire/werewolf thing. But this idea sounds reasonable, except if PP makes any core rules adjustments (as they did with remix) it will cause problems. Also get rid of the damn cards the font is too fething small! Have you seen eButch's card?! I dare anyone to read me that!

The cards are one of the things I like the most about the game. I can play an entire game without touching a book, I have record-sheets without ever having to print anything, I have an armylist without having to buy a 3rd party program, I can buy a mini and USE it in a game without ever having seen the book it is a part of! Cards are awesome, my request would be to just have them formalize more of the special rules that characters get into universal rules like 'Stealth', so they don't have to spend a paragraph on a card explaining what that ability does each time.

Army books have a couple of catches to them that concern me. First up they introduce 'codex-creep' meaning whomever had the most recent revision is going to be ever so slightly more powerful to compensate for the previous too powerful book. This happens with each expansion now (mind you not for every unit, but each book has it's stars), but at least it happens for everyone at once.
Second catch being the wait. If faction books mean that each player goes from wanting to buy something new every 6-12 months to wanting to buy something new every 2+ years, that's a big loss.

I would like it if they would revisit the older models with their new sculpting skills, and power up some of the under-used stuff. I don't think anyone ever wants to see something go down in power, so just bring the slackers up to speed to increase variety.

Awww, this is gonna suck when it happens. The release schedule is one of PP's best features.

I too fear change.

IF they do it like they did the "Pirates" book, where it's not an entire faction in one book but a sub-set that can be used with the rest of the faction (examples might be Llalese resistance w/epic Ashlynn, Menite Order of the Wall, etc.), that would be fine by me, but true army books makes me nervous...

Or how about keep the model release schedule the same it is now, but pack every model into a faction specific book that comes out every 2 years.

So for Joe the Plumber Cygnar player it goes like this:
In 2008 (current system) gets 1 new model/unit every 2 months. In august the Legends book is released giving the rules for all models/units released for all factions for all of 2008 - early 2009.

In 2009 PP says "Ok we're going to do faction books now instead"
Joe the Plumber Cygnar player still gets 1 new model/unit every 2 months, and in Spring of 2010 he'll get a Cygnar book that not only has all of the Cygnar models from 2009-2011 in it, but will also have all of the previous releases in there as well, possibly as well as the main rules. This book becomes the one-stop shop for Cygnar players for the next 2-3 years.

But the models keep coming on the same schedule, and I hope that's what happens! By doing things this way, the old units could be reworked as well. So the 1 unit per 2 months might be a revision of the much maligned Charger complete with a new sculpt and some beefed up rules. In the faction book world they can actually replace old things. (Hopefully ALWAYS for the better).

Genius.

Forward that to Mr. Wilson, Moz.

Actually I think they could sell more of each faction if they released them the GW/Moz way. Then everybody would look and think "Wow, cool >>faction I dont own yet<< models! I should buy these!"

I'd like to see a combined Hordes and Warmachine rulebook. So long as the new faction books fix old duffers like the Charger and the Necrosurgeon I'll be happy.

Hey, I LIKE the charger...

syr8766 wrote:Hey, I LIKE the charger...

You're wierd!

Dude, the Charger with a JWC rules. I like the Hunter better for what it does, but 2 focus on a Charger is going to bring some hurt.

George Spiggott wrote:I'd like to see a combined Hordes and Warmachine rulebook. So long as the new faction books fix old duffers like the Charger and the Necrosurgeon I'll be happy.

The necrosurgeon needs a lot of fixing.

1. She's expensive at 28 points. I'd rather have more thralls. But that's ok if you fix her other two glaring problems...
2. She's squishy. This is easily fixed if she can bleed any damage she takes onto a mechanithrall within say... 2" of her kind of like Rengrave.
3. She has to make a skill check to reanimate. This is the stupidest part about her... her "create mechanithrall" should be a straight *action, functioning much like promote. Having the stitch thralls collect corpse tokens, lug them back to the surgeon, survive to make a skill check - all while using up her action is kind of much.

keezus wrote:1. She's expensive at 28 points. I'd rather have more thralls. But that's ok if you fix her other two glaring problems...
2. She's squishy. This is easily fixed if she can bleed any damage she takes onto a mechanithrall within say... 2" of her kind of like Rengrave.
3. She has to make a skill check to reanimate. This is the stupidest part about her... her "create mechanithrall" should be a straight *action, functioning much like promote. Having the stitch thralls collect corpse tokens, lug them back to the surgeon, survive to make a skill check - all while using up her action is kind of much.

1. Agreed.
2. That may be a little too good Terminus's bullet dodgeing ability would be better.
3. Agreed again especially when at 28 points she's only 11 points cheaper than a unit of six McThralls.

And there's more...

Where's her mini-feat? Every other UA has one.
Why doesn't the Brute thrall interact with her in any way? Can't make one or use it as a body token.

A quick comparison between Alexia and McThralls with the Necrosurgeon makes you realise how poor she is.

Actually I think they could sell more of each faction if they released them the GW/Moz way. Then everybody would look and think "Wow, cool >>faction I dont own yet<< models! I should buy these!"

That would be absolutley horrible and I hope they don't even consider it. It causes some factions to become stagnant and if they follow GWs way you only see 2-3 books a year. Codex creep no thanks. Bandwagon jumping no thanks.