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So, who else is actually excited for this?

I don't see this as the death of Warmachine Steampunk. I see it as a way to test what is basically a Mk4 complete overhaul. Anything that works and is successful can be brought back into an actual Mk4, and they can keep the universes separate.

For example, Hayley using her time shenanigans to see this future, and manages to save the Iron Kingdoms from it, continuing the original timeline.

Interested, but not excited. I need to see models before I actually start getting excited. I've been excited by miniature games before, and then was disappointed in the model lines.

I'm also curious as to the factions (if any) they plan on having and to see the diversity of the development styles of each one.

They've talked a lot about 'customizable warjacks', which feels a bit like acknowledging that many 'jacks now are ~3 different sets of arms on the same chasis, so what if they just let the gamer come up with the combos? I'm curious to see the crunch involved, and hoping there isn't One Obviously Good Build (which is more of a GW rules team thing, less so PP).

As for the setting shift, I'm less interested. But the current IK is one of the few fantasy settings I enjoy, so making it (more) into sci-fi isn't all that appealing.

Very interested, but don't really know enough to be excited.

What is this even about?

 usernamesareannoying wrote:
What is this even about?

5000 years after the Infernal invasion, humanity has spread from Warmachine's Caen, but resources have begun to become low and messed up going in a grimdark direction.

They posted it up in the News and Rumors section. Little else is known about it other than in that post.

Interested but skeptical. I don't really think the idea is a particularly compelling one, but I am at least going to give it a look.

While I am a WM/H fanboy, being realistic, this release is probably only going to appeal to a subset of the current PP customer base. When it comes to sci fi and/or skirmish games there are currently many more appealing offerings on the market at a much better prince point. Things like Infinity, Malifaux and yes GW products. PP's Company of Iron died a pretty much immediate death due to lack of support etc. So im struggling to feel optimistic for the release.

Althought we obviously don't know any real details about the games (mechanics, factions etc) the concept is largely being met with derision by our playing group and talking to people in local clubs, looking at other wargaming forums and FB groups that also seems to be the feeling from those outside our community.

However if the new key staff at PP can manage to balance the desire of some of the community to only play SR comps and the needs to bring in new players with the casual and anarrative play then this new game may well have a future. Riotquest is getitng some traction (it seems) as has MonstaPoc. The Oblivion campaign seems to be popular within the existing player base. However I am worried that this new game will be DoA if PP cant sell the concept to players outide of its current consolidated base. Which seeing it will be PPs main investment for the next year, should concern WM/H players.

Sounds like someone is upset at the success Games Workshop has had recently.

I keep raising an eyebrow at it being set 5000 years in the future, and yet somehow still being recognizable. While I don't think they're going to directly port factions directly from the time we know to the deep future, I suspect they'll want to keep a bunch of connections in there, to give current fans a place to stand, instead of yet another totally new sci-fi universe (think of every sci-fi game that isn't 40k or based on existing media). In which case five millennia seems immense - especially if that's supposed to include scrapping with the Infernals that entire time, and only then do resources run out? I don't think it's a quibble to say they ought to rein that timeline in.

Related, I was curious about the timeline of the Iron Kingdoms, and lo >> https://privateerpress.com/iron-kingdoms/introduction-to-the-iron-kingdoms/timeline-of-the-iron-kingdoms

Sunno wrote:While I am a WM/H fanboy, being realistic, this release is probably only going to appeal to a subset of the current PP customer base. When it comes to sci fi and/or skirmish games there are currently many more appealing offerings on the market at a much better prince point. Things like Infinity, Malifaux and yes GW products. PP's Company of Iron died a pretty much immediate death due to lack of support etc. So im struggling to feel optimistic for the release.

Althought we obviously don't know any real details about the games (mechanics, factions etc) the concept is largely being met with derision by our playing group and talking to people in local clubs, looking at other wargaming forums and FB groups that also seems to be the feeling from those outside our community.

However if the new key staff at PP can manage to balance the desire of some of the community to only play SR comps and the needs to bring in new players with the casual and anarrative play then this new game may well have a future. Riotquest is getitng some traction (it seems) as has MonstaPoc. The Oblivion campaign seems to be popular within the existing player base. However I am worried that this new game will be DoA if PP cant sell the concept to players outide of its current consolidated base. Which seeing it will be PPs main investment for the next year, should concern WM/H players.

I should point out that if we don't have any details, it is rather premature to state that Infinity or 40K will be more appealing. Currently they are more appealing than Warmachine to the average gamer, but Warmachine is rather Steampunk rather than fully embracing Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Space Opera.

Boss Salvage wrote:I keep raising an eyebrow at it being set 5000 years in the future, and yet somehow still being recognizable. While I don't think they're going to directly port factions directly from the time we know to the deep future, I suspect they'll want to keep a bunch of connections in there, to give current fans a place to stand, instead of yet another totally new sci-fi universe (think of every sci-fi game that isn't 40k or based on existing media). In which case five millennia seems immense - especially if that's supposed to include scrapping with the Infernals that entire time, and only then do resources run out? I don't think it's a quibble to say they ought to rein that timeline in.

Related, I was curious about the timeline of the Iron Kingdoms, and lo >> https://privateerpress.com/iron-kingdoms/introduction-to-the-iron-kingdoms/timeline-of-the-iron-kingdoms

Well, if you believe some people, the industrial revolution has pretty much killed all of our resources on one planet in less than 150 years. 5000 years covers more territory than going from the Spanish-American War to Star Trek Voyager (which is only about 300 years).

We also don't know how many planets are out there or why resources are running out. Battletech was in a similar boat at its introductions, and only about 1000 years ahead of us, but the reason resources were running out was because all the nations blew each other to hell 200 years before, along with the most developed resource gathering spots, population centers, and manufactories. Find a good knowledge cask, and then things start building back up to what they were before the nukes started (literally) flying.

Basically, without knowing a lot more, we really can't say too much with any finality.

 Boss Salvage wrote:
They've talked a lot about 'customizable warjacks', which feels a bit like acknowledging that many 'jacks now are ~3 different sets of arms on the same chasis, so what if they just let the gamer come up with the combos? I'm curious to see the crunch involved, and hoping there isn't One Obviously Good Build (which is more of a GW rules team thing, less so PP).

As for the setting shift, I'm less interested. But the current IK is one of the few fantasy settings I enjoy, so making it (more) into sci-fi isn't all that appealing.

I'm equally shaky about the 'custom' Jacks, as currently there is usually one light and one heavy per faction thats is generally the top all rounder with a bunch slightly below that dependant on caster, theme or mission, and a fair few that never see play (apparently Circle has 3 griffons !)

The theme of resource scarcity permeating Riot Quest and Warcaster Neo Mechanika made me think they're subliminally telegraphing the state of affairs at PP. Namely, that there's a cashflow issue and that's why they have been hemorrhaging key talent. Not trying to be a debbie downer, but I'm kind of worried about the longevity of the company and the IP. The IK was sellable, the Age of Oblivion isn't.

I think a bunch of their talent had been there for a decade of their life and had the opportunity to make a Marvel game. I don't really buy into the doom and gloom, but I think PPs having more success these days making bespoke stuff out of resin (MonPoc, MiniCrate and now RiotQuest) than trying to get people to buy hundreds subpar plastics for Warmachine.

I do think Warmachine isn't necessarily in need of a new version of the rules, but it needs to revamp how its sold. The Battlebox concept is just woefully out of date and doesn't compete for shelf space anymore. There's also just far too many casters for PP to make interesting. Playing the limited factions, really shows what the game has to offer when its focused and not trying to scrap up the 20th feat out of a pair of random abilities.

We're seeing an era where games have to find ways to get to shelves. GW has flooded the market with product that moves and doesn't replenish and stores and distributors alike aren't keen on sitting on thousands of SKUs that people buy once and never again. We're seeing major changes in the way games like Infinity and Malifaux and even the GWs stuff are packaged to great success. PP's found its modeling groove again with resin, but it doesn't seem to have found a way to modernize their catalog to take advantage of it. They really need to invest in new players and honestly, I don't think that's going to happen until they purge the back catalog and make a more accessible game.

I largely agree. This topic has come up frequently in my meta. I also get the sense that their issues with order fulfillment this summer was a perfect storm with new construction in Washington state and Con season happening.

MonPoc is selling well, but our FLGS's owners are largely "done with PP" and won't stock it, and are pretty sore about that pile of Warmahordes stock sitting in the discount binS.

Among other ideas that have been fielded, I like the idea of splitting the game into Early, Middle and Late war periods like Flames of War, and treat Late War as the "Modern" format analog to Magic's. Let the old models from 2012 and earlier retire and get pulled from competitive circulation.

Warcaster Neo Mechanika is probably the right call, a chance to reset the wargame design paradigm within the company, before trying to salvage their legacy IP.

The delay this summer was because they moved their hq and warehouse. Mostly because part of the construction is renovating the area into something more upscale with a pretty significant rent increase.