So what's keeps me interested in GW stuff?
Necromunda. and Blood Bowl.
I mean burnout happens. This fall, it seems as if a large part of the 40K blogosphere's got the blah's. Admittedly, I have had a bad case of the 'meh' since this summer. I put stuff together to go to NOVA (which was a blast), but since then, I've not cared about 40K much.
The slowdown in GW's release schedule (wow. new codex every 6 months!) and tight grip on rumors isn't helping a lot either. I'm wondering if this is the sleepy period before a new edition drops and drastically changes the game.
but I digress.
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| My copy's a lot more beat up than this one. |
Blood Bowl was the first GW game I ever bought. way back in '95. I had just transferred to Illinois from my local Jr. College, and the gamers in my dorm had gotten into Blood Bowl. It was fun. Like football, but done as a strategy game. I had to have it.
so I went out and bought a used copy for $25 or so.
it was orks and human models, but we quickly began proxying to have the teams we wanted to play.
I have that set still, and still have not bought the Dwarven team I'd love to have.
I do have both editions of the Blood Bowl computer game, however.
which brings up another interesting thing:
it's the licensed computer games that also keep me coming back to the GW intellectual property. Take Dawn of War. It's not real 40K, but it can serve to get me interested in the real 40K to a certain extent.
The Blood Bowl computer games definitely build my interest in GW's wares.
I think GW needs to invest more in computer versions of it's games. Sell both miniatures games AND the computer versions of the game.
If there were a computer game of Necromunda, I'd be there!
I also think GW could profit greatly from making a functional online computer based version of 40K. Like Vassal, but with real GW input. nah. that might make too much sense.
Which brings me to my other long love, Necromunda.
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| yeah, I never owned the set for Necromunda. |
I've posted before about how much fun Necromunda is, and how it can actually keep me interested in GW games.
Anonymous Foodie's fallen smitten with Necromunda too. He and I can easily set up and bang out a gang battle. We just need a time and place to meet. In January, the GP North is starting a Necromunda league, as a matter of fact.
It's a different game then 40K.
Maybe that's what makes it fun. It's familiar enough to 40K, but NOT 40K.
it's pre-40K skirmish level, that has character growth! Your gangers get better the more you use them. This aspect really does change how the game is played. Your guys are expendable meatshields (except fresh juves).
Those two games are completely worth the free rulesets, and $50 of miniatures to get into.
Aside from that,
World of tanks is still fun. I got the T34 with 120mm cannon, and love it. I've also been piddling through a T50 (russian light), and waiting for the American and Russian heavy tree expansions, so I can get rid of my KV3, and get new garage slots.
Flames of War rocks my socks!
SandWyrm's working out a preliminary report for an overly-ambitious game we set models up for. (I almost took out his command Tiger on turn 1 with an airstrike, darned rolling a 1 on firepower!)
Necromunda is the best game GW has ever produced
ReplyDeletefollowed, closely, by Blood Bowl. Always keep coming back to those games. All my gaming mates love it too. No matter which aspect of the wargaming hobby we enjoy, each of us can get exactly what we need out of those games. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteNecro truly is the best game ever made.
ReplyDeleteTime and place you say? How many times do I have to subtly *cough cough* speak of my 4x4 (with city-style terrain) table set up in my gaming den?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have a gaming den. Boom.
"I also think GW could profit greatly from making a functional online computer based version of 40K. Like Vassal, but with real GW input. nah. that might make too much sense. "
ReplyDeleteThe difficulty in converting 40K to a successful computer game is beyond the ability of any company, not just GWs.
They would need to re-invent the game mechanics from the ground up. The closest to converting that would be possible would be transferring the model "skins" to pixels.
You should check out Killzone, too. It's a redesign of the classic Killteam ruleset done by Big Jim at Galaxy in Flames and Brian from A Gentleman's Ones. They're working on version 2.0 right now and have fresh errata's for all of the new codexes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thecodexproject.com/killzone/
Just played my first game the other day and it was a blast. :)
@foodie I'll have to have you come over sometime and we can play after the little ones go to bed. I can easily get a setup for a 4x4 table in my kitchen.
ReplyDelete@Went Aqwer - I actually think Vassal had a good start on the basics of moving models around, and coding for the rules is daunting, but not insurmountable. of course, if you want true 3-D environ, it's getting a lot more complicated. Very tricky, but not insurmountable. 40K itself being turn based makes the job easier.
@Son of Dorn - We have played some Killzone. We had a bit of a problem with needing really heavy terrain on a 4x4 to make the outcome something other than Grey Knights mopping the board with IG and DE.
Killzone is pretty good though. A nice mid-ground between Necromunda and Killteam.
As I recall it was my IG Stormtroopers mopping the floor with the Marines. AP3 flashlights hurt when I have a numbers advantage and you can only kill one Stormtrooper at a time. :)
ReplyDeleteTry it out with the fresh errata's and see what you think :) They're also taking questions/suggestions for the rules right now. If you want to see that changed, then now's the time to let them know what you think :)
ReplyDeleteNecromunda truly is right up there as one of the best and most enduring games that GW has produced. The strength of it is how well the ruleset has withstood the test of time. There is a kind of depth to a coordinated, campaign structure that engages players in a way that pick-up 40k can't.
ReplyDeleteYou might also want to check out Infinity as a contemporary version of Necromunda. Instead of a gang you have a SWAT team. Rules are free and the cost barrier to entry is relatively low.
I would love me some Necromunda or Mordheim or Coreheim/ITEN/Deathsquads/Combat Patrol/Killzone action, but in San Diego it seems to be hard to find action, and I might be moving soon enough.
ReplyDeleteHow do you find people to play with if you've never played before and your friends are all muggles?