I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but it's all so exciting I simply can't help myself!
Yesterday Grim and Perilous (makers of Zweihänder) reported that a large European publisher had got world wide distribution rights to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. A few hours of frenzied speculation followed where names such as Modiphius, Mongoose and... Cubicle 7 came up but it was soon inadvertedly confirmed, through Drivethrurpg.com, that it was indeed Cubicle 7 who has landed the deal.
Later, when asked on Facebook, C7 cheekily responded with the following:
So yeah, Cubicle 7 + WFRP = True! And this makes me a very happy man!
Well unless they're forced by GW to do a Age of Sigmar version which would crush my newfound excitement. But I don't see that happening - GW has been really good about reviving old fan favourites lately so I'm actually hoping we might see something close to the first edition of the game! I would of course settle for a more modernized version, fitting with the end times, or whatever was going on in the Old World before bubbleworld, kind of like the 2nd and 3rd editions.
So why am I so excited about this? Well, as far as I'm concerned Cubicle 7 is a publisher that have consistently high quality across all their products, don't rush things and have a meticolous eye for the feel and details of the settings they portray in their games. They don't release a thousand splatbooks detailing every single class/ship/location/weapon like many other publishers do, but instead focus on making the best core game experience possible. Supplements are generally well thought through and don't feel redundant or uninspired.
In addition to that, TS Luikart joined Cubicle 7 in 2015 and he's contributed to a number of games that I really like, including WFRP 2nd edition, The One Ring, Dragon Age, Eclipse Phase and Dark Heresy. He has a good grasp of the setting and I would be very surprised if he's not involved quite heavily.
Now, it'll probably be a couple of years before we see a new release but if you'll allow me to dream for a bit...
I would like to see a setting that's very close to how it was presented in the first edition, which wasn't darker necessarily but certainly much more chaotic. No, not in the Chaos with a big C way, but in the way that it felt new, vibrant and quite unpredictable! The later editions were retconned to gel more with the current version of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, making everything a bit more... cookie-cutter. I would love a return to the more chaotic era of first edition. And seeing how OSR has been growing steadily the past few years I don't think it's impossible.
A new system designed from the ground up for WFRP would also be nice. While I have a certain fondness for the old system in the first two edition, and parts of WFRP3, I wouldn't mind a new more modern system, but hopefully with a slight OSR feel to it, to be used for a new edition. I have for a long time wanted to run Warhammer using Torchbearer as that seems like a pretty perfect fit, so a decent amount of grit would be welcome. And of course, Torchbearer will soon get its very own official setting, which looks awesome!
I could keep going on but I think I'll have to contain myself and wait for the official announcement from C7. Hopefully with a little bit of information attached. I had more or less written off WFRP as something that I would only play again if I went back to the first two editions (sold all my WFRP3 stuff a while back) but now my head is swimming with hopes and wishes!
Do not reinvent the wheel. Take 2nd Ed WHFRPG and tweak it to add a few streamlined bits and some mechanics for PCs to be able to influence lethality (Defense and Attack). Not a fan at all of 3rd Ed. 1st and 2nd captured the grim and perilous nature of the WH world very effectively.
ReplyDeleteWell... I wouldn't mind a fresh take on the rules. The old ones work and I'd certainly play with those rules but these days I think we could do better.
DeleteAs for WFRP3, we played through The Gathering Storm (as you can read on this here blog) and there are a number of concepts that I like. But with more cards and tokens in every expansion it just collapsed under its own weight after a while.
1st Ed setting. Chaos undivided was phenomenally stupid in 2nd edition. Humanity wouldn't stand a chance. Might as well stay home. In 1st, at least the chaos powers were all vying for top spot, different cults of different gods working against each other.
DeleteIt certainly seems like we're all in complete agreement on which edition they should try and emulate. :)
DeleteDon't reinvent the wheel, dont fix what aint broke. Not a fan of 3rd ed, 1st edition magic was the weakest link in the game but many of my favourite roleplaying experiences have been had with 1st edition. However I am soon to start a 2ed campaign and it will work just fine. Even if theres some homebrew elements required but isnt there always? No group is the same afterall. This is potentially great news though, i wonder if Warpstone Magazine will come back, fingers crossed.
DeleteThis...
DeleteSetting-wise I agree with you completely. When it comes to rules though, I wouldn't mind an overhaul. Just a flat revision would be fine with me as well (to get rid of the naked dwarf syndrome etc), but I think a more modern system would be good for the game.
DeleteI have some of my best gaming memories from playing TEW, but that doesn't mean the system is perfect. ;)
Very interesting. I hope we get a new 1st edition personally.
ReplyDeleteIn the past the requirement to tie to the wargame world has (I feel) hindered its development. Now though GW may be willing to loosen the reins a little as they are developing Age of Sigmar and might not be too fussed over a new depiction of the Warhammer World
That's a good point!
DeleteFirst edition was a good book... magic was the weakness... too much D&D style... but the background was great! very dark, nasty and dangerous. I like vintage stuff. Don't forget, game system has to go hand in hand with the background... it is like watching a good movie with cheap musics or effect sounds.
DeleteThe 2nd version was prolific but again too much D&D... it is not because you refer to Skaven or Nurgle that you capture the nasty essence of the Warhammer world, it is not that easy. About game system, I hope C7 will be careful... just look around, every game looks like the same in their game system more or less - only background change. The most challenging part is to create a system that perfectly fit with the background of a game. The game system reflects the mood/the connection with the world around and it is as important as the role play itself.
I'm very much in the "system matters!" camp so I totally agree on that point. I've always wanted to play Warhammer using Buring Wheel or Torchbearer but am eagerly waiting to see what C7 does with it.
DeleteAs for their games being similar, is that really the case? I only have first hand experience with The One Ring myself but I felt that's a prime example of a rule set that's been created to fit the setting. I've flipped through Kuro as well and it seemed very different (of course, being from a French designer originally) and Lone Wolf seems to base its rules on the actual old choose your own adventure books (which seemed like an odd choice to me). Which of their games share systems? Doctor Who/Laundry Files/Victoriana/Rocket Age perhaps?
Martin, I agree, system matters A LOT. The system is a transcription of the game universe to the real world so to speak. As I am a tv-series/feature films screenwriter, I would say, you can deliver the best script you've ever written but if it is badly executed by an inexperienced showrunner then the conclusion would just be a product failure. You can apply the same rule for a game system. You can come up with the greatest background for a game but you can "destroy" the soul of your background with a game system which is just a "OK" system but not THE SYTEM for your game! that can explain why I like Warhammer 1st version game system as it really has its own particular flavor... not prefect but it greatly reflects the Old World mood.
DeleteI'v recently bought a RPG named Symbaroum. Good background but the game system is just OK to me once again. Yes, finding the right game system is the hardest thing but when you have it, it always pays off. So... WAIT AND SEE. FINGERS CROSSED HERE! ;)
Bring back the Cool stat! Literally!
ReplyDeleteYeah, why not? Being cool under pressure is certainly important in the old world.
DeleteNever quit playing first edition to be honest so it would be nice to get some new fluff rather then a modernized version of the stuff I already got and wich worked for me for the better part of some odd 20 years now.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that that is what we'll get!
DeleteThis sounds great! Just don't do the 3rd edition failure once more, a true disaster. The great old 1st ed had the most cult like flavour. 3rd was like a tooth paste commercial - made to sell more expansions and unplayable. Looking forward to the result of this...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go quite that far. I think third edition had some interesting ideas that were, unfortunately, buried under a ton of cards and chits.
DeleteWe played through the entire Gathering Storm campaign and had great fun with the system in the beginning. But as we added more expansions (with more cards and chits) and characters gained more abilities (=cards) it started to become really unwieldy. By the end I felt my energy as a GM sapped simply by setting up the game!
FFG has managed to tame the beast and used the system for their Star Wars line - a streamlined version that works much better - that got rid of the cards and chits (or rather, made them completely optional).
Here are a bunch of session reports from The Gathering Storm if you're interested. Felt very WFRP for about the first half. :D
Deletehttp://firebroadside.blogspot.com/search/label/WFRP3+Session%20Report
And Yes! bring back the Cool stat I say, still have a 1st ed. leather bound edition I had made back in the day :-)
ReplyDeleteCreate that DUNGEON HORROR DEED experience!
ReplyDelete