Cosmic Serpent | 20 Jun 2015 1:49 p.m. PST |
Hey fellow weird war enthusiasts, Been thinking a lot about this topic lately, wondering if anyone else has too. I personally love this genre of gaming, it combines my love of military history games, with my love of zombies, mechs, and other such fantasy elements. Seems theres a lot of limbo in the genre lately. SOTR II Kickstarter – Cancelled, future unsure. AE-WWII – Nothing new in a long time, seems pretty dormant, future unsure. DUST – I'm sure most people are aware of the current fiasco with Battlefront, again, future unsure. Konflict 47 – producing some nice looking stuff, moving forward with some rules as well. Wondering why this particular genre seems to have such a hard time? I thought we were pretty lucky to have the first three prior to Konflict 47 really ramping up. All of the major producers who started the drive in this genre appear to be struggling for various reasons. Anyone else feeling the same way? I know there are other rule sets out there, I own more than these, but these guys seemed to be the main drivers in producing the major content for weird war players. Curious how my fellow weird war enthusiasts see the current state of weird war gaming? |
Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 20 Jun 2015 2:08 p.m. PST |
I am not a Weird WWII player, but I find the genre interesting. I think part of the problem may be the "new shiny" factor on the part of the developers, while they may have been very committed to the idea for a couple of years, they may have found other gaming interests themselves. WWI Centennial, Waterloo Bicentennial, AK-47 stuff going on in reallife… that can all be very distracting. Dust has seemed more like a business than SOTR or AE, but that seems to have brought it's own problems. I was a developer for Dark Age Games for a couple of years, and there were only a few of us. If someone had marital problems, or a new video game was released, a baby was born, any of these could delay a project by six months or more. Small companies, limited capital, and real life outside influences can stop development in its tracks.
|
MajorB | 20 Jun 2015 2:22 p.m. PST |
If you have one or more of these: SOTR. AE-WWII – Nothing new in a long time, seems pretty dormant, future unsure. DUST – I'm sure most people are aware of the current fiasco with Battlefront, again, future unsure. Then just keep playing it. The rules won't spontaneously combust just because there is "no support" or nothing new!! |
Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 20 Jun 2015 2:32 p.m. PST |
Another thought, perhaps people are using different rules for their WWWII games to better simulate their unique views. |
haywire | 20 Jun 2015 2:49 p.m. PST |
The problem I have is that they all seem the same. Mecha either like AT-43 or Gear Krieg or a common tank on AT-ST legs German Zombie troops Zombie troops with power fists German Gorilla troops German Occultist Officer, usually zombified or lich like German hot chick with RPG/Panzerfaust/mauser and whip German troopers in gas masks and long coats Beefy black guy with heavy weapon/machine gun Americans and British in heavy power armor Werewolves with guns UFOs Cthulhu Rocket Troops Don't forget Tannhauser and Incursion and Clockwork Goblin Its like everyone is just ripping each other off and not making any new ideas |
Gear Pilot | 20 Jun 2015 2:56 p.m. PST |
I still play Gear Krieg. The models are available for purchase for a month every six months, and I've been adding to my collection with Clockwork Goblin, Heer 46, Battlefront mid war monsters [edit] and Forged in Battle. I've collected some of the SOTR/Incursion, AE-WWII, and DUST miniatures, but haven't really gotten around to painting them. I wish they were closer together in size, or better yet 15mm. |
Cosmic Serpent | 20 Jun 2015 4:42 p.m. PST |
In regards to still playing, you're absolutely right. My two other favorite games are Mordheim and Epic Armageddon (both much more dead than any of what I've listed here). My concern comes mainly from the standpoint of – I like to see new things coming out, and to keep pushing out new ideas. I do agree, that many are similar (or as said, ripping each other off). Does that in of itself spread a somewhat smaller community into smaller fragments, that then make any one publisher struggle even more? While I will continue playing, and using what I like from each range (for example I like the DUST mecha, the SOTR rules, and the AE-WWII background) to build my own weird war setting, I still wish the genre were getting more traction. Oh, and on the 15mm front, I'd agree. Sometimes I want to play something akin to a squad or two in 28mm, other times I want to use my FOW stuff with some weird elements thrown in to play out a larger engagement. Hopefully Clockwork continues to produce things in both 15mm and 28mm! |
Jakar Nilson | 20 Jun 2015 5:00 p.m. PST |
Panzerfauste is gearing up again, with some help from Prodos. You can see a webcast intervue here: youtu.be/gaAZV-RelI4 As for Gear Krieg, at the moment the only new things are the comics, in Aurora magazine (cheap plug, but it's also free on the internet). If anyone knows of good resin casters in North America, please tell Company B so that they can get the 1:56 range back into production! |
rooter | 21 Jun 2015 6:36 a.m. PST |
Yeah I was fairly pleased with how Dust was releasing new units every two or three months a couple years ago. The most complete range if you can get them. They have a few groaners in the range but I always thought the mechs were spot on. I kind of liked the more scifi weird as opposed to occult weird in this particular genre. I have a bunch still unpainted that I will eventually use. With Dust rules or another ruleset…but at least they are assembled and primed:) They did kind of get out of my comfort zone price wise recently with the new releases. I tend to pick and choose from different manufactures. I really like some of the grind house power armor and don't think they look out of place with Dust. But yeah, hot undead nazi dominatrix and gas masks aplenty! |
Terry37 | 21 Jun 2015 11:23 a.m. PST |
I am actually sort of new to the theme but agree it allows for historical as we;ll as fantasy. I game it using the HotT rules, and am starting my first two armies now, based on Harry Turtedove's WorldWar series. I also plan on doing some straight weird WWII armies using Alan Saunders armies as guide lines to follow. So I for one am very enthusiastic about it, Terry |
thatotherguy | 22 Jun 2015 12:44 p.m. PST |
Achtung! Cthulhu is supposed to be coming out with a miniatures game related to the RPG |
Umpapa | 22 Jun 2015 12:57 p.m. PST |
|
Spendlove | 22 Jun 2015 11:12 p.m. PST |
15mm is even harder. You can get odd bits and pieces but nothing like you can in 28mm. |
tnjrp | 22 Jun 2015 11:18 p.m. PST |
haywire 20 Jun 2015 2:49 p.m. PST: The problem I have is that they all seem the same […] Its like everyone is just ripping each other off and not making any new ideas I have the same impression about WWWII miniature gaming companies following the well-beaten path by and large. Then again, the same could be said about most if not all other genres as well. But more importantly, what would the "new ideas" be that would invigorate the WWW genre? |
rooter | 23 Jun 2015 8:07 a.m. PST |
Well they already have zombies, power armor, mecha, superheroes, werewolves, vampires, telekinesis, animal experiments, plus all the historical units. Maybe aliens? Or wizards? Time travel dinosaurs? Basically make it 40k and just lump elements of all genres together? Not sure if that's best and might take away from what makes www2 unique. |
YoursInaWhiteWineSauce | 24 Jun 2015 10:12 a.m. PST |
I had been contemplating this also, especially after my WWW2 juices got flowing with the start of the SoTR II KS… I have been thinking though, that most of my friends already have WW2 forces for Bolt Action and Chain of Command, so perhaps the best way to entice them is NOT another set of rules, but perhaps by adding some weird elements to rules they already have, understand and enjoy playing. That forces us into retaining 28mm and all that implies (good and bad) but might be a cunning way forward for me. PS old AT-43 mechs make for great WWW2 conversion also |
Spendlove | 24 Jun 2015 10:13 a.m. PST |
You can't beat a bit of Weird War 2. I am using a load of 15mm sci fi troops from 15mm.co.uk as a version of Free French partisans. They look great and slightly Napoleonic. If you are playing in 15mm you have to get a bit creative in your figure choice. Rebel minis Titan troops make great japanese. |
tnjrp | 24 Jun 2015 10:36 p.m. PST |
rooter 23 Jun 2015 8:07 a.m. PST: Well they already have zombies, power armor, mecha, superheroes, werewolves, vampires, telekinesis, animal experiments, plus all the historical units. Maybe aliens? Or wizards? Hmm. Dust already has aliens waiting in the wings so it's really just a matter of publishing them -- although given the game's troubles recently that may be far off. Meanwhile, an actually practicing occultist isn't too far removed from a bona fide wizard in the genre terms and I do believe SoTR and War of Wonders (the latter still pending realization of its 1st incarnation, of course) at least have them. But one could certainly argue they are among the least comprehensively overused WWW cliches. There was a YA WWW novel where the British had perfected bioengineering and were producing swarms of warbeasts to fight the German mekha forces. Can't remember the title or the author ATM. While "bug horde" is hardly a new idea in speculative fiction miniature gaming, it would I think be somewhat more rare in WWW subgenre. |
Jakar Nilson | 29 Jun 2015 10:42 a.m. PST |
The novel's title is Leviathan. Can't remember the author, although the artwork was done by Keith Thompson. |