http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5361

Looks like the focus is investigation this time around. Which is good.

Sounds like there will be some sort of mechanical framework for GMs to plan investigations. Despite the statement to the contrary in the opening of this article, I don't really see how a formal mechanical framework can work in DH2 and not be a kludgey mess, but we'll see, I guess.

If nothing else, looks like this is going to be the Ordo Hereticus book. I do have to give FFG props for saving the best for first.

It sounds interesting to me, but any time I've suggested doing something like this, I'm met with people poopooing the idea of tying the "beats" of an investigation to gameplay mechanics. I'm interested to see how people feel about the idea of being required to get a certain number of "points" before they can get to a break in the case or get to confront the climax of it. I personally think it's a good idea, but I'm pretty sure a lot of folks on here hate the idea of quantifying storytelling in that manner.

I think the idea of this is sound, though, and it sounds pretty cool. Shame about tying it to influence rewards, which are not very well implemented. I imagine that the more things like Influence rewards, subtlety, personalities and so on that this ruleset utilizes, the less likely it will be to get used by players. Most people on here seem to just use the combat rules and rolling for yes/no skill success.

Iirc there have been a few attempts during the initial years of Dark Heresy to quantify investigations as a meta-system. I myself have struggled to conceptually get it together, and remember other attempts like 'conspiracy points' popping up somewhere. Likewise Nim, I've very interested in seeing how this system works, and how other GMs will take to it.

It looks a bit like they are taking concepts like Endeavours in Rogue Trader and Compacts in Black Crusade and converting them to a Dark Heresy context.

*Fears that it is a rehash of Book of Judgement's "investigation system", but hopes for the best*

It there's a demand for a mechanic like this then I'm glad that they included it and I hope it's well implemented. I personally have about as much need for it as I have for the Subtlety mechanics.

I think it's important for a mechanic to exist. Some people don't like working that stuff out on their own, they want the game to provide.

I'm guessing that it'll simply be a blanket re-naming of terms to use for an investigation, "Conspirator, perpetrator" and the like. I'm curious, if it follows the DH2 trend of "Good idea but needed work" then it'll still be of value.

Hmmm, after reading the Narrative Tools chapter in the rulebook and seeing the crunch surrounding all of that I was a bit surprised to see that more rules are incoming in the next DH2 supplement. I supposed they're optional and may be useful if well written. Regardless the first thought that occurred to me was how the Gumshoe RPG (Essoterrorists, Nights Black Agents, Trail of Cthulhu) system is going in the opposite direction by getting rid of the randomness of obtaining clues, which they argue, can bring play to a halt with a bad die roll. Instead the Gumshoe system focuses on the interpretation of the clues.

I'll keep an open mind.

What happens if you fail to score investigation points?

Or you misinterpret the clue that X is the villain and not Y?

I can see this easily collapsing because the one thing experience tells gamers is that things go off the rails. This is an idea that seems to rely on the players making the right decisions, succeeding their tests and interpreting things according to the GM's plot. But any experienced GM will tell you that kind of plotting is a fool's errand.

It's a nice idea and it sounds more like something that belongs in a boardgame. But i'm surprised at the naivete of the idea, to be brutally honest. I'm afraid I don't see myself buying this.

If it's like the Endeavor system, where you earn points for each objective, it will be a great framework to determine how well or poorly an Investigation has gone. Think about it - a simplistic way to breakdown an adventure based on plot points, where the failure of a single item isn't a dead-end but a factor in overall success? Quite up the Endeavor/Compact systems ally

And when the adept fails his investigation test and giant score the points, then what?

Then it is up to the GM to think of something. Like always. Every rule comes to its end somewhere. It's the GMs role to keep it going. Else we could play a board game and just follow the rules. I see the new rules (and all the rules) more as a guideline for the players and the GM to have a good time and experience a (hopefully) suspensefull story.

Any ideas or indications on when we'll actually see Enemies Within ?

I'm on the verge of starting a campaign, and I'd rather not start it and then get this supplement (with, I think we can expect, some significant rules expansions and new character creation options) a week or two later. But then, I don't want to wait for it and have it end up taking a month or more.

Ah, decisions, decisions...

The products page has it listed as "on the boat". Anyone know how long that takes?

It's been listed that way for a while now - I should have made a note of the date, but I'm pretty sure it's been over two weeks.

Maybe the ship was lost in the warp? Actually the status is rather rubbish and I guess all it says is that the supplement has gold status and now is printed and supplied to stores.

Yep I'm definitely waiting for this one to come out before I start my DH2 campaign as I know my players will want to use the new character creation rules when they come out. I'm running a fluff game in other system until then.

The products page has it listed as "on the boat". Anyone know how long that takes?

(never gets old!)

^It's the first time I've seen it, so cheers!

The longshore issues, while now finally resolved, created something like a Month Long backlog for some ships. So that's probably a big part of it.

Good catch, I can't believe that I didn't connect that with the looong wait on this supplement!

New update:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/3/11/from-worlds-yet-unknown/

New update:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/3/11/from-worlds-yet-unknown/

Argh, I was kind of wishing for a role that would take advantage of the social combat and/or Subtlety mechanics or the new Investigation mechanics.

Really happy to see those new Backgrounds, though- especially mutant.

I am so looking forward to this book now.