[Future] Mask's of Nyarlathotep will be the last expansion ?

By ReyD, in General Discussion

On 5/23/2018 at 11:15 PM, StLemon said:
On 5/23/2018 at 5:43 PM, KBlumhardt said:

With Nikki Valens's departure from FFG, I've moved from the "EH almost certainly isn't done" to "yeah, we're probably not getting more expansions".

I didn't know that. But some digging found a tweet that said she had designed something that would probably come out Q4 2018 for FFG so maybe (probably not), just maybe, there's one more there.

I think that product is much more likely to be another big box for Mansions of Madness.

we can make a petition asking for continuation, to launch the side board of lovecraft state and other old ones.

FFG might have handed over the EH expansions to other designers.

Maybe one small box a year, or an expansion every two years, or something. (Edit: Or print-on-demand AO packs.)

It does seem less likely now that Nikki's left, though. And the quality might suffer.

(Poor Dagon... missing in action.)

Edited by Zen Shrugs
On 5/29/2018 at 1:03 PM, tsuma534 said:

I think that product is much more likely to be another big box for Mansions of Madness.

Nikki hasn't designed anything for Mansions apart the core box. So, if that is, I'd be rather surprised (current developer is Kara Centell-Dunk, and previous expansions had been done by Kara and Grace Holdinghaus, with occasional help from externals (Tony Fanchi in Streets of Arkham)

On 7/1/2018 at 1:34 PM, Julia said:

Nikki hasn't designed anything for Mansions apart the core box.

Oh? Silly me, I haven't bothered to check. That's great to know!

Nikki Valens is amazing and masks of nyarlathotep could easily have had its structure as a way to wrap up all expansions but other people have pointed out, I don't think they'll stop if they think they can release another and get huge sales so sales will determine everything. I don't think there should be Limitless sideboards but I also don't think side boards are worthless or bad as some people think. The only sideboard I think we really do need, if need means anything when it comes the board game expansions, is an Arkham Countryside board that perhaps had four locations that together had Arkham proper including more specific encounters with the Asylum and miskatonic University, location for innsmouth, location for Dunwich, and location for Kingsport. That is the Nexus of the world in Fantasy Flight Games version of Lovecraft Mythos and it would be a real Delight to have Arkham country as a sideboard. If the game is over now, I don't think they'll immediately jump to a second edition or something to replace it. Not only is Lovecraft games already saturated out there but even specifically with Fantasy Flight there will saturated. If they do release a 2nd edition later on, I think they will hopefully be smart enough to do what they did with Mansions of Madness and find some way of incorporating first edition materials so that people who bought first edition stuff, don'ts feel like everything is Obsolete and a waste. I really like that they took that approach with Mansions of Madness second edition and it was great that they included in upgrade kit automatically in the 2nd edition components. I think it's years off before there's an Eldritch Horror 2nd edition but hopefully they're smart enough to do that otherwise they will get a crazy amount of backlash and also I think they recognize that making it so first edition materials can incorporate into 2nd edition is one of the best ways to get first edition owners 212 upgrade so to speak

But Eldritch Horror and itself was sort of meant to be a quasi replacement or sequel to the first Arkham Horror and with Arkham Horror the living card game out sharing its namesake directly rather than just Arkham Horror files as Mansions of Madness and Eldritch Horror have, I think they really feel like between these two games Arkham Horror original has been replaced and supplanted and I don't think they'll be in a rush to try and supplant them self again

The nature of masks of nyarlathotep sort of being analogous to the final expansion of Arkham Horror could again mean it's the final expansion but it doesn't have to mean that. I'm sure they would be happy to try and surprise people and go against expectations and justify this as sort of a punctuation or way to break up the cycle. It's a cop-out but I give it 50-50 whether this is the final expansion but I really wish and hope they make an Arkham Countryside board expansion.

With future expansions, it would not be too expensive or difficult to include the personal stories of any new characters added at this point. And by doing so, they may feel their encouraging people to go back and buy masks of nyarlathotep to get personal stories for the other characters and the same way there are now two expansions that have Mystic ruins Decks that each supplement each other.

The owner of my favorite game shop said, that he doesn't think, that the AH LCG necessarily puts an end to EH because, and that is really a good point, they are very different in their game character. EH replaced AH because both were board games and both were quite similar in structure, with EH being the better structured and better designed successor of AH. AH LCG is NOT a replacement of EH, it is a card game and EH is a board game, they are very different, the only common element is the Lovecraftian background. I already saw playthroughs of the LCG, I am definitely not interested in this game and I am quite sure I am not alone. If FFG would stop producing new EH expansions, I will not purchase instead AH LCG as a replacement, I will stop purchasing FFG products. And I will not be alone, not every board gamer also enjoys card games, especially LCGs.

That#s why I still hope for more EH expansions in the future, EH was not replaced by a better version like AH.

Edited by GBI
6 hours ago, GBI said:

The owner of my favorite game shop said, that he doesn't think, that the AH LCG necessarily puts an end to EH because, and that is really a good point, they are very different in their game character. EH replaced AH because both were board games and both were quite similar in structure, with EH being the better structured and better designed successor of AH. AH LCG is NOT a replacement of EH, it is a card game and EH is a board game, they are very different, the only common element is the Lovecraftian background. I already saw playthroughs of the LCG, I am definitely not interested in this game and I am quite sure I am not alone. If FFG would stop producing new EH expansions, I will not purchase instead AH LCG as a replacement, I will stop purchasing FFG products. And I will not be alone, not every board gamer also enjoys card games, especially LCGs.

That#s why I still hope for more EH expansions in the future, EH was not replaced by a better version like AH.

I don't think anyone has ever thought a living card game could be seen as the reimplementation of a boardgame. AH LCG just replaced the Call of Cthulhu LCG they had in catalogue back in the day.

I also don't think Eldritch replaced Arkham Horror the boardgame. AH had its course: a ton of expansions, and a nice blender at the end that was the perfect topping on a terrific cake. At that point expanding further was unlikely to happen: not in a conventional way at least. To go further, they should have gone a different way, and they decided not to do so. Eldritch is a different game, scratching a different itch, and having different problems than Arkham. Players in love with Eldritch will say it's the best of the two, while players who grew up with Arkham will say Arkham's a better game. Truth is that Arkham Horror: the boardgame is something that's very difficult to beat in terms of market: it came out with the perfect theme at the perfect moment. Now we have tons of games about the Mythos, and in general the hobby is quite a different reality from what it was when AH was released.

Truth is also that at some points these games collapse on themselves: there's just too much content and the "creative space" to expand further becomes narrower. Eldritch at the moment has 8 expansions, with stories covering the most remote corners of the earth, a gazillion AOs and Investigators, so, it has already given to its fans a ton of content. The latest expansion added campaign play which might have been a route for further expansions but that was also very much criticized for many reasons I won't enter into (personal taste or actual bad design, we could spend the night talking about this), and it was also the last expansion designed by Nikki before her departure from the company. So, the question here should be: is this enough? has the game told its story / run its course? and that's it. If there's more stuff that could be added and this reveals for the company more lucrative than pursuing other projects, we'll have more, regardless of LCGs or other boardgames.

Well my suspicions were correct: Arkham Horror Third Edition

Interestingly, Nikki Valens is on the cover as designer.

Also, and that's why I'm pretty hopeful and excited about the game, it looks different enough from Eldritch Horror for me to warrant a place in my collection.
Plus, I already own Mansions of Madness (some of 1st and 2nd), Arkham Horror the Card Game (2 cycles), The Investigators book... My collection disorder for all that is Arkham (well, most...) is kicking in here. :)

On 8/2/2018 at 7:26 PM, jvdvalk said:

Well my suspicions were correct: Arkham Horror Third Edition

Interestingly, Nikki Valens is on the cover as designer

It was Nikki's last game before leaving. On her Twitter, she posted back in the day we'd have had one more big game from her released by FFG and here we go.

After playing a few games with all the expansions, I feel like a last small expansion would be great. It could contains 3 last AO (Dagon, Ubbo Sathla, Nodens, etc...), and also more Disaster and Ruined city cards (those decks seems too small compared with the rest). Maybe more generic (not themed) Adventure cards, an alternative story card for every investigator and more cards for the 4 main encounter decks, which are the most used. No more tokens or investigators are needed. I think that would wrap a perfect full game for years.

I know this won't ever happen, but It would be the perfect end for this product line.

Cheers.

On 2/21/2019 at 12:33 AM, Spearstyle said:

After playing a few games with all the expansions, I feel like a last small expansion would be great. It could contains 3 last AO (Dagon, Ubbo Sathla, Nodens, etc...), and also more Disaster and Ruined city cards (those decks seems too small compared with the rest). Maybe more generic (not themed) Adventure cards, an alternative story card for every investigator and more cards for the 4 main encounter decks, which are the most used. No more tokens or investigators are needed. I think that would wrap a perfect full game for years.

I know this won't ever happen, but It would be the perfect end for this product line.

Cheers.

As someone else pointed out 2 more improvement tokens would help for those who play with 8, and I still like the idea of a 'conclusion' card to each AO, with sections to be read if you win or if you fail.

A last expansion should be Arkham.

It would tie everything up perfectly.

They could add the last Ancient Ones and add cards and tokens that there is to few of.

I mean I hope they use the forums on this website as to gauge the continued interest in the game. 47,000+ views is crazy for the short amount of time this has been up compared to other posts here. So hopefully this along with hopefully steady sales numbers will be enough to justify even 1 final small box expansion with AOs and the missing condition tokens, additional gates and other preludes or adventure cards in the next year. I for one will continue to purchase any and all expansions for this fantastic game.

3 hours ago, player1593159 said:

I mean I hope they use the forums on this website as to gauge the continued interest in the game. 47,000+ views is crazy for the short amount of time this has been up compared to other posts here. So hopefully this along with hopefully steady sales numbers will be enough to justify even 1 final small box expansion with AOs and the missing condition tokens, additional gates and other preludes or adventure cards in the next year. I for one will continue to purchase any and all expansions for this fantastic game.

What missing condition tokens?

10 hours ago, neosmagus said:

What missing condition tokens?

I misspoke, I meant missing Impairment tokens. If I recall, there are only enough for 5 or 6 players where as the Improvement tokens have a count equal for 8 players, the games max player count.

I just purchased ALL of Eldritch Horror and played a solo game versus Azathoth !

Fell in love with the game mechanics and how quickly the game can play with one or two investigators.

No resolution since we had to pack up earlier than we hoped but I'm looking forward to some solo play versus the Ancient Ones !

20 hours ago, player1593159 said:

I mean I hope they use the forums on this website as to gauge the continued interest in the game. 47,000+ views is crazy for the short amount of time this has been up compared to other posts here. So hopefully this along with hopefully steady sales numbers will be enough to justify even 1 final small box expansion with AOs and the missing condition tokens, additional gates and other preludes or adventure cards in the next year. I for one will continue to purchase any and all expansions for this fantastic game.

Sorry to say, Andrew Navarro (the head of FFG studios up until about a month or so ago) confirmed a while back in an AMA that both Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign are now 'complete' and will get no further expansions.

On 2/2/2020 at 5:38 PM, KBlumhardt said:

Sorry to say, Andrew Navarro (the head of FFG studios up until about a month or so ago) confirmed a while back in an AMA that both Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign are now 'complete' and will get no further expansions.

Can confirm :( timestamped at 1:13:54 straight from the horses mouth. Thanks for the update KBlumhardt , I had not seen this AMA.

This is the last product. Been 2 years now. But I’m happy with it. I have all the expansion and this game hits the table at least 2-3 times a month with our game group. I see that AH 3rd edition is out and I hear good things about it but I haven’t jumped on board. Waiting to play it with a group before I buy it.

On 2/16/2020 at 3:54 PM, PGCaedus87 said:

This is the last product. Been 2 years now. But I’m happy with it. I have all the expansion and this game hits the table at least 2-3 times a month with our game group. I see that AH 3rd edition is out and I hear good things about it but I haven’t jumped on board. Waiting to play it with a group before I buy it.

I dont find the interest for AH3 to be very big at all and ive seen a good number of people comment how they/their groups have gone back to AH2 and not caring for AH3 anymore.

My local store didnt even bother to stock the first expansion, there wasnt any interest for it.

My group still play it, occasionally, and is mildly excited for the upcoming "big" expansion but I dunno, they changed the core game way too much. It was an amazing solid system that needed a cleanup, not a complete redo.

On 3/4/2020 at 4:18 PM, Attackmack said:

I dont find the interest for AH3 to be very big at all and ive seen a good number of people comment how they/their groups have gone back to AH2 and not caring for AH3 anymore.

My local store didnt even bother to stock the first expansion, there wasnt any interest for it.

My group still play it, occasionally, and is mildly excited for the upcoming "big" expansion but I dunno, they changed the core game way too much. It was an amazing solid system that needed a cleanup, not a complete redo.

Currently I am enjoying AH3 more than Eldritch Horror, the latter has become too bloated, especially with the last expansion, and AH3 is way more thematic. I've never played AH2 though.

Edited by neosmagus
On 3/4/2020 at 7:18 AM, neosmagus said:

Currently I am enjoying AH3 more than Eldritch Horror, the latter has be one too bloated, especially with the last expansion, and AH3 is way more thematic. I've never played AH2 though.

I've never tried AH3 (I'm sticking with the LCG for now), but holy smokes you're right, Eldritch got way too bloated with the Masks expansion. I've said it before, what a wasted opportunity. And for completists, there's the "missing" Improvement/Imparement tokens issue, and one thing that would have been great to have: a simple story card for each AO, with a "Read this if you Succeeded the Scenario" and "Read this if you Failed the Scenario" blurb. Even a paragraph would have been fine, something to wrap up the story instead of just ending after 3 Mysteries. And that would have been only 16 cards. You could remove some of the excess stuff for that. I don't really even play EH anymore, but I remember enjoying it up to that point when I did.

If you like thematic, you should give the LCG a try if you haven't already. I resisted for a while, but very glad I gave in.

PS: As a former avid player of AH2, I can say that if bloat and math don't excite you, you didn't miss much:) eventually it wore me down and I went to early EH, then got bloat there and on to LCG, so we'll see what happens!

Edited by Krysmopompas
On 3/5/2020 at 4:08 PM, Krysmopompas said:

I've never tried AH3 (I'm sticking with the LCG for now), but holy smokes you're right, Eldritch got way too bloated with the Masks expansion. I've said it before, what a wasted opportunity. And for completists, there's the "missing" Improvement/Imparement tokens issue, and one thing that would have been great to have: a simple story card for each AO, with a "Read this if you Succeeded the Scenario" and "Read this if you Failed the Scenario" blurb. Even a paragraph would have been fine, something to wrap up the story instead of just ending after 3 Mysteries. And that would have been only 16 cards. You could remove some of the excess stuff for that. I don't really even play EH anymore, but I remember enjoying it up to that point when I did.

If you like thematic, you should give the LCG a try if you haven't already. I resisted for a while, but very glad I gave in.

PS: As a former avid player of AH2, I can say that if bloat and math don't excite you, you didn't miss much:) eventually it wore me down and I went to early EH, then got bloat there and on to LCG, so we'll see what happens!

Hey, I'm a bit out of the loop on this one: what do you mean by "missing" improvement/impairment tokens?

5 hours ago, zombipuppy said:

Hey, I'm a bit out of the loop on this one: what do you mean by "missing" improvement/impairment tokens?

There's not enough improvement/impairment tokens to allow for an 8-player game to improve/impair the same ability (e.g. not enough "+1/+2 or -1/-2" Will tokens for 8 players).

That last expansion felt like they included some good stuff (Stories, one of the AOs - not Narly as he needed more options in the Mystery/Cult Adventure department) but a lot of stuff that was phoning it in (everything else).