Do we know what it is? Is there one? Are there more books planned?

Thanks.

Tr their Facebook page or ...

the News page.

They have said nothing. The Upcoming page is supposed to have what RPGs are in development. They don't even list Deathwatch, despite the constant stream of news.

My data-free analysis is that their 40k team is focused on Deathwatch.

Perhaps when that is on schedule and under control, they'll devote more time to Rogue Trader.

Personally, I believe, the release schedule for the remainder of 2010 would look something like this:

- Dead Stars (Dark Heresy, May 2010 maybe ...)

- Deathwatch Corebook (Deathwatch, August 2010)

- Deathwatch Gamemaster's Kit (Deatchwatch, maybe autumn 2010 or for xmas)

- One hence unknown book for Dark Heresy

- One hence unknown book for Rogue Trader

Dunno if I would expect that much more to be forthcoming this year. Just my guessing though ...

Can't see anywhere for upcoming books on this site and I'm not on facebook. Is there no actual list of waht's planned if anything for RT?

Malefic Sorcerer said:

Exactly.

But like I said, it's just my personal guess at what's to come, nothing more.

The point is, you can use most of the Dark Heresy material in Rogue Trader, so it's not like they are giving up on RT (in fact, they made the RT basic rulebook to have all the rules most likely because they feeled it was a bad idea to force people who wanted to play Space Explorers & pirates & etc... to buy the Dark Heresy basic rulebook).

RT is one hell of a sandbox. All you need is 40k fluff to work with. The ruleset is there.

FFG have said before that they no longer intend to put up release schedules for their products, and instead use the Designer Diaries to tell people what is coming.

I think it's basically because they did that last year, and lots of people did nothing but complain when the book didn't come out dead on the start of the release deadline. Essentially, if they do a schedule, people will complain, and if they don't do one... people will complain, but probably less people that would complain if they did put one up.

I can sort of sympathise, people did tend to rip into them for missing deadlines (despite not being the only RPG company to do so by a LONG LONG WAY).

bobh said:

The ruleset only goes so far and is lacking in areas covering starships and aliens.

MILLANDSON said:

I'm not unsympathetic at all, but surely saying what they intend to do with the proviso of there being no fixed release date is reasonable enough. I dont expect them to be held to ransom and I don't expect them to give an exact date as to what is coming out when, but from what I can see there is nothing planned for RT, and only Deathwatch is due out this Autumn.

signoftheserpent said:

Except that you're equating 'planned' with 'announced'. Consider that Lure of the Expanse was written, tested and sent to the printers before it was announced. That strongly suggests that there are things going on that aren't being announced right away.

That FFG have not announced anything forthcoming is frustrating, certainly, but that does not mean, in any way, that they aren't working on things or that they've got nothing planned. Indeed, in the Dark Reign webchat recently, Sam Stewart (the man placed in charge of the Rogue Trader line, remember, so his primary concern is Rogue Trader, and not Dark Heresy or Deathwatch) mentioned that there were supplements being worked on, but that he couldn't say what they were yet.

signoftheserpent said:

So help me makes some CUSTOM COMPONENTS for the Rogue Trader Ship Utility (RTSU) i've created. I'm working on integrating other 40k fluff into the utility as CUSTOM, non-canon add-ons that won't interfere with any canon stuff that comes along later. For ALIENS pick up any Codex, or novel or published work of 40k for the fluff. I'm still ruminating about a "Hive of Scum and Villany..." web supplement detailing a drifting dead eldar craftworld being used as a RT station. That will also be a player driven project (but the utility is consuming me at the moment).

MILLANDSON said:

I can sympathize with FF, to put it in perspective Ascension was scheduled to come in June of 09.

I am also starving for more information though. Just knowing WHAT they are working on would be appreciated! I know that there there is a Xeno book in production (at some stage, probably late. I could almost taste the trimmed content in the main book) and expanded Starship rules but some titles and some solid intel would be nice. Even a projected order of books would be appreciated.

I don't doubt that Deathwatch is eating up some resources, but I would be shocked if some new product wasn't in final editing if not already sent for printed.

Inquisitor Huntingmoon said:

Well, the RT, DH and DW sections are completely separate, they don't detract from each other, so DW eating up a lot of resources isn't influencing the other games. As Sam has said in his interview with Dark Reign, more products are coming, in various stages of development, and it'll be out as soon as possible. However, as I've previously mentioned, they have also said that they will no longer be producing a release schedule, even one with just titles and order of release. The Designer Diaries will be where any/all products are announced from now on. It sucks for some, but given the amount of nerdrage that can happen due to slipped deadlines (as demonstrated, you can't predict deadlines many months in advance for books, Ascension has demonstrated this), it's better for FFG to announce books once their at the printers and within a month or so of being available to the public.

The sections may be separate but it seems that FFG don't have the resources to produce 3 effectively separate game lines equally. If Ascension is 9 months overdue that's a pretty hefty delay and it will only be exacerbated when Deathwatch is released.

Of course it's unreasonable to expect them to announce the exact time and day of release of product and hold them to that to the point of rage. That's ridiculous, but it's a clear overreaction on their part to say absolutely nothing.

It wouldn't matter if RT was compelte enough, but it's not. Whatever you might say about it's size and how well it's made there are key things, imo, that are lacking that really should take greater priority than a book of adventures or even a screen. The game desperately needs info on starships and other races/antagonists (especially their starships). Or at least the tools to create such.

Supplements shouldn't be things you need, they should be bonus material to add to what's there. When you then have to wait 9 months for a book that makes the game continue to be playable (because your pc's have maxed out their rank as servants of the inquisition, for example), then there's a problem.

I wonder if FFG have bitten off more than they can chew with three game lines, each requiring the same high standards of production.

I'd agree with Millandson and No_1, all the evidence seems to point to FFG adopting the GW/Forgeworld approach of only telling us about books when they're about to hit the shelves.

There's two ways to look at this: either it's frustrating because you don't know what's coming up, or it's nice because every couple of months we'll get the pleasant surprise of a new book we weren't expecting!

Personally, if FFG can't guarantee compliance with a release schedule (and the consensus seems to be that this is actually very difficult within the industry) I'd rather not have my hopes raised that a book will be with me by, say 1st June, and then have those hopes dashed and have to wait another few months for it. That's actually more frustrating than having the book sprung on me out of the blue on 1st August!

As one of those whining about the delay in Rogue Trader last year, I'm actually fairly relaxed about not being told about upcoming books - as long as I know there are some coming! And as has already been pointed out, FFG have dropped some significant hints that new stuff is on the way.

Yes, but with nothing announced in the release schedule at all after only one supplement five months after the core release, it would be really nice (and reassuring) if we could have something more than "I really wish I could tell you what's coming up, but it'll be awesome!" With weekly updates about Deathwatch and zero news on Rogue Trader, I'm starting to get concerned that the former is being released too soon. Rogue Trader hasn't had time to build up a stock of releases (as Dark Heresy did) before they push on into another line. I'd feel better if they'd just say, "Here's three books coming out next, with vague descriptions about what's in them. We hope to get them out over the next year, maybe a little longer."

I mean, we've gone five months with just the GM screen and a(n admittedly awesome) adventure book. And now, nothing but hints that there are other books? Note, not hints about what will be in further books, just hints (and not even confirmations) that there will be other books at all .

We need to be told something . I can't plan and budget to buy secrets.

Psychopomp said:

This is going to sound very negative, but...

Thing is RT is going to be the odd one out and as such (financial climate and all) it's just going to get very little if any support. Why? Well Dark Heresy came first and has had support already (maybe all it will ever need). Deathwatch will be the new game and will get all the attention there - plus it's the game where you get to be Space Marines!!!

Sure Rogue Trader allows you to do cool stuff, but it's the space marines (and probably also the inquisitors) that are the big draw. As i say DH came first so on that basis it beasts RT. Consequently RT gets left out.

Who knows whether that's right, only time will tell. But is it really unreasonable to expect FFG to say what they have planned, even if they have to caveat that with respect to printing and publishing issues? Noone expects them to say 'we have a spaceship book coming out' and then scream at them because it's not out RIGHT NOW. But it's been 8 months since release and only 4 till the projhected release of DW (whose release date they don't mind mentioning i notice).

It wouldn't bother me so much, but the game needs support otherwise forget about it. We need more information on starships and definitely more covering alien races and how to create/introduce them in a game about space exploration !

But there's no word at all except on Deathwatch (and Ascension). Do they think people have the money to buy Deathwatch, Ascension and whatever might come out for RT? Or is it more likely that, with DW on the horizon, that will be the only release for a considerable while. Is it likely they will suddenly release or announce and release significatn support for RT in the same sales window as DW?

signoftheserpent said:

Or the writers and/or playtesters. People from both groups have written on this thread, and both have said that your fear of "little if any support" is entirely incorrect and misplaced. If you don't trust the people who have seen/written the material that's coming up in the future, then there's not much any of us can do to change your mind.

Still, as said, there is plenty on the way, you just have to be patient about it. It's not like these books grow on trees, after all.

That's really just emotive. I dont know the people posting here from Adam so i have no way to verify if there really is anything coming out when if they are working on stuff they will be under NDA anyway. Until FFG release more information about what is happening with this line then I'm not really prepared to place real stock in the assurances of people I don't know. That's an unreasonable expectation. I have respect for everyone's opinions, but it's really down to FFG to let us, the players, know where we stand and I think they need to be a little bit more forthcoming, and I don't think that is too much to ask - not after 8 months. After all is Lure of the Expanse really the best they can manage. I'm sure it's very good, but it's not at all what I would consider a priority.

MILLANDSON said:

Here's our problem.

You're in the know. You know that stuff is coming out, and what it is going to be about. We are completely in the dark . All we've been told is that stuff will happen, and that is through unofficial channels. We have no idea what it is, if it will be what we're needing most soonest, even if it will be what we need at all.

That Dark Reign interview last week was - though well run - completely devoid of news. Every answer was some variation on, "Well, I can't say anything about what's going to happen, but trust me something will happen and it will be great!" I'm really not sure why the developers agreed to it if they knew that all they could say is, "We're really proud of Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader!" and "You love what's coming, but we can't say anything about it!" over and over.

We're (or at least, I'm) not even asking for another PDF listing the books that will be coming out over the next year, just for someone to take a break and in between Deathwatch Chapters say something like, "Hey, we're working on the next Rogue Trader book. It's about ships and ship components . We don't know when it'll be done, but watch this space for more news." Substitute in whatever the book will actually cover for the bolded text. If the release order changes, just say so. I understand they don't want more fan-rage over missed release dates, but they've gone too far in the other direction and are risking fan-rage about no news about upcoming releases at all.

We just want FFG to throw us a freaking bone about what to expect, here.

Psychopomp said:

Aye, they seem to be between a rock and a hard place at present, as no matter what they do (be that give a release schedule, or not) people will complain. Add that with the NDAs imposed on the devs and playtesters by the management (remember, whilst Ross and Sam are important when it comes to the development, they have nothing to do with the management or legal sides of the company), and there's little anyone can do without FFG's management changing their policy, assuming, of course, that it's a policy FFG can change, rather than a policy imposed on them by GW. You know how much GW love to protect their intellectual property... and that's what the entire 40k RPG line is, their IP, not FFG's.

Hopefully it'll change in future, and they'll be allowed to tell us more. I'd love for them to do that, as it then means I don't have to watch every single tiny little thing I ever type on these forums or on Dark Reign, but that's the way it works at the moment, and there's not much any of us (customers, playtesters, developers) can do rather than wait and see what FFG's management and GW will let slip.

I'd go so far as to say that it's questionable policy to prioritise a simple (in relative terms) book of adventures over other, more important, things. That said book is all we've seen and, regardless of what people in the know might say, all we are going to see for teh foreseeable future is IMO weak. I hate to say it, I'm not down on the book by any means, but it's not even a guide to the Koronus Expanse (which i actually thougth it was), it's just some adventures.