As one of the GW design teem once put it, there are three levels of 40k fluff, Lies, **** Lies and Heresy. I agree with the ones above that FFG is doing a great job turing these re-con filled, contradictory and unpremeditated bits of background and turning them into a viable game with some level of internal logical reality.

As I think people could guess from some of my posts, Orks wouldn't have been my first choice because of the psychology, I can understand why FFG chose them for one of the first two xenos to be released. The Greenskins have a lot of loyal, **** near fanatical fans out there, and they are Iconic. Probibly the most iconic xenos army. Hell, even GW's 'arboyz turrnies are themed after them.

Quicksilver said:

Plus Freebootas have been mercenaries hired by all sorts of races for a long time, in addition to being the closest to an ork version of a "rogue trader" as you could get.

Let’s face it; Ork Freebootas are just too much awesome for some folks. They just can’t handle that extra helping of gravy like awesome-sauce that Orks are drenched in. They want their low fat, granola eating, skinny, pointy eared, Mon-Keigh hating, frou-frou, Eldar. I have a feeling once the book comes out they will be happy, just not as happy as the Ork fans among us.

signoftheserpent said:

Could you not state that as if it's a fact. You're welcome to your opinion, but that's all it is. You demonstrably dislike the decisions and choices that FFG have made... but that does not inherently make them poor. It just means that you disagree with them.

signoftheserpent said:

In your opinion. Of course, I don't see what 'first choice' has to do with anything - all that has happened is that the Ork Freebooter career has been revealed before the other Xenos career in Into the Storm. Neither Xenos career takes precedence over the other.

signoftheserpent said:

Well, the initial plan was only to put one Xenos career in there...

There is no absolute limitation in place here, nothing that says "there are and shall only ever be two Xenos careers in all of Rogue Trader". The reason there's two Xenos careers in Into the Storm is because two was the number decided upon during the early stages of development, and given how much space they take up, I doubt we'd have been able to fit any more without compromising something else in the book. There's a lot of stuff in that book, and I personally wouldn't want to see any of it go, even for the inclusion of a third Xenos career.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Given I've already read said book, I'd agree with the space issue. I don't think they could have fit anything else into the page-count without removing something else that was good, so they made a compromise which worked as the best of both worlds.

Don't worry, I showed considerable reluctance towards Orks at first (because of the same problems lots of people here had for them), but after actually using them in my playtest games, and making various Ork characters, I'd have been disappointed had they not been included.

Remember, I'm just a GM/player like you guys, I have the same fears and the like about the game line as a lot of you do, and I make sure that Sam, Ross and Mack hear my fears and worries, because it (hopefully) ends up in a better book for you guys.

Ork freebooterz have been a stable bit of lore since pretty much day one, Clan Goff have even worked with the Imperium as Mercs plenty of times back in 1st and 2nd ed both in the rulebooks, in the fiction (mostly in White Dwarf as there no real GW books baring the Inquisition war books, the Genevieve novels and a few others).

I do wish people wouldn't forget that GW sanctions all the books and or works very closely with the FFG team.

Velvetears said:

True, but they're no lucusfilm. Although they appear to be paying more attention now then they have in the past, we still don't see/hear of them actualy ok/denying much. Weeping Blood Angels making a planetary assualt with only laspistols comes to mind. Velvetears is right, Orks were much more "human friendly' back in first and second editions. IIRC they could even be taken as IG allies. Though on another note, warbosses were also only 6ft tall then, but who's counting.

@N0-1

Well, the initial plan was only to put one Xenos career in there...

So, was the Ork the first planned career or the one that was added later? Or was it more of a "We want one xeno career of some kind in this book, which should we take?" - "Nah, Let's publish two, for example the Orks and the [mysterious second career]!"

Cifer said:

Orks weren't the first one decided upon, but the other one was chosen from the start; in the podcast interview, Sam explains briefly the decision to include the Orks. Personally, I wouldn't have thought about including them from the start myself, but upon their inclusion, and being asked to write their rules, I threw myself into it and am really proud of the end result.

I'm not sure of how much extra detail I'm allowed to go into yet, so I'll preempt additional questions about the design process at this point.

And let's face it filling the book with xeno player races and classes only to find out that your GM doesn't think they'll fit into his campaign anyway is going to be a waste if they then have to cut some other things.

Plus WAAAAARRRGGHHH! Orks rule and I know a lot of people that would try anything to squeeze Ork's into campaigns and outside of the boundaries of the Imperium is where it happens (beyond slugga based diplomacy of course).

This podcast was a wretched chore to listen to. The first hour seems to be these guys just faffing about.

Can someone give me the timestamp when they talk to him, because the Xbox achievement award sfx has gotten -extremely- old.

Wow...

Someone posts a badly thought out rant as to why Into the Storm is somehow a 'bad product' , and within 10 posts three different people have called him on it to defend his claims. God why can't it be that way on Dakka...

I get more and more impressed by this site every day. There are actually some intelligent people here.

BYE

TheMadGM said:

Copied from the webpage where the podcast is hosted:

"The News: 0 hr 54 min

Interview with Sam (Rogue Trader): 1 hr 0 min

Hollywood Minute: 2hr 13 min

Total Fan Girl (Dresden RPG): 2hr 22 min

Catacombs Detailed Review: 2 hr 53 min"

I just clicked to the 1 hour mark, listened to the interview, and then stopped.

Heh. I did the same thing.

Given that FFG tends to be going with things that are more common to all 40K players (look at the Chapters in Deathwatch - other than the one they made up they all have Codices and model ranges), I'm going to have to say that the second career is going to be an Eldar of some description. Eldar and Orks are 'core' to 40K, moreso than Kroot, so I'd expect we'll get a Corsair or Ranger/Pathfinder, but whatever it is, it'll be Eldar.

BYE

H.B.M.C. said:

I wonder if I should post that observation of dakka, just to watch the fur fly. And this forum has it's share of idiots too.

Personally, my vote is for Eldar and Kroot, since both are allready established in the fluff of the Sector.

If you have listened to the pod cast, it was made clear that the ork free booter was one of the xeno career paths with its own origin path. eldar might be a on the list, kroot are the only othe possible ones to to their listing in the main RT book

BaronIveagh said:

As are Ork Freebooterz, which have been revealed as one of the two Xenos PCs.

Genestealers, I bet the other Xenos is Genesteelers!

Quicksilver said:

That would be cool... in a stupid, unplayable sort of way, but still

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Danke!

Figures, if I'd just listened to it for another 60 seconds or so... le sigh.

Anyway, I was glad to hear the interview. I'm a little weirded out by the inclusion of the orks as PCs, but hey... maybe the other race'll be Kroot (betting it'll be Eldar though).

*gives the podcast a listen* Heh, looks like I might just have to get my WAAGH! on at some point.

I am curious about the other career now. The clues seem kind of contrary, something iconic to the canon of the universe yet not what we'd expect? What is it then? An Earth Caste artificer with drone entourage? =P

Ork freebooterz could actually be a lot of fun to play in my opinion. Actually makes me want to run a spin off game where it's just a load of Ork PCs in a rickety old space hulk raiding and pillaging as they go using the Rogue Trader rules.

Psion said:

Dark Eldar Corsair

Not what we would expect, yet still the iconic race to the lore. Eldar, even if through a mirror darkly.

Alexis

*smiles*

vandimar77 said:

I've wanted to do that since RT came out. My players won't go for it. Sigh

...I hate to say it but a quick poll of my players yielded a whopping 0% interest in the ork freebooter. Kroot were a lot more popular an idea.