There’s no ONE thing I’d like to see from Only War – there are about 20! Here’s a list of a few thoughts…

1. I’d like to see an interesting setting. As a 40k background and setting addict, whenever I get a new Core Book, I leap straight to the setting section. Logically, the setting is going to be a major warzone, perhaps another Crusade. I’ve loved the Achillus Assault and Jericho Reach sourcebooks for Deathwatch, so I’d like more of that!

2. Interesting opponents for the Imperial Guard. Each 40k RPG setting has had different opponents. Dark Heresy covered chaos cults and unique xenos, Rogue Trader has Orks, Eldar, some Dark Eldar (possibly), and a couple of unique xenos, Deathwatch has Tau, Tyranids and chaos, and Black Crusade has Necrons, the Imperium and Chaos in its various permutations.

I’m not one of those who works myself into a frenzy over any alleged failure to publish rules for every aspect of the TT game. I remember various rants on these boards over the years about a failure to cover marines/orks/tau/elder etc. I’ve always taken the view that FFG will get round to those things eventually.

As a 40k fan since it was first published, what I really crave is novelty. Much as I admire and respect the quality of sections in Rogue Trader supplements that cover Ork society, or sections of the Jericho Reach book that cover every variation of Tyranid beastie, this is stuff (well, background) we have seen before. It’s skilled adaptation rather than innovation. If I have a choice between learning about Orks or learning about Rak’Gol marauders, I’ll pick the Rak’Gol, because I know less about them.

(That’s not intended as criticism, by the way. In fact I know I’m in a minority here; I reckon 90% of the fans probably don’t agree with me on this.)

So what I’m saying here is that I want to see NEW opponents. New races, new interpretations. I love the Deathwatch setting material, but it only really sets out 3 major opponents, all of who are very familiar to 40k fans. The Tyranids, the Tau and the Stigmatus (who are portrayed as very very similar to the Blood Pact.)

So maybe new xenos opponents…non Imperial, non chaotic human empires…chaos forces that are markedly different to the Blood Pact…all this kind of stuff. Perhaps even weirder things like non-necron machine intelligences, non-chaotic warp creatures like enslavers, that sort of thing.

I imagine that FFG will go for a mix of opponents, and if I had to put money down I’d imagine they’d be seeking to cover opponents not dealt with in detail in the 40k setting so far. This could include things like the Dark Eldar, or Orks (I know there’s DH and RT stuff on them, but it’s not as detailed as, say, the Tau stuff in DW.) I just hope that they also add some new stuff, like they did with the Slaugth in DH and the Stryxis and Rak’Gol in Rogue Trader.

3. Some interesting new regiments. This links to the above: as I own every Imperial Guard book and supplement published (apart from some of the more obscure BL stuff,) I might glaze over a bit if the Only War book covers in detail how well regarded the Cadians are, or how rough life is back home for the Catachans. I know many many things about the Cadians, Catachans, Praetorians, Valhallans, Attilans, Elysians, Drookian Fen Guard etc etc.

Instead, I’d like to see stuff about new regiments: their recruitment, training, homeworlds etc. One imagines that in due course there’ll be a book of regiments – that’s going to be interesting.

4. More stuff about the Imperial Guard Ranking system – OK, it may well be intentionally a convoluted mess, but I’d like to know stuff about the ranks above colonel – how the Munitorum governs the various regiments at the General Staff level. I’m a sucker for that kind of tedious detail…(though I recognise not everyone will be, so perhaps this might not happen!)

5. Some new Guard vehicles. Now I recognise this might not happen, for various reasons.

One of the few irrational bugbears I have about the Imperial Guard is the lack of a jeep/Humvee equivalent. I know about the Tauros Venator, but that’s described as pretty much a drop-regiment specific vehicle.

It’s just always seemed ridiculous to me that an army the size of the Guard is reliant entirely upon tracked vehicles. Where are the trucks? The jeeps? Is water really always transported to the front in vats dragged by Trojan tractors ? I know 40k is dystopian, and Guard high command ruthless, but I didn’t think they were wasteful of fuel. Lives, yes. Fuel, no. Tracked vehicles eat up huge amounts of fuel. Wheeled vehicles don’t. They’re faster, more economical and easier to produce en masse.

I have always been, and remain, baffled as to why GW have never produced a plastic wheeled jeep, truck or armoured car. I’d buy 6 of them immediately, and most guard players would too. I note that a lot of “parasite” companies that make unlicensed and unauthorised miniature parts for GW games make wheeled conversion kits allowing players to turn their Chimeras into armoured cars. This is money GW could be raking in!

But I recognise FFG work within the canon. And the canon has little information (beyond the work of BL writers) about wheeled vehicles in the guard. The only way around this would be for FFG to invent a theatre specific wheeled vehicle, perhaps of controversial provenance that can be used locally. That allows FFG to let players use a jeep equivalent without stepping outside the canon. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle it.

6. Playable Abhuman troops. Especially the Afriel Strain. I wrote up some rules for them in Dark Heresy a while ago – I’d like to see them in Only War. Perhaps even a setting-specific variation on the Afriel Strain?

Nathan “No1 h3r3” Dowdell wrote some excellent rules for abhumans in DH, so I’d love to see him do the same for abhumans in Only War.

Lightbringer you cheater..

You make some good points though and I hope someone from FFG is reading because:

4. Pressumably what ever crusade they have could detail all of the important officers in the chain of command and still leave space for GM's own created officers.

5. The Guard is specifically the most varied force in the Galaxy, which is why forge world brought out the Malcador and Macharius tanks patterns. And this is by no means all they have. So Angevin or Drusus pattern tanks?

I hear what you are saying about wheeled vehicles, personally I think they are avoiding as the want IG character to be tracked vehicles but aren't restricted by this in the RPG, we need to ferry the pure infantry around the place as well as the supplies and artillery. I was toying the name Clydsdale for a truck but it's one of those things where every hive world might make a different pattern so no worries about stepping on GW toes.

6. Yes, yes, yes, a local gene-trooper devision would be sweet, but that's not all abhumans could be anything, there's plenty of reasons for envormental adaption and you could have at least one local representative. What about a dark skinned, animal glowing eyed people from a dark planet i'm sure there's any number of sci-fi examples.

I would like the RPG I have wonted to play since I was 16 in a very indepth, cool setting.

Something else that would make me happy, I really hope that they hammer out a decent psyker system, between making them work well (like the RT/DW systems, while keeping a decent assortment of offensive and utilitarian powers (DH and Ascension). I'm not going to whine for a PR 6+ uber-psyker, like Ascension would give me; the IG, on average, don't sport such powerful psykers, but the Guard does sport several varieties of offensive, combat-psykers, and I hope that they do a good job of representing that, but without the glaring flaws in it that DH and Ascension had. I liked RT for their system, but the powers, overall, sucked to me, and there was no spot for a battle-psyker, with only the Astropath Transcendent class, and their power was for communication. DW had a good system, AND some good powers, but they were so limited, based on your heritage, of sorts, so that wouldn't really work for me, either. Giving me some decent, damaging powers, with a stable, balanced activating system, that doesn't either slap you with a daemon, or have no chance of Perils, would rock.

Well, here's hoping...

My thread so I can make a second post in it!

I'm really hoping for extensive vehicle stats. Maybe even an entire splat book ala BFK wouldn't be amiss. Even just decent rules to translate the vehicle stats from the TT would be enough.

I'll freely admit this comes from my being a fan of the series of RPGs, but I'd like some vehicle stats in this.....Nothing crazy as I'm perfectly willing to buy a supplement for the heavy and super-heavy stuff, but Chimeras, scout walkers, that sorta light stuff would be loved.

Beyond that.....A new sector....I'd love Cadia but I think that's shooting a little high...so something related to the Margin Crusade or any ongiong conflict in the Ixniad Sector would be awesome.

add-on. Venkelos has a good point...I'd like to see some pychic powers beyond the Telepathy, Telekinesis and Divination disciplines that all the books have in varying degress. I never had much luck re-figuring the DH pyschic powers, but I don't own the DH book so...grain of salt.

Another percentage system, I've already seen this, I'm tired.
No more percentage games for me, I've already abandoned the others.

What an odd criticism.

BYE

signoftheserpent said:

Please, continue. I do so enjoy being insulted by people who have never met me.

I respect your right to voice an opinion and provide criticism. I don't have to respect, or even tolerate, verbal attacks of this nature. If you can't find a polite way of expressing your opinion, you're not trying hard enough.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

If you feel inclined to jump in front of the bullet, then that's entirely your choice. Don't criticse me for making it.

I don't need to find a better way to make my point: the 17 books and 2 GM Kits i've spent money on gives me that right. All of which were brought new supporting not only my local gaming store but FFG.

I don't have a problem with FFG releasing 5 games. I have a problem with FFG continually failing to address not just legitimate criticism of their continued and inexcusable failings, but those failings themselves.

I like the 40k rpgs, but that is in spite of FFG's abysmal handling of these products. Even then there are plenty of problems and they, time and again, fail to deal with them. If you take that personally then I have a solution: fix the **** problems!

signoftheserpent said:

close the boards would work wonders

Braddoc said:

So ignore the problems and they go away, yes?

The ridiculous apologists for FFG on this board do everyone a disservice.

signoftheserpent said:

No, but the rest of us will have some peace and quiet and talks; makes me think of socialists: all about freedom of speech and liberty, up until you disagree with them, then you're part of the problem.

so let's stop saying how FFG does a' bad job' and let's talk about how this may be as good as sliced bread.

Braddoc said:

try reposting your first paragraph so that it has a genuine point and isn't just trolling. I barely post on this board compared to almost everyone else, so wind your neck in.

Let's not stop saying how FFG does a bad job. Let's keep saying it until they decide to starting doing a proper job with their work. Let's keep putting the pressure on so that they are able to put out quality product and not flooding the market with more and more lines they clearly cannot manage.

I simply cannot understand your attitude at all, so I must conclude you are either a shill or a troll. It's demonstrably obvious to anyone that's bothered to read these books they are filled with mistakes. The game lines are not anywhere near as compatible as they should be, even accounting for inheriting the game line from Black INdustries. The books aren't cheap and we deserve better. That it's taken 6 months to release an errata for the last game which even then is STILL incomplete and STILL leaves people asking for further clarification is indicative of either grotesque stupidity, a practical joke or complete incompetence. Since you seem to know, why don' you explain to me which of those three it is.

I have learned to improvise and think on my feet, rather than utilise what's between both cover of a book and nothing behond those limits. Of course the books are flawed, they were made by humans, not nigh-perfect Gods.

The pages are staying still, the covers are stong, the printing quality is good and everything works well. I run and play games, we house rule as we go if we judged it to be nesessary, and we have fun. I have nothing to gain doing complaints that are founded in my own personnal view of how FFG should do their own products and run their own company. You can always make your own RPG and release it; who knows you may amke a fortune, or get a forum full of people complaining months before your product is even out in stores for people to see.

Also, I find your deductions about me to be flawed.

While I definitely disagree with how he's saying it, Sign makes a decent point. The editorial work on FFG's 40K products leaves something to be desired. I'll admit, I'm a bit anal about it, and being in the process of getting my Master's in English isn't helping the case, but some of the spelling and grammatical mistakes made in these books are just painful.

You must admit that Signoftheserpent brings up some interesting points, even if they seem to be overly harsh towards the wrong people.

The books are flawed in most cases, either with missing rules or spelling mistakes. And the Errata took a long time to come out (and isn't updated for DH atleast). Afterall we are paying for a complete product and we are getting something that is working and playable, but not complete without house ruling. Now if you house rule because you disagree with the established rules thats different.

Personally i dont think FFG have crossed the line yet, i can easily work around the problems i run into and even if there are spelling mistakes here and there, i still understand the context. To me the worst mistake i have seen was made by Black Industries (i think) in my copy of The Tome of Corruption where an entire reward was copy pasted from a different god, but i could work with it and it turned out to be more funny than a problem.

To end this i think someone should open a new thread about this subject, so this one can continue to focus on Our wishes for OW.

My only wish for Only War is for the party to treat the campaign as if they were Colonial Marines. I'm just hoping that somebody runs a session or two so I can play Hudson...

"I'm ready, man, check it out. I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do NOT wanna f**k with me. Check it out! Hey Commissar, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you! Check it out! Independently targeting plasma cannon array. Vwap! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got Lazcannon, plasma guns, missile launchers, we got frag grenades! We got Deathstrike missiles, we got knives, sharp sticks..."

It will be a thing of beauty. Especialy when things go south and I can start freaking out.

Time for a bit of a role reversal...

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Braddoc said:

What does improvisation have to do with it? Mistakes should be rectified immediately and the proudcuers should learn from the mistakes not to repeat them. FFG seems incapable of either: the reason being they don't bother to proofread. Your comment is just assinine trolling, if they are incapable ot correct playtesting editing and proofreading which are the most BASIC functions of a print publisher then they are in the wrong business. The solutions do not require omnipotency nor and they are obvious: playtest and edit your work correctly. What good will Only War be when it comes out with the same mistakes, cut and pasted (which is part of the problem) from previous books? What use will the errata be when it comes out 6 months later because the lazy writers couldn't bt bothered to respect their fans - the people paying their wages - and get the job done in time. A basic errata file is the work, at best, of a week if not a couple of days. This isn't debugging computer code or remoulding hardware. Until FFG wakes up and realises it puts out too much product than it can handle these peoblems will persist, and their ignorance toward their fans is disgraceful. This is a niche hobby with expensive books and these people need to learn some humility and respect for those of us paying their wages.

Is this the point where you provide a string of examples rather than hostile generalisations?

I'm not saying the books are free from mistakes - and my God have I spent a long time going through them to specifically find them, more than you'll ever know - but there comes a point where the meaningless bluster about "paying their wages" has to give way to actual examples.

BYE

H.B.M.C. said:

Well, I don't generally post on these forums, however I felt the need to weigh in here (both on topic and off topic).

First Off Topic: The people who buy the roleplaying games are only a small percentage of where Fantasy Flight Games makes its cash, which means that no individual who purchases the roleplaying games is at all responsible for any thing in such a significant manner as to warrant the statements made by Sign. The overall allowance from FFG is covered by every item they sell, the events they hold, and the licenses on their unique products which means that the RPG community is at best a minority that could if FFG wanted be completely ignored and the company wouldn't notice even a small mosquito bite due to their dozens of other products on the market and other formats of money gain.

Now back to the topic......The only thing I'd like from the Only War book is that it be true to the concept of the Imperial Guard. I don't think a form of game play as free as Black Crusade would be accurate since Guardsmen are set at a specific task in their regiment with hardly any leeway in choice, and though, you'd also need some way to cross the formats since Guardsmen do tend to change tasks later at some point such as a heavy trooper becoming a sergeant or higher eventually. The background task of Rogue Trader would be good, but as a background to the character with homeworld being left out of the choice of the players since it is hardly common for Regiments to pull from different worlds, except in the case of replacements like how the Verghastite forces were added to the Tanith First and Only or when the Tanith/Verghast forces were added to the Belladon. Other than that, I wouldn't mind the previously mentioned method of pulling the experience spending method from Deathwatch with the multiple advancement tables to pull from.

SwornEagleFeather said:

H.B.M.C. said:

It's taken FFG SIX MONTHS to put out an incomplete errata for Black Crusade, and you have the temerity to ask me to justify my position? They announced Only War before they put out that errata? Good god, you can't be that blind surely?