Don't you just gotta hate it living so close to the Eye of Terror. Things inexplicably disappear and then suddenly, equally without explanation, only they seem somehow different... somehow... empty.

OK...

Flamers at the ready.

This hulk will probably need purging before it can be returned to the Emperor's Light...

Excellent. Now we can begin serious discussions on Rogue Trader again.

Gah! Two forums to keep up with!

So the question remains, what happened to our old posts? Kidnapped for vile Xenos experimentations? Disappeared into the Warp never to be seen again? Sacrificed to the Chaos Gods?

Do to all these questions, I think a thorough investigation is needed to ensure that Rogue Trader has not been corrupted.

I therefor think that I, Xanthess Wolfe, should be given an advanced copy of the book, to ensure its Purity and that it fits within acceptable limits of the Creed, and has not, during this unexplained disappearance been corrupted.

aethel said:

For me it just means that there is one forum to keep up with. Dark Heresy can get put back on the metaphorical shelf (since it's actually in the bottom of a bag in the cupboard!). Or possibly shot with a lasgun while muttering, "Boring conversation anyway..."

Now I can begin my endless whining about electronic versions of the game (which isn't going to happen), and the tongue-in-cheek request for an honesty policy for those that might illicitly acquire a copy! (I'm kidding...)

Kage

Emperor above, this is gonna be fun.

By the way, there are some pretty nice artworks on the site, altough they aren´t "grimdark enough" in my humble opinion.. who is the artist (meaning cover, rouge trader and astropath artwork)? It doesn´t seem to be Clint Langly´s (sp?) style, but I could be wrong

Please, not the "grimdarkery."

Based upon the artwork, it seems that Rogue Trader might draw upon a slightly different theme. Perhaps less early medieval and a bit more Elizabethan...?

Kage

Kage2020 said:

Eh, on this I couldn´t agree, there´s never enough of grim darkness in 41st millenium:) But yeah, inspiration with discovery voyages is obvious, perhaps, when there´ll be some sourcebook on Imperial Navy (I realy hope so), we will also see some 18th century British Navy theme

TorogTarkdacil said:

Rum, sodomy and the lash?!

Now there's a game...

The ships do look remarkably clean and high tech. Almost Tau like!

I don't know. I mean, not counting the crummy perspective drawing (if you look closely, the ship's bent at a 30 degree angle off-axis at its midpoint), the ship looks old. Most massive things, viewed from a considerable distance, lose a lot of the cracks and flaws, and this one is covered in discoloration that tells me it's been in space for many, many moons. (Pun intended.)

Me thinks it looks cool. Looks like the imperial ships have done now for quite some time.

Besides, if it was Tau, it would be covered with little spoon-like objects, wouldn't it?

I am hoping that the theme is suitably varied rather than any one thing - Rogue traders are eccentric individuals at best so there will not be a set 'look' to them, they could for example affect the dress style of another race, like the Eldar even, or take their cue from any known elements of Terran history - however, the Elizabethan period would fit with its grand explorations and pioneering explorers in theme.

It is hard to see how Dark Heresy could hold a candle to Rogue Trader when it gets released - there is a lot of scope for invention out beyond the light of the Emperor.

It very well could be xenos construction (though it does not look like it to me). RT were allowed that sort of thing back in the day.

As to to the art being grimdark enough.... err did you look at what the picture depicted or just the color palate? I mean they have skulls, weapons, skull weapons, and tubes comming out of their heads.. It is hard to ask for more. Based on the subject of the picture (not just its color palate) I would surmise it to be plenty grimdark.

Pneumonica not sure what you mean by 30 degrees off axis at the mid point? You mean the optical illusion that the ship is bowed up in the middle or that the nose is bent down (depending on how you view it)? Well actually, it is crooked by 1 or 2 degrees but still I am probably thinking of something else.

I think what he means is that the bulk of the ship is shown in straight profile, but the engines are shown from a partial 3/4 view.

Ahh!! I see it now. I was just assuming there were 7 engine nozzles and left it at that. But you are right even if there were it does not explain why they appear at a angle.

llsoth said:

Ripper.McGuirl said:

Actually, you're both right. Looking at it as a two-dimensional object, there is a slant of about five degrees at the midpoint of the ship. Shifting back to three dimensions, the engines are on an dimetric plane (in art terms, the "paritial 3/4" view) while the rest of the ship is in true profile. If you were to render this image as a three dimensional vessel such that you could orient it in such a way to reprodue the image, you'd have a 30 degree bend off the primary axis of the ship at its midpoint.

Sorry, I do drafting myself and I come from a family of drafters.

EDIT: Sorry Ilsoth, didn't notice you'd already seen it. Mea culpa .

The engines are definitely drawn badly as far as perspective is concerned. Makes the ship look like it's bent.

Kage2020 said:

I might need to do some research into the Elizabethan ship captains. Me thinks that the exploits of those individuals will give some interesting foundations for RT games.

Starman Kane said:

And one might also take some inspiration from the earlier Tudor period as well. All those cod pieces cannot be missed out in Rogue Trader . Those players that are old enough can even watch Tudors for a bit of spice!

And, the tongue-in-cheek part of me wishes for that must heinous and feared of pirates, if only his surprising success despite seeming stumbling ineptitude. Yes, let us have the slapstick, hairless pirate Bald Rick.

Kage

Incidentally:-

The moment of truth for the great ship versus galleon controversy came in 1591, when the Revenge, for reasons that need not concern us here, was trapped in the Azores by a fleet of fifty-three Spanish warships and fought them for fifteen hours before she surrendered. It might have been supposed that she must have fought the action by keeping here enemies at a distance, but the accounts say that she was boarded a number of times and and once by the Spanish flagship the San Felipe, a vessel three times her size. It must have been a desparate moment for the English and the enemy should have triumphed, but the terrible havoc that the Revenge's lower guns continued to make in the hull of the Spaniard caused here to haul off. Its amazing that Revenge's crew, and through sickness less than a third of them were fit to begin the action, could sustain morale under the circumstances. In the end they had used up all their powder, which was another reason for not following her commanders famous order to 'Split me the ship, Master Gunner'. During the action at least two, possibly four spanish ships were sunk by Revenge's guns, and in the storm that blew up after it sixteen more as well as Revenge foundered, presumably because of gun damage.

(With thanks to Archibald's Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy.)

Dezmond,

Is that the HMS Revenge commanded by Sir Richard Grenville?

Starman Kane said:

Aye. I think if I rememeber correctly he was somewhat... overconfident in trying to fight his way out rather than run for it, but it is a stiring story neh?

Dezmond said:

True. Still, his live provides a good example for the foundation of a RT character.