As far as no movement on the wave four front...

When the Transport and Tantive IV we announced, it was made very clear that this was not wave four and that would be released independently. For what it is worth, I think that indicates they do have a wave four lurking about somewhere.

I'm going to suggest that keeping waves 1 - 3 in stock has received focus, as there was a lot of complaining about not being able to get the existing ships, especially the earlier ones. We seen several shipments from China, and they have all been re-stocks of the earlier ships. Now that they are finally catching up with demand (at least for now), maybe we'll see some movement on new stuff. I think the pre-orders for the epic ships showing might be a sign that they're getting back to new stuff.

Really the Lady Luck.. One of the MOST ugly ships in the EU? really?

I've got to agree with Rodent Mastermind here. That ship is hideous. Now, the inside may be the lap of luxury, but unless FFG is doing a cutaway view, I fear there isn't much they can do to dress it up. It's like a houseboat in space. Yet, if they made it, I would buy it, just because it is Lando's ship. Only one though...

Really the Lady Luck.. One of the MOST ugly ships in the EU? really?

I've got to agree with Rodent Mastermind here. That ship is hideous. Now, the inside may be the lap of luxury, but unless FFG is doing a cutaway view, I fear there isn't much they can do to dress it up. It's like a houseboat in space. Yet, if they made it, I would buy it, just because it is Lando's ship. Only one though...

I'll be the third person to share this opinion. That thing is just awkward looking, and modifying it into something that it has never really been in the EU would be even more awkward.

Indeed soon after the Rodent posted his remark I was in agreement.. lol.. not a pretty thing, but versitile and useful.

Lady Luck may not have the prettiest lines but one could argue that several of the current ships are also "ugly" in appearance. The Firespray really makes little sense mechanically and the same could be said about the B-Wing. I'm not a big fan of the HWK or Y-Wing's appearance either. ALL of that also ignores some people's thought that FFG should actually my "Uglies" like Y-TIEs as seen by a recent thread.

I'm not saying Lady Luck is the prettiest ship in the galaxy and there are plenty with better lines but it does have an extensive EU background. You can also find it in the same place that brought us the HWK. And finally it isn't just another modified "flying saucer" which is what that YT-2400 you all seem to be drooling over would be. In time I wouldn't mind seeing some more YT class ships but before then I'd rather see something a bit different.

I'm surprised. The SoroSuub Personal Luxury Yacht 3000 is one of the few ships from the Expanded Universe that are brought up a lot that I actually like. It's not an intimidating combat ship, but I feel it fits the aesthetic of Star Wars (which came out in the 70s and 80s). Maybe I'm just biased because I really liked mine in Star Wars Galaxies. Speaking of doing a cutaway, I actually joked before that if they made one, I'd crack it open and model an interior after the way I had mine decorated, before putting it back together. ;P

Personally, I think that another YT would fly and fight just like a YT-1300 in the game. There is just not enough difference among the three models (YT-2000/YT-2300) to justify making until possibly somewhere in Wave 6 to 8. So for another large Rebel ship I would want a Ghtroc 720 and for the Imperials I would want either the Xg-1 Star Wing or the Skipray Blastboat rather than another TIE.

As for future waves, I think that except for EU ships that appeared in video games over the last twenty years, we are going to start seeing prequel ships and ships shown on The Clone Wars. This could be a good thing as it gives a chance to have matchups that are not strictly Rebel/imperial. For most of the time that the Rebellion was going on, the main job of Imperial forces was to put down pockets of still active CIS forces. It would all depend on how Clone Wars era ships would stack up against later eras.

I would be surprised if there wasn't a Z-95 in wave 4. People have been asking for it for long enough by now that it seems to have some pretty high demand.

I'm pretty sure FFG stated a while back that there will be a wave 4. I don't have a citation handy, it might have been in a youtube interview.

From the announcement of the Tantive IV and Rebel Transport:

"Because our past X-Wing expansions have all fit a model of four simultaneous releases, many of you may wonder whether or not the Tantive IV and Rebel Transport Expansion Pack are part of our fourth wave of expansion ships. They are not. These are special additions to the X-Wing line and will not supplant or disrupt our next wave of starship expansions (details of which will be announced at a later date)."

On the EU ships...well, it may be a bit risky, but FFG has already crossed that line with the HWK. Basically, 90% of the people into this game are either really into the game itself/wargaming in general, or are huge Star Wars/EU nerds (or both). The EU folks will love EU ships, while everyone else will likely pick up any new ships just to stay competitive.

As for the other ships...I don't know, but I saw some speculation that one might be the Kirahz light freighter (seen in Galaxies) since there is one in the background of Roark Garnet's card. And (though it's hard to tell with just a few waves worth of ships), FFG seems to have hinted at previous ships in the wave before their releases.

A good point made earlier, we don't know if the 4 ships per pattern will continue. I'm glad it did because if 6 months were between TIE/F and X-wings it would've killed the game's momentum. But now that we have those basic ships, I'd be okay with it -- though I'd prefer 4 of course. Heck, I'd take 1 at a time if they were regular and every 2 months.

Question: What about the A-9 Vigilante? The Rebels have it flying side by side with the E-wing during the Vong War. They also have "Blastboats" with no other distinguishing features at the same time. Just curious.

I'd say Z-95 and YT-2400 are the safe bets for the Rebels but FFG has shown a good job of being unpredictable.

I'd prefer the TIE/Defender but it would be difficult to fit without a new game mechanic perhaps. I'd love to see the Assault Gunboat from the TIE Fighter PC games, it would be a good X-wing counter for the Imps. No interest in seeing the Missile Boat, that was ridic even in the game and basically be another TIE/B on steroids with the TIE/B just now coming out.

Would people be bothered at all if they started releasing 'civilian' ships to create scenarios etc.? Maybe with mixed crew cards for both factions.

I think the rebels will get a ship that can use mines and bombs not sure what that would be though. I am also surprised that there is no pirate faction yet Black Sun or Zahn consortium.

I don't think FFG has to worry too much about Expanded Universe stuff. I couldn't begin to guess how many X-Wing Miniatures players are big fans of the Expanded Universe, but I don't think it matters too much. We have all of the movie ships now. As long as they make sure the iconic ones are always available in some way, and primarily market with them, all it does is expand people's experiences, it shouldn't alienate too many people. The average person isn't going to know what ships were from the movies and which ones aren't once you go beyond a certain point (the similarity between TIE variants will surely stump most people).

From what I've seen, the Expanded Universe has tons of ships I think are absolutely terrible ideas, but there's nothing innately wrong with expanding the game in that direction. In fact, it's nothing but logical. There's still plenty to draw from before they start having to decide if they want to acknowledge the ridiculous stuff, even from what little I'm familiar with.

Not to make too much of it, but that's why I said what I did about my suggestion earlier. Obviously I have a personal bias in wanting it, but I legitimately think the ship is a great compromise between the familiar and something new. It was inspired by the TIE design and Lambda Shuttle concept art, in a way that I think looks faithful to the Star Wars aesthetic without just being a rip-off. A casual fan may not even realize it didn't appear in a movie.

There's lots more like that in the Expanded Universe, and I don't think most people would care or even notice if they pulled from that, as long as they make sure the marketing and tournaments still showcase a couple of iconic movie ships. I guess for now Wave 4 will be quite the surprise.

I can't wait to see Wave 4. Not strictly out of impatience, but because I want something to look forward to. The biggest gamble for me is that, there are few things at this point that I'd care about. I really wish we could get more regular releases, even if it meant less ships at a time. I don't know why it takes so long, but if there's a good reason, I won't complain. However, upcoming releases are a major source of excitement for me, and the huge gaps make it really easy to lose interest in this game. And that's on accident, I'm not trying to threaten to take my money and leave or anything, just that if there's no new news, it'll get pushed out of my head for something that I'm more actively dealing with (right now I don't play X-Wing much so it's mostly a collecting thing for me).

two seater y wing, that crew upgrade could make a difference, maybe with an elite pilot talent too.

I also think that now we have the iconic ships of the movies, FFG moves on to the iconic ships of the computer games in the past. So, the YT-2000 together with the Z-95 and the Azzameen as pilots / crews.

So I would say the YT-2000 is in wave 4 - the YT-2400 in wave 5 (yes there WILL be a wave 5)

Maybe its the other way around, but I bet we will see both of them in X-Wing!

The Empire ships are a bit more of a gamble. The Assault Gunboat and the TIE Avenger should come both before the TIE Defender ... but both are strong shielded ships. AND the Assault Gunboat is more like a smaller Lambda shuttle ... so it may be there is no Assault Gunboat in wave 4.

Like maybe already stated, the Rebels have smugglers and freelancers - the Empire has the bounty hunters and mercenaries.

So if the Rebels get the next smuggler ship - then the Empire get the next Bountyhunter Ship.

Its even almost even in terms of numbers:

Millenium Falcon, Onata, Outrider

vs

Slave I, Mist Hunter, Punishing One, IG 2000

The Hounds' Tooth is too large - but it fits in the epic mode.

I remember them stating there would be a wave 4 and the capital ships and are an in between, ffg will give us more ships. The game is so popular theyd be crazy not to keep pumping out new ships. Especially with the new movies on the way. If they dont feel the EU is viable or well known enough and might be a risk then they can always start producing the clone wars era ships until we get to the new movies. They may hit a downturn in the next year or so until the new movie is out but im sure they will figure out a way to sail smoothly until the new movies open a world of new ships that will be greatly in demand!

don't forget that there's quite a number of players that just started and weren't able to get the stuff they wanted from the already released 3 Waves. So no matter what FFG will do next year I don't see them experiencing a slow down in X-Wing generated income as all those players (and a bunch of new ones) will finally be able to catch up. Instead of worrying about the popularity of the new releases FFG will have to worry about a constant supply of existing stuff - that's already not working very good (unless it's intended to keep the demand up... but that's a dangerous path to walk, you risk to loose players)

Personally, I think that another YT would fly and fight just like a YT-1300 in the game. There is just not enough difference among the three models (YT-2000/YT-2300) to justify making until possibly somewhere in Wave 6 to 8. So for another large Rebel ship I would want a Ghtroc 720 and for the Imperials I would want either the Xg-1 Star Wing or the Skipray Blastboat rather than another TIE.

As for future waves, I think that except for EU ships that appeared in video games over the last twenty years, we are going to start seeing prequel ships and ships shown on The Clone Wars. This could be a good thing as it gives a chance to have matchups that are not strictly Rebel/imperial. For most of the time that the Rebellion was going on, the main job of Imperial forces was to put down pockets of still active CIS forces. It would all depend on how Clone Wars era ships would stack up against later eras.

The Ghtroc 720 looks like a sea tutrtle. I don't like it. It would most likely function like a YT, which we already have.

Lady Luck could function like a broadside friggate because it is so narrow and long. As a luxury yacht it wouldn't be nimble, and a front firing arc would not be optimum. Put guns on her sides, fly her around the fight while she blasts everything in her radius. Make her a gunboat.

I loved the Ghtroc 720, it is a versitile ship. It would probably play about the same as the YT 1300.. but it would be a unique shape on the play surface, that is for sure..

FFG will probably throw us all for a loop and bring in something none of us would have guessed.. they do as they please and care little for the input of the fan base.. I say this due the fact that they don't show up here looking at what we have to offer for ideas and not commenting on it.. their nonparticipation here speaks volumes.. just my opinion

That's a bit of an extreme leap to make.

As a rule, most companies don't comment on fan ideas or speculation, as it could lead to legal issues down the road.

Possibly, but any show that says they are here and seeing what is going on would be nice.. and honestly, I don't care if they use an idea I put up here, just drop my name on the 'suggested by' line and I'm a happy guy.. I don't think anyone will get rich off of one idea that a game company uses.. but recognition goes a long way.

I loved the Ghtroc 720, it is a versitile ship. It would probably play about the same as the YT 1300.. but it would be a unique shape on the play surface, that is for sure..

I don't like this space turtle ... I wouln't buy it no matter what cards are inside

LOL.. OK who got drunk and designed that ship....

Possibly, but any show that says they are here and seeing what is going on would be nice.. and honestly, I don't care if they use an idea I put up here, just drop my name on the 'suggested by' line and I'm a happy guy.. I don't think anyone will get rich off of one idea that a game company uses.. but recognition goes a long way.

They most likely go out of their way to NOT look at threads like this. Again, it's a legal thing and all companies do it, especially companies with expensive licensed properties.

Furthermore, the designers (at least Jay Little) have been on multiple podcasts and has been interviewed multiple times by other sources and is happy to interact with the fanbase.

Lest we not forget our Imperial Master, Emperor Mickey. The Disney Order tends to keep rigid control over it's territories, more so than Chancellor Lucas Jarjarbringer. With the upcoming Holodramas, the Emperor may not be as forthcoming with reinforcements for his vassal states. Help us Gosric and Jedi Rattus, you (and Shapeway Space Systems) may be our only hope...at least for a little while....

Possibly, but any show that says they are here and seeing what is going on would be nice.. and honestly, I don't care if they use an idea I put up here, just drop my name on the 'suggested by' line and I'm a happy guy.. I don't think anyone will get rich off of one idea that a game company uses.. but recognition goes a long way.

They most likely go out of their way to NOT look at threads like this. Again, it's a legal thing and all companies do it, especially companies with expensive licensed properties.

Furthermore, the designers (at least Jay Little) have been on multiple podcasts and has been interviewed multiple times by other sources and is happy to interact with the fanbase.

Well, they are missing out... myself and a friend.. one year back innthe 80s... we wrote us some rules for a game company.. might know them.. FASA.. and the Gerwalk rules for battletech.. we gave them up and they used them pretty much verbatum.. my friends name is in the credits of the game for the rules... Citytech or Cityscape (forget which it was called).. we were just happy to help our favorite game of the time.. we also helped out at al, the local cons when we could... including Gencon when it was still in Wisconsin.

Maybe its a sign of the times or maybe peoples egos.. but I think any of us here would just be happy to help our favorite game of the day..

The fan base can be a big help, or your worst enemy if you messnup the game..

It's... fairly obvious that they're not messing up the game, as it's wildly popular and has sold out of multiple print runs of its products.

I would also argue that companies need to be much more careful these days with IP than they did 20-30 years ago.