Sentiment about the new releases

[Thiagoma]

People have to keep in mind that GW hired a bunch of writers and that Books,endless spells and scenery are produced in China, making it easier to pump out this products.

Meanwhile Gw is creating new models, factions and whatnot. Gw is reaching the point where it will have every single army with a BT! It is Huge for AoS!

 

What is left now? Free Peoples, Dispossesed, Ogor and Aelfs?

Also if they keep this up they can produce Endless spells/New Bts for most of the "older" factions!

 

 

[AaronWilson]

I don't think a piece of terrain / endless spells for each army is un-original, as long as both aspects keep the theme of the army and add something to the game. I'm certainly interested to see if / when we get a Sylvaneth book how Wyldwoods are treated. They're very much the only "old" style terrain piece left that can be placed on objectives and can have as many as you can fit on  the table. 

[JPjr]

Personally if you don't start your line of thought with how is GW trying to ****** me over this time, then faction terrain & endless spells make perfect sense and are great for the game. 

It's not just a matter of throwing a sop to players who are just otherwise getting a BT, think of it as trying to make the game more dramatic and visual, after all AoS's real competition isn't just other wargames, it's as much computer games, films, anything like that. And in that regard it needs all the help it can get.

What's more interesting, dramatic and attention grabbing when you want to represent a mighty spell, a malevelovent blast of eldritch energy that can decimate armies and lay waste to  hordes of soldiers? Rolling some dice and checking a table, or plonking down a massive big purple skull faced orb on the table and watching it wreck ****** (your own well laid plans included).

Likewise terrain, it will always be one of the last things that a lot of people buy, if ever. And yet tables full of terrain make the game look so, so, so much better, especially if amongst the polystyrene hills you have leering moon icons, skeletal towers and the like. This gets more terrain out onto tables and hopefully encourages people to buy (OR MAKE THEMSELVES) more once they see how much more fun, and better looking, it makes games

You see it with Kill Team, that's been a brilliant way of getting more terrain out there and creating better and more interesting games. Since we built the KT starter set here with the Sector Imperialis kit I've found my wife scanning the GW site for new kits we can buy and add to it. Result all round.

Also it doesn't hurt that most the endless spells and terrain are pretty easy to paint up quickly whilst looking good, another huge bonus for both beginners and even encouraging people to share pictures of their models and games which in turn creates more visibility and brings in more new people.

 

[JackStreicher]

13 minutes ago, JPjr said:

Personally if you don't start your line of thought with how is GW trying to ****** me over this time, then faction terrain & endless spells make perfect sense and are great for the game. 

It's not just a matter of throwing a sop to players who are just otherwise getting a BT, think of it as trying to make the game more dramatic and visual, after all AoS's real competition isn't just other wargames, it's as much computer games, films, anything like that. And in that regard it needs all the help it can get.

yep.
Though that throne is just bad, here are some other isntant ideas that would make more sense imo:
- a huge flesh-Carriage drawn by a bull-thing. (yes, their own artwork...)
- A charnel pit
- A "armoury"
- A Throne like the one of Kurdoss Valentian, slightly bigger with all kind of leftovers on the floor. Also hovering with two ghoul attendants at the bottom (would be sooo much better srsyl! Gotta build it myself)
- A "Border Stone". In their deluded minds they think the enemy is trespassing into their lands so they fight besides this stone which might or might not mark their actual border
- A Supply-Wagon.
- A simple hole in the ground from which the FeC spill forth
- A part of a ruin with entrances to the underground
- A "royal" tent
 

.... it really isn't hard to think of something thematic, cool and pleasing. The last thing I would ever make is a solid throne on a piece of debry...

[Seraphage]

I too believe that GW is making a really good progress. Things are going great the way they are and I sure hope they 'll keep working on it !

[Icegoat]

The same will happen with kharadron and sylvaneth when the night vault warbands release 

[Fairbanks]

I collect almost every army, so my only complaint is the speed at the releases. They need to slow down and they need to let new models have some time to breathe.

Carrion Empire, Skaven, and FEC are big enough armies to deserve their own week of releases.

And to cut off the guy who will inevitably say “You don’t have to buy everything”: I already don’t, and my complaint isn’t directed at you. It’s just a way of letting the Workshop know that I can’t buy it all, and they aren’t getting more money out of me by speeding things up.

 

[Beliman]

I'm really happy for Skavens and FEC players.

Yeah, maybe some models don't have enough quality, but at least, you will have the tools to play versus "new" battletomes (not talking about competitive play, I'm talking about fun-mechanics).

I really hope that this battletomes have awesome rules and I want to believe that this battletomes had been written with GHB2019 in mind (the possiblity to play without handicapped abilitites is awesome, even it they don't have any new miniatures). 

 

[zedatkinszed]

Have to say I'm really annoyed by the attitude on the 'Net to this. 

This is a bonus surprise release. No-one, and I mean no-one, called a FEC-Skaven starter set with a BoC style battletome for Skaven and an updated FEC book. This was a bolt from the blue that improves things for Death and Chaos players in general.

If the community was offered this a few months ago we would all have been delighted. The saltiness online towards this is illogical. And the whining about the laziness of the sculpt of the FEC character are silly - he's a box exclusive!

[Overread]

@JPjr that's exactly it. GW wanted to sell more terrain for years, however even their Generals Handbook style terrain with neutral properties weren't really selling. It was an optional extra and, as you say, many people were used to doing it at home without buying it. Even if the home made looked really rough (or is a couple of books under the green tablecloth). 

The nurgle terrain started to sell really well and GW latched onto the idea that whilst generic terrain with rules didn't sell - faction terrain DID sell. They had two armies to prove it and now they are rolling it out as a major feature of both games. Added to Endless Spells and its really making AoS a lot more visual in nature not just with models. 

IT's win win - players get better looking tables and GW gets to make meaningful terrain sales. 

[JackStreicher]

5 hours ago, Overread said:

T's win win - players get better looking tables and GW gets to make meaningful terrain sales. 

Well almost win win...

 

 

🤢

Sorry I just had to 🤣[\Spoiler]

[Future]

9 hours ago, Riavan said:

Serephon have such a huge selection of units tho. Sure some need updating but it isn't as much as skaven. Half their stuff is metal 

That isn't the problem. It is that the current strongest unit everyone likes to take is $35 a piece and you take 16 of them

[Future]

Just read all the replies! i totally understand where people like @JackStreicher are coming from. It is his opinion sure, but its just as valid as anyones. I am really really happy with the direction of the game right now. However, if a release such as bad models or bad rules strikes you as lazy that will definitely ruin your perception of it.

[JackStreicher]

4 minutes ago, Future said:

Just read all the replies! i totally understand where people like @JackStreicher are coming from. It is his opinion sure, but its just as valid as anyones. I am really really happy with the direction of the game right now. However, if a release such as bad models or bad rules strikes you as lazy that will definitely ruin your perception of it.

Thanks =}

I am looking forward to new Sylvaneth now 🤔

What did the rumor about these one week releases say exactly? Will they just update books of the 1. edition or will they also do books like Dispossessed, Darklings etc?

[prochuvi]

It is easy.

 

If my dispossesed get a batletome and nothing more i gonna be very happy,if my fyreslayers get also only a battletome and no new units i gonna be angry also as flesh eaters players.

 

A phantasy army getting only a battletome is great and cool. A aos 1 army as fyreslayers,ironjawz or flesh eaters that only have as 3 units and heroes getting only a battletome isnt aceptable.

 

Before of get as 10 new units for a new army as goblins everyone prefer that they release 2 new units for those armys(ironjawz,fyreslayers and flesh eater)or heck in place of those infinite boring golden marines they must release more units for aos1 armys

[Throt the Unclean]

18 hours ago, Sedraxis said:

just let those who like it enjoy it.

Just let people who don't like it vent. I'm always amazed out how offended people get from hearing criticism of a corporate product. lol The only explanation I have for it is that fanboys have no sense of identity or self, so their interests and hobbies, and the companies responsible for those things become part of their identity. So that when someone criticizes the company or one of their products people take it as a personal insult. 

Hearing criticism of something you like should in no way affect a person's enjoyment or excitement for that product. If it does, there is something wrong with that person. There are so many people in this thread telling people to stop criticizing and just enjoy. It makes as much sense as telling people to who are praising it to stop. Are people so fragile that they can't even bare to hear polite criticism anymore? Does hearing a different opinion really cripple people emotional? I really hope not. 

 

16 hours ago, Overread said:

It's nice to see recycling in the AoS setting!

I completely disagree, especially when it comes to how they've done with these endless spells and terrain pieces. The gymnastics you have to pull to not only justify it, but praise it is too much for me. At the end of the day it points to a problem. Either GW is trying to release products at a pace they can't manage and therefore have to put out quick products so they reuse assets to cut time and costs or they simply didn't care enough to put in the effort. Idk, but something needs to change on their end. There is no excuse or justification for the low quality of these releases. I think everyone would much rather have longer periods between product releases if it means superior products. And if GW is doing this to chase short-term financial gains (get as much out as quickly as possible) I think they're going to hurt themselves in the long run. 

[PlasticCraic]

All I can say is, I will be delighted if Ironjawz get a simiar update to FEC and Skaven.

If they get new models - even better.  But I'm still using and enjoying my Bonesplitterz which was just a Battletome and nothing else. 

A new book + spells and terrain would put a smile on this old Megaboss's face for sure.

If you don't like the models - fair play to you.  But I hope that most FEC and Skaven players out there enjoy this release.

[Inquisitorsz]

 

1 hour ago, Throt the Unclean said:

 I think everyone would much rather have longer periods between product releases if it means superior products. And if GW is doing this to chase short-term financial gains (get as much out as quickly as possible) I think they're going to hurt themselves in the long run. 

 Well that's how things used to be... and everyone hated it. We got 1 or 2 major releases per year. Back during the monthly release schedule, new units and new armies would take 3 months to come out often with the codex/army book at the end so it didn't spoil future releases. 

In theory that takes far less effort and man power so the releases can be better quality.  They weren't. 
In theory it's better because it gives people plenty of time to save up, assemble and paint the new stuff. That's debatable, and ultimately their recent (3-4 year) financial success and the resurrection of fantasy (AOS) has proven otherwise. 
From a manufacturing/engineering point of view, I think a weekly release schedule like this is unsustainable too.... it's crazy but it seem to be work well and it's been working for a good few years already.  

As for criticism. Nothing wrong that that.  But it's pretty useless to say "I don't like it because they could have done X,Y,Z instead"... Well they could have given us free stuff and "special favors" and free cars too... not a very constructive comment. 
The hate we're seeing seems to be mostly "I don't like X therefore it's ****" which is a pointless comment. I don't really like FEC at all but I wouldn't call the release ****.  A new battletome is something they've desperately needed for ages. 

The other big thing that bothers me is people seem to already know what GW has planned. I would be INCREDIBLY surprised if Skaven get nothing but next week's pre-orders. FEC are a relatively small faction, they can easily get away with a full battletome and some endless spells. They are smaller then BoC and LoN didn't get any models or endless spells.
Just look at the Genestealer cult release.... They initally came out a while back (October 2016). Then popped up in a killteam box, then had a bunch of stuff teased many months in advance (eg Gunslinger guy back in June 2018), and are only now getting a full codex and new units. 
No reason that Skaven can't get all the refreshed plastic units over the next 12-18 months. 

I'd certainly rather a quick release schedule but have stuff for various armies scattered throughout the year instead of a big dump one week and nothing for 2 years. 
I do think that digital rule books are necessary to properly  support that kind of release schedule though. That's my biggest issue with GW right now is how quickly battletomes become obsolete. They just don't need to if we had proper living rules documents. 

[novakai]

7 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

 

I do think that digital rule books are necessary to properly  support that kind of release schedule though. That's my biggest issue with GW right now is how quickly battletomes become obsolete. They just don't need to if we had proper living rules documents. 

yeah but they make more money off selling books then doing the online route unless they started a subscription services for those rules. to them it just more profitable

11 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

 

No reason that Skaven can't get all the refreshed plastic units over the next 12-18 months. 

 

Craftworld Eldar say hello

39 minutes ago, PlasticCraic said:

All I can say is, I will be delighted if Ironjawz get a simiar update to FEC and Skaven.

If they get new models - even better.  But I'm still using and enjoying my Bonesplitterz which was just a Battletome and nothing else. 

A new book + spells and terrain would put a smile on this old Megaboss's face for sure.

If you don't like the models - fair play to you.  But I hope that most FEC and Skaven players out there enjoy this release.

I know I be delighted if Stormcast got only a new book and a terrain piece this year, they may actually be competitive. yet it feel unrealistic for some reason maybe because another chamber is going to be open up.

[Throt the Unclean]

4 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

Well that's how things used to be... and everyone hated it. We got 1 or 2 major releases per year.

Yeah, that's too slow. I agree. Slowing down doesn't have to be that slow, just slow enough to better ensure quality products. There's a happy medium in there somewhere that I don't think GW has worked out yet. I mean, releasing endless spells and terrain pieces for two armies that are almost 100% made up of old sculpts has to be bottom of the barrel, right? For a company that makes plastic miniatures as a business, that's just sad and inexcusable. 

 

6 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

In theory that takes far less effort and man power so the releases can be better quality.  They weren't. 

Well, I could be wrong, but I don't think GW has ever released mashups of old sculpts as a new model before? So, from that standpoint they couldn't have been worse. I know Skaven didn't get an update the last couple of editions in Fantasy and what they eventually got in End Times were some of the best models GW has ever made, imo. 

But I could see the problems of a long release schedule being procrastination and complacency. Like a kid who has a term paper due at the end of the semester in 5 months and does nothing for 5 and half months and has to rush the last couple of weeks to get something together. Maybe some of that was going on? lol

 

12 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

From a manufacturing/engineering point of view, I think a weekly release schedule like this is unsustainable too.... it's crazy but it seem to be work well and it's been working for a good few years already.  

I agree. I think GW has been going gangbusters this past year and putting out some of the best products they ever have. They've improved leaps and bounds in almost every way. Especially their social media and twitch presence. I have faith they can figure out that balance eventually. I just would hope these Skaven and FEC models are a wake up call for them. Honestly, their decision to end Digital White Dwarf to me was really alarming and hinted that something wasn't going right. This Skaven/FEC release just confirmed it. Maybe their running on fumes and the whole company needs a long vacation?

 

16 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

But it's pretty useless to say "I don't like it because they could have done X,Y,Z instead"... Well they could have given us free stuff and "special favors" and free cars too... not a very constructive comment. 

I'll agree to disagree here. Criticism by it's very nature is constructive to me. I could argue that blind praise is just as useless. It doesn't help improve anything either. Too much praise can actually be detrimental in many ways. 

 

17 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

The other big thing that bothers me is people seem to already know what GW has planned. I would be INCREDIBLY surprised if Skaven get nothing but next week's pre-orders. FEC are a relatively small faction, they can easily get away with a full battletome and some endless spells. They are smaller then BoC and LoN didn't get any models or endless spells.

Yeah, I hope you're right. I have no clue what they're going to release next. I agree in general that certain armies should take priority over others and have bigger releases. I'm sure they have all their financial information and are crunching the numbers as to what factions they can make the most money off of. I think with Skaven's history of being shafted with releases going back into fantasy and that they are one of the most iconic faction GW has created that they would hopefully get something more than this. 

 

21 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

I'd certainly rather a quick release schedule but have stuff for various armies scattered throughout the year instead of a big dump one week and nothing for 2 years. 

I think quality should be the top priority. I think you get more sales with that in the long run. I think if every army got a Gloomspite sized release they would be more than satisfied if they got nothing for two years. Maybe not though? Who knows. 
 

23 minutes ago, Inquisitorsz said:

I do think that digital rule books are necessary to properly  support that kind of release schedule though. That's my biggest issue with GW right now is how quickly battletomes become obsolete. They just don't need to if we had proper living rules documents. 

I couldn't agree more. I love their digital content and think living digital battletomes and rule books are superior, even if it comes with a much increased cost to make up for the lack of repeated purchases. But there are people out there who will always prefer physical books. 

[Throt the Unclean]

8 minutes ago, novakai said:

yeah but they make more money off selling books then doing the online route unless they started a subscription services for those rules. to them it just more profitable

That's a really great idea. They already have subscriptions for their AoS app and twitch content. Why not have one with their rule books and battletomes? I'd be willing to pay it. 

[Skreech Verminking]

14 hours ago, Beliman said:

Yeah, maybe some models don't have enough quality, but at least, you will have the tools to play versus "new" battletomes (not talking about competitive play, I'm talking about fun-mechanics).m

 

I never heard of a skavenplayer who lost (with the exception of some traitors who would have betrayed their master later anyways), so no I don’t know what your talking about.

edit: but yes, next to beeing a bit disappointed, I’m very happy that the Battletome is coming out in two weeks. Now I’m just hoping that my skaven addiction can withstand the amount of time I have to wait.

[NinjaDetective]

38 minutes ago, Throt the Unclean said:

I think quality should be the top priority. I think you get more sales with that in the long run. I think if every army got a Gloomspite sized release they would be more than satisfied if they got nothing for two years. Maybe not though? Who knows. 
 

 

I could be misunderstanding you, but there is no way they could do a full release for an army every 2 years, you would end up just like it used to be with some armies going years without being updated, with the way battalions and allegience abilities work getting a battle tome to make your aemy at least workable is really the most important thing. Models looking goid ir baf ir being recycled or whatever is all purely subjective, there are people who love the new gllomspite gitz and there are other who think they are too cartoonish.

[Throt the Unclean]

2 minutes ago, NinjaDetective said:

I could be misunderstanding you, but there is no way they could do a full release for an army every 2 years

Yeah, I agree they couldn't. If it sounds like that's what I was saying I didn't mean to. What I was saying is I think it would be better financially in the long run and more satisfying for people in general if they did a Gloomspite type of release for an army and then have that army wait however many years for new stuff because I assume it would lead to higher quality products. The two years number was introduced by the other person. 

 

7 minutes ago, NinjaDetective said:

Models looking goid ir baf ir being recycled or whatever is all purely subjective, there are people who love the new gllomspite gitz and there are other who think they are too cartoonish.

I agree. Art is subjective. I'm not saying people can't like these new endless spells. They certainly can. But what I think isn't subjective is that GW has never released a new line of products that were just mashups of old sculpts. That seems to have some sort of objective level of bad and negative in relation to quality for a company that produces plastic sculpts.

[XReN]

1 hour ago, novakai said:

yeah but they make more money off selling books then doing the online route unless they started a subscription services for those rules. to them it just more profitable

Though me, and, I believe, many people in this hobby buy books not because of rules, but because they are pretty. GW can release pretty books separatly from useful rules that should be digital