This time, I'm focusing on fluff instead of rules, or mainly where the lack of fluff.
When you searched online about the old factions, you could usually get a quick flavor blurb about why someone might want to play Empire, or Dwarfs, or High/Dark Elves, or Warriors of Chaos, or Skaven, or Orcs and Goblins. This seems to be a missing part and parcel for Age of Sigmar. While we as a community aren't doing a good job of explaining it, there isn't anything free from GW explaining it either.
GW's homepage used to not be just an online storefront, they provided context too: https://web.archive.org/web/19990423184209/http://www.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/armies.html
Just a quick look at something like the Dark Elves:
I get a quick feel for their past, that they were once in a civil war with their brothers (who on the same page I can find out are the High Elves, and which builds in a match-up I may wish to fight. I learn why they fight (twisted opinion and an embrace of evil, plus loot and prisoners), and in reading the page, and I learn how they would fight (Warriors may use repeater crossbows to mow down ranks of enemy).
Comparing what we had before for the old armies that haven't been updated is a sad state of affairs. Just look at the Order Serpentis, I get the following flavor bits:
So from this, what's the Order Serpentis' motives? Why are they fighting? Do they have a personal goal in the realms? Are they looking to have everybody fight for their cause, do they actually like snakes or were they just sorted by an old hat into Slytherin? We can't even rely on the old fluff, as most of it has been eliminated from the minds of everyone but the few gods. The weirdest part is that GW already has a good collection of short faction explanations in the Grand Alliance Books, but wants to use them as some kind of purchasable good instead of an advertisement.
The importance should really be on GW, as getting us into buying should be first and foremost on their agenda. But maybe we as good shepherds of the game need to be providing these details online ourselves.
Have a Super Happy Time!
- Read more...
- 5 comments
- 705 views