WHFRP - Has anyone heard any recent news?

[kengar]

I'm guessing there isn't any, but I was wondering if anyone had heard whther GW had made up their mind what they were doing about the RPG since the game was back in their hands. If I understand it correctly, the new Hogshead won't be handling the line.

GW's site and boards as well as the WHFRP fan sites have been quiet on the subject for a while.

 

[Piratecat]

I was drinking with a friend of Anthony Ragan (Hogshead author) the other night, and he didn't have any new gossip. Take that for what it's worth, which may not be a whole lot.

 

[kengar]

It seems a shame that GW is so set against the d20 engine for WHFRP (at least, that's the gossip). They haven't acted all that interested in supporting the game at all for the last several years, content to let other companies carry the ball.

I suppose it must make sense on some "business model" level, but it seems that going d20 or OGL would open up a lot more potential revenue than letting the game die a lingering death.

 

[DwarvenBrew]

I assume that part of the reason that they sit on their hands is that they don't want someone else taking the setting and publishing stuff contrary to the direction they are taking WHFB. Basically, they want 100% control of the WH world setting, yet they don't want to anthing to do with the traditionaly pen-and-paper RPG aspect of it.

It is a shame, because it's the best dark and gritty setting that I've ever encountered.

IMO, it will probably never see the light of day again, or at least for the next few years.

 

[BiggusGeekus@Work]

IMO, it will probably never see the light of day again, or at least for the next few years.

I think it would be a clever move for them to release an RPG the same time the MMORPG gets released. The timing of the two would be exceptionally difficult, espcially since software titles tend to slip dates. But if they could pull it off, they would be riding a tide of renewed interest.

 

[kengar]

I assume that part of the reason that they sit on their hands is that they don't want someone else taking the setting and publishing stuff contrary to the direction they are taking WHFB. Basically, they want 100% control of the WH world setting, yet they don't want to anthing to do with the traditionaly pen-and-paper RPG aspect of it.

It is a shame, because it's the best dark and gritty setting that I've ever encountered.

IMO, it will probably never see the light of day again, or at least for the next few years.

Sadly, I think you are just about spot-on with that, DB.

It seems kind of stupid to me since the idea of the publisher trying to control the whole "direction" of the world when people are playing an FRP in it is basically nuts. I mean, you can keep publishing supplements, etc. but if my character assassinates the archpriest of Sigmar, and GW still has him alive & kicking in their newest publication, then there will be "forking." It's the nature of the RPG. I mean, not even the LOTR games tried to make the players stick to the exact plot of the JRRT books.

I think they really need to just look at the Old World campaign setting and WH RPG as a distinct entity from WFB. It probably won't happen and a great setting and a good game will end up languishing. It's too bad, IMHO.