Warhammer 3e Demo Experiences -OR- How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bits

[Ariosto]

What I have in mind is that electronic computers handle some things much more efficiently, but are handicapped next to humans in other pursuits. Some people still prefer to do by hand a lot of computation, but I think that even 30 years ago that was a minority among those who might be interested more generally in "hobby games". For every one who delights in the arcana of Aftermath or the drudgery of Drang Nach Osten, I think there are several who look at that and think, "I find the underlying subject interesting, but the complications under which it's buried are labors I'll gladly leave to a machine."

Indeed, it seems to me that the industry's decline is due in no little part to its having been inflated at first by people who saw it as the closest thing to what they really wanted -- what computer games now deliver.

Neither mechanics-heavy RPGs nor computer games deliver what another demographic wants. The "story tellers" and "immersed role-players" are often enough at odds with one another, but both groups seem to me primarily interested in what humans bring to the table. The computer has advantages in catering to "pure game" enthusiasts.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

As much as I've liked FFG, this simply sounds like too much of a departure and too different from the WHFRP that I loved. I actually do hope FFG is successful with this and brings new people into the game, but it's not for me.

 

[FunkBGR]

I like to try things, so I asked my local game store to participate in the demo. They did, and basically I got set up with the advance copy to run said demo. I'm comfortable with WFRP2e, so I sat down with the rulebook and took a hard look.

At first, I was skeptical - I didn't know how it would translate. But once I actually got people at the table playing, it was AWESOME. Basically, you get rid of pencils at the table and use cards instead. Nothing stops you from going back to the old way, however.

I dunno, I had a really good time running it, and the people that played really enjoyed it too.

It definitely convinced me to put money down on it, and I'm going to honestly try to get more people interested by hosting a game at the same game store.

 

[DMfromdimensionX]

I've gone back and forth on this game. I loved 2ed and when i heard FFG was re-doing i was really hoping they would put the team from Midnight on it, clean up the magic a bit and ad some of their own flair but keep it in the same spirit as the 1st and 2eds. So obviously i am very dissapointed.

On the other hand it sounds like a fun game once you get a feel for it and some of the ideas like a party sheet and the stances seem very interesting.

What its boiling down to for me though is that i live in a fairly small town and just finding enough people for a regular D&D game is hard enough. I really doubt i would be able to fill a group who for a new RPG with so many fiddly bits. So if someone else bought it i would be willing to play and see how it feels but spending my 80$ on it would almost certainly wind up a waste of my money.

 

[Jhaelen]

I was being a bit cheeky. But yes, I think that all your maneuvers/attacks are on cards, and I think wounds/criticals and other things are on the cards, too. Like you get hit, so you draw a card; if it's a critical you flip it to the critical side and whatnot.

Well, using a deck for something like critical hits is something I'd actually consider to be elegant compared to the 'traditional' approach of rolling dice and looking up the result in tables.

I'm similarly intrigued by the dice system. If you're interested in generating more than just a binary success/failure result, such a special dice pool _is_ an easy way to do it. Being able to influence what kind of dice get used for your pool adds the necessary tactical element.

If it wasn't for the high price point, I'd definitely get the game.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

The game itself sounds interesting but too pricey for me, as it is unlikely I would get to play it. ALso it sounds a bit departure from the original for me to go for it on nostalgia reasons.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I generally like the approach of adding or substracting dice instead of applying modifiers to dice rolls or using tables. Of course, my first RPG was Shadowrun - which in some ways did that well, in other ways failed spectacularly. Shadowrun 4E finally got that right, but it seems Warhammer even does get a step forward - no subscructation of dice, complications add dice with negative consequences.

I think the Warhammer dice resolution system is pretty sensible. You don't have to calculate, only to count. Apperently, you also don't have to look at tables - you can use cards.

 

[Korgoth]

I generally like the approach of adding or substracting dice instead of applying modifiers to dice rolls or using tables. Of course, my first RPG was Shadowrun - which in some ways did that well, in other ways failed spectacularly. Shadowrun 4E finally got that right, but it seems Warhammer even does get a step forward - no subscructation of dice, complications add dice with negative consequences.

I think the Warhammer dice resolution system is pretty sensible. You don't have to calculate, only to count. Apperently, you also don't have to look at tables - you can use cards.

I'm afraid I simply cannot imagine why someone would want to count and manage little symbols (comets, hammers, green clovers, etc.) when they could use numbers instead. Beautiful, crystalline, pure numbers. Have we lost an appreciation for their loveliness?

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I'm afraid I simply cannot imagine why someone would want to count and manage little symbols (comets, hammers, green clovers, etc.) when they could use numbers instead. Beautiful, crystalline, pure numbers. Have we lost an appreciation for their loveliness?

I don't know. The mathematical-side of me (teaching the subject for over 15 years) is very much looking forward to working out the mathematical framework that this dice system is tied to. I can imagine a certain level of anticipation of the result that you don't get with a straight die roll. The fact that you the player knows straight away whether you have succeeded and by what margin is pretty cool... elegant even. D&D's linear core mechanic is OK but spice... life... and all that. While this game has been derided in terms of its boardgame bits and dice mechanic, I'm yet to read anyone say that the actual gameplay is crap; kind of the opposite really.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[darjr]

Uh.. since when are numbers not symbols?