[GR PR] Green Ronin to Develop RPGs for GW's BL Publishing

[Neo]

I'm waiting to see what, if anything, they do with the warhammer 40,000 liscense.

Amen

As to WHFRP I would be honestly AMAZED if it was d20 as I suspect the chances of that are remote. Main reason being that thier existing system is a convertible springboard to thier tabletop games and I highly doubt that GW would allow that tenuous link to be severed.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I've played GW games for a while and run a heck of a GW website, so I've been in contact with their Intellectual Property guys a number of times and have a good idea how they see things. Basically, they don't want WFRP to be D20 because that would open up Skaven, Chaos Warriors, their versions of the different races, their magic, almost everything to the Open Gaming world at large, and they want to keep that stuff in-house, like they've kept it for over 20 years now. This is the best way for them to control it - D20 would be opening up an IP Pandora's Box.

It's an interesting excuse. I say excuse because it hasn't stopped Warcraft, Black Company and other licensed products like Elric from hitting the shelves ala d20.

 

[Yraen]

This is way cool news!

As a huge fan of WFRP and a long-time GM of it, I'd just like to say:

WOO-HOO!​

​

I too thought that the game would die once Hogshead let the licence go. Now I've seen the quality stuff that Green Ronin produce, I'm well-happy. And I'd like to echo what a lot of you have said: Thank God it's not going to be D20!!

I'd like to wish Green Ronin good luck and I look forward to seeing what they produce.

​

 

[Cergorach]

It's an interesting excuse. I say excuse because it hasn't stopped Warcraft, Black Company and other licensed products like Elric from hitting the shelves ala d20.

I would say that the Warhammer property is probably worth more than the three properties you mentioned combined, and more. I can understand that GW would want total control over the property when it comes to lisencing, the OGL gives some of the property out of their hands. Warcraft didn't already have an rpg, or an rpg following, so it would make sense to using an excisting system, not to mention that the Warcraft core rule book wasn't released under the D20 system, but under the D&D system...

 

[JoeGKushner]

And in the end, it's still an excuse. I can 100% understand their reasoning. As noted, with numerous other companies out there, it's possible to do a d20 product and retain IP. Manual of Monsters, the Warcraft monster book, has a ton of OGC but retains the standard stuff, name, culture, etc... as independent.

All I'm saying it that it is possible to have a licensed brand like Elric and keep the important stuff non-OGC.

I'm all for the root system but dual statting sourcebooks just makes more sense to me.

 

[Cergorach]

I'm all for the root system but dual statting sourcebooks just makes more sense to me.

Hmm... Maybe you don't understand, or don't want to understand Games-Workshop. GW is a hobby on itself, it survives by pulling in more people, not "sharing the wealth" with other game companies, especially those who compete with their products. WotC is a big competitor of GW, Magic is one, D&D is another, D&D miniatures is currently a biggy. they might not be the same kind of games, but GW pretty much strives for all the attention it can get from their consumers, that's why it branches out into all kinds of media and game styles.

In short, you or i might not like the fact that they don't dual stat or even use D20, it's a very sound business tactic that has worked for GW for the last two decades, they are one of the biggest game companies out there. The D20 market is not GWs target audience.

There are lots of folks that don't like the fact that Lo5R is dual statted, they reason that theres game mechanics stuff that they don't use.

Quit 'whining' GW isn't going to change it's marketing style just for you...

 

[kaptingavrin]

GW's pretty peculiar about their IP stuff. They tightly control their artwork and in-house photos of minis. They also keep all content they've published off websites - even if it was on a website first. I had some original articles by Andy Chambers for Battlefleet Gothic posted to my website - with his permission - but was told to remove them after they were printed in GW's publications. I don't think they're doing anything wrong, they're just a bit paranoid, and with good reason.

 

[Legion]

Warhammer FRP Rocks.

I'm ecstatic that this is going to be updated. My old WFRP book has been used so much it's compeltely fallen apart. WFRP is the best fantasy game going, hands down. I prefer it a great deal over d20 for the very reason that some here have stated they don't like it. No worrying about balance. One book holds the rules. If I could get my players to think outside the d20 realm we'd be in WFRP right now. (And, no this isn't a debate, it's all purely preference. You have yours, I have mine.) I've played it since it's first incarnation back in '86 and I'm so glad someone is picking up the Hogshead torch and carrying on.

Congrats to Chris and GR. Make it good!!!

 

[Pramas]

I can't address all the questions, as some fall into "things man wasn't meant to know (yet)", but there are a couple I can answer. No, we won't be dual statting the books with d20. Yes, the core rules will be one book, not two or three.

Chris Pramas
Green Ronin Publishing

 

[Beretta]

No worrying about balance.

I've seen this a couple of times now.

I would imagine that those people making these comments would have been GMs of WHFP, not players.

As a player I hated it. Your chances of fulfilling your initial character concept were sketchy at best (say, as a dwarf Troll Slayer andvancing to Daemon Slayer).

As a player I think balance is important. It's no fun playing the fifth wheel because you were unlucky enough to roll crap. If random character creation is the main concept, I would be hoping to see an alternative that mirrors D20 point-buy.

Lastly, I liked WHFP for the setting and the tie-in to the miniatures game. As a rules-set I was far from impressed. That said, I have seen Green Ronin's work and have been impressed time and time again. I just hope they rework the many elements in the old game mechanics that were just plain junk, and bring the rules-set into this millenium. It was an opportunity that Hogshead missed completely, and I wasn't sorry to see them give up the license because of it.

Good luck GR! I'm looking forward to seeing the end result. I really am hoping to see a 2nd edition of this game and not a V1.5, so to speak...