Is Chainmail dead?

[EricNoah]

On another issue, the line about Adkinsen in multi-colored hair reminded me of the article they did in, I think, Salon.com on the early days of Wizards. Somebody posted it here about a year ago. Anyone remember it?

Lucian the Bard

Vaguely -- you're either referring to this or this.

 

[mkletch]

I have to agree with those people who wanted it to be a massed combat system. Essentially you're looking at combats which are about the same size as a normal D&D combat so I could see maybe using the chainmail rules to speed up normal combat, but I can't see playing as an entirely seperate game something so similar to a game I already play. But since I occasionally want to run a mass combat with the PC's having rules for that might be nice. Lord knows I've tried to do it myself often enough.

I'll toss my coin in this hat. Chainmail was dead to me when I found out it was minis wargaming. I respect those that are into that, but it is just not my in my bag.

3E already has a, if not nimble then uncomplicated, combat system that works with minis, if not well; hex map and facing rules would have been much better. There is too much overlap with Chainmail and 3E. In effect, the two products are competing with each other with a certain segment of gamer. Being that neither segment (mini wargaming and RPGing) is huge, then any loss is felt in the respective community. WotC's core is RPG - no brainer. Chainmail needed to be 'very different', not 'a different perspective'. That is why it is failing. Rumors of product failure in this industry have a way of becoming self-fulfilling...

-Fletch!

 

[Bhadrak]

There is too much overlap with Chainmail and 3E. In effect, the two products are competing with each other with a certain segment of gamer. Being that neither segment (mini wargaming and RPGing) is huge, then any loss is felt in the respective community. WotC's core is RPG - no brainer. Chainmail needed to be 'very different', not 'a different perspective'. That is why it is failing.

Chainmail does not compete with D+D. If anything, D+D feeds Chainmail sales.

While I would certainly be disappointed if WotC/Hasbro canned the line, I won't regret having bought the minis, as they have value outside of Chainmail (as in, they can be used for D+D).

 

[bolen]

So why are they publishing a hardback book in september if the line will die? Also does the end of chainmail = end of WoC mini's.

My only gripe is I do not like guns in my D&D game. I perfer the straight Tolkein type game.

 

[Bhadrak]

My only gripe is I do not like guns in my D&D game. I perfer the straight Tolkein type game.

Only one model wields anything remotely resembling a gun (the dwarf shocktrooper).

 

[Desdichado]

mkletch:
WotC's core is RPG - no brainer.

Gee, I would've said their core is CCGs. They only bought D&D: before that, their forays into RPGs were either relatively flops, or landed them in legal hot water. Alternity is probably the only non-D&D game they did semi-successfully.

 

[xjp]

Chainmail is dead.

Everything is on sale. The WotC stores don't even setup for Chainmail night, because nobody shows up. If you talk to the staff at the store, they will say that Chainmail is selling like hotcakes at the other stores, but it just isn't doing well at this location. Then you go to the other stores and they claim that Chainmail is selling well elsewhere, just not at their store. Yeah, right.

It is a good time to grab figures, though.

 

[BluWolf]

I am telling you folks.

MY prediction is in two years there will be no more WoTC. Hasbro will sell off the D&D IP.

The game will be fine and all will be good and just.

Hasbro wants the patent on the CCG. The rest will ALL be sold off.

I'm willing to wager cases and cases of hacker-snacks that either Adkinson or Dancey end up with it or some combination of that crowd.

You read it here.