Topic: Will GW Ever Return To WFB?

[GamesPoet]

Will GW ever return to WFB?

[Gankom]

Honest opinion? Yes, but not in a way people are hoping for.

They've sunk to many resources into Age of Sigmar. Combined with the simple fact that they made no money with Fantasy I don't think there's the incentive to go back to a fully supported version of it. Age of Sigmar, love it or hate it, seems to be making them more money this time around.

What I think will happen is we'll see more old models show up in the Made to order section. With the popularity of Total War: Warhammer they'll keep producing some of the older models. They'll keep talking about it and mentioning it. They might even do some kind of boxed game like Silver Tower or Burning of Prospero, but set in the Old World. I think that'll be the extent of any returning WFB.

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

I wonder: did GW ever publish the results of their Community Survey?

[Oxycutor]

I wonder: did GW ever publish the results of their Community Survey?

Not yet, and even if they do, probably not much in detail.  They have mentioned that off the back of it, they will be making plastic Adepta Sororitas.   And I think Warhammer Legends might have come from that as well. 

[Gankom]

Yah they've mentioned stuff piecemeal, but not published the full results. I've seen it mentioned in a couple of articles, but almost everything has been "We see you liked X, we like X to!"

[Bartolo Miachevelia]

They'll not as they've shown in the last decade (since 7th) they're too incompetent to  develop Warhammer, and about Warhammer not making money: Do they remember when BL were doing sources  books for Warhammer and  fewer for 40k? WFRP 1 and 2? Warcry? Warhammer videogames with th latest successes as Vermintide and TW:Warhammer.

[Oxycutor]

Will GW ever return to WFB?

If you mean drop Age of Sigmar and return to WFB, then no, I don't think there is any chance of that.
They will be doing Warhammer Legends, which will be a section on the Warhammer Community site for legacy warscrolls for the old armies, combined with a series of Made to Orders - which will start with Dark Elf miniatures - though nothing has been announced as to when this happening.  Other than that, i don't think in the short term we will see support for the game Warhammer Fantasy Battle.   However, products set in the old setting - well Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th edition (made under license by Cubicle 7) is rumoured to be out in the first weekend of June, and we may find out more about that at Warhammer Fest in May. 

Also, while this year's main Specialist Games release is expected to be Adeptus Titanicus, the original launch of the Specialist Games division did mention Mordheim, and I expect that when they do get around that, it will be set in Mordheim in the World that Was, rather than move it to another setting such as Shadespire.

Now ForgeWorld have done their own version of the 40k 7th ed rules just for Horus Heresy, there may be a possibility that something like a FW version of the 8th ed WFB rules might come along.  I wouldn't hold my breath on that though.  FW support for either WFB or AoS has never been much good.  My personal opinion is that they've never really had fans of WFB who understand what FW could do for the system, nor for AoS, though I have heard they are setting up a dedicated AoS team within Forge World that should start putting out products this summer.

[Gankom]

They'll not as they've shown in the last decade (since 7th) they're too incompetent to  develop Warhammer, and about Warhammer not making money: Do they remember when BL were doing sources  books for Warhammer and  fewer for 40k? WFRP 1 and 2? Warcry? Warhammer videogames with th latest successes as Vermintide and TW:Warhammer.

Sure and I think those videogames are exactly the reason their going to continue making legacy models. Are the video games doing so well that they'll scrap AoS to bring back a game they couldn't get to work? I don't think they will. I think they've set up a system that they see as win-win. They get to run their new, shiny, more profitable game AND make bank by selling licenses to produce stuff in the old world.

Out of curiosity, have you read any of the newer lore for AoS? Or tried the current iteration of the game?

[S.O.F]

Out of curiosity, have you read any of the newer lore for AoS?

I've seen that the quality of the lore has improved but its substance has not. While WFB moved around a lot from edition to edition, writer to writer, if one was of the persuasion preferring the grounded sort of Fantasy found in 3rd/6th WFB or WFRP 1st/2nd, AoS is just completely alien. It is a much more 'out there' Fantasy setting with a way higher suspension of disbelief bar. That it has improved doesn't change it from being not even in the same sub-genre competition as classic WFB.

[Gankom]

It definitely has moved far more towards High Fantasy. WFB always stayed relatively low fantast.

[S.O.F]

It definitely has moved far more towards High Fantasy.

Which is best left to Roger Dean album covers and not gaming settings.

[Gankom]

Hmm I don't know. I know I myself generally prefer low fantasy (as do most of the people on the forum it seems) but I don't think it's true for everyone. AoS certainly seems popular anecdotally and judging from the other "What's being played in your area" threads. Lots of people seem to enjoy battling it out with big monsters, powerful wizards and whatnot in fantastical locations.

I think when we get stuff like the supposedly coming Roleplay set in AoS we'll start to see more of the low fantasy aspects of the setting. It still wont make up for the very High Fantasy world, but it might help.

[Artobans Ghost]

Ok. No one gets away with mentioning roger dean around me adding my two bits. I literally grew up with his work displayed on the albums of my fav band. The close to the edge fold out was awesome as well as topographical oceans and relayer. Damn that was nice stuff. I have all those albums and my wife came up with the this idea

[Ursa Doom]

WHF will probably stick around for a while as an IP, but it's probably not returning as a wargame.

[S.O.F]

Ok. No one gets away with mentioning roger dean around me adding my two bits.

Roger Dean is amazing but still for gaming the rules/lore to move between floating rocking islands is just too much. Hence the AoS flying Sea Turtles which are the epitome of too much.

[Artobans Ghost]

I hear you. It’s a bit much for the fan of lower level fantasy. But I have to say I’m liking the turtle and shark soup 😸
And you just don’t hear that artist much anymore. Not sure if you ever played wow but in the outlands version there was a province called Nagarand which seemed to me to be inspired by Dean. I used to return to that place once and awhile for the landscapes.

[Midaski]

"Court of the Crimson King"  #metoo     

Still got

[Padre]

Nursery Crymes, Genesis. Most excellent. I love the Peter Gabriel Genesis period. I can't play my albums any more. Must download electronic versions of all of them ASAP. (Been saying that for about 8 years!!!!!!)

[Artobans Ghost]

Quote Mids: "Court of the Crimson King"  #metoo     
quote Padre: Nursery Crymes, Genesis. Most excellent

Agree completely! @padre : in this month a tribute band to genesis is playing at our town hall. Their tribute is nursery crimes. The musical box is one of my all time favs. Gabriel genesis was utterly brilliant. Couldnt beleive what I was hearing.
@ Mids - crimson was between genesis and yes as my altimeter favorites. The good old but largely irrelevant days 😸

[Midaski]

First album I ever bought.

I had graduated from Cream, and was at Hyde Park for the Blind Faith concert in the "summer of '69"

[Xathrodox86]

Warhammer Fantasy Battle will not return, at least I don't think so. Maybe a couple os specialists games, maybe some old models will make a comeback, but that's it. Video games and RPG's are a completely different thing, tough. I can envision WF continuing to thrive through these kind of entertainment media. TW: Warhammer and the huge popularity of WFRP have clearly shown us that it is so.

[Gankom]

Roger Dean talk is fantastic. The albums were a bit before my time but the covers were plastered freaking everywhere growing up.

[Artobans Ghost]

Years ago I had to renovate a high school. One of the jobs was to paint the tunnel walls a cream colour. I had to paint over a 8’ x 20’ mural of ‘tales from topographical oceans’ (3rd from the left bottom). It broke my heart. I left the mural to the last and requested that it didn’t get painted. Fell on deaf ears so I painted it myself to deal with the horror.

[The Black Knight]

There is a chance - although a slim one - that with Specialist Games returning they might revive Warmaster. That way they could cater to the crowd who want a rank-and-file wargame, that is set in the Old World. At the same time they won't be drawing attention away from their main 28mm fantasy game.

I know it's a long shot but hey. I know I'd be all over that, I've missed warmaster the first time it was around. Played a game of historical warmaster and I liked it a lot as far as I remember.

[Bartolo Miachevelia]

Sure and I think those videogames are exactly the reason their going to continue making legacy models. Are the video games doing so well that they'll scrap AoS to bring back a game they couldn't get to work? I don't think they will. I think they've set up a system that they see as win-win. They get to run their new, shiny, more profitable game AND make bank by selling licenses to produce stuff in the old world.

Out of curiosity, have you read any of the newer lore for AoS? Or tried the current iteration of the game?

Afterall Total War Warhammer only broke some records....
aos is only more profitable only of 8th ed, that was written by the same guys. It's a win win because aos doesn't require the same level of culture of Warhammer.
Current iteration of the game? Where they take back points like in Warhammer, they make battletomes similar to  the army books with artifacts and so on? Where they steal ideas like Path to Glory and Warhammer:SKirmish? No, I've already the original products I don't need to play  wannabe Warhammer. Or maybe let's even play Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower that has nothing to do with Warhammer and Engrimm van Horstmann Silver Tower. And yes I've read the  not-lore of aos, it has not improved it's not more grimdark (malign portents it's laughable), I've read it since aos pillaged the expression Mortal Realms that was used firstly for Warhammer, since the lizardmen are now named after Malekith dragon, since slayers on fire move through magma tunnels, duardins float with metallic baloons and magical air using clouds as mines, and deep ones aelf have fishes floating in air thanks to magical watery mist using Mathlaan also if it's a dead Warhammer deity...
But at least: "As you are, we once were. As we are, you will be."

I know it's a long shot but hey. I know I'd be all over that, I've missed warmaster the first time it was around. Played a game of historical warmaster and I liked it a lot as far as I remember.

I don't think Warmaster wil come back, they dob't have the appropiate minds for it, I doubt that nowadays in GW there's some who knows what's a redoubt, for example.