Could a 40k Partwork, erm...work?

[Mr Mystery]

Morning.

Just commented on the thread about GW's retail boxes coming to random non-gaming stores near you later this year, and it's got me thinking.

Way back in the early 2000's, GW did LotR. And from that came the De'Agostini Partwork for LotR. Each month you got a scenario and model. And by all accounts, it was really rather popular - and it certainly reached an audience that most wargames don't.

In a sense, said partwork was the Heroquest of it's day. Don't believe me? [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Games_in_Middle-earth]Rrrreeeead arl abah it![/url].

As a staffer at the time (key timer, nothing fancy) I heard certain rumblings about the possibility of seeing 40k done as a partwork. Of course, and as you can no doubt guess, that never actually bore fruit (and may well have been nothing more than idle speculation, such are rumours!).

But, could now be the time? GW were for a long time The entry to hobby wargaming. These days? Still dominant, but not the only gateway to a world of plastic and resin and metal and sometimes plastic/metal crack.

I think a partwork could be an interesting way to get new blood into the hobby, and one that doesn't necessitate having their own stores in every town. I'm betting I don't need to go into the nitty gritty of the ups, so I'll leave that.

Do you reckon it could work? What sort of format do you think would sell well?

For me, I'd like to see it done in the same way as they're doing campaign sets, but with a simplified rules set (the bare bones, move, shoot, fight etc) doesn't really take up much more than AoS' infamous 8 pages at their heart. Removing stuff like difficult and dangerous terrain, and keeping USR for unit specific datasheets really reduces down the number of pages needed to show how to play the game.

So the first issues would come with spangly lammy cardinated rules, some miniatures and a scenario (along with painting tips, and possibly paints). Over say, the first six, you'll have a squad or two per side and a general, and all necessary gubbins to have them built and painted.

As the series progresses, new and interesting units are introduced as simplified kits, and slightly more complex rules.

By the end of it (typically 80 issues seems to be intended) you've got two reasonably sized armies.

But hey, I'm not a marketing exec or a publisher, so the above is just suggestions rather than a how to.

Thoughts?

[Hendrik Booraem VI]

A few questions to try and understand it better:

-would this be a subscription based thing? Or just a monthly "put-it-out-there-and-hope-people-buy-it" thing?
-the package, it would be a magazine/flyer + a box of models? with the flyer including rules for the unit, assembly instructions, and a bit of a painting guide?
-if you didn't include rules for terrain, would the plan be for models to begin in shooting range and have the opportunity to charge into close combat? Or...?

Some ideas on the concept, though:

-IF you obviated the terrain rules, you really could break it down into a simple "you start in shooting range. Do you want to move? Do you want to shoot? Will you be able to charge?" kind of thing, and differing weapon ranges would factor in. That would be a good start for new players.
-You could also be careful to start with opposing factions (not a problem for LOTR, but much more of an issue for WH40K), and issue out two close combat units first. Start the rules with "place your units 18 inches apart on the tabletop" and then allow move and charge, and let them learn assaulting first?
-Alternately, you could just release shooty units and let them shoot at each other until morale breaks or one unit is destroyed. Although that seems less fun, it definitely gives you a good starting point in the rules. Learn to deploy, learn to move, learn to shoot. Save assault for later. Save Psychic powers for last...
-I'd suggest at least two factions per issue, though. That way you could get going in one month.

[Mr Mystery]

I believe the intention of these are to be subscription based for the most part, with relatively few newsagents carrying it as a matter of course.

For similar enterprises, see [url=http://www.judgedreddcollection.com/]Dredd Megacollection[/url] (which is ace), [url=http://www.startrek-starships.com/eng/index.asp]Star Trek Ships Collection[/url] and the new, kind of amusingly named if like me you have the comedic sophistication of a 12 year old [url=https://www.deagostini.com/uk/collections/star-wars-helmets/]Star Wars Helmets Collection[/url]

Of course, these are quite different affairs, being either comic books, or unremarkable tat being flogged, but should serve to give the general idea.

How it would actually look, I dunno. I'm just exploring the general concept as further recruitment stream.

These collections have been about for donkeys years in various forms, but recently they've been actual decent quality. There's Marvel, DC and Dredd comic collections (and at £10 a pop for a hardback, actually pretty reasonable value), Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia, again all around the £10 a fortnight mark.

[Denzark]

I think the small size of LotR Squads worked in its favour, whereas current 40K - the one or two minis you'd get on the front, means a competitive force is many issues in.

Instead of the DeAgostini route, what if GW had a WD subscription option where you could up the price paid, but minis came with? It would be drip fed, and at the end of 60 issues (the Star Wars Helmets is 60 issues Fortnightly, so nearly 3 years...FFS) you would have a small army akin to the starter sets?

Or, if you really wanted to make it attractive to the pay to win crowd, advertise it will have exclusive formations in it.

[Mr Mystery]

It's more about getting new blood in as a concept, than something for committed sad gits like wot we is.

So definitely a stripped down version of the rules.

And hey, my Dredd sub runs for 80 issues. I'm roughly a third of the way through - there's definitely money to be made in such things.

[son_of_volmer]

I've only ever seen these Partwork book/magazines in Japan. You can subscribe to them, but likely most people's partners would murder them for having such a dorky subscription, so book stores sell them individually. It's usually one model with an array of working parts (light, door, guns, wheels). Right now a they're hawking a Thunderbird 2 (from the old puppet show 'Thunderbirds'). The model comes with a ton of tiny vehicles from the show.

This would be a great way to get more people in Japan into 40k. It could introduce the fluff, lay out some simple rules.

I think it suits a ton of the specialty game systems
Epic
Gorkamorka
Blood Bowl
Betrayal at Calth
Battlefleet Gothic
Inquisitor

[Fist of Dorn]

As I remember it was seriously considered, after the time of the LoTR partwork.
There was lots of too-ing and fro-ing, but from what I gather the plan was abandoned as it was deemed too risky, in terms of the amounts and type of stock needed, and how/who would handle the production and distribution

- - - Updated - - -

I personally think that if the Start a new army sets, had a 'One-Page 40k' rules leaflet, you'd be off to the races, an ideal present for the younger market and a great way to dip your toe in

[Mr Mystery]

We're also in an interesting time for random collectibles.

I watch Cartoon Network most evenings, because 1. Regular Show, and 2. after a hard day's being well clever I find a half hour of Uncle Grandpa helps to blow away the cobwebs with it's sheer insanity.

And there's a lot of adverts for silly little collectibles you can't really do anything practical with, despite what the adverts claim (think Pogs, but 3D).

I'm always surprised nobody has done any kind of wargame based around that, other than Clix (oh god those models are rubbish!). In short, produce a base game, and have random blind packs for additional monsters and heroes, bought one at a time rather than in packs ala Clix.