FFG Announced WFRP 3rd Edition

[Bigred]

Just out from FFG

August 12th 2009.

Fantasy Flight Games (“FFG”) announced today they will release Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition, a new version of the classic roleplaying game set in Games Workshop's Warhammer world. This version features an entirely new innovative approach to role-playing, one that FFG hopes will attract a whole new generation of gamers to the role-playing experience.

"We're proud to re-introduce the Warhammer world to role-playing with this revolutionary approach,” said Christian T. Petersen, CEO of FFG. “It is one that harnesses the flavor of prior WFRP editions, but brings about that experience in a more evocative, tactile, and visual way than the past," he continued. "We’ve worked long and hard to to publish a game that we hope will represent a positive paradigm shift in roleplaying game design, production, and play experience. This is not another re-tread of the traditional RPG approach, this is something new, something exciting. Something that existing RPG fans will want to test for themselves."

The massive Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition box, which will retail for $99.95, contains everything a group of adventurers will need to play – four different rule-books, 36 custom dice, over 300 cards, counters, “character keeper” boxes, and much more.

"We're bringing something new to the table," added Jay Little, Senior RPG Developer for the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay line. "This is a roleplaying system that captures the grim and gritty Warhammer world that fans have grown to love, wrapped up in an innovative design and shipped with the stunning production quality that FFG is known for."

Jay Little will be hosting seminars showcasing Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition at the Gen Con games convention in Indianapolis, IN August 13-15, where a preview of the core set and its components will be on display in FFG’s booth. Preview articles will begin their publication on FFG's website – [url]www.fantasyflightgames.com[/url] – in the weeks following the Gen Con convention and will continue leading up to the game's release this Fall.

[darknite]

The latest version hasn't been out for all that long and they're zipping on to 3rd Ed? Jimminy Crickets~!

[Rhoki]

I don't like it at all. It looks a lot more like a board game than a true RPG.

And at $100, I'm definitely not biting.

[TwistedAndSouless]

I have to agree. Usually FFG knocks it out of the park. Talisman, Cosmic Encounter, Warrior Knights, and even the takeover of WHFRP 2nd were all done very well.

They are making a hybrid boardgame/RPG...and it just won't work: too much prep work to be a board game and too little flexibility to be a true pen n' paper RPG. They haven't paid close enough attention to what is happening to D&D. 90% of everyone hates the new game, and for the same reason. RPGs are not MMOs, Tabletop games, Card CCGs, or anything else - please stop trying to blend other games in!

[Grabnutz]

Indeed, I liked the change from AD&D to 3.0 and thence to 3.5. 4.0 seemed very much like a desperate attempt to win back the WoW generation. Powergaming for Munchkins basically.

The original WHFRP was overly complicated because it tried to keep in line with the wargame. There were some excellent campaigns published but the games system got in the way time and again. My group played it for three months and then gave up in despair. I never managed to get anyone interested in FFG's remake so I really can't comment on that.

The $100 bundle is not that expensive if you compare it to the standard initial layout for D&D 4.0 or its few competitors. I can see some groups investing in that and then sharing the player materials, but not many. For an RPG to make it you have to get the DM interested first, and at that price it puts most of us out of the market.

If you want to see how an RPG should be developed look no further than Paizo with their Pathfinder D&D 3.5 development. The game is basically a natural evolution of the 3.5 system with sufficient extras to appeal to everyone. More to the point you could download each iteration of the alpha and beta versions and join fora to add your ten cents. They will release it this month (if they haven't already).

As for complex and hybrid games systems, I feel designers should be looking for simple and elegant mechanisms that keep out of the way when you are roleplaying, not bog you down into a rules-lawyer's idea of paradise...

[Madjob]

I feel like FFG personally came to my door and spat on my face.

Guess I had better get any of the 2e books I'm interested in before they vanish off the face of the earth.

[Alex Knight]

The $100 bundle is not that expensive if you compare it to the standard initial layout for D&D 4.0 or its few competitors. I can see some groups investing in that and then sharing the player materials, but not many. For an RPG to make it you have to get the DM interested first, and at that price it puts most of us out of the market.

True, however one has to consider: The $100(ish) investment for D&D allows me to play from one to one-hundred players with the three books. The $100 WHFRP 3rd edition allows me to play 3 players one GM. I have to buy more expansions if I want additional players. At least that is what the design allows for. I'd have to look at it to see if we can point at FFG and say, "No we can play however many we want!"

90% of everyone hates the new game, and for the same reason.

I can't agree with this statement. Everyone I know who has actually played 4E loved it. Those who have not are the ones I've seen complain the most. Even the people who complained about 4E before playing it said after playing for a while that they loved it. I think the reason there's presumed hate about 4E D&D is because it has the D&D name and is *different* from the previous editions of the game. (Although I argue that it has ties to all editions beyond 3rd. Find me a human fighter in pre-3rd edition D&D that can cast a fireball or do non-fighter type stuff...)
I suspect that if D&D 4E had been produced as a different game entirely, it would not have had as much controversy as it seems.

Just as I think if FFG had been able call WHFRP 3e "Warhammer Quest" you'd probably would have significantly more positive reactions than negative ones.

Though I'm sure some people would have found reason to complain. ::looks at his not-fully complete collection of Warhammer Quest stuff and sighs::

[colkillgore]

I will collect up the second ed books I want and then wait and see on a third edition.

[wiz]

I'm really dissapointed with that course of action ... FFG really missed the ball there .

I'm glad I collected all of the v2 books over the last 2 years ...

I'll continue to play v2 for a long time and let 'v3' pass up.

[Orlock]

Seems to me that they want to try and put their own stamp on the game. Green Ronin did an outstanding job with 2nd edition and it looks like FFG are trrying to 'dumb down' the experience for people. Gimmiks like the dice don't vut it for me. How about roleplaying your way out of a situation. I have always tried to make it more about the roleplay and less about the dice rolling, which is why I prefer games like this and Call of Cthullu to D&D.