Hey everyone, long time player that quit a few years back (last games I played was just before 6th edition). Warhammer and tabletop gaming/hobby is one of my favorite things ever, and I'm happy to say I'm able to come back to the hobby with a clean slate.

However, I'm so lost when I look at the GW website. Where did all these "armies" come from?!

I'm aware this may be an extremely burdensome question, but I'm just curious where everything stands at the moment. I'll just fire out some general questions and feel free to chime in on any (all?) of them so I can get my bearings back here in the grim darkness of the far future. Be advised I haven't read the 7th edition book. Can't get my hands on one at the moment and it's not something I want to throw money at just to "read up" on changes.

What is the general consensus currently about 7th edition? (Opinion of course, but some examples would be great for either case).
State of the armies? Who is currently suffering? Who is currently strong?
Whats the story with so many separate armies now? (Some appear to be allies/tie-ins?)
What's the current state of your local game store? Are people more/less active in 40k? Playing other games?

I appreciate any links to information, videos, or general input just to get a heading. Thank you and see you at the table.