The future of 40k

[Valkerie]

GW is still getting grief for getting rid of the Squats in 3rd edition. Making major changes to their flagship army? Probably not in this reality.

Besides, as others have said, 40k (and for that matter, WFB), is a setting, not a timeline. GW exists to sell toys, making sudden massive changes in the setting is not going to help them sell plastic. In fact, it would probably hurt their sales, as well as piss off a whole lot of people. I just can't see GW doing something that silly.

[Cyberscape7]

First off;
Turning the ultramarines into an underhanded fighting force? Its like giving the orks a model with a BS of 4!
Secondly, if calgar was to dissapear, Sicarius would become chapter master() and calgar would rip the emperors corpse off the throne and elect himself emperor of mankind.
I can just see him doing that

[Sparda]

So, someone posted [URL="http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showpost.php?p=767275&postcount=1861"]this[/URL] on Heresy-Online. It's a supposed interview with someone who knows what's going on at GW HQ, and has some extremely interesting things in it. Such as how GW might be advancing the plot, and all sorts of general rumors about new directions future codices will be taking.


Here's a few choice quotes:








Edit: Oh, and don't forget to drop by the grocery store and get some salt. You're probably gonna need it.

I'm surprised he didn't included GW scraping all there models, all there idea's and trying to get into another market, makes it seem more believable that way imo. >_>

[Orannis]

As it stands the Golden Throne is falling. And the tech priest of Mars are unable to repair it.

Personally I'd like to see the throne no longer holding he Emperor's soul in stasis, so he'll be released into the warp. The Light of the Astronomican goes out and the Imperium falls into chaos. Alien races sensing their weakness begin to take human worlds as they flounder in the dark.
A few remaining loyal Primaches make a return. Before the Emperor's Death Cypher will make it to the Golden Throne, fighting his way past Custode's if needed and kneeling before the Emperor with his broken sword. Something unspoken will happen between them and the sword will be repaired. Far away Lion 'El Johnson will emerge from his self-imposed solitude in The Rock, which he will then direct towards Terra.
Upon hearing whispers of the Emperor's death Abbadon will lead a 14th Black Crusade heading through the Cadian Gate to do battle with his nemesis. It an apparent pre-emtive strike Abbadon an his retinue of Black Legion Terminators assault a command center while Creed is in the middle of organizing a defense. Abbadon's marines quickly dispatches most of Creed's High Command and Abbadon approaches Creed gloating of his victory to be and that unpronounceable sword strikes a killing blow only to be deflected by none other then Marneus Calgar, who teleports in, taking a mortal wound protecting Creed.
Black legion and Ultramarines First company terminators duke it out, some crazy stuff happens cos of his chaos forged guantlets of Ultramar and Calgar kills Abbadon. As Abbadon falls he cries out Creed's name.
The black legion retreats and Calgar dies from his wounds, leaving Sicarius as Chapter Master. We keep Calgars rules in the new SM codex and we replace Abbadon with someone who isn't to be laughed at like a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

Sometime later a new light will appear in the Warp. This turns out to be the Emperor ascended. As being the focus of all positive human worship for the last 10,000 years has powered him up to be a beacon of light humanity can use to navigate the Warp. Replacing the Astronomicon.
Perhaps he can stabilize certain area's close to terra for safer warp travel allowing the center of the Imperium to stay together. Though it starts to fray at the edges. Many worlds have stopped paying tithes or levying regiments of guard, instead keeping the resources to defend themselves and neighbouring systems. The Imperium is fractured.
Dorn will reappear with a bionic arm and marshal the forces of Terra, with the help of the Black Templars and their Legion strength he will try to hold together what he can.
The Ultramarines return from Cadia victorious and with the help of their successors try to hold their 'Empire' from the encroaching 'nids and other xeno's races.
Guillimen may return the scars on his neck healed and a pilgrims visiting his shrine report his eyes moving, albeit over days. The chapter apothicaries look into it and deem him to be alive.
Once reunited with his Chapter and facing rapidly mounting losses and attacks on all sides they become more like the Raptors, a chapter that has faced extinction many times and come back from the brink where other Chapters have been wiped out. They begin to use Codex approved camo schemes (putting their pride aside) guerrilla warfare and other unorthodox tactics to survive. Roboute telling his Chapter that the Codex was meant to be an operational guideline rather then inviolable dogma.

In this time we could have all the xeno races expanding. The Eldar taking back maiden worlds. Chaos and Deldar raiding steps up on worlds now unable to defend themselves properly. Tau begin openly trading with humans near their Empires fringe or worse invade those worlds still loyal. Orks begin to Waaarrgh. 'Nids take advantage of their preys weakness. More necron's begin to awake as the C'tan's timeless machinations come into fruition. And finally many imperial worlds renounce their oaths and try to hold onto what little power they have.

[Mal]

I just want to know what will happen when the dragon awakens... the deceiver and the nightbringer will be in for a world of hurt when that bad boy wakes up from nap time.

Not to mention that the dragon is the omnisiah and is entomed on mars... lots of fun to be had with that plot twist...

[Galadren]

The second I saw "Salamanders Codex" I decided that this was the appropriate amount of salt.

[Kahoolin]

Seriously, I'm kind of sick at this point of the broader cultural trend that gives creativity points to anyone that looks at something established and says "I know, I'll just make it dark and edgy! Bow down before my imaginative might!"

Yeah I'm over it too. Morally tarnishing established heroes is lame. What, aren't writers capable of inventing new heroes who actually appeal any more? We gotta make Spiderman or whatever dark and gritty?

It's all part of our whole civilizations downward spiral of creativity. Everything seems like a mash up of in-jokes and stuff we're already aware of these days.

[DarkLink]

The second I saw "Salamanders Codex" I decided that this was the appropriate amount of salt.

Lol. On the bright side, at least this gives us something to talk about, if nothing else. What if GW did bother to advance the story?

And, yes, there is a story. Story and setting are indeed two distinctive things. 40k the game focuses on the setting, and contains few story details. The Black Library, however, covers the story, as well as expanding on the setting. The story is currently kinda sitting on a giant cliffhanger after the Heresy, a resolution to which I would actually be interested in seeing.

[Galadren]

I agree. I love the idea of advancing the story. The death and rebirth of the Emperor, the return of the Primarchs, etc etc. I think it's all great stuff. Just that particular post...ugh, total BS.

[Kahoolin]

And, yes, there is a story. Story and setting are indeed two distinctive things. 40k the game focuses on the setting, and contains few story details. The Black Library, however, covers the story, as well as expanding on the setting. The story is currently kinda sitting on a giant cliffhanger after the Heresy, a resolution to which I would actually be interested in seeing.

I don't think what you mean by story and setting is what I mean.

You're right, story and setting are different. To me, a story is a plot designed to entertain, and a setting is a set of circumstances that stories take place in. The Black Library books and all of our games are stories within the 40k setting. If the Emperor dies and the Imperium fragments into little kingdoms that changes the setting. It also changes the stories, but only because the setting has changed. But there's no real "story of 40k", there's just the setting (the current circumstances in the background) and its history (the Heresy etc). We, and the BL writers, make the stories.

The giant cliffhanger you're talking about is to me the setting, not part of an on-going story that started with the Heresy. If it gets resolved in any way then 40k is not 40k any more. As someone said before, five minutes to midnight is the setting 40k takes place in. Change that and everything changes, and I just don't think they would do that for no apparent reason. The setting might seem a bit old to vets like most of us but imagine you are a new player. It probably seems intense, dark and detailed unlike anything you've seen before. It certainly did to me back in the day. I just don't see them risking their winning formula.