Monday, December 23, 2024

This is Fascinating and I Love It

 

So this is an interview with Rick "I wrote Warhammer 40K because nobody in the company thought it'd make any money" Priestley about all the unfinished projects that he can remember at Games Workshop during his tenure there.

It's magical and wonderful.

-Fantasy wack-races game with the Warhammer races each having their own vehicles

-Monster-gladiator management game

-Dried-up north-sea post-apoc vehicle game with onomatopoeic combat system 

-A version of Necromunda/Confrontation 40k set on a decrepit Eldar craft-world with warring Eldar gangs

-Not one but two failed space combat games trying to use (two different) aspects of real-life physics 

-Halfling as Emperor of the Old World because everyone other option got killed

And a lot more--plus interesting insight into the financial realities that made these games go unmade.

Probably the most interesting thing I've seen about games in a year or two. So many ideas here for any DM or designer.

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25 comments:

Michael Cobden said...

I would totally play that monster gladiator management game. This sort of reminds me that as much as I would love to get paid to think up and design games, its a lot of work and disappointment along with the absolute joy that must come from making a massive hit.

Daren C said...

Might have to steal that halfling emperor idea.

Adrian the Bard said...

that's the one you were discussing in the discord, thanks for posting it here! perfect reminder to go watch it, it's pretty interesting

Ecowatcher said...

Im not sure what it is about games workshop that they produce so clunky games

I really dig the new one page rules games though

Quick and easy to run

Alister Fa said...

That’s awesome. I love the Warhammer worlds and lore. Both 40K and fantasy are amazing.

Blake said...

So many inspiring ideas to develop into rules-light systems

Blake said...

So many inspiring ideas to develop into a rules-light system

D&D bard life said...

Def gonna watch, hmm, wonder if the monster gladiator management and Blood Bowl had anything in common?

Stone dev said...

Love everything done by this channel. Some really interesting stuff.

Blake said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Orison said...

why rules light?

Tim Hall said...

What a great find. I particularly enjoyed the context of how people work together developing projects.

Fatal_Theory said...

Imagine being one of the people at games workshop that told this guy 40k wouldn't make money lmao

Zak Sabbath said...

@Fatal_theory

The owner, Bryan Ansell?

He did ok

snakeappletree said...

Just the one thing to say about this: Space Skaven on a Space Hulk vs a motley crew of unique Rogue Trader Space Pirates. Of all the things they missed out on so perfect for the 40K universe, its space rats and sinking ships.

ElifeLau said...

Thanks, i try to understand all of this. Spoiler alert It's going to be complicated!

Tibbs1891 said...

This is exactly what I was thinking! It just MAKES SENSE! Maybe someone can revive it as a module for one of the 40K RPGs.

Blake said...

Sorry I removed my previous comment by mystake. Still getting used to blogger. "why rules light?": I would prefer to use some rules light system (osr-ish) to play these.

Blake said...

Sorry I deleted the message by mistake. Still trying to get used to blogger.
I would prefer to use some osr-ish rules light system to run any of these game setting ideas

Blake said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
krillinfan said...

Monster Gladiator game just sounds like pokemon with more/less steps, and that we know is successful!

Mike Lee said...

Jordan Sorcery is awesome. I love his stuff. He goes deep.

mekhawretch said...

Listening to this now. Love to learn about discarded - but still juicy - ideas like this.

unclefes said...

Sometimes, you catch lightning in a bottle.

Zak Sabbath said...

@anonymous

Sorry--erased--no anonymous comments allowed