The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Dr Mathias]

I think I would suggest Blizzard's World of Warcraft, followed closely by Wizards of the Coast adopting a video game driven aesthetic as the precedent for the over the top Herculean look.

Add a contemporary Neo-baroque aspect to the mix (emphasis on split second time, a la The Matrix and derivatives) and a convoluted sense of design and space (see the end credits to The Avengers 2), and there you have current GW.

[Cubs]

It's particularly strange, because one terrific thing about the Warhammer universes has been the sense of wretchedness that John Blanche et al. are so brilliant at conveying. And all those superb modellers and painters who do the likes of the Iron Sleet, Convertorum and Ex Profundis blogs are so good at capturing it.

Wretchedness ... you've got it exactly. Like they're all in a dystopian Discworld universe. Don't get me wrong, there's a place for the bodybuilder models - it's traditional for barbarian fighters and such. But it shouldn't be the norm or what's the point?   

[horridperson]

Visually that terrain piece looks pretty cool.  For play-ability it might run a little flat with upstairs/downstairs really breaking up LoS and creating compartmentalized combats.  I wonder if breaking up the large islands into smaller stepped platforms (three rather than two?) might help with that by establishing a middle ground that could be contested from either the first or third tier.

[Tactalvanic]

 

Actually I am primarily wondering if the the lake slides back to reveal a Thunderbird style launch bay underneath. 

[Major_Gilbear]

It's particularly strange, because one terrific thing about the Warhammer universes has been the sense of wretchedness that John Blanche et al. are so brilliant at conveying.

Wretchedness ... you've got it exactly. Like they're all in a dystopian Discworld universe. Don't get me wrong, there's a place for the bodybuilder models - it's traditional for barbarian fighters and such. But it shouldn't be the norm or what's the point?   

I agree.

It's one of the reasons that I simply can't bear the plastic IG models (besides the travesty that are the Catachan plastic sculpts) - they are Space Marine sized, and the added bulk exaggerates and highlights the distorted "heroic" proportions all the more.

I don't mind the Khornate barbarians being very buff (it suits them), but I was surprised at seeing the Tzeentchian Acolytes looking similarly-buff.

[Andrew Rae]

There's some hand-waving that says fat merchants and skinny clerks are warped into musclebound hulks when the cults go to war, so it sounds like the background writers were equally surprised at the size of the Acolytes!

[Momotaro]

There's some hand-waving that says fat merchants and skinny clerks are warped into musclebound hulks when the cults go to war, so it sounds like the background writers were equally surprised at the size of the Acolytes!

Being a Chaos god, I'm surprised there isn't one guy whose head turns into a teapot.

"Bob, you can stay, uh, back at camp and serve refreshments... don't nod, you're spilling it everywhere!".

[N.C.S.E]

Surely the idea of chaos and the idea of tea are two diametrically opposed concepts!   

[Tactalvanic]

It'a Chaos tea, full of Bob's brain... urr juices fluid.

[Gibby]

Agree about the over-buffness and in fact the whole "This has turned from grimness (actually, wretchedness is the perfect word; thanks, Hobgoblin) into World of Warcraft and hyper power superhero type stuff. At first I utterly hated it because the Old World meant a lot to me; it was the world I immersed myself in growing up as a weirdo teen and on into being a weirdo adult. I also really liked the grittiness of the setting and was way more interested in how a conscripted farmhand managed to try and survive in a battle that featured horrible Chaos Trolls than I was about mighty heroes and powerful wizards.

I started to look at AoS and its intense and O.T.T aesthetic as a bit like the ridiculousness of Power Metal album covers, with stupid motivations behind everything and an almost anything-goes backdrop. Ultimately I think there is a lot of fun in that, and some of the models are awesome for what they are (rather than what they aren't) but if the look doesn't appeal and you (like me in MOST cases) need a decent setting to really get nice and immersed then it'll probably never quite be for you. The discussion in here has reminded me of my love for the Old World in comparison to the new stuff.

And yes, I KNOW that the Old World hasn't really gone anywhere and I can still play games set within it if I want, but there IS something nice about a game having official channels for new releases, new expansions and campaigns and such. I sort of envy those who are REALLY into the new setting as GW really are bringing out some cool stuff for it. The new Warhammer Quest looks to be exploring a more traditional dungeony adventure, and they've already had one narrative-shaking campaign since AoS came out. Being a part of that even just passively is fun.

[Andrew May]

Being a Chaos god, I'm surprised there isn't one guy whose head turns into a teapot.

"Bob, you can stay, uh, back at camp and serve refreshments... don't nod, you're spilling it everywhere!".

First time I've really laughed out loud at a forum comment that I can remember!

Regarding the "buff" thing. It's not just in miniatures, it's popular culture generally. Starting with Conan you can draw a line all the way to "Fight Club", through "ripped" Calvin Klein models through the Spartans of "300" to today. I've sort of recently got into fitness and you go to look at cardio routines on YouTube and they're being performed by what look like shirtless bodybuilders, totally absurd.

Edit: there's this too- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus

[nic-e]

First time I've really laughed out loud at a forum comment that I can remember!

Regarding the "buff" thing. It's not just in miniatures, it's popular culture generally. Starting with Conan you can draw a line all the way to "Fight Club", through "ripped" Calvin Klein models through the Spartans of "300" to today. I've sort of recently got into fitness and you go to look at cardio routines on YouTube and they're being performed by what look like shirtless bodybuilders, totally absurd.

Edit: there's this too- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus

Helen mirren recentley said something similar about the state of men in hollywood. That is to say that 30 years ago a hero might be buff, might be toned, but he was normal, human looking. Your Arnies and such were the exception rather than the rule, and funny guys like woody allen weren't expected to also be sculpted gods.
Skip forward and almost every male actor is by default a sculpted hero like being regardless of context.
Shows like Game of thrones have managed to actually avoid it, but in big budget films it seems that every single character,both male and female has to be beyond peak physical form to the point of caricature.
Now you have designers who aren't referring to films like Excalibur and krull, but the new conan and 300 films for their high fantasy sword and sorcery, so this trend is going to be absorbed. (And i say this as a 22 year old art student who works alongside these same designers, not a crotchity old man.(no offence ) )

[nic-e]

Ok, not on the topic of age of ziggy. I have been playing Mordheim the computer game online with other people.

OMFG......it is so damn cool! The best 2 player turn based game I have ever played. Me and my gaming bud have been having nothing but ultra fun with it. Having got in on this with the beta , this updated and balanced final version is just a treat. With a human opponent playing against you it is elevated into the realm of 'beyond awesome.'

The best description I can give is, it is like you are playing minis with all the paperwork sorted out for you and a flawless hidden movement system in place.

Anyways if people have the game and are looking to kick it up a level with a human opponents. Or they want to get the game for some online wargaming then we should form a casual league.

We play on Steam too.

You'll be happy to know the makers of the game have announced a necromunda game using similar mechanics then?

[beefcake]

You've caught my interest.

[beefcake]

Necromunda, sorry mate. Don't have Mordheim online just yet, although I did buy Vermintide on the Steam sale recently and need to give that a go.