The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Cubs]

So ... the bit where people are saying it's not about political correctness ... ?

I'm genuinely confused about what bubble is going to burst as well. Frankly I see customers wanting the depiction of women to move past the 'sex symbol' phase, past the 'independent strong woman' stage, into the 'ordinary human being' stage. I don't see it regressing and going backwards.

But while you're at it and since you brought up the matter, I would also like to see more racial diversity in the hobby as well. Not for political correctness either, just for variety and a believeable representation of whatever the subject matter is. Obviously, if the genre calls for the predominance of a certain ethnicity then I think we can all understand that. We don't have to move to extremes just to want things to move a little.  

PS. Honestly curious about widely diverse opinions on what, to me, seems a sensible and overdue development in the hobby, not trying to be narky or poke at people for thinking differently.

[Belligerentparrot]

Outstanding posts, Cubs and Nic-e!

We all want the 40K universe to keep filling out, and I assume women are still just over 50% of the population in the 41st millenium.

[Kommando_J]

But we're talking about 40k, a universe where women do in fact exist.

I know, it was to liustrate the lack of logic when it comes to demands.

Slaanesh hasn't gone anywhere, after the fall of the old world it gorged on the souls of the elves and then in its exhaustion was captured by the elves and chained up in the mortal realms. It's power is still in the realms, its followers still active , even more so ast hey search for it and fight to take its place, and many have directed their worship onto archeaon as a proxy slaanesh, giving him power over its followers.

slaanesh was put on ice because they're doing the gods one at a time. Honestly slaanesh needs a rethink not because its unfriendly to kids, but because the people who whinge about it are the same people that stick half a barbie doll on a defiler and call it a masterful work of art, then spend the whole game making sex jokes, or put greenstuff dicks on their rhinos because to them "Excess" translates as "chance to express my unevented sexual frustration in increasingly worrying and socially inept ways whilst making others worry about my personal tastes and hygiene"

Slaanesh, cool idea, awesome potential, terrible fans.

I agree on the fans but I definitely think that they are stalling, they've been doing khorne for ages.

''I'm genuinely confused about what bubble is going to burst as well.''

The constant PC media push, look at the whole google furore.

''Frankly I see customers wanting the depiction of women to move past the 'sex symbol' phase, past the 'independent strong woman' stage, into the 'ordinary human being' stage. I don't see it regressing and going backwards''

I don't disagree, GW should do more female miniatures(provided they get the faces right).

''But while you're at it and since you brought up the matter, I would also like to see more racial diversity in the hobby as well. Not for political correctness either, just for variety and a believable representation of whatever the subject matter is.''

ll for it, we need guard that don't have generic Caucasian features, although we should be careful, at 28mm scale its easy to do other races wrong...look at warlord and their Japanese...


I think the hobby does need change but I also realise that at the end of the day pragmatism will play out, some stuff will be adopted and some stuff will be flash in the pan as (getting back to my videogame example) the people yelling the loudest about how properties must conform aren't the ones actually buying them.


''We don't have to move to extremes just to want things to move a little. ''

Agreed, but as far as I can see once a company starts to budge it can create a ripple effect.

[Kommando_J]

But to move way from boring PC...we must confront he true scourge of our times...32MM SCALE!!!!!!

I'm seeing loads of new, interesting properties...in 32mm so completely incompatible with my 28mm stuff...

[Cubs]

All for it, we need guard that don't have generic Caucasian features, although we should be careful, at 28mm scale its easy to do other races wrong...look at warlord and their Japanese...

Don't remind me. It's like 1960's 'Commando' comic style. And the fact that they painted them bright yellow ...

[Cubs]

I think the hobby does need change but I also realise that at the end of the day pragmatism will play out, some stuff will be adopted and some stuff will be flash in the pan as (getting back to my videogame example) the people yelling the loudest about how properties must conform aren't the ones actually buying them.

Okay, yeah, I gotcha. I don't disagree with that. I've never really been a shouter or a banner waver and tend to automatically tune out frothers, since it's my experience that when someone starts screaming to force people to hear (metaphorically and literally) it's often because their words aren't important enough to be listened to.

[Kommando_J]

Was thinking more thee chaps and some of the other separate heads, the last are especially bad as despite being starved are bigger in scale than the older BA stuff.

I think that GW is doing well but needs to be careful, its had a taste of internet love but it could lose again very quickly, for instance the new necromunda release doesn't even have the main rulebook in it!

...I get the whole testing the waters with board-games (its led to good things so far) but this feels like chiselling a fan base that has given GW a second chance it doesn't deserve.

If i'm being honest I am slightly alarmed at the boobplate thing because in my eyes 40k is SUPPOSED TO BE IMPRACTICAL!

You pray to your guns and light incense to turn on your computer...of course the armour will be impractical...the fact is, their is nothing practical about an elite order of nuns in high end gear (as space marines do their job better, and mixed-sex stormtroopers can do it cheaper).

Also pretty much John Blanches entire art style would have to go .

Also looking online its a small male group wanting sob's for the most part, as far as I can tell the top GW armies for women seem to be Skaven and Tyranids oddly enough with some eldar/elves.

[Cubs]

somewhat harsh review cubs. Not very yellow.

They've repainted them (or perhaps rejigged the photos)! The ones from a few years back were just nasty.

[TheMightyFlip]

Those bamboo spear guys would make decent post apoc nutcases.... 

[Kommando_J]

You can find the older paint jobs in the bowels of the site I think, the face sculpts are still iffy, TAG japanese are the superior choice.

[Tactalvanic]

I like diversity in my available hobby stuff. and it is already diverse, and continues getting even more so.

 This is a good thing. Those demanding radical change, well sorry but go get a dose of common sense, and whilst your at it don't come back. There is nothing in this hobby that needs that much of a radical change.

There's plenty of real things they could be trying to change, and should be shouting about.

Our miniature hobby may not be perfect, but its better than a lot of other stuff we could be doing.

GW are, I find it difficult typing this, actually doing alright currently, and if it takes another 3 years or 6 years or more to make some more changes, well carry on, as there are plenty of other stuff to do (maybe not more years actually - my teeth are getting long..)

This is a hobby, I like it,  its different for everyone, in its differences it still manages to brings a lot imaginative people together, with diverse ideas and approaches, and in that feeding the rest of us with fresh ideas that we ourselves may not have thought of.

It does not have to be PC or balanced or whatever all the time, it just has to be safe (clean?) fun.

Those bamboo guys do really look useful nutcases...

[Kommando_J]

The bamboo guys are very nice, shame they wouold tower over my chindits!

I've always thought adapting ww2 minis to a post apoc scenario might be cool...

I think the mistake companies make is they forget that you should show not tell, after all as Goebbels himself said the best propaganda works becuas ethe people dont even realise it is propaganda.

Bad squiddo has a good approach, it makes female minis but doesnt go out of its way to make a political point, the minis speak for themselves in terms of quality.

[nic-e]

Warlords still aren't as bad as the defiance games Chinese troops....

[Andrew Rae]

For what it's worth, here's the question GW answered. Even female marines are hardly "radical" and the tone is hardly "demanding". It's a polite enquiry that was met by a polite answer from GW, a lot of support from many and a lot of bile from others.

Greetings to you, Games Workshop. We are a fairly new 40k community.

Contrary to popular myth, there are a lot of women who like and play 40k. However, many women have said that they do love 40k - the game, the lore, and models - but are put off by a hostile gaming environment (especially online) and a rather limited amount of diversity among the model range.

We have hundreds of members, no more than 60% of whom identify as male - this is what can happen if misogyny is tackled. We have always stood up against the harassment many female gamers have encountered, especially online, but we respectfully suggest that Games Workshop could help improve the environment by improving (non-sexualised) representation in the model range, especially in the human factions in the Imperium.

Surely there are many women serving in the Astra Militarum, but we don't have models to represent that. The Adepta Sororitas are in need of an update... proper plastic kits, prices more in line with other armies, and hopefully less of the notorious "boob-plate" issue.

We also believe that female Astartes would be a very positive step. Given recent lore developments such as Primaris Marines, it seems a fairly simple thing to introduce Adeptae Astartes into the lore. We are convinced that these would prove very popular, especially for new players, and surely plenty of existing players would also like them too to add extra variety to their collections. A female hobbyist looking to get started into 40k shouldn't have to look too far to find an accessible army to collect, should she?

Thanks for reading.

[Tactalvanic]

The Astartes are basically neutered and rightly angry about it, does it really matter what they were to start with?

I am very glad my hobby is not restricted to just GW, I know there are alternatives of most stuff available and have no issue gaming with them or using different ruless with GW stuff.

Still they are doing some interesting things, so will be interested to see what shows up in 3 years from now.....