[Epic] Scandal's Stone (too long)

From: Andrea Langhi <a.langhi_at_...>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 14:37:55 +0000

> And I thought that was the point of the Imperium- not to be graceful and
> elegant. Eldar yes, Imperium no. It's probably all that heavy power
> armour the marines wear.
>
Well, I think that the basic topic of this discussion is: Do we want
GW production to maintain its old style, or we prefer a radical
change??

I want to express my point of view about the Titan (as example) and
general Background.
The Titan

We can say what we want, but old GW products (SM 1st, Rogue Trader,
WHF 1st and 2nd, RoC and the like) where a GOTHIC product. If you
don't think so please take a look at these old manuals and look at
the artworks. Lots of strange creatures flying around, devasted
peoples bearing enormous weapons, but with angelic wings, the all
present theme of decay, crosses, skulls, bones, terrible lights,
massed scenes of war, gigantic warmachines and an overall sense of
despair. The Warlord Titan was the perfect example of this: lots of
rivets all around, Mid-Age style decorations, and exaggerated
antropomorphic shape and so on. Nowadays GW is trying to change image
and thus produced a new, more conventional Titan, recalling a bit
the Manga Mecha style which goes very well in these years. Like this
I think that there are two types of players around 'ere: the ones
who love the tactical game, the minature detail and the clean game
mechanism, and a group who started playing GW some years ago and that
is bound in some way to the oldies... with my words I don't wnat to
make a distinction between the two types, if one is better or
worst...ok? So, the ones who love the game as it is I think that
CANNOT prefer the old Titan to the new.... let's speak clearly boys,
it's BETTER!! Anyway who loves the old style GW gaming (remember Dark
Future??) will feel a certaing sadness in throwing in the bits box
his Tital Legion host, closing there also the gothic reminescence to
put on table that tecnological but inhuman device!!!

The Background
I start with an example: if you read the OLD Great Unclean One
description, you'll see that his power vomit was sorta like "a stream
of putrescent blood, maggots and pus" or something similar. If you
read the new one the same is a "Steaming vomit". Now, without critics
to GW policy (at last, they can do what they want), is there a
meaning for this? Think yes. In the first years the Warhammer world
was and "adult" world, compared maybe with the more soft worlds of
old TSR and Tolkien's Middle Earth. In the background of the Rogue
Trader were described with great precision chirurgical implantations,
crude H2H fights and violence. Obviously this fact raised the entry
age of GW products (14+ in the late period) also because the games
were based around lead, the we all know to be at least in a little
part, toxic. The '90s marked a great opening of very young minds to
the world of fantasy, overall under the (don't wanna say if baneful
or greatful) influx of Magic, the Gathering. We can say all what we
want, many confuse Magic with RPG or 3D games, but if now this sector
goes on we can thanks Mr. Garfield. Well, GW had to sustain this
change, so are born the new edition of the games, more soft, with
less violence, more simple and immediate. So the Great Unclean One
had to chenge diet to encounter the requests of an authority who
prefers to sell to the young a monster who spits "Steaming vomit",
rather then "Putresecnt blood and the like". Similar there has been
the new White Metal, atoxic. Another thing: I have
been for some time in Edwin Vorskamp's 40K Mailing List, and there
the people were of a certain age (say 20+, to cinically include me),
but if you read White Dwarf, seems that in the stores all around the
world the average age of the customers is 12! Now, dunno in the USA
of GB, but here in Italy there are FEW under 16 who play GW, even for
a price limit. I think Inferno is the consecration of this situation.
GW comics... bah. A Canadian friend of mine asks himself what there
could be then... GW painting albums?

Disclaimer
All what expressed in this message is only my PERSONAL opinion about
GW policy. With my words I don't want to offend anyone, anyone's
believings or anything. I know that this list relyes exclusively on
GW products and may me stupid to give a negative idea of them, but we
all konw that the Internet is a public place, were anyone can say
what are his opinions, at least until don't harm anyone, Ii think that
this is not my case. If anyone sees me to be in error, please, sey it
to me. I am open to any confrontation.
Maybe this disclaimer is useless, but better be sure.

Sorry if I broke some internal law of the List. If the maintainer
believes right me to suspend from the list I agree with his decision,
but I'd like to know personally my errors via E-Mail.

Anyone can reply me personally.

-Andrea Langhi
      a.langhi_at_...
Received on Mon Sep 08 1997 - 14:37:55 UTC