Larry "Liquid" Plummer wrote:
> I am hoping someone on this list can please describe to me what I
> missed in the past few years that has got all those people so ticked off all
> the time at a game they could quite easilly quit playing or paying for.
There are a large number of reasons. They all boil down (IMHO) to the
perceived attitude of contempt for old customers that GW expresses.
Here are some factual (ie not IMHO, but provable) Examples:
Price rises, because the UK Pound has gone down vs the US dollar,
followed by...
Price rises, because the UK Pound has gone up vs the US dollar, followed
by
Price rises of metal figures because the cost of paper went up, followed
by
Price rises of paper publications because the cost of metal went up,
etc etc
In Australia, 5 Plastic Terminators were on sale at the absurd price of
$59.95, or about $40 US at the time.
Boxes containing 5 Epic Tyrannid sprues at $24.95 were withdrawn and
destroyed, as they "weren't compatible" with E40K. Several months later,
boxes containing 2 identical sprues are on sale for $17.95
The release of the new Epic Knights in Titan Legions, along with a
growing list of specialty Knight figures, followed about 12 months later
by the withdrawal of all Epic Knights. Which have _not_ been re-instated
in E40K.
The deletion of Squats, and hence one of the more popular Epic armies.
The refusal of GW staff at GW-sponsored competitions to let 'old'
figures be used. Sometimes these 'old' figures were released less than 6
months previously.
One thing that really bothers me personally is the outrageous behaviour
of GW as a company when it comes to opening new stores. In Canberra, the
most successful GW outlet was first harassed by having shipments
'delayed' by up to 3 months, then a GW shop opened up 200 metres away,
then all GW orders outstanding where accidentally cancelled, then a GW
representative arrived at the store and started removing all GW
merchandise from the shelves, as they had 'received a request to take
back all stock'. This of stock already paid for.
The 'attack lawyer' tactics GW used against Demonblade, threatening to
bankrupt the compnay with a string of outrageously frivolous lawsuits.
Just read some of the allegations sometime, via Deja News. You won't
believe them unless you read them.
> Also an example of why E40K is so big on
> their hit-list would be greatly appreciated.
1) It's not SM2, and some people don't like it because of that.
2) Since it doesn't have a zillion special rules for each different
weapon, it appears 'simplistic'. A lot of people don't like that.
3) Because the mechanics are more complex than SM2, it's actually more
difficult to pick up. A minor matter, but it has left some people to
play it once, and give up.
4) A lot of favourite units were not just simplified, but deleted. e.g.
IG Assault troops and Beastmen.
5) The marketing was inept in the extreme. When are we going to have SM
Support Weapons, for example? Eldar Titans? Chaos? In addition, stores
were forced to either invest vast quantities of cash for a 'stand' of
E40K, or carry nothing. Most chose the latter (in Australia, less than 1
in 20 outlets for GW carry ANY epic). This has lead to cries that E40K
was Stillborn.
6) Epic (SM2) always got bashed by WH40K players. A matter of taste.
Also, even SM2 had far more in tactical opportunities than the Cheese vs
Cheese of 40K, and this has led to some Epic Snobbery.
--
aebrain_at_... <> <> How doth the little Crocodile
| Alan & Carmel Brain| xxxxx Improve his shining tail?
| Canberra Australia | xxxxxHxHxxxxxx _MMMMMMMMM_MMMMMMMMM
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By pulling MAERKLIN Wagons, in 1/220 Scale
Received on Thu Dec 25 1997 - 11:42:26 UTC