RE: [Epic] Titan Legion rules vs. Epic 40k

From: Steve Wik <bosco_at_...>
Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 15:31:22 -0700

Interestingly (or not) I prefer E40k AND agree with everything you said.
I think several E40k players have also already agreed that too much
fluff was removed (and how the E41k project helps put more of it back
in). The point was also raised that the E40k rule books explicitly tell
you to use the WH40K codexes for the fluff. Fluff solved.

If a ruleset is truly tuned correctly then there's never the possibility
of tuning an army to "perfection" because every army has strengths and
weaknesses, and hopefully it is tactics that will win the day. If
anything, I'd go so far as to claim that E40k seems better designed in
this respect. And, as far as playing the role of the on-the-table
commander, E40k makes even more sense because you have a broader role of
commanding detachments in overall strategies rather than commanding each
model individually to move and shoot essentially on it's own at specific
targets, (no commander in history has enjoyed that level of control of
his troops!) with greater clusters of models only being useful in that
more individual shots get taken making it more likely that a specific
target model will "die".

Anyway, maybe I'm incorrect, but I haven't gotten the impression that
anyone likes E40k specifically because there's less fluff or thinks that
it's better than SM/TL because of it. It's what has been stated before,
a matter of taste. I can see why people would like both games, they're
both pretty cool. (it took me a hard while to decide which ruleset I
liked best) I chose the one that delivered the play experience that i
wanted. You chose yours for the same reason. Your version had it's
life, now it's my turn. Eventually my version will be made obsolete by
a new edition (and I'll probably be upset). But clearly some people do
like the new version(did SM/TL ever win any awards or appear on top five
lists or anything? Just wondering). If you don't like it then you're
already "boycotting" it by virtue of not playing it. I will continue to
support it. But it's obvious that GW did not "ruin" SM/TL, they erected
a brand new game in it's place that happens to be at the same scale...

Steve (the other)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: DeconSolo [SMTP:DeconSolo_at_...]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 1998 1:40 PM
> To: space-marine_at_...
> Subject: Re: [Epic] Titan Legion rules vs. Epic 40k
>
> Ok, I'll voice my two cent rant.....
> 1) My group never had a problem maneuvering, or flanking, or what not.
> We
> always did it, because the other guy was going to. This is probably a
> conceptual thing on our part. We never looked at playing SM/TL as a
> "game,"
> but rather (being the old RPGers we are), as the
> Generals/Warbosses/Hive
> Tyrants in the battle. Thus we never overly concerned ourselves with
> the
> cheeze factors of the rules. that, and we usually field fluffy
> armies, with
> sense.
> 2) If you don't like fluff in the rules what have you got? A generic
> sci-fi
> 6mm Minis game...oh wait, that's what E40K is right? (Gratuitous slam)
> So
> what if a fluffy army isn't practical or exciting? It reflects the
> universe
> the game is set in, an NOT real world analogies.
> 3) The problem with GW games in general (especially 40K, WFB, and even
> E40K)
> is to tweek an army to "perfection" so that after two or three
> battles, nobody
> wants to play anymore. "What's the point? You're just gonna win
> again..."
> This means people are using the rules to create armies that have
> advantages,
> legal under the rules, that just would never happen in the game's
> universe.
> This is not what the intent of the games was, nor should it be, unless
> GW
> drops ALL the fluff from ALL their games.
> 4) Fluff is important. It grounds the individual troop types in the
> universe
> in which they "exist." And yes if something is in direct opposition
> to the
> fluff, I say go with the fluff, cuz that's what the intent was. E40K
> has
> removed far too much, and in true GW fashion has altered the fluff,
> making it
> "kinder and gentler," to fit it's new universe, and done so badly IMO.
> Much
> of what attracted me to WH40K and SM/TL is going, bit by bit.
>
> Guess the people I've played with over the years are just abnormal
> wierdos......Well yeah......
Received on Wed May 06 1998 - 22:31:22 UTC