Hello, everybody. Thanks again for coming in and
tuning into the crank arm and podcast.
I'm Josh. And I'm joined here with
carnufex. How you going mate?
Yeah, pretty good. We're back with a pretty big
issues big episode today because our friends on our Discord
group, that's, David are from Italy.
And Chris, from the United States have managed to get
Thomas, pirinen, on the show to talk about Morton Haim.
Its development and games development.
Generally is time of the studio and what kind of projects is
working on. Now currently as he is a
full-time game designer. So you've got that to look
forward to today. So we're excited to get that on.
And thanks very much to Thomas for taking his time to come to
the crown of command and talk all about it.
What's that time before we get there?
Mate, so kind of fix tell us all to spill the beans on what's
been happening at on our Discord might look recently.
Yeah, lots of content as usual. I'll touch on a few things but
yeah, it's getting out of hand now.
So I can't review everything or we'd be here for another hour.
So just to kick that off 2nd Ed or as we snow a mini.
So dead made a very cool diorama.
It's an epic Space Marine scale and its got like a Reaver Titan
and some ultramarines or on the Move.
It basically looks exactly like cover art you'd see on one of
the boxes or one of the paintings in white dwarf of
Epic. It's real inspiration.
Beautiful stuff, fantastic. And in that sort of same line of
scale, voice turian. He painted some beautiful Orcs
speed. Is just I don't know how you
guys get the detail. It's really crazy.
And Joe Guardsman was making like some roads for epic and I
think making terrain at that scale has its own challenges but
it looks really really good and rustam and post up like a huge
Tower and the Imperial Guard Army that he's got and it's
fantastically painted. And again I just don't know how
you guys do the details. It's amazing.
Shirred posted up his finished lizard, man army.
So he finished off a salamander and it's been like a work, an
army that he's been doing a over a long period of time.
So I guess he would feel pretty chuffed to sort of say, yes,
it's finished. There were comments that, you
know, an Army's never finished. But at some point you got to
say, like, jeez enough is enough a that's a lie, isn't it?
He's also been doing a lot of Connie's, tyranids so Squad of
turreted Warriors tourney, gargoyles.
They look really good. I like all the bright colors,
like pinks and greens and stuff like that.
Really stood out back in second addition to your needs and David
as well has started painting up some gargoyle.
So, I look forward to seeing like a completed Squad and a
shout-out to satyam in itches. That's Drew.
He, he's basically released sculpts of the seven, Female
like chaos Space Marines. Marauders Warriors that he calls
exene Warriors and they look right at home in a rogue Trader
or seconded Army. The really good noise Marine
additions or proxies. I'm going to use one as an
aspiring Champion for my noise Marine.
So I've popped link for those in the 2nd Ed part of the Discord,
check it out. I think they look excellent now
that I've got one in my hands detail and it's fantastic.
And Nick remonda has had a bit of love lately which is great
Mr. D, showed off a really cool, Judge Dredd sculpted on like an
Adept just bites or our bodies. However the hell you want to say
it, we say our by it smart. So basically he's I think it's
like a judge or someone like that and that he's converted up
and looks pretty much the same as something, you'd see in mega
City. One, perfect, Judge, Dredd
colors, really. Rad just yeah, exactly.
What It would Inspire to do if I had skill like that.
I don't Dingle sun'. Showed off your sweet rat skins
Army, it's really really cool, love them.
They had a lot of fluff back then and I don't know how to say
this guy's username. It's probably an acronym but
it's wof c d. So I don't know what city.
I don't know will show you. He's basically showed us some
battle Peaks from like Advance our versus du Lac match.
Really fun to see nostalgic that.
Regional neck, remember, terrain per perfect.
And in the war Master section sage-grouse, he's basically had
some battle shots where he took his wood elves for a spin,
really cool to see, don't don't often see enough warm us to
stuff, but the war Master Community is still quite large
and quite active because you can pretty much grab the rules for
free and get models printed from like online stl's and stuff
these days. So you're not you know, getting
charged a fortune on Which sucks.
But yeah, it's cool to see War Master out there Dingle soon.
Showed off like you small night goblins forced really, really
cute because it's got these tiny little squeaks as well they're
fantastic. Jay Phoenix has finished off for
a punster lioness. I don't know if I'm saying that
correctly but it's basically warhammers ripoff of Joan of Arc
and it's a fantastic model. The painting is just staggering.
Don't know how you do it but it's fantastic.
Keep up the good job. Sue, no painted up this ancient
but yag miniature. I think that's how you say
basically. It's just disgusting monster
from Dungeons and Dragons that you'd find in sewers and stuff.
It's a really goofy model. He's done a really good job of
bringing it to life and it's like he's got this grin on his
face. That makes him just.
Well would you say? It's a shit-eating grin I guess
so but he just looks chuffed to be alive.
You know, bringing life to these models is fantastic.
Especially these old ones really cool.
Helped more glum. He's been painting server, Jour,
boys. And he's been doing these custom
animal skin Shields. They look so good.
Just like textbook, every metal stuff, man.
So great whiskey and wizards finished off dark Reapers and
add our Curry / x heart. They look pretty much straight
out of the Codex, fantastic and voice strand.
He has done an amazing War track from seconded, I It's basically,
like, a rogue Trader holdover model.
It's the metal one. It looks perfect.
So good. Now, just to finish off
Highlands painting. He's painted up.
An amazing freebooter knob. I'm pretty sure it's the
original. What would have been bad luck?
Bad Rock was basically created. Probably in Rogue Trader.
White dwarf era from like, you know, custom roles and rules and
stuff and became a big character later on.
It's a perfect. Victor model.
It's like got a little hair Squig and things like that and
Highland paintings doing an amazing job painting.
It just perfect skills. Everyone's got some amazing
skills to show off, and usually, you can find some great examples
of this in the Evie lead painting section.
It's a little Channel under the hobby part, so, yeah, that's my
round up. Keep up the good work guys.
Fantastic to see really, really Be proud of everyone.
Awesome. Awesome year.
Yeah. So shout out to Ed with his
diorama, that is pretty bloody spectacular being his first
diorama ever. So Ed congrats made on that.
That's really amazing that. So it does really reflect the
original artwork from the second edition epic box set.
So he did message me to say, hey, Josh, I think you might be
interested in this and I sure was, it was really, really
stunning to see that come together.
And yeah, hyelin hyelin painting that Some walk freebooter.
You really doing a Justin just it's made it looks really
stunning so yeah, it's good to see some, you know, a lot of
happy activity out there on the Discord on Facebook, Facebook,
as well in our Facebook community.
And yeah, guys, like kind of fixes keep up the good work and
keep pumping out those photos so it keeps inspiring other people
to do something similar. So just in closing guys enjoy
the interview. Today we have with Thomas
pirinen and I hope it will. Inspire you to get out, your
Morton, Haim Miniatures and terrain again and start playing
that in your local clubs or with friends that you know and just
wanted to say also please check out the YouTube channel for the
crown of command. I've just uploaded a tutorial on
making the 40K. Cacti all the cactus plants you
see in Second Edition reports and white dwarf articles and
that kind of thing. I've just uploaded that over the
weekend and it's seems to have pretty good response so far.
So people seem to be enjoying that and now I'm sort of working
on a advanced he requests series of videos where I take for.
I don't know willing or unwilling adventurers into the
depths of some skaven layer and let's see how they fare down
there. So it's one of my classic board
games of all time and it's in it's a solo play a game like all
those games of that era were that you say, Have like 3D role
play solo rules and that kind of thing.
So I look really look forward to doing those.
I'm starting those today and if you would like to support the
podcast and the YouTube channel, please check out the links to my
patreon and as that sort of a growing community and people are
discussing things or voting on staff to paint or things, I want
to see and making contributions there.
So please keep that in mind as well.
But guys, let's get on with the show kind of X.
Thanks mate for your time and And for keeping an eye on
everything that's Discord, and we'll catch you next week, mate,
or next time. Yeah.
Thanks very much. And thanks again, everyone see
you around. Okay, might take a bye.
Bye. See ya.
But in the last year of the second Millennium 500 years
before the rule of the most benevolent Emperor Karl France
there fell a Time. Unlike any other just as they
had been before the birth of divine Sigma the Wings of Fire
in the Sky again, heralded the coming of great things.
The coming of plague, the coming of war, the coming of pestilence
and hunger, though, it's Unholy name is now stricken from the
records of The Great Library of alt off.
And it's ruins raised by Magnus, the savior of the empire, I
would tell you the tale of the cursed City brought Low by The
Wrath of the Gods. I would tell you the tale of
more time. Okay guys, here we are.
Welcome back to the crown of command podcast.
I'm Chris and we are discussing more time today.
I have a very special guest with us besides David a we have a man
who needs no introduction. This is the creator of mordheim
himself, please welcome, Thomas, Peruvian.
Nice to be with you. It's the and the nice call-outs
to Crown of command is probably the most used magic item.
I had indeed they will hammer it stick.
Yeah, it was interesting. I talked about that with Rick
cause it was there on purpose really to go to magic item slots
where so valuable. But yeah you could you could say
Sort of a Unbreak, Your Goblin Army's leadership.
But the at the cost of the, the using one of your magic items,
lots of interesting discussion I took it away in this tradition,
it was like, it was written to break the rules, he wrote?
Yeah. So supportive in self.
Okay. Now, let's back to something
more interesting like more growth.
Yeah. So before we begin, I just Say
Thomas, you have a reputation among the community for being
very gracious with your time. Very accessible to answer
questions and you're highly respected for that.
And I just wanted to say thank you.
A commutative thank you from the entire Community.
Well, it's team, it's actually thanks to the community like I
make games. I've made games all my life,
that's my job and I've met a lot of Games and I have to say that
most game communities online are so toxic and so filled with sort
of this unreasoning rage. It's the what, what Shakespeare
talked about this the full of Sound and Fury signifying
nothing. And the more I'm Community
online. Especially the Facebook one.
Is so well. Curated manages the, the
modified moderated and the People, are you go to the DT
motorhomes, Facebook group? Every day.
There are some awesome painting modeling, the other people
helping each other new rules new art.
It's the kind of a infectious enthusiasm for the game.
That's so many games communities, the totally luck.
So really the result, why I am there?
And I'm happy to answer questions and to communicate
with the communities that the community Is the best one online
that I've seen? Yeah, probably because you know
I think that this is because the more time playing are the
typical more than player is not the ordinary.
Let's say we're a mega like player, he is more versatile to
be hobby parts, like Are less about the numbers, is it
possible? Yeah I mean you look at modern
language was first of all. It's the the you expect to
customize your troops a lot and it's encouraged throughout all
the rules though. Written, you can't actually play
it unless you're a bit more hardcore Hobbies, cause you
can't just go and buy their scenery that you require.
If you want to play a good game of mordheim, you need to build a
lot of stuff yourself. So it's sort of say Self-selects
people who are really invested in the Hobby.
And I also think that the, the background the, the theme, the
atmosphere is I hate the word mature, but I would say in a
kind of a setting that you need a certain amount of adult
appreciation. Yeah.
Whatever you're old or young. It's the day that again.
It's tends to self-select people who have a maybe Eat more
sophistication. That just swearing at he did
each other online. Yeah, definitely.
That's alright. Maybe the same approach that
some kind of role playing game has like the difference between,
let's say, I know you play a lot.
I mean, you played obviously playing a lot of role-playing
game but the probably the difference between the DND gamer
between the player and the let's say cool Hulu.
Player. That's, that's a difference
between the two in your way maybe?
Yeah. I mean there are plenty.
I mean d and e is huge. Yeah.
And there are plenty of wonderful marvelous, D&D
players, but there are also a lot of like the Casual people
who've come in, sort of take a peek, and nothing wrong with
that. I mean, that's the way for a
little bit while be called too low.
It's the, you really need to be into your games, to get into it.
And they you have to have a certain Amount of mental
fortitude to play a horror game. That's meant to be as disturbing
as a game master can make it so yeah, I think there is similar
parallels between the two. I mean, you look at just the the
mode, High mode. If you pick that book and go.
Yep. This is a game for me.
This is what I want to play. It's the you probably are not so
much into the, the most casual mainstream Thunder.
Sit. Yes.
And no, I mean that this lead us to the first question that the
Chris brought. Maybe you can introduce it, you
can get both ahead. Yeah, I'm I'm free just to have
an open conversation about this one thing that attracted me to
more time likewise with blood bowl and neck Ramón de is that
it was more of a campaign game that you could.
You wouldn't just play a game and put it away but you would,
you know, continue to build and develop as you went on and and
sometimes with unexpected results.
You know, you didn't just, you didn't have total control over
what happens to your to your force, and I think that's
something that probably will. Also, attract a certain kind of
gamer someone who really likes to have control really likes to
Min and Max to list build. I don't know.
Do you think they might struggle with the game like more time?
Outside of tournament experience.
Yes, I mean that's being a plenty and I do mean cost of
game is well over 20 years old. Now that didn't plenty of
mordheim competitive tournaments, which curiously.
It's the, the is not The Usual Suspects that tend to win it.
But for the vast majority of the games played, it's the
role-playing element is the role of ran role of random that is
very strong on more home and on purpose did They sort of all the
Death that comes from the critical tables from the
exploration chart, call a lot of items is the the see what
happens is that there is a lot of rolling in the Bold is the
often you can win the battle but you can badly lose the post
battle sequence and I think and it sort of takes you on a
journey. Like the the fun part of it is
is not so much to test, whatever.
My force is optimally tuned and tweaked but where does this mad?
Right, take me. It's very much on purpose, on
the way that the mordheim is build, like the strong role of
Randomness and the game sort of kind of being against you.
It's very, very tough to become super powerful in mordheim, the
systems tend to be quite punishing and it's quite easy to
apply like totally lose and your wardrobe and to become
unplayable, lie week, and that's part one or part of it.
It doesn't also mean that the, the, when you are successful, it
feels so much. More satisfying.
Because if a game is set up that the the you can see the on the
average rolls, you know how the feel force is going to perform
and how everything is going to happen.
Then they winning or doing well or things going by.
The plan isn't very satisfying compared to mordheim.
Where you take this insane last chance that you have your trolls
layer on the sixth floor building.
And there is the last guy with the weird Stone piece getting
out of the board and winning the scenario and then you decide Do
the diving charge and it's sometimes you are lucky enough
that you roll the one on - and you just this stump the opponent
with a, with a, with a nurse one, diving for a dwarf, you
know, and then you really, really remember that, you know
what, promise these are made me the same approach that they
tried to evoke with where my friends.
Roleplay, first edition, like the ordinary man, has 30 percent
of chance. To do anything.
So it's like you mostly will fail but when you gonna do that
is going to be super rewarding. So it's like it has the same
Spirit somehow. For me, like everything is very
hard. So if you manage to do that,
we're going to enjoy it. Definitely mean.
And I mean, yeah, yeah. I run a before I joined Games
Workshop, I run a first edition warmer control, play Campaign
here in Finland for years, and indeed, for example, iron or the
sort of Twilight is a player character from the warmer
fantasy, roleplay campaign that I run.
So there is a strong roots between the two.
It's the yes, it's the the and of course if you look at the
team like I was really pretty much the last time when I had
the same team that On the 170 play first edition still working
with me on mordheim. So there is a lot of the, it's
not a direct spiritual successor, since it's a table
to, it's a miniature game, and not a role-playing game, but you
can see the, the influence of people, like, John Blanche and
rake and Jarvis it State. The we're working along with me
in that cave. It's take the so I think that's
an astute thing to notice. Yeah.
And do you think that these can be again to introduce someone to
accept, ready gaming? I mean, from my experience that
the best players, the one that were less, Max many players.
Who are the, let's say the virgin's.
Like the one that never touched a single Minion room and they
were focusing on the story. So they were not thinking about
the numbers. Which led my campaign.
The campaign I brought the direction I was expecting to
evacuate. It was hoping to because you
know when you put such a system, a very simple one in the ends of
Power Players. Let's say that it's very easy to
break everything and just so to me I mean looks like more time
is the perfect time to introduce someone to pretty game.
Either right way, let's say this in the Very Room to Links
stylish 3D gaming can work for you.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm famous today on
tabletop space. I'm obviously famous for doing
the sixth edition, which my whole mission was to balance the
game because at that point Warhammer was very very much a
competitive game. I was a tournament player.
Alessio who worked for me was a competitive competitive.
Player. Yeah, I know, I know him.
Yeah. So the the so when I wrote the
sixth edition, my whole mission was to create a balanced game,
but more Himes mission was to really a, it was the sort of
introduction to warn the world and it of course had to follow
the fifth edition rules closely at that point King, since there
was no point writing a game, that wouldn't allow you to enter
into the rest of the games. Workshop's.
Didi games. But they the it was not written
as a competitive game. There is a lot of stuff that I
did. Like, for example, people always
complain me. Why you made all my so
expensive. And I said before in Real World
was the next, the most the next point to us.
Yeah. But in real world armor was
super expensive. Like we see these Hollywood
movies. Everybody was wearing plate
mail, but can't stop even a single Arrow which I find
hilarious. They have you.
Ever seen a normal work in Hollywood movie against arrows
or any strikes. No.
But the, the actuality the people who during the medieval
and Renaissance times could actually afford sued Obama, they
were very very, very few. It was a huge status symbol.
So the the it was a decision to make some things expensive for
the sort of the World building, and role-playing and story
aspects and not gain balance. Also, Also, I knew they were
expensive. Yeah, I did it on purpose.
Now people can disagree with moon me and what is easier to do
than agree with your gaming group, to cut the arm prices in
half? Sure, go ahead but the the I
sort of wanted to you to experience what it would be like
to be a mercenary captain in the the time of the three Emperors
and the reality was that you couldn't give everybody heavy
armor while in the warm of the battle system.
It's the the armor is so cheap. Or it was in that point that
they you you don't even think about it.
You always buy all the arms. Yeah.
Whoever it is, the only thing we don't want to say the word fixed
the past the house. Rude was the saving throw.
We just increase it by one. That's the only one that's
because it was like yeah, it's very costly and It's the closest
thing to attend making the work. So you should survive pretty to
anything even if it's not only like that in reality.
But there's, I mean, it's fine because we yeah, I mean, the
thing about to great house roll. Now last I said I had a sort of
a guide to that I shouldn't deviate Too Much from the 5th
Edition rules. So the the like moving the, the
armor, Peep higher. It's the, the there was that
would have been a seen as a sort, of course, the idea was
that you play that and then, you can pretty much play the
Warhammer fantasy battle game as well.
And if you have a totally different rules, that could be
seen as a bad thing. But I think that's awful, that's
great. And I would happily play in a
tournament without that was a rule.
There was a one additional benefit thought to making armor
are which is the fluidity of the game.
Like I tried To streamline the game compared to what Warhammer
was at that point and especially what more do.
I was already. Nick Rimando was at that point.
I tried to make the the gameplay, much more fluidly and
they reduce the number of dice rolls.
And one benefit of very few people having arm rested.
You had a lot less unsafe to make.
Yeah, everywhere you were behind the town crier to just
wondering. I do remember if you were
involved with. Yeah, it's the first 10-15 they
did the issues, I will steal the editor so I read everything.
Edited Fair, few things rolled quite a few things as well.
Like the opulent Goods was mine and Gobble a lot of people, they
the baseman warband. I also do all sort of the dwarf
or band there was a lot of Stuff.
I wrote to the town crier, one special scenario, tons of stuff
on and I think town crier had an important role.
Got the course right from the beginning.
We said that look, we will do stuff, but most of the people
writing tongue, prior our defense and hobbyists.
This is The Game Belongs to them at least as much as belongs to
the Games Workshop. And that was the, the philosophy
right from the beginning. Cause remember, mordheim was not
meant to be the big moneymaker. Those were and still are always
wear body cams fantasy, the other games are the two sort of
support and grow hobby. Introduce new people.
Bringing you bringing Young people.
It's TD those who don't want to read 300-page rulebook, just get
started or put two thousand three thousand dollars on the
table to buy an army. So the I didn't have to worry
too much about. How would I say it's the the
just money. I mean they yeah as you might
remember more time box that was a 12 10 pounds.
Cheaper than all the other Co box games at that time.
Yeah there was no economic diving.
Let's say kind of I mean yeah sure it made money but that was
not the main reason why? I think maybe they could be a
drive for the main games. Yeah, yeah.
And can you talk briefly about kind of the timeline of not?
I I know that mordheim came between 5th and 6th, but can you
talk about how mordheim influenced Sixth edition.
And were some of those ideas already there that 6 Edition was
going to take on some of these qualities or is it did it kind
of come about purely because of mordheim?
No, no, no, it's the six of these should have been pencil in
the calendar a long time before and the main way it influenced
that was that they really the design studio used more hummus
and acid test of can I actually write a full box game.
I had done. Siege and the realm of chaos.
450 additional ready. And those were like big box
projects with a lot of stuff but full box game is a big deal in
Games Workshop especially at that time.
So mordheim prove that I can do it.
Cause at that point the the callgames or Hammer was almost
as big as 40K. So it was a big deal.
Whoever wrote that, it mattered a lot.
So the it's sort of allowed me to do it by the rules wise.
Mordheim was based on 50 addition, very strongly.
But even what did how it did influence 6 Edition was that?
Once I've done more time and I started on 6th edition, it
really made me to think of the, what are the the pain, Boyd's?
What are the things that truly make things a lot better than
the, the others? It's the, how should I approach
the price of the unit when I'm thinking about game balance and
not role-playing? So, the the The, the rules
themselves are self contained in both games, I mean, they're both
cause they're both of the same game family.
But the, I think, the, what you see more on actually more sort
of TV, how it influences 6th edition was the art, because the
infant addition, it was very cartoony, very sort of sub.
Some people called childish, very light-hearted, very
colorful cartoony. And then I think the z2c and and
maybe a bit more like a aimed at the young teens rather than
young adults. And then we did mordheim and the
art Direction was very well received especially within the
company and then you look at the the how the six editions is
presented. It's the it's called the
mordheim factor. That was very much with John
Blanche set out to do, do it John still considers mordheim
his crowning achievement or twice in at Games Workshop.
And that is a high price, because John Blanche is the, the
word is used way, way too much nowadays, but John Blanche is a
genuine Legend. Like he's the Grand Old, Man of
the fantasy art in Europe. I mean, you, look at him.
You guys remember the, the, the tolkien's world, like the
pictures of the fall of gondolin, that was John blanch.
The Battle of the Five Armies. That was Blanche the, the cover
for the Dungeons and Dragons first edition in all across
Europe, that was John Blanche, obviously the entire look and
feel of the the one reporter gate.
That's John, Bunch modern, miniature painting.
Remember who won the first gold and Slayer demon sword?
That was John. Blanche was thinking more about
like every like to see a young Miller version of board by
parts. Quite disturbing.
Yeah, well, that would be absolutely excellent.
I mean a NN Jonas, you know, it's the worked years hand in
hand so the the Irish it's the the dpd that would have been
something that they would have been able to do.
It's the the but of course in was independent at that point,
great artist. One of the all-time greats,
wasn't that people that like when the 6th edition I'm out
there was this huge tour on the dark side of the like clicks.
Let's write a dark team with warmer with more dime and
Battleship go Optics and everything that came out after
that completely different version of the fifth.
And the second edition of the 40K, just wondering if games,
like vampires the world of Darkness, you know, had an
influence. Because I do remember that
intact, That those game that game had the Eugene factor in
the very beginning of 2004 racked and like pushed every
Perry project connected to them and say nerd war in the dark
side of their games. Basically because yeah if we see
the 5th edition is completely different from the Six.
But not in terms of rules, in terms of approach, like word
Vision anymore dying. Is the maximum is the acronym of
of that thing that is the darkest thing they ever did,
probably you coming. This product is connected to the
world of war. Yeah, no boil.
Only played the vampire quite a bit but nobody else in the
design studio in the Of team team did how do if that mordheim
and 6th edition came about it. Really was more John Blanche,
reaching back to the his roots and the the and we were
impressed by the load by the the bush durrrr.
Lot of these middle-aged like artists who presented?
This is what the Last Judgement looks like this.
What hell looks like if there was influence from Vampire, it
was maybe something's in my writing.
It is since we all absorb, the games, we do about the
presentation, you're referring to.
That's all John Blanche and the Old Masters.
Okay, okay. Okay.
So speaking of more time and it's connection to 6th edition,
I'm curious about the appendices that includes Warhammer Skirmish
and the connection there is and how that how that came about
Yep. Yep.
I mean, when we I was writing the 6th edition.
We were really big on the day. Let's offer the players, the
biggest possible value for money and they it was just in one day.
It's the I think it was Gordon who was head of the studio said,
hey can we just put the, the motorhome rules in the rulebook?
And I said, I will have to take make some changes, but sure and
then another day it was Rick Priestley.
Who came to me? Remember the sea Siege.
I said yeah the can we put it in the sixth edition rule book?
I said yeah sure so that's why you ended up with the the sixth
edition book being such a term. The whole point was that let's
give the players and ability to play any kind of game without
having to buy supplements if possible apart from army books
in the Warhammer world. So the the So really, the reason
of why the the a version of the slightly modified version of the
Skirmish rules, it's the which obviously spaced more time is in
the book is that they are. We had a tested rule set.
It's the with a small changes could be made to work for the
sixth edition and we wanted to offer the sixth edition book to
be something like, when a player gets it and Go, whoo, whoo!
Oh, I can play so many different things.
There are rules for all these. Some date, the different kinds
of battles and I believe that the warm Skirmish was played
quite a bit. There was quite a lot of
especially fan support from The Vampire cows and lost real and
the is on and so forth, which again fed back to mode.
And it stayed because all that stuff that the people came up
with for the sixth edition was pretty much straight up usable
in mobile. I'm so the, the in the hindsight
I think that's been a one of the reasons why the more time still
endures to this day. Which is bloody impressive.
I mean, the amount of games I've done that have been big hits but
nobody would ever play them, 20 years later, it's the baby, it's
quite quite extraordinary. I mean it's but somewhat similar
to 6th edition which is still of the poem a fantasy.
It's the, the is very, very loved and a much played version
of the game still today, which is I am address probably between
the fifth and the The other option.
Basically does not exist, at least in Italy.
So the big battle is between the fifth and the sixth hurts
against rules. You will show up yet while I was
50 state. They will have a lead on the day
both games. So the, the I can't complain.
Yeah. I'm worried Thomas.
Have you ever see there at about writing a campaign?
Like the one they had in the 5th and 4th edition of Warhammer
Fantasy 4. More than like, there was a plan
and I know that there is because I read it on the Facebook page,
there is a main plot of the more Diamond setting.
I was wondering if you ever considered back in dinosaur,
just what I needed about writing a campaign.
I still have my notes, how I run the campaign in the design
studio, but there is a slight snag there that the strictly
speaking. Speaking, that's still Games.
Workshop property. I did write it.
While I was employed on, my contract was quite clear, that
everything I write for wama, including anything, I do in my
free time is their property. So I'm a little bit, how would I
say? Wary of just the giving it out
to the world because they the exam.
And I'm also talking morally like I put my name on contract
and I should honor it. Yeah.
There are plans how absurdly they're worried stay I mean I
left reasonably soon after the 6th edition came out.
So there was a ton of stuff. I was still planning to do for
more time. For war hammer, I had other game
ideas, it's the but that's just natural, right?
That's what US game to game designers do, okay.
We are back after a short break. Okay?
So we were just discussing a campaign that you had run
Thomas, 44 mordheim, let's take the discussion back to the
perspective of a newcomer to the game.
Is there any advice that you would give to someone who wants
to begin running a campaign of more time for their first time?
Yeah, I think that the in order for the the to run a campaign
that's actually like runs from beginning, till end, is the
first of all, you must have a clear idea what determines to
win or lose and have a plan that the people who fall behind and
they no longer have a chance to win a see that they can somehow
contribute to it. So, let's for example, say that
there is a chance that the Indian, the campaign will end in
a huge battle. And yes, it's the The your
progress tools for counts towards a benefits in that, but
everybody still has a chance to win or something like that one.
Very good way to do this is to go to our the broheim or the
warmer group files section in Facebook, and download the map
based campaign that me and the the couple of other people did.
I was I intended to include a map based campaign in the more
handbook. I just ran out of time.
So, a year ago, it's the we did it that At in a single page
gives you all the rules on how to run a campaign but really
yeah, go ahead. Yeah, that's awesome.
Sorry, I couldn't contain myself.
Yeah, yeah. So, the, the other way is to
approach it a bit more. If you come from RPG.
The background is to organize a story, and there are like the
games you determine what's Canarios in, which order people
play, and the the and they contribute to Victory And lost
his towards the story could be like the Choose Your Own
Adventure style. So in the end, the campaign will
end one way or another, but there isn't a true Victory or
loss in a sense that the be you can't points but rather that the
winning or losing battles along the way, we'll push the story
towards a good ending to one faction or another.
So the the the that one takes a lot of work, you need to be very
dedicated. But if you be in a dungeon
master of game master in role-playing game that should be
in your wheelhouse and most of the stuff is in the rulebook
cause you really just need to write some fiction and choose
which scenarios you want to. Now you mentioned broheim which
is broheim dotnet and it's like these source for finding all the
information for the game. I think that you know from the
perspective of new new players wanting to get into the game.
Mordheim is very easy to get into the rules are easy to find.
There's no special cards or templates, anything needed, as
far as Miniatures go. There are so many Miniatures out
there because the game is, you know, fantasy base.
So it's not too hard to find that and we talked before about
terrain and how mordheim encourages you to create our own
terrain, although there are a wide number of terrain resources
available today that weren't around in the 90s with three
Eddie Printing and laser cut MDF and all these things you can
think of. But on the topic of terrain for
a new beginner, how much terrain is needed what and what would
too much or too little terrain due to the state of the game.
Well to lethal means that the missile fire will dominate the
the game and it will be boring. The too much is almost an
oxymoron. Need more time, but you do want,
if it makes it so dense that it's very difficult to move the
Miniatures around, you will have a problem but by and large the
reach of the table. The better, however my one hint
is that there are many rules in mode had many many rules in the
that deal with height differences.
So instead of just thinking of feeling the board as much
horizontally as possible as you would do in most miniature games
think of verticality tower. Stay there.
Did the a street levels or the streets on different levels
walkaways just like they were in the real medieval cities up
above the streets? It's the kennels that the give
you death and most importantly, which is why I'm part of the
reason why I made the story of more.
I'm about the comic striking, a city just wreck your buildings.
The problem I always had because we wanted to do a cd-based
fantasy game. For a long time.
Is that tell me what is the worst possible?
So, terrain or a miniature game, it's a building cause the damn
bugger is a closed box with a, a slanted roof.
So you can't put Miniatures anywhere.
So the only thing it does, is it stops you from play, however,
you blast a mini, you blast, a meteorite there.
So there is just Corner standing bit softer, the, the roof there
are ladders and the, the everywhere there are windows
that they did. You can position characters to
the inside. Them.
Suddenly, you have an awesome terrain to play over.
It's the, the and that's why there are rules for diving
charges and climbing, and falling off from the veggies and
pushing characters and the, the getting Advantage from sniping
from above, its the, the all these things are there to
encourage that. So more is usually better but
it's actually possibly, at least as important that you think of
the verticality of the table. And it's also the most fun to
build and I know your time is limited.
So one one question here, I want to ask you before you go there
any like last-minute tips or things that players should avoid
things that they don't want to break the game.
So anything that might any last-minute thoughts, I guess?
Yeah, I mean mordheim was not conceived as a minimum.
Xing Tournament game. So there are a couple of
well-known ways to break the game as they did, the essene not
necessarily, even that you win every match, but that you make
every game you play boring for both you and your opponent.
The skaven sling, spam is one of the, the there are a few things
that you should not do to ruin the game for everyone.
Those are pretty well-known, but once you get into any of them,
Behind groups, everybody knows them.
It's the the you probably want to deal somehow with the offhand
weapon fighting so that they are at least that you don't just get
everybody in your web and to weapons and the Just the Way
Forward charging groups. The the don't break the game,
for the sake of breaking cost of winning or losing, it's
important but it should not come in x.
Spence of making the really exciting battle.
Think about the, the, your robe and what's the story.
Why are they there? It's the, where do they come
from? So they could be be.
So instead of just saying that, I want to maximize the damage I
do. It's the the you might think
that this guy was a hunter, so I'm gonna give the him a longbow
and hunting arrows and suddenly you have this interesting sniper
it character. So the the More behind isn't
like a competitive collectible card game a game that's it's
been built to try to avoid any overt baby imbalances because it
was super important that each of the wolf and band.
Feels like the story they did that they are set to tell so
they the I think it's Don't Be a Jerk.
That's a very good rule for putting on now like feelings
over. Numbers.
Can be yep. It can be.
I mean I have no objection of you, but I would rather win a
more high in game by coming off, with some outlandish
combination. It's the the, like what I did in
my own campaign, I put all my effort on my witch hunter since
the, which others is the only War band where every hero can
take academic skill, I Ruled the trading sequence.
So I lost a few games but then eventually Really, it's the eye
of equipment got so cheap to me. That everybody had a very
unique, but very outlandish gear, and I became powerful
because of that, that's a very different way than just trying
to minimize a maximum number of slings.
So at least every model on my post was very interesting and
unique. So the the if you are looking to
be powerful at least be interesting in a way that you
chase the power so that your opponent experiences Something
else than you just rolling the same number of dice to shoot the
same weapons every single turn and you don't move.
Yeah. Yeah.
I like to write your comments on bringing character to your
warband and having them tell a story and I imagine that kind of
using a wysiwyg approach where all your models are modeled
exactly how they're actually armed.
Both helps to build a narrative and it also makes Playing the
game. Much easier.
Yep. Yep.
And and memorable. Remember it's the, I think the
reason I mean so few games last this long, especially on the
tabletop space, there are so many board games have been to
games that they did. Some of them were even were big
and they are not forgotten and I do think it's the the a lot of
things in mordheim contribute towards it being memorable.
I mean, it's so difficult to succeed.
So it when you do something awesome.
Stay the you really remember it and because the game spilled on
you trying to make a warband your own.
It's the the rather than a generic Force, its remains in
the back of your head. You remember the characters who
created you? Remember the stories that they
went through in the exploration or the the the injury chart and
the skills you picked for them and what advances they got from
the random charts. That the I think that's part of
the reason why I remember it. I also think that the The
division between henchmen and heroes means that in most
Commish games, you're supposed to remember a name every single
model and that's a lot. But if you have like, a classic
group of from the, the 126 Heroes which is exactly the more
Himes hero approach, then you can remember those six people
each one of them will say, unique personality.
And I think all these little things that they are in mordheim
are part of, the reason why it still lives on Well, thank you
so much for for coming on here, Thomas to talk to us about this.
I guarantee that, after listening to this, there's going
to be a lot of buzz in the Discord.
And I'm going to get all kinds of questions about how do I get
started in the game. And, and where can I find some
of this stuff? So thanks again for, you know,
really inspiring us to to game. I know I promised you an
opportunity to talk about some of the Projects that you are
currently working on. And I would love to be able to
talk to you again about that at some point, if you'd like, yep.
Well, a couple of things I want to say, first of all, before all
senior sort of experienced senior Gamers.
It's the remember your duty I think is that the be welcoming
to new players because the only way we are going to have this
whole baby is if we bring the Next Generation up, PP.
So that's one very important message.
I always want to put out as for projects, I'm working on.
If you go to Kickstarter you will find a marvelous game,
miniature game called, trench Crusade that did the.
I am doing the rules for which is sort of a first world war
sci-fi version of modem that I'm doing with our highly modernized
rules but they did. That will be coming out later
this year. And I've also made a company
level. The sea tabletop game.
That's I'm going to just distribute free as a gift to be
the community. As in general is the later this
year. I'm obviously also work a lot on
video games so if you're looking for some say old school shooting
action, I designed a game called mr.
Auto-fire for your phones, I've done a lot of console games and
the PC games art as well along the way.
But right now my sort of a day job is to make one's from the
mobile devices, which is surprisingly a lot of fun.
No, but I will never abandon the tabletop.
Well, if you wanted to link me to any of those projects, I'll
make sure to add them into our show notes so other people can
click on them and see what else you're working on.
Absolutely you're going to get the links.
Awesome, thank you very much for the dots are amazing, just
checking it now. And yeah, wow, I try to keep
quality high on everything I do. Yeah, we know it.
Excellent. Well, maybe I have a chance to
catch you in Modena. It's the later this year.
So the and I look and I will gladly become a guest again.
So the the I need to jump off at this point, but thanks for
having me. Awesome.
Well, thank you again for coming and I hope to talk to you soon.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
Voiceover by Owen state. didn't you can find me on the time
between times podcast or Specter of the see if you want to
contact me or in statement at AOL.com, do your humble