Ask Jean Bey: the answers parts 1 and 2
Jean Bey has sent along the first two parts of his answers to the questions posed by TGN readers. Part three is scheduled to be released on Wednesday next week.
AT-43
Can you tell us what the next AT-43 factions will be?
The next AT-43 faction will be the Cogs.
Click to enlarge
The civilization designated by this name has not developed as a coherent whole. It is not held together by any sense of belonging. The Cogs do not feel they belong to the same species, race or any other word used by more primitive life forms. The Cogs are a relatively loose alliance of four genetic bloodlines. The best and more advanced lineages their original species ever gave birth to. Each bloodline is considered a civilization of its own. They are the closest to what non-cogs generally qualify as a species.
What are the future plans for AT-43 beyond the upcoming campaign book?
We are working on several projects for AT-43. Just before the new Operation: Frostbite campaign (available for GenCon USA), we are going to publish an augmented version of the Damocles campaign developed in Cry Havoc last year. This Campaign Book will compile the elements previously published and will include rules for the Karmans. So this campaign will be playable with all the factions presented in the Army Books. In September, just after Operation: Frostbite, we will publish AT-43 Tactics. This book will complete and improve the rules tested by the readers of Cry Havoc. These two supplements, Campaign Book Operation: Damocles and AT-43 Tactics, are an answer to strong demands on behalf of our players. Each book will be complete and will take into account all the miniatures available by the time of their release. Later their will be a new game mode dedicated to heroic pilots and their vehicles: Armored Heroes.
There has been some concern over how attachment boxes are being handled in AT-43. This seems to be rectified with newer releases such as the Karmans. Is Rackham planning on re-releasing these older attachment boxes (Therians, UNA, Red Blok) in a more logical manner to reflect how the newer boxes are handled?
Indeed, we have solved the packaging problem with the arrival of the fourth army, the Karmans. The next Attachment Boxes and the new rules introduced by Operation: Frostbite will benefit from a new packaging to make sure everything in the box can be played.
Prior to the AT-43 release we saw a supposed Rackham concept mini -a robot or power armor suit -that I can only describe as being very anime in design. Was this a Rackham design? Whatever happened with it? Will we see it again?
It is a Rackham miniature indeed, but it was made during the pre-production phase of AT-43. It allowed us to carry out technical tests for combat striders notably: nature of the plastic, number of pieces per mould, number of moulds needed to produce a large piece, and so on. While we were adjusting the industrial production technical details, the universe of AT-43 was evolving. In the end, the faction, to which this robot belonged, did not make the final cut in the development of the first edition of AT-43. For the time being, it is not on the production plan. However, it could find its way into the Rackham Legends range.
Will the other AT-43 factions Type 3 heroes be AFV bound as well?
No.
When will we be seeing support units for AT-43?
These units will be playable with the Attachment Boxes thanks to the new rules from Operation: Frostbite.
There has been some controversy about the Operation Frostbite playtest rules. As Frostbite is so close to release, is there any chance that these rules will be changed based on feedback from players?
We asked the community to test and contribute to balancing the rules for Operation: Frostbite. We always intended to consider their feedback. What would have been the point if we didnt? In my opinion, the community gathered around our games should take part in the development of certain aspects of our universe. This doesnt mean we dont know want we are doing.
Of course, there will be no consensus possible when you allow thousands of players to give their opinion, but there is always a tendency that appears. Concerning these tests, they allowed us to evaluate the level of complexity we could introduce with extra rules. In addition, it also helped us avoid certain mistakes. Though our team is the architect behind the game, it is only logical to ask the community when we are having hesitations. We are thinking about doing it again later in order to associate the gamers to selected projects.
Confrontation
Do you feel that converting Confrontation entirely to plastic was a little bit too bold? The sheer number of models that need to be converted will take several years, no? Will an army that’s far down the pipe in development terms see no support other than the online PDF until they start to get plastics?
I believe the rhythm of our releases is pretty fast for both Confrontation and AT-43. The online Army Books are there for those who want to play their armies with the metal miniatures already available. The online Army Books allow you to build banners and to play the Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok game system with the existing metal pieces. Though the new system is very different from everything else we’ve done until now and requires more pieces than the previous editions of the game, most pieces are still compatible. By the end of the year we should be able to upload an Army Book dedicated to the Drune, the Mid- Nor and the Sessairs so these armies can be played along side those that have been kept for The Age of the Rag’narok. The book could be printed later on.
Have you started work on the Cynwall at all? I have seen a preview of the Lions online and their armor has lost a great deal of the detail they used to have. How will this translate on the Cynwall which, I feel, was the most intricately detailed army in terms of armor?
Producing plastic models certainly does not impose that our models become less detailed. Just look at the Aberration Prime for instance: it is far more “readable” and has a superior level of detail compared to the metal model, while offering the modularity that is impossible with metal!
The Tir-na-bor Golem is another example.
Click to enlarge
Working to create new models for existing Confrontation troops is particularly difficult since the universe is very dense and, visually speaking, extremely diverse. When we started working on the new sculptures for Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok, we decided we needed to revisit our archetypes to make it easier for the player to “read” the miniatures. We are at a level of global quality I believe has never yet been attained in PPP, and it’s only the beginning.
Confrontation has enjoyed incredible success over the years. It has sold over seven million blister packs and boxed references. Unlike AT-43, the players have got used to strong visuals over time. For a time we thought we had met our players’ expectations with the escalation in detail and sophistication, and yet I believe we lost sight of what was essential: we’re not just making minis, we’ve making a coherent and complete range.
How many factions for CAoR do you plan to release in 2008? How many in 2009?
Four factions will be released by the end of the year. Four or five more next year. This means more than half of the peoples of Aarklash will have an Army Book. We also need to keep in mind that some armies have two or three Army books planned – Temple, Inquisition and Lodge of Hod for the Griffins, or two groups of Houses of Acheron, and so on. While sharing the same “standard” troops, we want to give special pieces to these armies to differentiate them. So you will get to play the same army in many different ways, renewing the gaming pleasure without having to buy loads of pieces.
Click to enlarge
The next armies set for release are the Lahnars for the Lion, The Spirit of the Bran-Ô-Kor for the Tree- spirit, Acheron for the Ram and Armageddon for the Hyena.
Click to enlarge
Are there any plans to revisit a skirmish based system like Confrontation 3 in the future?
During the designing of Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok, we wanted it to remain possible to play both “skirmish” and “battle” games. Though we do not consider Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok to be a skirmish game, some players would like a “Dogs of War-like” gaming level, meaning a level of detail and individualization of the Confrontation pieces comparable to Confrontation 3. Several months ago, AT-43 players discovered AT-43 Tactics. This game system is played on a smaller scale. It makes every miniature an individual; not only Incarnate characters as in Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok. The feedback we got for AT-43 Tactics will allow us to offer a Tactics game mode for Confrontation for the beginning of next year.
It appears that most PPP Wolfen troopers so far share a great deal of pieces, not only within units, but also from one unit to the next. Do you think you’ll eventually produce individually sculpted plastic models in the future to increase the variety of poses in the Wolfen army?
Yes, though you need to bear in mind that the wolfen available are the first series of pieces sculpted over a year and a half ago. At lot of progress was made, as you will have noticed with the various previews we post every week on Internet. We are following a fast but classical technical evolution – as it was the case with the metal miniatures from 1998 to 2008.
Click to enlarge
The brightest examples would be the difference between the standard bearer of Urland (April 1998) and the legendary standard bearer (2005) or the aberration made for Hybrids (2003) and the plastic Aberration Prime (2006).
Click to enlarge
When I read, for instance, that the plastic Griffin heavy cavalry is less detailed than it would have been in metal, it is not true. They would have been just the same in metal since they were sculpted from a concept that was intended for metal release – the first concepts were visible in old Cry Havoc issues. In addition, the pieces themselves were initially sculpted to be released in metal. It is only later that we decided to reserve them for a plastic release!
Another example: the plastic pieces from the Attachment Box: Great Fangs for the Wolfen. We sometimes use models from the metal range on purpose to show that there is no loss in detail. People need to keep in mind that an unpainted model always seems more complex as it is the painter who chooses what to emphasize instead of something else. The paintjob also needs to make the piece recognizable on the gaming table.
Is the release of unpainted plastic models (like the quite interesting looking Flesh Golem) still planned?
The Flesh Golem will be first released in resin, unpainted and unassembled, as part of the Legends range. Later there will be a PPP release to accompany the mystics supplement book. In March 2007, when we communicated and explained the reasons why we were changing to ready assembled and painted plastic, I also stated that we would still release metal and resin miniatures. Unfortunately, the part of the message directed at players who are into miniatures that require assembling and painting was outshone by the PPP announcement. The announcement was carried from one forum to the next and, in the end, the whole message was changed.
How do you explain the difference in pricing or packaging between metal and plastic miniatures?
The price of a metal miniature is mainly based on the price of its raw material, as opposed to plastic. The main costs of producing plastic miniatures concern the industrial process: equipment, technology…but you can cast hundred of miniatures with a limited quantity of oil. On the other hand, the increasing cost of metal has a major impact on the final price. The price increases of raw material will have exponential repercussions on any metal product. Some players simply refuse to look around: why have so many companies turned to plastic? Rackham is not the only one. By choosing PPP today, Rackham is one step ahead of others. As pioneers, we are faced with heavy criticism, but metal doesn’t meet the players’ expectations, nor does it correspond to those of distribution.
When did you decide that CAoR would utilize the same mechanics as AT-43? Why?
As soon as we began designing AT-43, I wanted our games to share common core mechanisms, the same backbone, so that a player who is familiar with one of our game systems could naturally find his way into another of our universes. You might want a change of atmosphere, another universe, without having to learn to play an entirely new game. A well built system should be able to open to other universes simply and naturally. I wanted us to be as innovative as we have been in the past: besides the quality of the miniatures, the fact that we were providing cards that contained all the required information as well as a rule booklet had been a major innovation in miniature gaming. It was the key to our success. It made our miniatures and game, Confrontation, more accessible than any other game.
Today all the other manufacturers are using a similar system… It has even become the standard. The success of Confrontation and the evolution of the miniature gaming market mainly relies on the principle that a reference comes with a card and ready to play rules. Yet I believe we need to take it even further, and that calls for PPP. Coming back to the game system and considering the principle mentioned above, I wanted, among other things, a system that would use a single universal table to resolve most actions. Indeed, I believe that a game system should serve the fun and social aspect of gaming rather than tend towards simulation only offering a single point of view – and this is a casual Squad Leader player speaking, and who also appreciates the apparent simplicity and tactical depth of a game like Space Hulk! A game system needs to stay simple and still offer real elements of strategy that bring depth to the game and provide real challenges for the players. Though the backbone of our systems might be similar, each universe has its own identity and particularities.
If it is possible to offer the metal miniatures for sale through FFG alongside the PPP range would it not be possible to continue selling them with their Confrontation 3 playing cards or to make their old Confrontation cards available online as a downloadable pdf resource? Do you have any plans of releasing the full Confrontation 3 rules to the general public as a PDF download?
In a few weeks time we will be opening on www.confrontation.fr a section specially dedicated to the previous editions of Confrontation. It will allow you to download the entire rules of Confrontation 3 as well as its supplement Dogs of War and all Confrontation 3 cards for free since, though I believe Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok is the best game system we have ever made for Confrontation, I think it is up to the player to play the system that suits them best. The system is not all, far from it. The universe, the graphics, the miniatures are elements that evolve and that are core components to the interest of the game and the players.
I see as a sign as more and more players of the previous editions are starting to play the game. The complaining posted on Internet under cover of anonymity does not represent the reality of the market. It would be a mistake to believe that stores would be willing to distribute both a metal range and a painted plastic range of the same universe. Of course, there will always be some people to say they would do it. But economic reality is not built upon a handful of stores. It would take a lot more to make it economically viable. Upholding two totally different production systems, maintaining double references, therefore taking up double shelf space and double costs is pure nonsense.
How do you feel the new PPP creations by Rackham, such as the new Griffin Musician, Griffin Standard Bearer, Griffin Templars, and Dirz releases compare to the older metal figures such as the Cadwe Bandits, The Priestess of Steel, Mounted Alahan Units and Black Paladins?
It is a question of technical expertise. Look at the new Lion knights, and compare:
Click to enlarge
Two years ago, our first pieces meant for plastic suffered from an approach too similar to metal. We hadn’t realized we had changed to a much more constraining industrial process. Two years ago, we had not yet reached the level of mastery AT-43 and the Aberration Prime gave us. Here are some pics of the upcoming plastic Red Lioness. The sculpting is truer to the concept than the metal version. The sculpting, the casting and the production techniques have totally changed. Finally, with this new plastic version, this Incarnate no longer looks anorexic…
Click to enlarge
Pacodeth was asking if I honestly thought the new Confrontation pieces could compete with those that were made before the arrival of plastic. Well, to give you an honest answer, as an amateur of miniatures since childhood, after having been part of this industry for more than twenty years and being the owner of an unbelievable number of miniatures from all sorts of manufacturers, the answer cannot be limited to this level and it is not only a question of taste either. As the creator and artistic director of Rackham, the question is always tackled from various angles: the first question I ask myself when I examine a new concept is “what does it bring to the universe of Confrontation?”. What effects will the miniatures I am imagining produce on the players? By players, I mean the painter, the player and the fan of fantasy. What counts is the creativity we put into making pieces for the pleasure of an incredible number of people. Some people might smile when I say that I often spend an awful lot of time scrutinizing every piece all along at every stage of its development.
The sculptors, the game designers, the writers and the graphic artists, they all know how demanding I can be concerning the finishing of our products, no matter if it is a miniature, a paint job or a book. It is no hazard our products are so well finished. It is because everyone working for the studio wants to give his or her best. This is why the relationship between players and Rackham is so passionate. Today the universes we created are yours. Some players seem to resume the work we do every day at the studio to “I like it” – “or not”. You cannot please everyone, but we work for the players and if they had not supported us all the way, we wouldn’t be around having this discussion. Do I like the plastic miniatures as much as the metal one? I like them as much as the first metal piece we created for Confrontation in 1998! Less than those created in 2008 and less still than those that will be made next year or the year after that. To answer Henni.B (who happens to be an illustrator), being creative means being able to question your work again and again, in spite of the fact there will never be any possible compromise.
Making exceptional sculptures is not all it takes to meet the expectations of such a rich and diverse community. Rackham is a game company that creates magical universes for players. No customer is more important than the rest. There are only customers who want to dream and take part in great adventures. This is the reason why we gather around a table to play or admire a paintjob; it is our escape from reality. In any case, we do it for the journey and certainly not for the anatomy lessons or the casting techniques or the economics…All that counts is the pleasure of the experience, no matter if it is metal, plastic, painted or only base coated. My dream is to see the spark in the eyes of those I meet in the stores or at conventions because they give me the energy to do even better next time.
What was the reason that Rackham moved from a skirmish system for Confrontation to the new mass combat system?
We were the first to develop a fantasy skirmish game. Today it’s what everybody is doing… No matter what the critics say, we have chosen an open system rather than limit ourselves to one game mode. We offer to play at several levels depending on how you want to play. It was the same thing as Confrontation and Rag’narok except that today it is a single game system so that the game is both rich in terms of universe and balance.
What defines a “Legends” miniature?
Rackham Legends is the brand under which all the pieces produced since the creation of Confrontation will be gathered. This range is not meant to stop with the arrival of plastic. On the contrary, Rackham Legends will offer new pieces to those who have this other approach to miniatures. These pieces are legendary since they represent the spirit of innovation and the passion animating Rackham since its creation. Its passion for sculpture, miniatures and fantasy worlds. In addition, they contribute to the quality trademark claimed by the players that follow us. These pieces are our past, our present and our future. They are our legend.
Will the upcoming Dirz Wyrm and the other Legends releases you mention get C3 profiles and cards?
Allowing the free download of our games and cards, representing more than ten years of development, means also that we are making it possible to discover and test our games. On top of that, it answers part of our community’s expectations. We have decided that Aarklash had to evolve with our new game system to become more accessible. We have re-balanced the armies as it became unavoidable, like any other game with a universe so rich. Miniature and RPG players – including those playing on new media – know what I am talking about. Besides, after ten years, the card based system had grown unbearable even to the most motivated players. To avoid choking what we have been doing for ten years, we had to clean it out. The first signs of the market’s evolution back in early 2005 led me down this road. Some people won’t be happy when I say we won’t develop anymore official Confrontation 3 profiles. And considering the development going on around AT-43 and Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok, even if we wanted to, we would not have the time.
What happened to the plans for limited metal support for unreleased factions?
The factions that are not planned for PPP will get Legends releases.
How do the sales of CAoR compare to Confrontation when Confrontation had the same number of miniatures released? Exact amounts aren’t required (and obviously wouldn’t be provided due to industry competition reasons).
A question asked by Primarch I believe. I won’t be giving any precise numbers but rather make a comparison between both games for an equivalent number of months and releases. Considering the same period, we currently sell thirteen times more Confrontation: The Age of the Rag’narok miniatures than at the launch of the first edition of Confrontation which, in fact, came out with more references available.
What is the future of Cadwallon, the tactical role-playing game?
Cadwallon will get one or two Army Books for you to play the guilds and the militia. We are contemplating the possibility of starting a subscription for the English version of Secrets 2. If it works, the book will be printed. We will send their copies to the subscribers and the surplus stock will be distributed by our partners.
What is the difference between the online cards and those from the card packs you sell?
The online cards correspond to a test version of the game. As the Army books and card packs are released, the online material will be removed or corrected depending on the differences between the versions.