Warhammer Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Pre-Release Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[skaraher]

It's good that they got a live choir. I imagine The Grateful Undead are all booked up.

It also sounds pretty nice.

They already had one for the Pathfinder WOTR mythic theme.

 

[JamesDixon]

They already had one for the Pathfinder WOTR mythic theme

I never played Pathshitender Wrath of the Cringefinder. I have a strict policy against degeneracy and DANDINO.

However, the choir was quite sublime.

 

[Grauken]

What makes you think this game will be any different? This will be at least as woke as WotR, if not even more

 

[jaekl]

You can tell just by looking at the art direction, it might as well be teen titans. We have this gay ass comic book clown troupe, wearing outfits from their favourite japanese animes:

Spoiler

When we should be getting something rad, gritty and heavy metal like rogue trader is supposed to be:

Spoiler

 

[Shaki]

These "nobles" look so goofy to me...

So perfectly lore accurate then

 

[skaraher]

You can tell just by looking at the art direction, it might as well be teen titans. We have this gay ass comic book clown troupe, wearing outfits from their favourite japanese animes:

Spoiler

When we should be getting something rad, gritty and heavy metal like rogue trader is supposed to be:

Spoiler

Well we must not forget one of Owlcat's character writers did his college thesis on anime.

 

[Vermillion]

These "nobles" look so goofy to me...

You are wrong. They're great examples of the Imperium's diverse nobility.

What is confusing, though, is how Owlcat seems to be treating Rogue Traders and Imperial Lords of the Adeptus Terra... interchangably. Ruling planets is what the Lords do. Swashbuckling adventures and merchant empires is what the Rogue Traders do.

What are you even saying? A major part of the ttrpg was settling and ruling multiple planets through your assigned imperial governors. You absolutely hold a position superior to planetary governors and nobility. Your power (depending on age of dynasty) is around that of inquisitors and minor Navigator houses. While Owlcat's timeline has the Koronus Expanse more properly under the Imperial yoke, the Rogue Trader Dynasties might as well have been High Lords for the level of power they had in the region, referring explicitly to Calligos Winterscale and Aspyce Chorda. Though it seems Calligos might have won out in the end, since Incendia has taken Chorda's place. I really hope Winterscale is given the respect he deserves in this game, he was an absolute beast on the tabletop.

 

[Utgard-Loki]

What makes you think this game will be any different? This will be at least as woke as WotR, if not even more

because warhammer 40k still has an inherently xenophobic faction in the empire, and the first black they introduced is an unsanctioned psyker. killing her on sight would be doing her a service considering what would await her if she got captured alive and put on a black ship.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

As long i can say a slur , it's all good.

 

[The_Mask]

Anyway, yeah, I subscribe to the idea: Owlcat's games have always had pretty much the best music since MOTB. I'm enjoying them maintaining that standard, at least. Good stuff.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

The Aeon theme is so fucking good.

 

[Irxy]

You can tell just by looking at the art direction, it might as well be teen titans. We have this gay ass comic book clown troupe, wearing outfits from their favourite japanese animes:

Spoiler

When we should be getting something rad, gritty and heavy metal like rogue trader is supposed to be:

Spoiler

If you check the the whole rulebook and not just the cover art, you'll find out that the art direction (& quaility) is all over the place and lots of it is actually shit.
Also the game is not based on the wargame but the fantasy flight RPG series, which has a different art style.
That said, I agree that the art direction could be better, it's somewhat off and doesn't seem to set the right tone. They are probably reusing the artists from Pathfinder games (freelancers?). Though I'll reserve the final judgement until the game releases.
Frankly, the Pathfinder games art and overall graphics were mediocre as well, but the games are relatively low budget and I personally enjoyed both of them a lot.

 

[Irxy]

The Aeon theme is so fucking good.

The whole OST is superb really.

 

[Storyfag]

What are you even saying? A major part of the ttrpg was settling and ruling multiple planets through your assigned imperial governors. You absolutely hold a position superior to planetary governors and nobility.

In that case I am saying that the TTRPG was itself confused regarding the power balance as presented in other depictions of the setting.

 

[JamesDixon]

You can tell just by looking at the art direction, it might as well be teen titans. We have this gay ass comic book clown troupe, wearing outfits from their favourite japanese animes:

Spoiler

When we should be getting something rad, gritty and heavy metal like rogue trader is supposed to be:

Spoiler

If you check the the whole rulebook and not just the cover art, you'll find out that the art direction (& quaility) is all over the place and lots of it is actually shit.
Also the game is not based on the wargame but the fantasy flight RPG series, which has a different art style.
That said, I agree that the art direction could be better, it's somewhat off and doesn't seem to set the right tone. They are probably reusing the artists from Pathfinder games (freelancers?). Though I'll reserve the final judgement until the game releases.
Frankly, the Pathfinder games art and overall graphics were mediocre as well, but the games are relatively low budget and I personally enjoyed both of them a lot.

Actually, Rogue Trader was the first wargame in the series that eventually became the Warhammer 40k that we know today and was published in 1987. The second cover shown is that very rulebook. FFG's RPG didn't come about until 2009 under the Dark Heresy ruleset.

The art direction of the GW produced books was hit or miss, but the overall tone was one of grim darkness. This game is a bit too clean and too new looking.

 

[jaekl]

You can tell just by looking at the art direction, it might as well be teen titans. We have this gay ass comic book clown troupe, wearing outfits from their favourite japanese animes:

Spoiler

When we should be getting something rad, gritty and heavy metal like rogue trader is supposed to be:

Spoiler

If you check the the whole rulebook and not just the cover art, you'll find out that the art direction (& quaility) is all over the place and lots of it is actually shit.
Also the game is not based on the wargame but the fantasy flight RPG series, which has a different art style.
That said, I agree that the art direction could be better, it's somewhat off and doesn't seem to set the right tone. They are probably reusing the artists from Pathfinder games (freelancers?). Though I'll reserve the final judgement until the game releases.
Frankly, the Pathfinder games art and overall graphics were mediocre as well, but the games are relatively low budget and I personally enjoyed both of them a lot.

Ok, I downloaded the pdf at your recommendation and each random page I flip to is even more cool than the last

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Now I hate the owlcat version even more!

 

[agris]

You can tell just by looking at the art direction, it might as well be teen titans. We have this gay ass comic book clown troupe, wearing outfits from their favourite japanese animes:

Spoiler

When we should be getting something rad, gritty and heavy metal like rogue trader is supposed to be:

Spoiler

If you check the the whole rulebook and not just the cover art, you'll find out that the art direction (& quaility) is all over the place and lots of it is actually shit.
Also the game is not based on the wargame but the fantasy flight RPG series, which has a different art style.
That said, I agree that the art direction could be better, it's somewhat off and doesn't seem to set the right tone. They are probably reusing the artists from Pathfinder games (freelancers?). Though I'll reserve the final judgement until the game releases.
Frankly, the Pathfinder games art and overall graphics were mediocre as well, but the games are relatively low budget and I personally enjoyed both of them a lot.

Ok, I downloaded the pdf at your recommendation and each random page I flip to is even more cool than the last

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Now I hate the owlcat version even more!

it isn't just here, the enshittification of games' aesthetics, as compared to older TT manuals, has a long history. Shadowrun's FASA days are heads and shoulders above what HBS did, for example. HBS, to their credit, didn't go full cartoon / WoW, but it's a pale pale imitation. Similarly for, ahem, recent AD&D games. Look at 1st or 2nd ed PHB / Monster Manual, you will see an aesthetic that is instantly evocative of a darker swords and sorcery aesthetic, vs the bland sterile computer art of 3E + designed to appeal to degenerate anime fans.

edit: for the above, I own source FASA / TSR manuals and can say this first-hand. But I understand it's true of Cyberpunk 2077 vs the source manuals as well.

 

[Eisenheinrich]

So, how is this shaping up by now? Still very hyped for the title, hope Owlcat reigns in some of the shortcomings of their previous game like overabundance of reused assets and trahs mobs.

 

[Axel_am]

Hopefully this manages to capture the Warhammer feeling and not just be Pathfinder in space. The art style could have definitely been pushed in a more brutal manner. Maybe an expansion can amend that.

The beta looks good on youtube. Positives everywhere I look. The trading mechanic looks fine, although it will probably be changed. Really, really tempted with getting the beta.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

I'm waiting for the full game , but looks promising af. If i wasn't broken as shit rn , i would get the beta. I was backer for Wrath and they didn't let me down.

 

[Desiderius]

Anyway, yeah, I subscribe to the idea: Owlcat's games have always had pretty much the best music since MOTB. I'm enjoying them maintaining that standard, at least. Good stuff.

RUS good at musik yes

 

[processdaemon]

So, how is this shaping up by now? Still very hyped for the title, hope Owlcat reigns in some of the shortcomings of their previous game like overabundance of reused assets and trahs mobs.

I played the beta and thought it was a step up from WOTR in writing and encounter design, although there were still a few fights that seemed neverending because of the trash mobs. I think this setting suits Owlcat's style really well and I'm very optimistic overall.

 

[Infinitron]

I think this setting suits Owlcat's style really well

Rare opinion. Why do you think that?

 

[skaraher]

I think this setting suits Owlcat's style really well

Rare opinion. Why do you think that?

Because 40k is one of the most anime setting ever.

 

[processdaemon]

I think this setting suits Owlcat's style really well

Rare opinion. Why do you think that?

I should have been more specific, I mean style in terms of writing and tone rather than visuals, I have no eye for art style at all.

I think when Owlcat try to write 'good' characters they end up with something bland and when they try to be light-hearted it's hit and miss, they're at their best writing morally grey (even morally black) characters making difficult and sometimes bad decisions in environments that don't necessarily reward you for doing the right thing. I really liked WotR, don't get me wrong, but I think Pathfinder lends itself to power fantasies where only other people fail and you're basically an unstoppable winning machine, and since writing the latter isn't where Owlcat shine you end up with a situation where most of the interesting writing and characterisation is happening outside you and your party. I'm hoping that this IP is going to give them the freedom to write a whole roster of people on that grey to black moral spectrum and give you choices where being good and doing good aren't necessarily the same thing in a way that PF doesn't, and based on the beta I'm optimistic that they'll pull it off.