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Author Topic: Why did the storyline freeze?  (Read 887 times)

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Offline kim

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Why did the storyline freeze?
« on: April 14, 2019, 06:32:31 AM »
I understand GW froze the storyline/timeline after the 13th crusade event in 2003, and then did nothing with the "main" storyline until the Roboute / Yncarne story from 2017. Did GW ever tell why everything froze? Anyone having an idea what happened?

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Why did the storyline freeze?
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2019, 08:45:50 AM »
My suspicion is simply that they didn't want to have to buy new sculpts for new models all the time, so they kept things relatively static so that old models would always be usable.

Now, however, they seem to be able to make new models more easily than before, and therefore are more willing to have the storyline in flux since they can accommodate the models that will be required. 

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Re: Why did the storyline freeze?
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2019, 11:15:55 AM »
I think it had to do with the leadership within the company.  For the 13th Black Crusade, they set the date as 999.M41.

I like to think that they didn't advance the timeline because A) they wanted to keep the setting around the feel of the end times, B) didn't know where to go with the story, and C) thought that advancing wouldn't be appropriate for a game that has the tagline about battles in the 41st millenium.  If they advance the story to 000.M42, then they are no longer battles of the 41st millenium.
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Offline Alienscar

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Re: Why did the storyline freeze?
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2019, 12:56:35 PM »
I understand GW froze the storyline/timeline after the 13th crusade event in 2003, and then did nothing with the "main" storyline until the Roboute / Yncarne story from 2017. Did GW ever tell why everything froze? Anyone having an idea what happened?

From my perspective as someone that doesn't take much notice of the fluff, or read any of the Black Library books I have never considered that there was much of a 'main' storyline. I have always considered the bits I have read in the Codecies and rules books to be nothing more than a background. That is, just something to give your games a bit of a setting, or narrative as GW likes to say.

I think it is clear from how some of the characters like Ghazghkull and Tycho were introduced into the background from Battle Reports that GW never had, or intended to have, a structured and advancing timeline.

So I don't think that the timeline 'froze' it was just never meant to adavance in the first place.

I think 'competition' from Mantic, Corvus and the like has possibly forced GW into rethinking how to keep their customers engaged.
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Offline kim

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Re: Why did the storyline freeze?
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2019, 04:23:48 PM »
Thanks, never thought they maybe never had one, hehe. Alienscar might be on to something. GW never stopped producing lore, so all "lore nerds" seems to have been happy, no complaints, etc.

Offline Lord of Winter and War

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Re: Why did the storyline freeze?
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2019, 07:35:52 AM »
Warhammer is a setting to play games in. There wasn't really a need to advance the narrative, as the setting was there for players to create their own stories in.

They did change the setting a bit for 8th edition, which is a lot of fun.
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