Brainstorm the Next Campaign

[easye]

Since Tiorl 7 is beginning to wrap up, I recommend that we start brainstorming for the next campaign. So let's hear your ideas.

I think it would be kinda neat to revisit the Tiorl system after the events of this campaign play out (it would save the Mods a lot of work). Perhaps different factions will be trying to recover archeotech from the Hulks remains? Maybe, the Imperium is attempting to colonize Tiorl 3 or recapture Tiorl 7? Perhaps the rebel Necrons managed to flee to one of the other Tiorl planets and LordJet needs to return to finish them off?

Or we could go someplace else entirely.

[kyrolon]

One thing I would like to see is slightly more structure. It was nice to have players set their own goals, and I would advocate allowing that to continue, but in addition to that I'd like to see some clearly defined goals as well. I'd like to see a main mission for every faction that is known to them (not necessarily to everyone else) at the beginning of the campaign. I think we lost some people in the early weeks due to this lack of definition on Tiorl. It seemed pretty chaotic at first. I have lots of other ideas. I'll try to write them up in a more coherent manner in the week following the campaign. I want to see how the wrap up plays out first so I have a complete picture of things from beginning to end.

All in all though it has done two of the most important things a campaign can do (in addition to being just plain fun). It gave me a reason to play meaningful games of 40k, and it inspired me to paint and add new models to my Eldar. Through the course of the campaign I have fielded every single choice from Codex Eldar at least once with the exception of special characters, Phoenix Lords, and the Avatar. I thought the size of the Tiorl conflict was beneath the scope of such mighty heroes and the Avatar only goes to war as part of the entire Craftworld army (though I came close to writing Jain Zar into the campaign at one point).

Those are my thoughts for now.

~Dan

[witchking92]

Alright, there has been a little discussion with the mods about the next campaign. We have sort of determined their would be a campaiging "season" of sorts. There would be two campaigns a year: an October 1st to November 30th and a one similar to the time of Tiorl 7.

I propose that we not return to the Tiorl system directly... I mean, that would be sort of boring. I think that we go somewhere near the Tiorl system. The original concept for the campaign was for it to be in the Aslanta system, not Tiorl. The only remnants of that is the fact that Skabrod is the current Warboss of Aslanta. We could always return to that system. That way, we would be near by, and at least for me it would be fun and easy. I could continue the Dakkaslag thread and throw some twists into it.

Kryolon- We had some good goals for certain races( impies I am looking at you) and they just sat on their butts and did their own thing. The Orks worked on their goal of holding the planet and Dakkaslag killing Skarbrod and vise versa.

One of the overriding goals of the campaign was to let players dictate what happened and their objectives. I think we went overboard on the later, we should give a little bit more defined goals to help people out. But, I and other players loved the fact, that unlike GW's campaigns, the players really determine the fluff and outcome.

Witchking92

[kyrolon]

@witchking-- I understand you did have goals for the various factions. I guess my point was that they needed to be a little more...transparent? Knowing one of the Imperial players, I can say with some certainty that the only real clue they had was that they were supposed to defend against everyone. As for the Eldar, I picked up on the "odd crystal ship" storyline, and some others followed/joined in, but half the Eldar did their own thing because no one ever said -- you are drawn to the crystal ship...

In other words, we should set the goals and make then apparent. I know the mods wanted to be fairly hands off in directing the specifics of the campaign, but it wouldn't have been too out of line for you guys to play the role of the various commanders just to give that little bit of direction needed to prod us in the right direction.

I expect a lot of good discussion on ideas in the next few months, and look forward to October. I have already told Incubi Lord that I would be willing and happy to be a mod for the next campaign. I really like coming up with story ideas and plot lines.

~Dan

[Norminator]

I think that for the next campaign an interesting idea would to have it set as a planetary defence scenario, similar to the GW campaign, except instead of having an Imperial world/system a Xenons/Chaos one. The specifics would have to be discussed - whilst a Tau Sept world would be interesting I can equally see one at an ork infested planet, a Chaotic (although not Daemon) world, an Exodite world with the Eldar coming to help, a Tomb World (this could be combined with another race's world) or even something less explored in the background - one that comes to mind are the worlds the Tyranids are rumoured to be terraforming.

It would be interesting, in my opinion, to have a scenario that is only known to players and happens about half way through the campaign. For example, a Necron tomb could be uncovered, or possibly a Marine relic buried for eons in the planet - but making sure it was something that would have a large effect on the goals of the participating races. It would lead to a lot of 'thinking on your feet' sort of goings on.

[Scorpio]

That would be good. As most campaigns seem to take place on an impy planet.
kyrolon- You mentioned that things seemed to be kind of chaotic at the beginnging? Part of that was half of our reps disappearing. We werent sure who and what was covered.

-Scorpio

[LordJET]

I liked the way the campaign was set up a little freeform as regard to objectives. The Necrons were prtty much told that the Space Hulk was very bad news do something about it. It gave me room to think "Hey wouldnt it be terribly efficient if I crashed the whole thing into the planet?" It gave me more motivation to see through a plan that id come up with.

As regards to the future how about something a little outside of the box. Example the recent Tau expansion has discovered an anceint Imperial facility full of genetic information and 'prototypes' of a new bloodline of Space Marines, and they start to experiment...

[Scorpio]

The main problem there LordJet is that has serious fluff reprecussions. And just not letting the impies have the new bloodline if they win would just be mean.

Thats something we had to take into consideration. Its also why we switched the planet from the originally planned Aslanta campaign to this Tiorl. We didnt want to leave lasting fluff changes that werent cannon.

-Scorpio

[easye]

As an Ork player, I wouldn't mind you Impies trying to take out one of our worlds. Perhaps after Skabrod's defeat at Tiorl 7, the Strategos deem this a perfect time to reclaim Aslanta from the green menace. The question becomes how do you fit the other Xenos into such a battle.

Next time, instead of 6 locations on a planet/hulk we could also have 6 different planets. The problem with this (in my view) is that it makes the small 40K battles seem much larger scale than they actually are. The benefit is that you can have a more varied gaming experience in regards to terrain and really make a huge narrative difference in the campaign.

[kyrolon]

It seems it is always hard to find a reason for every single 40K race to come to a single world and fight. In a lot of ways (though I understand the reason) it has always taken a lot of suspension of disbelief on my part to make them work in my mind. The problem with multiple worlds is also the suspension of disbelief that comes from forces moving from world to world without interference from other people's space forces. Not very believable imho.

Personally, I'd like to see the next campaign confined to more locations on a single planet (like 4-6). As for a reason, I think it is time for the Imperials to be the aggressor for a change. We could set it on either an Ork or Chaos held world. The initial setup could have 2 basic "sides". The invaders (Imperial (all factions), Eldar, and maybe Tau), and the defenders (Chaos, Orks, Dark Eldar). The remaining factions ('Nids, and 'Crons) would have thier own reasons for being there. See everyone's reasons below.

Imperial: The planet, rich in resources or something, was taken from them by Chaos decades ago. They are here to retake it.

Eldar: The planet has a shrine dedicated to one of the Eldar gods on it. This shrine has been defiled by the chaos forces and they are on the verge of discovering that the shrine contains a Warp Gate to the webway. The Eldar have wanted to invade for sometime, but were unable to assemble enough forces to do so. Reluctantly, they throw in with the Imperium, or at least invade at the same time.

Chaos: They are in the process of trying to turn the planet into a demon world. Failure of the Imperials will mean the ritual is complete.

Orks: The orks are working for the chaos forces as mercenaries in return for good loot from the imperials et al. They may also have their own goals.

Dark Eldar: Same basic goal as the chaos forces. Perhaps trying a plan similar to the one in the last Soul Drinker's novel.

Tau: They are the real problem. They COULD be part of the "good" side since they may not like having a Demon World on their doorstep.

Necrons: Don't know here. Maybe Nightbringer just wants to revel in the Death of a World. Who Knows the mind of the undead?

Tyranids: The chaos invaders originally used a captured bio ship as a distraction for the imperial defenses. The tyranids which remain have taken over part of one continent. Their goal for the campaign is to win enough victories to reproduce to levels which will attract a Hive Fleet.

Those are my thoughts for now. No doubt they will evolve in time.

~Dan

[GRISMUND]

Well i must say haveing come over here and had a look around im quite lieking this site so i may try andget the rest of the 12th to come and show you how a gruop works the tip and tfs might come as well its there choche but ill ask nicely after gracia of corse the imps are winning by the way rock on tommy

gris

[witchking92]

GRISMUND said:

Well i must say haveing come over here and had a look around im quite lieking this site so i may try andget the rest of the 12th to come and show you how a gruop works the tip and tfs might come as well its there choche but ill ask nicely after gracia of corse the imps are winning by the way rock on tommy

gris

After the first sentence I had no idea what you said. Something about working on the speartip of chaos in FoMV?

Witchking92

[IncubiLord]

The Speartip, Task Force Serpent, and the 12th AG are all player organizations whom participated in FoMV and a few other player-made campaigns since then. They were the main forces in the Rorian campaign that came before this, and are currently doing their own thing - the Gracia Subsector campaign found here:
z8.invisionfree.com/Gracia_Subsector/index.php

kyrolon:
Putting Chaos, Orks, and DE on the same "side" is rather, well, chaotic. They don't really mesh too well. Basing anything Dark Eldar off the filth which is labeled Dark Eldar in BL fanfic is begging for open rebellion.

That's really the problem with all campaigns - most factions just don't ally well in the 40K universe. Besides, labeling the factions as good/evil or order/disorder never goes well...

The other problem that's cropped up since 3ed is the combination of Eldar and DE. The classic goals which mean the preservation of the Webway or the Eldar race are just as important to the DE, even if the two cultures often find themselves directly opposed to each other. In the example you give, the CW Eldar are protecting the Webway - which is where the DE live. Guess what the DE players are going to be most interested in.

I think, for the sake of the discussion here, we should have a second thread - one for the actual mechanics of the campaign and one for the plot suggestions.

[witchking92]

incubilord said:

The Speartip, Task Force Serpent, and the 12th AG are all player organizations whom participated in FoMV and a few other player-made campaigns since then. They were the main forces in the Rorian campaign that came before this, and are currently doing their own thing - the Gracia Subsector campaign found here:
z8.invisionfree.com/Gracia_Subsector/index.php

kyrolon:
Putting Chaos, Orks, and DE on the same "side" is rather, well, chaotic. They don't really mesh too well. Basing anything Dark Eldar off the filth which is labeled Dark Eldar in BL fanfic is begging for open rebellion.

That's really the problem with a ll campaigns - most factions just don't ally well in the 40K universe. Besides, labeling the factions as good/evil or order/disorder never goes well...

The other problem that's cropped up since 3ed is the combination of Eldar and DE. The classic goals which mean the preservation of the Webway or the Eldar race are just as important to the DE, even if the two cultures often find themselves directly opposed to each other. In the example you give, the CW Eldar are protecting the Webway - which is where the DE live. Guess what the DE players are going to be most interested in.

I think, for the sake of the discussion here, we should have a second thread - one for the actual mechanics of the campaign and one for the plot suggestions.

Okay, I knew about tfs, the tip and the 12th, but the rest I didn't understand. Now I understand, somewhat. By the way, the Impies would need your help, as they completly sucked up the joint this campaign. They were one of the last place teams.

The reason the Impies didn't do well is because they were totally unorganized, unlike Necrons, Eldar and Orks, the top teams.

I vehemently oppose putting Chaos, Orks and DE on a team. This was one of the things that people hated about EoT. It would break up anyway, as if I was an Ork player I would attack Chaos and DE as they happen to be in my play group...

I think having separate factions like this time worked well, and their could be alliances

Witchking92

[easye]

I like the idea of the Imps trying to regain a planet from either Xenos or chaos. I would suggest something against the Tau, but then we would need some Tau players.

Another option is that the trail to some ancient and powerful artifact was uncovered and brought the various groups there to get it. At the beginning, we would have no idea where it was located, and have to explore the various locations. As we explore, certain factions would uncover clues to the artifacts where abouts on the planet. If a faction controlled (had the most campoaign points) a certain location for the week, your faction would be revealed a clue to the artifacts location in your dedicated faction board.

As players, we would need to co-ordinate securing clues, followed by keeping others from accessing more clues, securing new clues, piecing together where the artifiact is, screening the other factions from finding out we know where the artifact is (and various disinformation campaigns), and then finally securing the artifact.

It could be interesting.