Upcoming BL Stuff - 2023

[darkhorse0607]

A smaller reason that I don't think it's been received particularly well is that nothing lines up with the main studio in terms of what is happening, partially I feel as though they don't even know anymore.

GW has become more and more about "the next big thing in the setting" over the last few editions but it doesn't feel coherent and that might be bleeding over. Prior to 8th, it was pretty set, nothing happened and authors had the chance to go and do what they want, pending BLs approval (which who knows how that works given the stories coming out of there)

 

Now, it's kind of all over the place. 9th ed "big" focus was the rift and the Pariah Nexus, which they made a huge deal about with the Silent King. That got a novel or two and then they moved on without concluding anything. Then it was the Lion, which we got a novel for and the campaign book series which was supposed to tie things together. Then that ended. Then it was "THE LARGEST TYRANID INVASION EVER, LOOK AT ALL THE TYRANIDS AND THIS MASSIVE THREAT." Which we got Leviathan for, but now, with the recent reveal show, things are going back to Pariah Nexus? Not to mention everything else in the last two years, Angron/Armageddon, Ghaz dying and coming back and then wandering off, Dawn of Fire and whatever that is doing, Vashtorr and pals, and a half dozen other things. Half of the time I forget even that the Crusade is supposedly still happening (maybe?)

 

I get whiplash as just a casual, let alone being an author trying to work on ideas while I'm sure BL has followed GW in that they want things to tie together to be about the next big pitch from the main studio. Then you add all of BL's existing problems that others have mentioned.

 

So while BL has always done book series about other times (i.e. Horus Hersey, hopefully Badab one day) it's kind of hard to do that when GW is constantly looking for the next shiny thing which could cause focus' to shift

[DukeLeto69]

To be fair the DoF series is set in the (recent) past not the contemporary game setting. It was an attempt to fill in the gaps and reset the mess created by the studio time jump (including moving the Dark Imperium trilogy back in the timeline and connecting up with the DoF series.

[Nagashsnee]

49 minutes ago, DukeLeto69 said:

To be fair the DoF series is set in the (recent) past not the contemporary game setting. It was an attempt to fill in the gaps and reset the mess created by the studio time jump (including moving the Dark Imperium trilogy back in the timeline and connecting up with the DoF series.

So the main question has always been what makes a DoF book a DoF book vs any book set 10-150 years pre 'present' ( tho no idea when that is supose to be anymore) books?  Other then a head line and some spinal art? 

 

And having read them all and forgotten most i have no good answer to that question. 

 

This latest book, what do i have to look foward to in regards to the DoF series/storyline/era? Cause i got nothing. Anything i am looking forward to (bfg, imperial navy,eddie murphy, chris wraith, chris wraith explaining how they plan to invade the eye, etc) would not change if this was a random book about a random imperial assault/fleet/crusade in m33-40. 

 

If they wanted to fill in the history they should have droped a source book. Like the sabbat world one but for indomitus.

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Nagashsnee

[DukeLeto69]

23 minutes ago, Nagashsnee said:

So the main question has always been what makes a DoF book a DoF book vs any book set 10-150 years pre 'present' ( tho no idea when that is supose to be anymore) books?  Other then a head line and some spinal art? 

 

And having read them all and forgotten most i have no good answer to that question. 

 

This latest book, what do i have to look foward to in regards to the DoF series/storyline/era? Cause i got nothing. Anything i am looking forward to (bfg, imperial navy,eddie murphy, chris wraith, chris wraith explaining how they plan to invade the eye, etc) would not change if this was a random book about a random imperial assault/fleet/crusade in m33-40. 

 

If they wanted to fill in the history they should have droped a source book. Like the sabbat world one but for indomitus.

 

 

I would totally be up for an Indomitus Crusade Sourcebook like the Sabbat Worlds one but suspect that too would be a mess (and the Sabbat one worked because it was just Abnett writing about Abnett doing Abnett stuff).

 

I hear you on the “what makes this book a DoF book” which is why I think a setting would have worked better than a multi-author series (again).

 

Possibly controversial opinion but if the Studio are king and, regardless of the absurdity of any of their decisions, dictate the lore, then I think BL should not publish novels set in the current gaming era. They should focus on the past and recent past. For me, I would like too see various eras tackled and branded such, so we have the Horus Heresy era (note not series) and I would be keen on an Apostasy era setting and Era Indomitus setting. There will be others too.

[Petitioner's City]

One thing worth considering is that Wade Pryce only took up his new role as honcho of 40k lore in July 2022, and thus we won't know what that means for a wee bit, due to production cycles, either for 40k the gaming system or BL - but he's a perfect person for it, and hopefully will help with the interaction better.

 

A challenge will always remain - no matter the staff - how long it takes to produce all these disparate bits, and getting them coordinated, between presumably many different managers and silos.

[Matteus]

Of interest, GW's jobsite are advertising a vacancy for the BL Managing Editor role right now. (Could one of you take it please I beg!)

The timing with the Siege wrapping up is noteworthy of course, but who knows the reasons.

[Ubiquitous1984]

11 minutes ago, Matteus said:

Of interest, GW's jobsite are advertising a vacancy for the BL Managing Editor role right now. (Could one of you take it please I beg!)

The timing with the Siege wrapping up is noteworthy of course, but who knows the reasons.

Is that Kyme’s current job?

Edited November 19, 2023 by Ubiquitous1984

[grailkeeper]

Has GW had a multi author series of books that hasn't meandered? The Beast series was the first I can think of, following the success of the Heresy. It was pretty all over the place. Now this series. Are there any I'm missing? Would the Crime books count?

[DarkChaplain]

I wouldn't call Crime a series. None of the books have gotten sequels aside from short stories in anthologies / the Baggit & Clodde audio drama -> novel thing. There's nothing to meander when you introduce each novel as "a [character] novel" as if you were setting up a series for them, just to seemingly not commission a follow-up for any of them. Zidarov, B&C, Noctis & Lux, Quillon Drask... all of them are sitting there, waiting.

[Noserenda]

Yeah synching up the Studio and black library would have been a better idea than recent history perhaps. You could still keep it a coherent series by having the same Rogue trader force or something involved in each warzone as they travel around, you can move forces in and out of their retinue as needed and see all kinds of horrible places, use the ship or rogue trader name for the series and it can operate otherwise very similarly to the Dawn of fire concept, even use similar metaplot! 

It does mean the authors/editors need to be hitting tighter deadlines though if you need a book to definitely come tight on the heels of a 6 month campaign starting.

[Petitioner's City]

7 hours ago, Noserenda said:

Yeah synching up the Studio and black library would have been a better idea than recent history perhaps. You could still keep it a coherent series by having the same Rogue trader force or something involved in each warzone as they travel around, you can move forces in and out of their retinue as needed and see all kinds of horrible places, use the ship or rogue trader name for the series and it can operate otherwise very similarly to the Dawn of fire concept, even use similar metaplot! 

It does mean the authors/editors need to be hitting tighter deadlines though if you need a book to definitely come tight on the heels of a 6 month campaign starting.

 

I would say that sounds suspiciously like the Publications period, however, which nearly ruined BL.

 

Authors like their independence to explore their own interests, not be bound necessarily by studio narrative requirements. 

[DukeLeto69]

2 hours ago, Petitioner's City said:

 

I would say that sounds suspiciously like the Publications period, however, which nearly ruined BL.

 

Authors like their independence to explore their own interests, not be bound necessarily by studio narrative requirements. 

Agree. That is why I would advocate NOT producing books about the current game playing setting. Let it settle. BL has 10,000 years to play with. Leave the current period to the studio.

 

Let the authors bring to life an evocative one liner in a codex or rulebook set in the past.

 

Better still have several “settings” such as HH, Apostasy, 40,000-41,000 but not the latest 10-20 years?

Edited November 20, 2023 by DukeLeto69

[Petitioner's City]

1 hour ago, DukeLeto69 said:

Agree. That is why I would advocate NOT producing books about the current game playing setting. Let it settle. BL has 10,000 years to play with. Leave the current period to the studio.

 

Let the authors bring to life an evocative one liner in a codex or rulebook set in the past.

 

Better still have several “settings” such as HH, Apostasy, 40,000-41,000 but not the latest 10-20 years?

 

I think it's more like, let authors pick whatever they like - contemporary, historical, future, timeless. What matters is the text itself. So many of the best works of recent years are "contemporary", with that affecting or contributing to the stories told; equally others - Penitent, Anarch, Fehervari's work, etc - continue to be "historical", set long before the present of any edition of 40k.

 

There's nothing inherently bad about a pre- or post- Gathering Storm timeframe, and also no need for things to be "in continuity" or even referential to other works either.

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Petitioner's City

[Noserenda]

The publications period had a myriad of sins, but none of them were really related to synching up one series. 

Authors pursuing their own interests to the detriment of the setting is exactly the problem a lot of the long running series have though, and thats what i was looking to fix. 

[System Sound]

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/11/22/unpack-the-conspiracies-of-the-vaults-of-terra-with-a-special-edition-box-set/

 

Vaults of Terra series is getting a box set this time.

[skylerboodie]

9 minutes ago, System Sound said:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2023/11/22/unpack-the-conspiracies-of-the-vaults-of-terra-with-a-special-edition-box-set/

 

Vaults of Terra series is getting a box set this time.

 

Whilst it's nice for a decent series to get a nice boxset like this, it is a bit of a kick in the teeth to those who have already bought the limited edition of Book One and hardbacks of Book Two and Three, for them now to include two exclusive stories in an expensive (c.£95) limited set like this; only 1,500 copies. Maybe one day there'll be an omnibus of course, but having to wait 2-3 (?) more years isn't exactly a thank you to readers who supported the books when originally released!

 

Am pleased for Chris Wraight's extra payday though, quality writer.

[Nagashsnee]

It must be mine!!! Cost be damned its one of the best they ever put out, 

[Casual Heresy]

Having just finished Dark City (my reading backlog is worse than my miniature one, and that's saying something!) I'm sorely tempted, but need to be good and be content with my hardback copies.

 

Speaking of Mr Wraight, has anyone else noticed that Dawn of Fire: Sea of Souls LE is still availble to buy online? I haven't seen many on Ebay either, which is great since scalpers aren't getting a payday from it, but -not a good sign for the serise at all.

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Casual Heresy

[cheywood]

12 minutes ago, Casual Heresy said:

Having just finished Dark City (my reading backlog is worse than my miniature one, and that's saying something!) I'm sorely tempted, but need to be good and be content with my hardback copies.

 

Speaking of Mr Wraight, has anyone else noticed that Dawn of Fire: Sea of Souls LE is still availble to buy online? I haven't seen many on Ebay either, which is great since scalpers aren't getting a payday from it, but -not a good sign for the serise at all.

 

At this point I think it’s pretty clear DoF is a dud, but they’re not gonna cancel a flagship series midway through, especially when it’s setting up subsequent books. Hopefully the low sales show BL they can’t just pump out bland, poorly coordinated works and expect good results. The fanbase’s fervor for new lore let them get away with a lot of mediocrity in the Heresy. 

[skylerboodie]

Poor scalpers still haven't figured out how to navigate the new website...

[Nagashsnee]

20 minutes ago, skylerboodie said:

Poor scalpers still haven't figured out how to navigate the new website...

The dark city le will be the first proper test of this on the new site. I honestly hope its true, but if fear scalpers just learned DoF is not a money maker. 

[System Sound]

53 minutes ago, skylerboodie said:

Poor scalpers still haven't figured out how to navigate the new website...

It's is horrendously bad to navigate. So automating bots for it is still not easy. Doubt it gonna last long.

[chevalierdulys]

It's awful the website. Who designed this crap?

[System Sound]

9 minutes ago, chevalierdulys said:

It's awful the website. Who designed this crap?

Probably the people in charge of BL marketing.

[theSpirea]

1 hour ago, System Sound said:

It's is horrendously bad to navigate. So automating bots for it is still not easy. Doubt it gonna last long.

Doesn't really change much for bots, in the worst case you can feed it a direct link for the specific item and for the EU/NA zones you can get it ahead of the time. The check-out flow didn't really change much either.

 

After the Dark Coil, another set I'm going for. I'm glad I resisted and didn't bother trying to get The Carrion Throne LE second-hand. I had a feeling BL wouldn't continue the remaining LEs in that style. The same I think it's going to happen for the Watchers of the Throne series and Fabius Bile.