OK...Its looking like AoS is getting a GW point system.

[Threejacks]

From Bols--

 

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2016/03/bombshell-games-workshop-returns-to-organized-play.html

 

GW has a Campaign system for AoS in the pipeline with some sort of point system included.

 

Excerpt-

 

"GW will be returning to Organized Play!

 

Details of the Organized Play program are sketchy, and I’m sure the full program will be rolled out over the next few months. But here are the broad brushstrokes of what was reported from the seminar:

•The Program will include Organized Play Systems for both Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar.

•There will be a “campaign system” for each game.

•Prize support is a part of the system.

•The system will engage players at the Store, FLGS, and Convention level.

 

and the big one….

•The Age of Sigmar campaign will include some type of “points” system!

ageofsigmar-eternal

This is HUGE NEWS! Games Workshop slowly but surely pulled out of the organized play scene over a handful of years roughly 5-6 years back leaving FLGSs and the entire tournament scene to fend for themselves. Their absence has been keenly felt in an industry with all other major manufacturers pushing forward full steam ahead on the Organized Play front. Privateer Press has a fantastic system up and running with new exciting annual league rules, unique prizes and evolving styles of play. FFG is charging in like a bull with organized play systems for all of their growing systems with lavish prize support (remember Massing at Sullust). Outfits like WizKids do the same with exclusive Organized Play models released each year.

 

There are a lot of directions GW can go in rolling out an Organized Play system, but it looks after years wandering in the desert that they are coming home – and with a points system for Age of Sigmar!"

 

 

Hope its good!

[Don't Panic]

huh.  i mean this is great news for AoS if true, but its super odd why they are doing a complete 180 after their further distancing approach with AoS structure in comparison to 8th whfb.  seems to me their approach has kinda failed and they are backpedaling as they see other companies with success in their involvements with their games.  regardless, its super good news i feel for AoS fans!

[K_DUB]

Strange times indeed! Wonder what all this will look like in a year? Does the CEO actually care now? Have to wonder...

[Threejacks]

At this point I wouldnt be looking for them to do a real extensive point system for the game.Keep in mind that most all of the fan comps now are rather mild, yet direct translations from the stats that GW has put on each warscroll,a few go the extra steps to deal with unique unit/model capabilities.Still even with that,using any fan comp makes for a pretty well balanced game so they dont have to go very deep into the process.

 

Its very possible that the game itself has been in a sort of "Open Beta" since its release last Summer,GW just couldnt call it that as it would mean that they would then have to actually maintain a reporting system and well,,,talk to its players.That in turn would cause several instances of spontaneous combustion at GW so yeah,,I think they did the right thing if thats the case.

 

Anyhow,I have a feeling it may be a very minimal just based on their first actuall sponsored comp system from the "school league" rules that came out last summer.Either way its exciting news:)

[WestRider]

This reminds me of some of the comments SadPanda made around the StealerCult release. At one point, he was talking about how far out GW works on big projects, saying that something on the scale of the AoS starter would have been finalized close to a year before the actual release. If that's actually the case, we're just now starting to get into the time frame where we'll start seeing Rountree's changes starting to happen.

[Malakithe]

An 'official' points system wouldn't be bad since everyone is already using some kind of system anyway. Just a simple base system. This unit costs this...and then branch out to 'if this game is this size you can include up to this' or whatever

[Malakithe]

I'm agreeing with these guys:

While I appreciate what you and others have been doing to make community built balance systems, Chris Nye, GW doing one is good news, because now there can be a standard widely accepted. Right now since there are so many varieties of balancing systems and so many cycling in and out of popularity, it makes oganized play and practicing for it tumultuous at best. Not very attractive. AoS needs more than a beer-n-pretzels format to survive, and this is GW knowing that and taking the right steps to it. Will it be balanced? Most likely not, but at least it's a universal standard.

 

Firstly, I've learnt over the years to pretty much never trust anything posted by the likes of Bell of Lost Souls.

 

Secondly, even if GW do implement "some sort of points system" it will most likely be similar to the Schools Tournament rules they already released, which have very loose rules like 'pick 15 models and have fun'. I really doubt they'd do a total u-turn and bring back a full points system as the de facto comp

[Threejacks]

It is posted at Bols but the info actually came out of the seminar they linked to,so I dont think its just one persons ramblings or hearsay.

 

And yeah,I know Auticus is pretty bummed about it as his Azyr system is actually pretty solid and he put a ton of work into both building and maintaining it.I know that whatever GW does I still plan to try and run his Azyr Empires system even if I have to adapt its points system myself,,though I do think he will still work with it.

 

The main concern now is that if the game does recieve an "official" point and competative play format,that the game will quickly devolve into a min/maxed cesspoll of players only running the current netbuilds.This would pretty much destroy alot of what AoS is as a casual game.

 

On the positive side of things...how about a campaign system that works in a similar way that the ongoing DnD cycles work with the Adventure league type of support.Players register armies in an online system used for recording the players performance and battle outcomes,then meet up with others to play games.Games could be themed and even played with battleplans released for the current campaign.Points would be used as a guideline to building armies and such though I still think it should be a rather loose system,like SDK pool or Azyr.

I can really see GW wanting to go this route,they see the many years of success that WotC has had with DnD and we all know,as AoS players that our armies are very much like an rpg "Warband" of sorts.

[dkieft]

I hesitate to care. I mean, a point system would certainly be nice, but it's too little too late for me I think. And quite honestly, they tossed organized play to the wind and built their lines with out it in mind, so:

 

A) Will this system be well thought out and balanced? Or just a simple tack on rule set that is quick dirty and not too well thought out? I mean I would hope for the former... but... GW....

 

B) Why should the organized play community accept GW back into it? Sure people playing AoS will enjoy new bits to play with, but why should communities toss their own systems for GW's? And what about 3-4 years down the road? Will GW ditch it again? Impose restrictions? Who knows. It just doesn't seem like a safe investment.

 

GW is like that ex-girlfriend that wants to get you back after realizing the guy she cheated with is an [Clown].

[Malakithe]

I think everyone will accept a GW system as a baseline at a minimum. Something to base local communities own house rules and campaigns/tourneys around.

 

There may be some flaming on the net but let's be honest. Everyone was attacking and flaming on GW for the current no-points-do-whatever-you-want-no-balance system. Which in turn created half a dozen separate community built systems. No matter what GW comes out with will probably be accepted as the global standard.

 

Only a couple months ago the group at GG swapped comps at least 3 times lol so yeah I'm all for minimum standard baseline for a comp.

[Threejacks]

I hesitate to care. I mean, a point system would certainly be nice, but it's too little too late for me I think. And quite honestly, they tossed organized play to the wind and built their lines with out it in mind, so:

 

A) Will this system be well thought out and balanced? Or just a simple tack on rule set that is quick dirty and not too well thought out? I mean I would hope for the former... but... GW....

 

B) Why should the organized play community accept GW back into it? Sure people playing AoS will enjoy new bits to play with, but why should communities toss their own systems for GW's? And what about 3-4 years down the road? Will GW ditch it again? Impose restrictions? Who knows. It just doesn't seem like a safe investment.

 

GW is like that ex-girlfriend that wants to get you back after realizing the guy she cheated with is an [big bad swear word].

You bring up some good points:)

 

First off,I think there are those that believe that an official point system will make the game palatable to them and thus they will then try it out will still find it not to their liking.Points will not change the fact that AoS currently is pretty much a rather basic kind of 40k game play with fantasy figures.Its certainly not devoid of strategy and tactics but still lacks some complexity layers that many gamers crave in their games.

 

GW should have no problem making as balanced a point system as any of the top fan comps.Though even if they did make a premium point system it would still get the ire of the "lets hate on Gee Dub Brah" crowd.Funny how I never hear AoS players hating on any specific fan comp...there were some issues last summer/fall but all comps are viewed quite favorably now .Some prefer one over the other and thats a good thing I think:)

 

I think AoS players will happily try anything that GW wants us to.As to how well it grabs on only time will tell.The more competative players like those in England will likely adopt any point system for their events yet still have house rules and possibly comp adjustments.But like I mentioned in my previous post,im kinda thinking GW is moving to something like WotC has for both D&D and MTG with the online player ranking type system,this would be a huge boon to the game I think.

[Malakithe]

Wonder how far down the road it will be. I hate these in between waiting periods of rumors and paranoia lol

[dkieft]

Wonder how far down the road it will be. I hate these in between waiting periods of rumors and paranoia lol

Since it was announced at GAMA, I'd guess it will be in the next couple of months. Many years ago, I was there and got a copy of Epic about a month before release. Good times.

 

Something else I was pondering:

 

•The Program will include Organized Play Systems for both Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar.

•There will be a “campaign system” for each game.

and

 

•The Age of Sigmar campaign will include some type of “points” system!

This to me sounds like maybe the Organized play system is not the campaign and only the campaign will have a points system (I'd guess in a "add X to unit" between games type capacity). Might just be that BoLS worded it funny, but the points system may not work outside of the campaign.

[Threejacks]

Yeah theres alot of discussion on FB right now about the possibility of the points system just being for the campaign or competative formats.Also its been mentioned that GW may even use or promote one of the fan comps to use,they have done this already with the Adepticon comp system.

 

But in the end,if the point system worked well in the format of just one event or campaign,its likely that players would use it outside of that anyway.