Post originally by Robin Low at 2003-12-07 05:39:53
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Hi

I feel that this message needs responding to. However, I should point out my biases. Firstly, I've had one article in Warpstone, as well as an NPC piece in Legion, the irregular newsletter for subscribers. I have another article on the way, and have recently started doing proof-reading for the magazine. That said, I was a regular Warpstone reader before I started writing and my first article resulted from a letter of mine that Warpstone printed, in which I was particularly scathing of an article. Biased I may be, but I'm still capable of finding fault with the magazine.

This is the first outright condemnation of Warpstone I've seen, and I subscibe to the WFRP mailing list and keep an eye on the discussions at the forums at Critical Hit and Strike-to-Stun. All I can say is that there are a lot of people out there who like Warpstone and get a great deal out of it. Also, since Hogshead decided to distribute it and allow it an independent editorial voice, Hogshead must have liked what it was doing and saying. James Wallis, who used to own and run Hogshead, is bloody demanding and not the sort of guy to involve himself with any old rubbish, especially if it was going to damage his interests.

Warpstone has never whined about GW's constant changes to the Warhammer World, although it has pointed out the contradictions and changes between Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. This seems only sensible, as many fans of WFRP (who have nothing directly to do with Warpstone) have serious problems with the way GW constantly revises the background. Just check out the mailing list and the forums I mentioned for evidence of this. WFRP fans in general may be having a pointless debate, but Warpstone just points out where they might find problems with new material.

Stunningly tedious articles? You mention 'Coins of the Old World' (actually called 'The Simple Coin'). On the face of it, it may not sound like the stuff of high adventure. On the other hand, money is pretty important to most people. People fight for it, people steal it, people spend their entire working lives trying to earn more of it. In WFRP there is a Forger career. Part of the classic 'Death on the Reik' sequence of 'The Enemy Within' campaign involves the PCs becoming river traders. This is in important topic, and the article serves to highlight issues of minting, commerce and banking, providing potential plots. Actual decriptions of coins in the article boils down to a relatively few lines toward the end.

Even if this is a boring article, you fail to mention a long series of articles describing the city of Talabheim, which is stuffed with locations, NPCs and plot ideas. Or artcles such as 'Clerics of Shallya' and 'The Church of Sigmar', which develop important parts of the Old World that have never been examined before in any depth. Or regular scenarios, most of which avoid using Chaos as the principle plot device over and over again. Or 'The Sea of Claws', which develops and describes the vast coastline around the north of The Empire, Kislev and Norsca, and is so full of plot hooks it hurts. Or 'Scaled Down', looking at the Lizardmen outside Lustria. There have been articles written by Anthony Ragan, who wrote the Marienburg sourcebook for Hogshead (Ragan was also guest editor one issue) and Alfred Nunez Jr., who wrote 'Stone and Steel', Hogshead's Dwarf sourcebook. Graeme Davis, who co-created the Fimir and wrote for 'The Enemy Within' campaign, also contributed some light-hearted articles. There are many other good articles, which I don't list for the sake of brevity.

There is an argument that Warpstone could do with a bit more fantasy in it, and those involved are aware of it. However, Warpstone has produced a great deal of material that develops the setting and institutions of the Warhammer World, providing characters, locations and plots. On balance, Warpstone has made the Old World a hell of lot more credible and interesting than it was before. The fact that Warpstone (non-profit, amateur, free-time) has survived suggests that a lot of WFRP players and GMs love it and keep buying it, which they wouldn't do unless they found that it was interesting, useful and good value for money.

Regards

Robin