Well, it’s about time I wrote something, and THIS http://www.iii.co.uk/news-opinion/richard-beddard/games-workshop-agm%3A-relentless-profit-machine is a fascinating article.. a visit to the Games Workshop 2015 AGM written from the point of view of an investor rather than a fan (thank you to the folks at Dakka Dakka for linking this).
I’d long held the suspicion that 40k largely sells on the value of it’s miniatures and it’s background far more so than the gaming experience itself – I haven’t played since 2nd Ed in the early ’90s, but always found it a bit underwhelming. Epic was a far more fun system, far less rigid and as such influenced Apocalypse: Earth’s development more.. the endless stat lines and special rules clogged 40k so much, as did the IGO – UGO system, and I wanted to create a game that was fast, furious and above all fun. I’ve never played an A:E game that didn’t write a thrill a minute story with sudden reversals of fortune and hugely cinematic twists as tactical mistakes are brutally punished and utterly unexpected events force carefully laid plans to be thrown away and new ones improvised. I can’t remember any 40k games back with school friends that did that (admittedly, the game has probably changed a LOT since my 2nd Ed days, but still..).. it was always the look, the visual aesthetic that captured me. Those gorgeous pics in White Dwarf, and my favourite factions (Orks and the Guard… never was much of an SM fan, or Eldar) always looked so tantalising. Just a shame that the game never matched the promise of the minis.
To those unfamiliar with Skinflint Games, I’m just one guy (with the help of a few friends, online and IRL) wanting to make a cheap, fun, easy to play game that engages the players imaginations and provides a rollercoaster ride of entertainment for the hour or two it takes to play. The models I’ve scaled for are cheaply available 1/72 minis from companies like Matchbox, Revell and Airfix, and my discovery of the incredible world of papercraft minis out there means the investment needed is minimal. There are no special dice, and a regular dining table is plenty of room at this scale. Therefore this is the perfect “starter” game for anyone new to the hobby, or anyone who just wants to wind down after a long day at work by playing soldiers with his mate and not worry about the latest codex or game update, or a four figure investment in figures. The spirit of AE, and of Skinflint Games is simple – just play.
Skinflint Games 