Mantic SciFi Games News and Rumours Roundup

[bert n ernie]

It's easier to steer a wheeled vehicle than a tracked vehicle, and it's harder to bog a tracked vehicle than a wheeled vehicle. A half-track combines the advantages of both.

I wasn't thinking of that. I assumed that they would be too slow for recon(and it looked like a recon bike to me). However if it's purpose is not solely recon, then it sounds like you and Andre know of other uses for such a vehicle.

I honestly think that these vehicles do look like they are supposed to be for separate reaces. The Humvee certainly doesn't mix with the others, nor does the bubble walker. The trike with tracks could, feasibly be from the same army as the Thundercats moving base, but the base would need some adjustment.

I personally think these sketches aren't too bad, but could produce some very nice vehicles. I'm just worried that they will be manned by Space Orks and Space Elves. I kind of like the idea of the Space Dwarves, and since they aren't technically a GW range anymore I see no problem with them being made.

[Darkover]

About the "dog-tank": Considering the fact that we all don't know the real size of this thing: maybe it is an infantry-sized robot?

This thing doesn't necessarily have to be a huge tank, it would also work as a small hunter-robot (anybody remember the Doom movie and the demon with the wheelchair?).

In that case I would however reduce the size of the track-section significantly.

[Llew]

I'm assuming it's infantry sized. (If it were bigger, then it would be really silly.) It's possible that it may even be around the size of a dwarven mastiff in which case it's a pet, not really a unit. I'd be fine with that, as it's more of a curiosity then.

[Max Jet]

Not really liking any of this so far.

All 4 sketches each look like they're supposed to belong to a different army, the humvee just looks like a modern truck, the other 3.. I'm not sure what's going on with them, but none of them have a particulaly appealing design.

I mean, are we seriously going to get a plastic dogtank kit? Out of all the things mantic could make with it's limited resources?

I don't want to sound whiny in any way, but I have to agree a 100%.

This is pretty dissapointing, it lacks consistence, direction, even logic in the design. I hope this is more of a joke a la april fools fishmen army.

To be more constructive.

- Don't just transport your fantasy units in a science fiction set. The moment 40k surpassed fantasy in sale numbers where, when it stopped being fantasy only with more guns.

- Get a view for the overall design. Shall it be a science fiction game, steampunk, cyberpunk, techno fantasy. Don't just mix anything all around.

- Please don't just mix existing things... no 1938 half tracks with fantasy dwarfs on it.. no robo dogs with tracks... please!

[Sparda]

To be more constructive.

- Don't just transport your fantasy units in a science fiction set. The moment 40k surpassed fantasy in sale numbers where, when it stopped being fantasy only with more guns.

- Get a view for the overall design. Shall it be a science fiction game, steampunk, cyberpunk, techno fantasy. Don't just mix anything all around.

- Please don't just mix existing things... no 1938 half tracks with fantasy dwarfs on it.. no robo dogs with tracks... please!

Agree on all three points. I feel these just have to be brainstorming for ideas. I hope this game doesn't fall into stereotypical Sci-Fi and is something more unique than other games out there.

[Da Eavy]

I'm highly impressed with the content of these sci-fi concepts so far!
Bring me a Steam Bear and I'll be a very happy Dwarf player indeed.
I was grinning ear to 'ere when I first saw them!
Bring it on!

[Darnok]

As always with Mantic: I'll wait and see. Mantic still has to give me something worth my money - apart from their ghouls and zombies - but there is always another chance with the next release. If this goes more towards the direction of the bubble walker (like it!) and the humvee, and less towards the dog-tank (uggh...) and the wheelchair-dwarf... I'll wait and see.

[InsideReticle]

I'm glad Mantic is expanding their business, but I really hope that 1.) this doesn't slow their releases for the kings of war lines, and 2.) that they realize that sci-fi has to be believable, where fantasy does not (necessarily).

[Wolflord Havoc]

Hmmm interesting

For Humans I think the Vehicles and Tanks from Crysis should be a good starting point as they all looked like the 'next step' (or 3) - and if you are going to transport military uinits across space then they have to be robust, light and probably the best that money can buy! They are not going to transport Shermans! And battlesuits please (not Power armor or battlemechs)

Perhaps for Dwarfs in Space - Walkers emphisise the 'mining' aspect along with the fact that they are artisans so utiltarian meets built to last "This was my fathers heavy assault walker and his before that..." etc - a six legged heavy armoured unit equaly suitable for mining an asteroid or assaulting a trench line. They should be Warrior / Traders - for them "war is just an extension of business" and their kit should reflect this.

Orks in Space - looted and/or handed down simple designs that have served for generations. Adept at using a conquered worlds machinery to their own ends - one Half track may have a human truck engine while the other has a gravitic generator ripped out of a Dwarf mobile rig - externally they would look the same.

As a range they should I think come from a 'practical' stance - i.e. would modern proffesional Human nano suited infantry carry swords into battle?

Well thats my 2 minor currency units worth

[forevermore]

I have been looking at the Mantic Fantasy line, and I am as worried as some here that they would be inclined to simply "bolt-on" sci-fi bits. But, I don't think this would really be possible, I mean, nearly all the plastics they have have shields attached to them which make them look rather odd carrying a generic sci-fi gun. so maybe the sketch of the dwarf is simply for scale only?

[rodmillard]

I have been looking at the Mantic Fantasy line, and I am as worried as some here that they would be inclined to simply "bolt-on" sci-fi bits. But, I don't think this would really be possible, I mean, nearly all the plastics they have have shields attached to them which make them look rather odd carrying a generic sci-fi gun. so maybe the sketch of the dwarf is simply for scale only?

Actually, the dwarfs would be very easy to do as a hybrid kit - you would just need to include some suitable sci-fi weapons (and maybe backpacks)with the Ironwatch kit, likewise a putting an suitable sci-fi cannon barrel on the plastic dwarf artillery kit.

My concern over hybrid kits is not that they wouldn't work, its that (a) hybrid kits are roughly twice the RRP of pure plastic kits, which would negate one of Mantic's biggest selling points, and (b) Hybrid kits are traditionally marketed at experienced modellers, whereas the introductory ranges for a new game should be accessible to as many players as possible.

IMO Mantic would be shooting themselves in the foot if they used Hybrid kits in the early stages, but there is nothing wrong with adding them later (as they did with the abyssal dwarf range for KoW)

[Darsc Zacal]

Okay, I don't like seeing people continue to worry about this. Here's something to alleviate a few concerns.

From sources in the retail trade, it's been reliably rumoured that Mantics initial SciFi kits will NOT be hybrid kits. I'm confident in this.

I can't confirm anything beyond that however.

[bert n ernie]

To assuage our worries even further can you confirm that they will not have Orcs in space?

[Darsc Zacal]

To assuage our worries even further can you confirm that they will not have Orcs in space?

Unfortunately I haven't yet been able to confirm that one way or another.

[Comrade Wraith]

Orks in Space - looted and/or handed down simple designs that have served for generations. Adept at using a conquered worlds machinery to their own ends - one Half track may have a human truck engine while the other has a gravitic generator ripped out of a Dwarf mobile rig - externally they would look the same.

Whilst I agree with you on the humans and dwarves, I'd like to see a different take on space ork society other than the usual glorified scavengers. Retaining their fury and violence, but perhaps in a more ordered way... a highly millitaristic society intent on conquering for glory (as well as all the usual things like rescources). Klingon type thing possibly.

Super-religious orks could also be interesting...

[eastern barbarian]

Comrade Wraith- I am totally with you on that. Or perhaps nomadic race, as you mentioned highly militarised and actually very intelligent as well- kind of space vikings
I love GW ork concept, but mantic wouldn't go wrong trying to do something slightly different here.

[hybridreality]

Well considering their fantasy orcs are a lot more about proper warfare rather than the comical GW orcs, it would make sense for their Sci Fi ones to not go with the cartoony idea.

[Wolflord Havoc]

Whilst I agree with you on the humans and dwarves, I'd like to see a different take on space ork society other than the usual glorified scavengers. Retaining their fury and violence, but perhaps in a more ordered way... a highly millitaristic society intent on conquering for glory (as well as all the usual things like rescources). Klingon type thing possibly.

Super-religious orks could also be interesting...

Have you read a novel called Orcs by Stan Nicholls?

In that the Orcs are effectively Slave Warriors, smart and honorable but sworn to their queen who is not nearly as Honorable!

Perhaps a race like the....(trysdesperatelytorememberthegeneticallybui ltwarriorsoftheDeltaQuadrentoffofDeepspacenine)... .JemHadar - only their god like master race has died off or ascended leaving them to find thier own way in the universe.

Maybe they abhor any form of slavery (having been unwilling slaves to their master races will for countless millenia)...any form including what they percieve as slaves of the mega corporations of earth (masses working for subsistant wages etc) and the caste system of the Dwarves. However their motives are misunderstood or properganda is used to portray them as the blood thirsty killing machines that we know them to be....!

This almost religious need to free all peoples in the universe has brought them into mass conflict with the other races. These races believe them to be the evil creatures from space and so offer no quarter (nor expect any) when battle is joined and because the Orks eat women and children etc ("its true it was on the datanet") or other nasty and depraved acts there can be no peace with the Orc.

[bert n ernie]

That's a vast improvement of what I feared was coming to be honest. Personally I have always felt that the Orks in Space that 40k has is just a tad too fantasy, and completely misses the grimdark nature of the setting, along with going against a standard sci-fi setting. I think I'd be more ok with something like this.
Of course then the only reason to make the bodies directly Ork-like instead of something else is so that they can sell them as 40k Orks.
I'm sure that Mantic will have to do things a little differently in sci-fi as the archetypes that are so readily recognizable (and thus not protect-able) in Warhammer might not be so easy to copy in 40k (GW's more unique and protected universe).

[Comrade Wraith]

Have you read a novel called Orcs by Stan Nicholls?

In that the Orcs are effectively Slave Warriors, smart and honorable but sworn to their queen who is not nearly as Honorable!

Perhaps a race like the....(trysdesperatelytorememberthegeneticallybui ltwarriorsoftheDeltaQuadrentoffofDeepspacenine)... .JemHadar - only their god like master race has died off or ascended leaving them to find thier own way in the universe.

Maybe they abhor any form of slavery (having been unwilling slaves to their master races will for countless millenia)...any form including what they percieve as slaves of the mega corporations of earth (masses working for subsistant wages etc) and the caste system of the Dwarves. However their motives are misunderstood or properganda is used to portray them as the blood thirsty killing machines that we know them to be....!

This almost religious need to free all peoples in the universe has brought them into mass conflict with the other races. These races believe them to be the evil creatures from space and so offer no quarter (nor expect any) when battle is joined and because the Orks eat women and children etc ("its true it was on the datanet") or other nasty and depraved acts there can be no peace with the Orc.

I have not, but thanks for the suggestion I have looked it up and it seems my sort of thing. Cheers

Now that's a wonderfully innovative concept... you should write that down somewhere . I like the tragic, misunderstood element as well as the arrogance and ignorance that it would bring out in other races causing you to question the ways of supposedly "good" civilisations.