Overview of the Old World

[j_dean80]

So it's been a fun time with the book, thanks for the recommendation. I also skimmed through screenshots of 3rd edition (they really did try to fit the entire back-catalog of fantasy creatures in there!).

I've done a rough draft of "my" version of the world. While not necessary for writing quests, it was a fun time nonetheless... though I was missing my Fimirs in the later guide. It was fun to see how many of the generic fantasy ideas I was using were already present in some form or another, or that I could alter in interesting ways.

Also, I didn't see any insect-men, so I guess I'm just stealing that from D&D and of course Bigfoot from the historical documents (j/k).

The Creature from Creature Hunt (The Slumbering Monster) is an insect-man (according to the illustration).

[Kurgan]

So it's been a fun time with the book, thanks for the recommendation. I also skimmed through screenshots of 3rd edition (they really did try to fit the entire back-catalog of fantasy creatures in there!).

I've done a rough draft of "my" version of the world. While not necessary for writing quests, it was a fun time nonetheless... though I was missing my Fimirs in the later guide. It was fun to see how many of the generic fantasy ideas I was using were already present in some form or another, or that I could alter in interesting ways.

Also, I didn't see any insect-men, so I guess I'm just stealing that from D&D and of course Bigfoot from the historical documents (j/k).

The Creature from Creature Hunt (The Slumbering Monster) is an insect-man (according to the illustration).

Oh, was that illustration official? (thought it was fan-made) If so, cool...! Found the link... I see what you mean!

[Pancho]

What do you guys make of the idea that Rogar and Sigmar must have been the same person, just going by a different name?

[j_dean80]

So it's been a fun time with the book, thanks for the recommendation. I also skimmed through screenshots of 3rd edition (they really did try to fit the entire back-catalog of fantasy creatures in there!).

I've done a rough draft of "my" version of the world. While not necessary for writing quests, it was a fun time nonetheless... though I was missing my Fimirs in the later guide. It was fun to see how many of the generic fantasy ideas I was using were already present in some form or another, or that I could alter in interesting ways.

Also, I didn't see any insect-men, so I guess I'm just stealing that from D&D and of course Bigfoot from the historical documents (j/k).

The Creature from Creature Hunt (The Slumbering Monster) is an insect-man (according to the illustration).

Oh, was that illustration official? (thought it was fan-made) If so, cool...! Found the link... I see what you mean!

I found this mini to look very similar:

[Kurgan]

I was gonna say...! In my version it's an alchemical uber-mutant!

[Pancho]

Quite interesting news that Games Workshop next Warhammer Fantasy release, named “The Old World”, is going to be set sometime in the century immediately before the Great War against Chaos. It will take place during the time of the three Emperors, not long before the rise of Magnus the Pious as the one true ruler.
So if Cael Darkhollow and others here are correct about Heroquest being set during the reign of that Emperor (and there is good cause to accept that theory in my opinion), then the new Warhammer Fantasy will be much closer to the chronology of the old Heroquest (but still not quite overlapping).

[j_dean80]

Quite interesting news that Games Workshop next Warhammer Fantasy release, named “The Old World”, is going to be set sometime in the century immediately before the Great War against Chaos. It will take place during the time of the three Emperors, not long before the rise of Magnus the Pious as the one true ruler.
So if Carl Darkhollow was correct about Heroquest being set during the reign of that Emperor (and there is good cause to accept that theory in my opinion), then the new Warhammer Fantasy will be much closer to the chronology of the old Heroquest (but still not quite overlapping).

That should help with some new storylines setting up Quests. I’m sure the minis will still be the over detailed overly large weaponed types though.

Will this bring back Fimir I wonder?

[Pancho]

Quite interesting news that Games Workshop next Warhammer Fantasy release, named “The Old World”, is going to be set sometime in the century immediately before the Great War against Chaos. It will take place during the time of the three Emperors, not long before the rise of Magnus the Pious as the one true ruler.
So if Carl Darkhollow was correct about Heroquest being set during the reign of that Emperor (and there is good cause to accept that theory in my opinion), then the new Warhammer Fantasy will be much closer to the chronology of the old Heroquest (but still not quite overlapping).

That should help with some new storylines setting up Quests. I’m sure the minis will still be the over detailed overly large weaponed types though.

Will this bring back Fimir I wonder?

I agree, I don’t think I’ll buy any of the minis as they probably won’t be in the same style as my Heroquest, Mordheim or Warhammer stuff (my armies are a mix of 4th to 6th edition). I’m a bit more optimistic about the game itself though, could be interesting. I’m just glad they are revisiting such an interesting era of the timeline.

I’d be surprised if they bring back the Fimir though. The original lore is problematic for some people. Even if they ignore all that, the game looks like it’ll be set only in the Old World itself, and the few mentions we did have of Fimir in the later years of WFB seemed to retcon them as a rare and mysterious species living in the swamps of far off Albion.

[Daedalus]

. . . Both of my Elf and Barbarian quest packs say by Milton Bradley developed with Games Workshop right on the boxes (rear.) . . .

Interesting take that I've never considered before. Sure, it's possible both of the NA QUEST packs were originally conceived with GW in advance. I had assumed "developed with Games Workshop" referred by agreement automatically to all HQ products related to the Game System (which is also mentioned immediately after on the box.)

After rereading your post, it occurs to me it sounds like you are implying that Games Workshop and Milton Bradley were no longer working together by the time of the North American only quest releases Barbarian and Elf in 1992?
I've seen no evidence whatsoever that they disolved their companies' collaboration before the entirety of HeroQuest products were released, Battlemasters is also MB/GW in 1992, and White Dwarf #145 with two quests for MB games also published in 1992.

The back of the Elf Quest and Barbarian Quest packs says:
By Milton Bradley
(C.)1992 Milton Bradley company. All Rights Reserved.
Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101
A Division of Hasbro, Inc. Made in the U.S.A.
4236 Color of parts may vary.
Developed with
Games Workshop(tm)
doesn't sound like they were no longer working together or it was designed in advance to me.
A similar statement is on all of the Battlemasters and its expansions boxes too, except it gives MB, Hasbro international and mentions Citadel miniatures in the copyright info, also all released in 1992. White Dwarf 145, 1992 says The Eyes of Chaos is a quest for MB games' HeroQuest.

I vaguely recall discussion here on the forums before asserting that GW and MB split before the Barbarian and Elf Quest packs, is there any evidence to support that?

I'm not aware of when GW and MB stopped collaborating, but I'm also not sure Games Workshop's mention on the back of nearly every MB product necessitates GW's continuing input on it. It could be that "Developed with Games Workshop" was set as a contractual obligation for all HQ products since GW controlled the Trademark for Hero Quest since 1989.

The Japanese Hero Quest was derived independently in 1991. Lots of new rules, a new map, and a new backstory. On the back of the box: "Developed with Games Workshop". The Legend of Sorisil was released in 1994. Gremlin Graphics made whole new Heroes, monsters (some D&D inspired), a map and backstory on their own. On the back of the Box: "HeroQuest was developed in association with Games Workshop." I don't see new GW input in these products, but I recognize acknowledgement of GW's original elements.

It's less certain that the NA Quest Packs were developed without GW involvement, though there are certain indications. The preliminary sketches of Don Kuecker and Rick Grayson (both working for MB-US) show they were the artistic designers of the miniatures. The UK-produced Marvel Winter Special also mentions WoM and AotOH specifically as upcoming expansions of 1992, but it neglects the EQP and BQP. This doesn't exclude the possibility that GW had some formative influence on the NA Quest Packs, but in my opinion GW's contribution isn't clear.

[cornixt]

I’d be surprised if they bring back the Fimir though. The original lore is problematic for some people. Even if they ignore all that, the game looks like it’ll be set only in the Old World itself, and the few mentions we did have of Fimir in the later years of WFB seemed to retcon them as a rare and mysterious species living in the swamps of far off Albion.

Did you see the Forge World fimir models released a decade ago? They recently made a ton of their models OOP so you can't see them on the website any more, but they had proper rules for AoS.