Gnolaum
Sergeant
854 Posts
    
 | | 02/28/2006 6:03 PM |
| | http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/20060223a | |
My online store http://store.hoardsters.com
Use quick search to see scans of every stat card! | |
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drowdude
Sergeant
424 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 6:18 PM |
| | Cool. Good looking out [:)] | |
Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion I gain strength. Through strength I gain power. Through power I gain victory. Through victory my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free. - The Sith Code
Champion of Kiaransalee | |
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Benimoto
Underboss
1125 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 6:23 PM |
| | Still has the bad picture of the Bulette on page 12 though. [:)] Nice to see the rules up nice and early. | |
Champion of the Rakshasa. Check out my Mini Terrain Maker, or my new Dungeon Map Maker (under development). | |
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Kypdurron
Underboss
1206 Posts
Broken Hill
| | 02/28/2006 6:23 PM |
| | Excellent find. I wasn't expecting any more previews | |
my trade data
email
Completed trades:Nixlord,Lexander , DarkFather x2 ,minotoman38 x2, Mojoical, Smilin Irish, Smithmeg, Bugsy, Doone, gmd316,Bossman.Dargoth
Bad Trades:Chaotic Good ,
,Champion Of Plush Wrackspawn | |
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Kypdurron
Underboss
1206 Posts
Broken Hill
| | 02/28/2006 6:24 PM |
| In late 2004, the designers and developers of the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game began looking for ways to improve it beyond simply adding new figures with each set. We studied every aspect of the game, from the way it was played at a high level during the 2004 championships to the way new players approached the game in focus groups.
Our investigation revealed several key points. For instance, some aspects of the game were difficult for newcomers to understand, and these detracted from the initial experience. In other cases, certain aspects of the rules decreased the amount of time spent actually playing the game (moving figures and rolling dice) during timed tournament matches, and their negative effect outweighed their contribution.
In response, we modified the core rules of the game to better suit the needs of both the novice player and the tournament competitor. The following changes are incorporated into the D&D Miniatures Game Advanced Rules booklet which will be packed in the War Drums Starter Set (or you can download it here).
The new rulebook incorporates errata from the previous rulebook. It's been cleaned up and clarified, and some abilities have been simplified. For example, Incorporeal now calls on the attacking player to roll 11+ to hit an incorporeal creature -- the same procedure that's used for Conceal and Spell Resistance. A creature with Vulnerable ENERGY now simply takes double damage from that energy type.
Assault
Assault format is now the standard format for the D&D Miniatures Game. It serves its purpose well, encouraging early engagement while providing tactical goals beyond simply killing the opposing force. In this format, you gain victory points each round if you occupy a designated victory area.
Battlemaps
War Drums introduces pre-printed battlemaps as the default terrain type. In reviewing tournament matches, we found that skilled players might spend ten to fifteen minutes optimally placing their tiles. Many players were quite good at doing so, and in some cases, the game could be lost by a mistake during tile placement. While we appreciate the skill needed to master tile placement, we'd rather have tournament games focus on maneuvering and attacking with your warband. By using battlemaps, setup can be completed within a few minutes, increasing the average length of a timed game by one round or more.
In addition, maps remove a barrier for new players, who can focus on learning how to best use their minis instead of spending time learning to do something that, while important, isn't nearly as exciting as moving and fighting with the miniatures.
Finally, maps just looks better on the table. Increasing the visual appeal of the game can only lead to more players and thus a stronger tournament scene.
The new Starter Set comes with four maps (two map sheets), and maps from the Fantastic Locations products are also usable in skirmish play.
Warband Size
Another significant change is the reduction of the maximum warband size from 12 to 8. Our observations indicated that in tournament games, many players were filling out their warbands with four to six minis costing just 3 to 5 points. Their primary purpose was controlling activations. Fodder would usually attack fodder or act as a screen for more powerful figures. Those small battles took time away from the 'meat' without significantly affecting the outcome one way or another. This increased the length of time a round took to complete. By reducing activations to eight, warband builders have more freedom to build interesting warbands because they aren't forced to spend 12-20 points just getting sufficient activations. This change also makes low-activation warbands more competitive, which increases the variety of effective warbands. Together with potentially adding an additional round's worth of play in a timed game, the warband size limit reduction is a definite improvement.
Difficulty Rushing at Speed 2
Finally, some rules weren't changed so much as omitted. These were rules that confused new players without adding much to the game. The culprits -- speed 2 when out of command, the Difficult ability, and the rushing rules.
The Speed 2 rule didn't make sense to new players, unnecessarily slowed the game, and made commander assassination followed by a full retreat a winning strategy (not much fun, in our eyes). Starting with War Drums, that rule is eliminated. Out-of-command creatures retain their full speed.
The Difficult special ability is still in the glossary but no longer works the way it used to. The rules now state, "This creature can be put under command only by a commander whose Commander rating is equal to or greater than this creature's Difficult rating." No more forced rushing. Which brings us to Rushing -- with the change to Difficult and the removal of the Speed 2 rule, there's no need for the Rush rule to exist anymore. If you don't know what the Rush rule was, it doesn't matter, because it doesn't exist anymore!
We're confident that that these changes will make it easier for new players to join in the fun and will encourage more action at tournaments and league nights. We've been working with these rules internally for quite a while, and we all agree that they represent a change for the better. I'll be at Winter Fantasy as you read this, but please feel free to discuss these changes on our message boards. I may chime in after I get back.
Next week, the last War Drums preview will pull the shroud away from your last sneak peek before the release.
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my trade data
email
Completed trades:Nixlord,Lexander , DarkFather x2 ,minotoman38 x2, Mojoical, Smilin Irish, Smithmeg, Bugsy, Doone, gmd316,Bossman.Dargoth
Bad Trades:Chaotic Good ,
,Champion Of Plush Wrackspawn | |
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Eliminator53
Sergeant
628 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 6:24 PM |
| | Sweet, I wonder what I will be doing at school 2nite[^] | |
Champion of Tavern Stripper
Knight of Knights
Squire of Death Giants
Somethin-or-another of Big Arse Swords | |
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Duke of Spoils
greyhaze
Warlord
6920 Posts
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 6:38 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by greyhaze
I'm having deja vu, didn't we already read this?
The preview, yes.
The PDF of the rulebook, no. | |
Anson on WotC boards | |
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*censored*
glumag
Warlord
5968 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 6:48 PM |
| | and there ya go, I guess now some people can stop the lynch mob [)] | |
Trades >> Completed: 49 | Bad: Ø | Pending: 0 | Trade & talk Live on IRC! SERVER: irc.psionics.net CHANNEL: #maxminis | |
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jgsugden
Commander
4320 Posts
Walnut Creek, CA
| | 02/28/2006 7:04 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by glumag
and there ya go, I guess now some people can stop the lynch mob [)]
Can stop? Yes. Will stop? ... | |
Champion of Meepo _*_ Myztek on the Wizards Boards. _*_ (2206 DDM on 03/06/06)
Please note: The use of the  indicates an attempt at humor ... often a bad attempt.
BAD EBAY SELLERS LIST (CLICK HERE): AVOID AT ALL COSTS
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roonechr
Sergeant
604 Posts
Kansas City, MO
| | 02/28/2006 7:30 PM |
| | It is still pretty bad that they posted only as change to an article that was posted last week. No announcement, and the links on the FAQ and errata pages still point to the old one. How exactly did they expect people to find these? | |
Champion Of Hydras | |
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*censored*
glumag
Warlord
5968 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 7:39 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by roonechr
It is still pretty bad that they posted only as change to an article that was posted last week. No announcement, and the links on the FAQ and errata pages still point to the old one. How exactly did they expect people to find these?
Yeah, what were they thinking? They should've looked us up and either call us on the phone or email us so we are well prepared for the trivial events about the trivial game [eyes] | |
Trades >> Completed: 49 | Bad: Ø | Pending: 0 | Trade & talk Live on IRC! SERVER: irc.psionics.net CHANNEL: #maxminis | |
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Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6809 Posts
West Valley City, Utah
| | 02/28/2006 7:42 PM |
| See page 12:
The picture for flanking a huge creature (with Bulette being the example) is off. The Bulette appears to be taking up 12 squares instead of 9. In the diagram, the Bulette is not flanked because the creatures on the bottom are not adjacent. Just because the actual physical Bulette is in the square, doesn't mean the creature is. This is the problem that comes from making creatures larger than the base they are supposed to be on. If the Bulette mini had been turned sideways, it would have been easier to illustrate the concept of flanking. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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PatEllis15
Commander
4463 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 7:55 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Benimoto
Still has the bad picture of the Bulette on page 12 though. [:)] Nice to see the rules up nice and early.
Hmmm, is that sarcasm?
I don't find that posting the rule after the prerelease, and just 4 days before the relase to be early. Aberrations rulebook was up about a month before! That's kind of what I was expecting frankly...
Pat E | |
"Games evolve. Otherwise we'd still be pushing rocks around the dirt. What do you think the cavemen said when some dude showed up with sticks?" - Chairman7w | |
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Sir Bozak The Damned
Commander
2854 Posts
Québec
| | 02/28/2006 7:58 PM |
| | Why a last preview next week AFTER the release ? Should they not have the full gallery up on Friday ??? [|)] | |
Please donate BLOOD at http://www.monstersgame.co.uk/ac=vid&vid=11018554
Champion Of Kaz the Minotaur Knight of ALL Draconians. Squire Of ALL Constructs
The number ONE fanatic Of Dread Guards ! I own 66 !!! And the GMR1 !!!
119 completed trades so far...NB called shot: Medusa | |
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roonechr
Sergeant
604 Posts
Kansas City, MO
| | 02/28/2006 8:02 PM |
| | There isn’t a preview next week. Preview 11 is from last week; only the pdf of the rules in new today. Tomorrow is the final preview mentioned in Preview 11. | |
Champion Of Hydras | |
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roonechr
Sergeant
604 Posts
Kansas City, MO
| | 02/28/2006 8:08 PM |
| quote:
Yeah, what were they thinking? They should've looked us up and either call us on the phone or email us so we are well prepared for the trivial events about the trivial game
Yeah, you're right, they should do everything they can to mute the enthusiasm of the people who spend thousands of dollars a year on their trivial game.
I find it amusing that they first fail to do something that needs to be done and now you complain that we are ungrateful when they do it poorly.
This stuff is just not that hard.
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Champion Of Hydras | |
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Sir Bozak The Damned
Commander
2854 Posts
Québec
| | 02/28/2006 8:10 PM |
| | A preview that is a repeat, with errors...That IS bad...Very bad... | |
Please donate BLOOD at http://www.monstersgame.co.uk/ac=vid&vid=11018554
Champion Of Kaz the Minotaur Knight of ALL Draconians. Squire Of ALL Constructs
The number ONE fanatic Of Dread Guards ! I own 66 !!! And the GMR1 !!!
119 completed trades so far...NB called shot: Medusa | |
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Benimoto
Underboss
1125 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 8:38 PM |
| | I would be pretty surprised if they didn't have the new rulebook download as a seperate item, with a little item on the minis homepage tomorrow. My guess is they just linked the rulebook into the preview in preperation of having it as a seperate item, and somebody noticed it. | |
Champion of the Rakshasa. Check out my Mini Terrain Maker, or my new Dungeon Map Maker (under development). | |
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monster_slayer
Warrior
331 Posts
| | 02/28/2006 8:39 PM |
| | Sweet! Thanks. | |
Life is like a dogsled team, unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes.
Champion of the Warforged Juggernaut
Champion of the Purple Worm (Vindicated!) | |
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Most Edumacated
zenthrus
Warlord
5101 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 02/28/2006 10:11 PM |
| Quick, grab your torches and pitchforks...let's get 'em!!! [)]
Nice to see the rulebook up (albeit it's pushing the release date a bit over much). Not nice to see errors uncorrected in the pdf. QC needs a bit of a kick in the jibblies. [:D] | |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
Trade References | |
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Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6809 Posts
West Valley City, Utah
| | 02/28/2006 11:26 PM |
| | I'm glad the rulebook was posted before the release tournament. I think they have done an excellent job on the rulebook. There are many things which were previously vague that have been clarified very well. The actual rules writing was very well thought out. When I posted my previous comment about the Bulette, I didn't know it had already been pointed out. Hopefully the physical copy is corrected. I have no idea since the PDF is the only version I have seen. My compliments to the team that put the rulebook together. It is a significant improvement over the previous rulebook. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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Janos M.
Underboss
1015 Posts
Hamburg / GErmany
| | 03/01/2006 2:41 AM |
| The Rulebook!!!!
Yeah. | |
My Haves and wants:
http://www.maxminis.com/hw_list.asp?user=Janos_M.
Champion of Elan Psions
Proud Owner of the "Aura of cursed dice" | |
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