A Warmachine/Hordes series/anime

[PG_zumorikato]

I would kill to have a PP licensed series/anime about Warmachine/Hordes. All the cool lore in these books... damn. if i had the money i would finance it myself

What do you think?
And where should it take place as Main story faction (if any specific)

[hausdorff space]

What do you think?
And where should it take place as Main story faction (if any specific)

If done well it would be cool. PP were going to have a comic back in the day but it feel through for some reason or another.
Should follow a small band of Mercenaries from Llael (not specific to the Highborn Covenant).

EDIT: I would make sure it doesn't directly follow any current Warcasters (unless it was someone like Pendrake) - perhaps the occassional cameo, or a story arc with them as supporting characters; but IMHO an anime would be stronger if it avoided focusing on the specific details of the fluff we already get, and instead filled in the background world.

[RayofPaintStudios]

That's sort of the problem - who would the anime follow? If 40k did it, it'd be easy to follow the Space Marines because that's sort of the lore focus. But with WM/H, everyone is equally interesting and gets an equal amount of love from PP. Personally, I'd like to see one focused on Trollbloods, Mercs, or Cryx. Cryx would especially be interesting, since you'd be following the "bad guy," but they'd be capable of a strong storyline.

Mercs would be the easiest, since you could shove a few people in any storyline. You could do it like the Avatar cartoon, with them working for a different faction each season.

The great part is that they already have their merchandise ready to be purchased.

[PG_zumorikato]

I would like to have them do a 'Game of thrones' thing. follow everyone. taking one main from every faction and have the other casters make "guest appearances" for 2-3 episodes. making the series long.

or like having each season focus on one from each faction during a time period and then switch for the next season and son on. then after having told the story for all the final season leads up to where MKII (or3) is at that time.

what ever way it could be a long runner and that i would like.

Who would you most of all see as main casters in season 1? (one from each faction)

[The_Bionic_Labrat]

if anything, follow the prime casters, with look-ins from everyone else. only issue with an IK themed anime would be that it would have to be sufficiently, grown up, gritty, and dark. im sorry, but if it ends up being the kind of "gotta catch em all" type of crap we've been bombarded with since pikachu, with ol' rowdy and big b popping out of little red/white egg things, then i wont be amused.

[West996]

I would watch it if it was done well.

I think that another challenge would be the fact of how quickly the anime series would out pace the current lore. Anime has a habit of out pacing even the manga they are based after and these manga often have new content weekly.

So it would either be a very short anime series with a long wait for a squeal or they would have to hire some writers and allow the lore to expand much quicker then it has been.

Either that or make the disclaimer that the anime story may drift from the actual lore though it would stay true to the spirit of the current lore.

[notsoevil]

God, if this setting gets done up in anime in any form I'm going travel to PPHQ and punch someone in the junk.

[West996]

God, if this setting gets done up in anime in any form I'm going travel to PPHQ and punch someone in the junk.

And I'll be there, in full cosplay to stop you.

[MidnightFox0083]

And I'll be there, in full cosplay to stop you.

And I'll be there, in full costume, to help notsoevil.

I'm not against anime, per se, but I am against a Warmachine one because I'd rather see it live action.

[Jake the Dog]

God, if this setting gets done up in anime in any form I'm going travel to PPHQ and punch someone in the junk.

I'd like to see you try this and fail...hehehe.

[bodare]

Deneghra and Haley would be an awesome start... Sorcha would work. Severious would be awesome. Don't really know about Ret...

[Matthaeus]

I would like to have them do a 'Game of thrones' thing.

An excellent idea, and the most appropriate I think. The IK world is just too vast and rich to focus on one group alone.

Who would you most of all see as main casters in season 1? (one from each faction)

One non-caster character strikes me here : Eyriss. The Iosians have just began to move more or less openly, I don't see them appearing right from the beginning of the series; instead, follow Eyriss to show an elven PoV ("wretched round ears !"), and drop hints that she's more than a mere crossbow for hire (IIRC, she's basically a mole in the human nations).

Among the Menite warcasters, the most easy to identify with is certainly Kreoss. He's noble and free of the ruthlessness so pervasive in the faction. For the same reasons, Vilmon could work too. It would have to be clear that they're more the exception. Severius would be an interesting choice as well, more involved in politics and intrigues.

For Khador... Vlad and/or Sorscha. The dark prince and the ice queen would make for great central characters; one caught in schemes and conflicting loyalties, the other of humble origins who climbed the hierarchical ladder thanks to her merits. Bonus points for the obligatory bits of romance

Stryker has known some interesting character development since his beginnings, I think he's an obvious pick.

But really, there are too many good characters to not feature all of them.

God, if this setting gets done up in anime in any form I'm going travel to PPHQ and punch someone in the junk.

Now, now. What's the problem with this cool idea ?

I'm not against anime, per se, but I am against a Warmachine one because I'd rather see it live action.

As long as "live action" doesn't imply Hollywood, I'm fine with this too.

[VOLK]

Warmachine is already an anime, with Stryker and Haley as the two main protagonists gathering "nakama" (like Vlad, Kreoss, etc) in order to defeat the big bad (Asphyxious? Toruk?).

[agent red]

Funny bit is I can totally see Thagrosh's Everyday Life as a boiler plate harem rom-com. You've got pretty much all the bases covered in terms of classic archetypes. You've got an outsider protagonist undergoing strange and dramatic changes as he comes to terms with a mysterious inner power. Lylyth is the emotionally distant glasses wearing alpha girl. Vayl is the hot if morally dubious teacher. Abby has the whole antisocial/friend of all living creatures thing. Beth is the over achieving advance placement student with a lab hidden away somewhere and a massive overprotective pet following at her heels. The twins give us brainy and manipulative Saeryn contrasting shy and sporty Rhyas. Kallus rounds everything off buy providing the gay option. Put them all in a high school setting competing against those jerks at Cryx Academy and its pretty much gold.

Hell, a shredder would make for damn fine mascot character.

[Sygerrik]

I'd rather have my beloved Warmachine setting broken down and shuttered than see it turned into a hideous anime abomination. Seriously, ugh. If you have to make it a cartoon, at least make it a decent one, and that means none of that anime garbage.

[Matthaeus]

Loved it, agent red. My ribs hurt after the last line.

At this point, I'd like to remind the audience that "anime" ultimately is only a foreign word for "animation", allowing for widely varied styles and interpretations. Besides, the OP mentions "series" which I think is a more generic and consensual word if you happen to dislike certain styles of animation.

[Chip]

God, if this setting gets done up in anime in any form I'm going travel to PPHQ and punch someone in the junk.

And I'll be right there with some kind of knuckleduster to help you REALLY get the point across

I'd love to see a Live Action/CGI series about Viktor Pendrake's adventures as he wrote the Monsternomicon, just trekking around Western Immoren in a good old fashioned monster of the week series with the background tensions of the late 590s Iron Kingdoms with Cygnar/Khador border skirmishes and Cryxian raids. Hell, you could also add in the Skorne invasion of Corvis and Pendrake's travels to the East.

This would, of course, get about three viewers, but any series based in the Iron Kingdoms would

[kolonelk]

A series based around Pendrake would be pretty sweet. I think you could take a lot of the solos and make a good one shot story from them. CGI would be kinda fun, even a comic series, but I'd definitely join the junkpunching queue if it was anime :P

[PG_ThatRickGuy]

If it was going to be a single series, I'd say follow Rutger Shaw or Pendrake. If it were going to be a number of comic book series, I'd say run 3-5 commic books, with some amount of overlap, but follow the B-cast characters. Interact on occassion with the famous warcasters, and have the different series openly oppose eachother (ie Sul #1 has a Menite raid into Cygnar, and Cygnus #2 follows the band into Menoth's territory). You could even have a handful of direct interactions between the different lines, but each presented from the others point of view.

Could be a really fun set of comic books.

-Rick

[profparm]

I am a fan of both the GoT idea (live-action, follow pieces from everyone), but, as has been mentioned, the problem of when to place it combined with it potentially outpacing the current fluff both pop up as pretty bad problems.

The notion of a mercenary band, especially one with a runaway/ex-soldier from each of Cygnar, Khador, and Ios, possibly with a Trollblood sergeant (and at least one runaway/secret citizen of Skorne, Protectorate, Nyss, and/or Cryx non-undead if such a thing exists), would be really fun to watch, incorporate the lore of a lot of nations at once, have plenty of fuel for a rivalry/camaraderie relationship (especially in the Cygnar and the Khador members), and keep to the war-infused feel of the setting.

Alternatively, I would also read a comic book done like Criminal, where each story arc of 3-6 issues follows a different character (including narration, one of my favorite tools), who you then completely abandon for at least 2 or 3 other story arcs (if you ever come back to that character at all), maybe have that character have a cameo in the aftermath of the actions of the story that focused on him. If it wasn't just, "WATCH THIS GUY KILL HIS ENEMIES!" for 6 issues but was interesting and intriguing plots, I would read that all day every day. (Well, at least until I had something better to do.)

[nicholas_342]

I'ld rather see Vilmon than Kreoss. It just seems like there would be some good potential with regards to his bid for power just to be beat out by Kreoss for the promotion. Maybe he harbors some resentment towards Kreoss which leads him to take extra risks.

And while a live action or cgi would be great, they are both very expensive alternatives. I would obviously choose a more gritty comic style than the pikachoo stuff, think more like some of the animated batman series. Although, if someone did go cgi then I would love to see it done up like the Final Fantasy movie "Spirits Within." Say what you will about the movie itself, but the style of animation was great in my opinion.

[Bunny de Guerre]

the pikachoo stuff

I'd want a series where a young Hoarluk Doomshaper travels across the world to collect all the different types of Troll and Dire Troll. Considering I have to try pretty hard not to say "Mulg the Ancient, I choose you!" and "Mulg uses Hit It With A Club... (dice rolls) ...it's super effective!", I reckon I could get the script for the first couple of episodes of this done in short order.

On a slightly more sensible note, if such a thing were to happen, I'd like to see it follow a Trencher somewhere on the Cygnar-Khador border. It'd be nice to see things from their perspective, and it'd make warjacks and warcasters and all manner of things seem so much more terrifying when the focus isn't on "The Glorious Adventures of Coleman Stryker" or the like.

Actually, no, I take it back - I'd still rather see Pokemon But With Warbeasts Instead. Or some kind of Hetalia like thing, but for the Iron Kingdoms.

[PG_The Captain]

I'd love to see a Live Action/CGI series about Viktor Pendrake's adventures as he wrote the Monsternomicon, just trekking around Western Immoren in a good old fashioned monster of the week series with the background tensions of the late 590s Iron Kingdoms with Cygnar/Khador border skirmishes and Cryxian raids. Hell, you could also add in the Skorne invasion of Corvis and Pendrake's travels to the East.

The only real way to do this would be as a Western-style animation series, with David Attenborough voice-acting Professor Pendrake. Supporting cast would include Pendrake's loyal assistants Lynus Wesselbaum and Edrea Lloryrr, with Saxon Orrik as the arch-villain with Frank Welker's voice.

A Japanese-style anime series with big eyes and boys who look like girls would definitely warrant some nose-punching.

[pridefall]

Anime != a genre of animated shows. It's a catch-all term for animation from Japan, the same as cartoon is treated in the west. And I'd much rather have a decent studio like Madhouse or whoever did the Cowboy Bebop anime do a Warmachine themed animated series than any of the CGI/Flash-based animation studios from the states. FFS, outside of Avatar the Last Airbender, have you seen the production values on any of the animation the states are putting out these days?

Ew.

Barring that, a live action series in the vein of GoT would be amazing. Just pick out the most important and interrelated characters and follow their story lines -- there's enough there for several seasons of fluff already, especially considering that a new arch is completed every year or so.

Season one could be how several key characters came into their own during the wars taking place during MK 1, so we follow the stories of Stryker, Haley, Deneghra, Sorcha, Vlad, Kreoss, Feora, and Magnus respectively. Season two starts dealing with other characters, so while we do callbacks to the previous cast, throw in the stories of what people like Testament, Rutger Shaw, the Harbinger, etc, etc. And have each arc end with one of the huge events that the books usually end with -- Gaspy's bid for power, the destruction of the Colossals in the latest book, etc, etc, etc.

This could be another cash cow for PP is they do it right.

[juckto]

Thanks for the spoiler, pridefall.

[King-of-Storms]

God, if this setting gets done up in anime in any form I'm going travel to PPHQ and punch someone in the junk.

And I'll be there to assist you.

For the love of all that is sane and holy don't make Warmachine into an anime. It's an overrated genre (which barely deserves the name) so if anything use CGI or something more sensible than anime.

[McFeely]

Anime, as in Japanese style animation, is a very niche market. PP's Hordes and Warmachine are also very niche. The main problem with combining the two is that they both have very limited markets and hence very few potential viewers. It is also important to note that the vast and overwhelming majority of animes are simply awful. They aren't popular for a reason. They seem to follow the Asian fetish market and border on creepy. Bottom line, anime tends to be for creeps or the socially inept and Warmachine and Hordes does not have a large enough market to support a show on its own. If you truly love H/WM as I do, please do not destroy it by making it into an anime. I would much rather see something along the lines of Heavy Metal or the old Battletech cartoons.

[nicholas_342]

It is also important to note that the vast and overwhelming majority of animes are simply awful. They aren't popular for a reason. They seem to follow the Asian fetish market and border on creepy. Bottom line, anime tends to be for creeps or the socially inept

Hey! My girlfriend loves anime. She can sit and watch all day if I let her. Just because I don't get it or you don't get it doesn't make her a creep or socially inept. Be careful of who you insult and how you do it.

[Decade]

Those who think anime is all like Pokemon and the crap 4Kids puts out, and that the medium has no ability to be gritty, violent or tell a compelling story, I would ask you to please shove it. Go watch something like Tokyo Majin, Devilman (or Devilman Lady), Bio-Boster Armor Guyver, or Mermaid's Saga before you decry its ability to give a good story. Just because what everyone associates with the medium is that pile of swamp-troll sludge Pokemon doesn't mean that its the limits of the style, or even a basic representation of it. Its the same as saying all movies that come out of Hollywood are like Twilight.

I personally think an anime version of the IK would be one of the only ways to do the world justice. Even with CGI effects becoming so much more refined, there is something about every part of the world being in the same space that makes it easier to suspend disbelief. Want a character to get torn in half by a slayer, or bit in half by a dire troll? You could rely on an animatron and mock human to get the shot, you could render it in CGI, or you could have the whole thing happen in an animated sequence and make it blend seamlessly. As McFeeley pointed out, we've had some decent animated series on this side of the rock. I think that doing something in the old Rankin/Bass style (the studio that did the original animated version of the Hobbit, the Last Unicorn, Thundercats & Silverhawks) would be appropriate for the grit of the IKs. But here's the kicker, anime just means cartoon. It wouldn't have to be written and directed by someone from Japan, but I sure as dragon's fire would demand it be animated. There is a freedom in animation that you really can't get in live action.

[Ebutchftw]

y'know, I would prefer the series if it happened to follow the piper of Ord. Great character, interesting plot lines, travels everywhere... sounds cool to me

[King-of-Storms]

TL;DR

In other words only anime can do it right and anything else that is not anime is just western made piece of crap. Got it.

Figures an Otaku would jump in inventually. Every forum is infested with them these days...

Anyhow, let's face it, anime is just cliche anymore because the market is flooded with mediocrity. CGI would be a better route not to mention it can be made almost life-like. Have you seen the CGIs from Starcraft II or Diablo III?

[pridefall]

Sorry for not marking the spoilers up there, I forget that other people haven't read the book. (And, to be honest, it's something relatively minor and doesn't happen to every colossal.)

In other words only anime can do it right and anything else that is not anime is just western made piece of crap. Got it.

Figures an Otaku would jump in inventually. Every forum is infested with them these days...

Anyhow, let's face it, anime is just cliche anymore because the market is flooded with mediocrity. CGI would be a better route not to mention it can be made almost life-like. Have you seen the CGIs from Starcraft II or Diablo III?

Which take them years and years of manpower. Let's not kid ourselves here, Blizzard is far and away the company that puts out some of the best CGI, but your average animation studio puts out stuff like the Batman, Tron, and upcoming Ninja Turtles cartoons. They have to cut corners for the sake of things, and uncanny valley ranges from slightly normal to oh god what is happening.

I don't think anyone is saying that ANIME IS THE ONE TRUE LORD here, but that there's much more to it than what everyone seems to be giving it credit for. Just like you seem to look down on Otaku, please remember that making a blanket statement about an entire subculture of geekdom works both ways -- anime is probably actually much, much, much less niche-based than Wargaming, and certainly a larger part of geek subculture at large.

[physxnut]

As far a story line goes I would like to see them explore the past a bit more. For example a season or series on the war/wars with the Orgoth would be awesome. It wouldnt conflict with current lore and fluff and would also have room to grow. There could be a more united front of main characters that tie in together for a single cause.

[Octavius_Maximus]

Sorry, but Anime wouldnt work for Warmachine.

Yes, personally i dont like Anime, so i am biased, but the art style is too over the top.

And yes, i know people will say that warmachine is over the top, but it really really isnt. It approaches from a perspective of militaristic fantasy realism. most of the weapons are sized at a realistic level, rather than the gigantic ones that seem to show up in anime for no reason. The tone is a highly industrialised military setting based upon European-like history. Why you would want to express this through a medium which is nearly defined by its expression of Japanese concepts is beyond me.

Live action isnt a good way to go either, i dont think, since it would require SO much money to get that going. What you would need is a good 3D Graphics developer who can hit upon the level of realism while still showing off the magical elements. The movie '9' goes a way of showing this, the movements are natural and the machines and (rare) magic was expressed very well.

[pridefall]

Sorry, but Anime wouldnt work for Warmachine.

Yes, personally i dont like Anime, so i am biased, but the art style is too over the top.

And yes, i know people will say that warmachine is over the top, but it really really isnt. It approaches from a perspective of militaristic fantasy realism. most of the weapons are sized at a realistic level, rather than the gigantic ones that seem to show up in anime for no reason. The tone is a highly industrialised military setting based upon European-like history. Why you would want to express this through a medium which is nearly defined by its expression of Japanese concepts is beyond me.

Live action isnt a good way to go either, i dont think, since it would require SO much money to get that going. What you would need is a good 3D Graphics developer who can hit upon the level of realism while still showing off the magical elements. The movie '9' goes a way of showing this, the movements are natural and the machines and (rare) magic was expressed very well.

Watch any of the following anime:
- Berserk
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Cowboy Bebop
- Gundam Wing
- Zetman
- Neon Genesis Evangelion

And tell me their animation is over the top. Realistic anime, even those grounded in fantasy worlds, can be done, and done both maturely and stylistically. Now, if you're advocating against the usage of chibi -- the super deformed expressions that sometimes show up in anime as gags -- as a main form of expression, then I completely agree with you there. There are, of course, also anime that have nothing to do with Japanese culture and/or society -- I just named four out of six.

[Octavius_Maximus]

Watch any of the following anime:
- Berserk
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Cowboy Bebop
- Gundam Wing
- Zetman
- Neon Genesis Evangelion

As i said, i don't really like Anime.

But i have seen the entire series of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and it suffers from exactly the same problems that i talked about. It has its good points, but the way that Anime is drawn and the way it presents itself means that the kind of conflict that would be present in the Iron Kingdoms wouldn't be reflected in the style.

Im not saying Anime is bad, i'm saying that the style and theme that Anime expresses isn't something that would work with the Iron Kingdoms.

And tell me their animation is over the top. Realistic anime, even those grounded in fantasy worlds, can be done, and done both maturely and stylistically. Now, if you're advocating against the usage of chibi -- the super deformed expressions that sometimes show up in anime as gags -- as a main form of expression, then I completely agree with you there. There are, of course, also anime that have nothing to do with Japanese culture and/or society -- I just named four out of six.

Chibi is part of it, of course, but that's not just what i'm referring too.

The weapons as portrayed in Hellsing are a prime example. Alucards gun is just too ridiculous, there is no way i could take it seriously. That kind of thing, though, is permissible within the anime context. Start putting it where it doesn't fit and you get a problem where story and theme aren't fitting. Then you have other characters, The Catholic priests with several armories worth of knives in his jacket, Walter with his string of doom. These weapons are ridiculous, even more so than the most over the top of the IK setting like Minister and Bloodcleaver.

So again, Anime isn't bad, it just doesnt have the kind of fantasy realism which i would expect from an IK show. The Medium doesn't allow it because they are part of its style.

[pridefall]

As i said, i don't really like Anime.

But i have seen the entire series of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and it suffers from exactly the same problems that i talked about. It has its good points, but the way that Anime is drawn and the way it presents itself means that the kind of conflict that would be present in the Iron Kingdoms wouldn't be reflected in the style.

Im not saying Anime is bad, i'm saying that the style and theme that Anime expresses isn't something that would work with the Iron Kingdoms.



Chibi is part of it, of course, but that's not just what i'm referring too.

The weapons as portrayed in Hellsing are a prime example. Alucards gun is just too ridiculous, there is no way i could take it seriously. That kind of thing, though, is permissible within the anime context. Start putting it where it doesn't fit and you get a problem where story and theme aren't fitting. Then you have other characters, The Catholic priests with several armories worth of knives in his jacket, Walter with his string of doom. These weapons are ridiculous, even more so than the most over the top of the IK setting like Minister and Bloodcleaver.

So again, Anime isn't bad, it just doesnt have the kind of fantasy realism which i would expect from an IK show. The Medium doesn't allow it because they are part of its style.

Comparing Hellsing to realistic fantasy anime is like comparing South Park a realistic portrayal of the life of child in a redneck mountain town -- there are some things that work, but most don't. I assure you that many, many anime exist that handle the subject quite differently and have their art styles reflect the approach they take.

Different strokes for different folks, though.

[Decade]

In other words only anime can do it right and anything else that is not anime is just western made piece of crap. Got it.

Figures an Otaku would jump in eventually. Every forum is infested with them these days...

Anyhow, let's face it, anime is just cliche anymore because the market is flooded with mediocrity. CGI would be a better route not to mention it can be made almost life-like. Have you seen the CGIs from Starcraft II or Diablo III?

Read the entire second paragraph. I said it would be one of the ways to do it right. My point was that I think the world would need to be animated to make it seamless, and really let the storyteller's go crazy with things without having to spend 75% of the budget on SFX. I think CGI could do a fantastic job of depicting the IK, if it were only CGI, not mixed human/cgi. But CGI is still animated.

And, there are plenty of western animations that I respect. Just not a lot of full length theatrical ones. After all, the last time I recall an animated film that was not aimed at kids was years ago (and to be honest, the title slips my memory). You'd have to go back to the 80s & 90s to get something that's definitively not aimed at kids.

As for a flood of mediocrity, I won't argue with you on that. But, that's the same thing that goes on here, with our own film industry. You get a few gems, a whole bunch of "meh" that's watchable but unremarkable, and a fair bit of "what the hell!" Don't judge the capacity of the entire medium by its quality distribution. I'm with Pride on this one. A single series does not a representation of the entire medium make.

Finally, be mindful of singling out subcultures dude. Glass houses and throwing stones. Being a Wargamer falls into roughly the same subcultural category as the Anime/Manga subculture in the eyes of the rest of the USA. Both are incomprehensible to those on the outside. Its the same with every subculture, particularly gamer subcultures.

[PG_Trevy the Great]

I agree that the IK setting would be best represented by a live-action GoT style show.
Now, I'm not an expert on Anime (I watched Elfin Lied once...), but I think that the biggest problem with Anime is that it is publicly viewed (and this is probably the fault of children's shows like Yu-Ghi-Oh! and Pokemon) as a less mature medium than others. I'd hate to see the IK setting relegated (in the public eye) to the status of shows like that while ignoring the gritty story beneath.

Also I don't like Anime as a genre.

[kolonelk]

- Neon Genesis Evangelion

Argh, worst thing ever. You made me have horrible mental images of Stryker in the role of Shinji Ikari. Not cool.

If I had to name a decent "gritty" anime series to use as a template for an IK setting, it would probably be Afro Samurai.