Does anyone NOT read the fluff?

[randall3rd]

A thought came to me today as I was flipping through the Retribution forces book and skipping the first 15 pages or so to get to the figure stats.... I don't read any of story line/fluff.

I've been playing Warmachine for about a year now, I own all the original books along with all the MKII books released, I get them to read up on stats, read all the rules, and look at the art work. I can't bring myself to read up on the different factions, whose at war with who or any background information. I tried to read the intro to Menoth in Prime MK II but didn't get past the 2nd paragraph before giving up. I don't even read the unit or caster Bios.

I was at a tourney and someone was talking to me about how Cygnar and Menoth don't like each other.... That was news to me! Or they asked me if I knew where Protectorate originated. I'll be damned if I know

I did read Page 5 though!

Any others out there in the same shoes or am I pretty much the only oddball?

[DRAX40K]

For the longest time I really didn't pay that much attention as it really didn't appeal to me that much. I have since started to take more of an interest and have found that they have a pretty good storyline going on and it's really started to grow on me.

[PG_JonWebb]

Our buddy Rich L isn't the biggest fluff fan.
He goes for pure game power over aesthetics/fluff etc.

You're missing half the fun, but its not a negative. The game is what you want from it/make it. So don't feel bad if you are not a fluffer.

I love the fluff mind you, dynamic and ever evolving world made for such a fresh change in wargaming.

[Writer@Large]

I used to be disinterested in the fluff. I never was interested when I played 40k, and that kind of carried over. Then NQ1 came out, and I heard that Denny had died, and since she was my go-to caster, I had to read it. That led me back to reading the fluff in the books, and got me interested in the IK lore.

--W@L

[khaohs]

You're not the only odd ball out there. I do not read the fluff. I play because the game is fun. Fluff is icing on the cake, and I'm already a fatty.

[Havesome]

I read a little here and there but it isn't the first thing that interests me. I've had the Khador book for a while now and have only read a little of the fluff regarding some of the units that I like.

[PPS_Dougseacat]

Words are stupid.

[DoktorVivi]

I like reading all the bios and history type stuff but I don't really read the stories.

[RabiTampa]

Words are stupid.

what was that, i just heard, "stupid"

[Colossus]

Words are stupid.

That's gonna come back to bite you.

[Knight]

Words are stupid.

Indeed, look at the pretty pictures.

[PG_Virgil38]

Words are stupid.

And siged..

[thesavage]

I think you're the oddball. I don't know too much about the fluff yet, because I only have Prime MKII, FoW: Cygnar and a few of the No Quarters. I like learning about real world history, so reading Iron Kingdoms lore is just awesome for me.

[PG_Stevo]

Words are stupid.

There's a quote that will live on in infamy!

Coming from a strong 40K and RPG background, I became more interested in playing Warmachine when I began to read the background of the game world. One of the big selling points for me was a game that incorporated an excellent miniatures game with a fully developed RPG world. Unlike 40K or the RPGs I had played, this game had depth and gaming crossover potential.

Then I found out that unlike the 40K universe, the plots of Warmachine actually advanced. Don't get me wrong, I like the 40K Universe's "Two Minutes to Midnight on the Doomsday Clock" feel. I just enjoy what Privateer Press is doing so much more.

Then I saw the first Epic Warcasters in Apotheosis. The interwoven layers of game and story became even stronger. I felt like I was on a journey with my casters that went epic, just as they were.

When the Khador book came out, what reinvigorated my desire to play that faction wasn't the awesome new models and units, it was the awesome story about Vlad.

[Indy]

Words are stupid.

I agree! Imagine how many more models they could have if they got rid of all that background stuff. They should totally that guy, and get more rules writers.

That'll teach them words.

[komodokeeper]

Words are stupid.

It is not good to hurt the Seacat's feel bads. It makes PP change it's stance on not permanently killing off their casters.

Fluff is actually why I play this game. Cool idea, actually has story in each rulebook, battles mean something more than sci-fi marine group A runs into Space elvish fighter group B who is chased by Demonic Marine group C. I play because of the universe, without it we're just playing with wierd looking plastic army men.

[DarkLegacy]

I don't read fluff, I read lore.

[Golgothas]

I'm quite the opposite. I cannot play without knowing the fluff. I am obsessed with it.

Fluff is the reason I love my Sword Knights so much.

[PG_Pickles]

I hardly read any. I usually manage the unit entries. I read the stories in the Cygnar book (which I quite liked) the the Khador book (which I hated). I really don't like fantasy fiction though so it's no reflection on this in particular (though the Khador stuff seemed very predictable). The game is so gamey & makes so little reality sense I find it hard totake any of the army organisation details very seriously (how do they pay for these armies?)

It's one thing I miss about historical games - much better fluff.

[Cambeul]

I love the fluff, and I wish PP would write some novels. (I have heard Rumors)

I even still like to read 40K novels for the story. And after getting back into Legend of the Five Rings CCG, I have about 15 Years of Fluff and Stories to catch up on.

[Colossus]

I'm almost the exact opposite of the OP. I keep up with WM and Hordes for the story, the characters and the models in that order. I've been around since the beginning, and I've only played a handful of games over 7 years (15-20 tops) with my 40 or so painted figs. My experience actually playing the game left me kinda 'meh', but I think that has to do more with my perspective of the gaming 'culture' than the game itself, and the fact that my imagining of the world and it's conflicts always seemed better than rolling dice and pushing the figs around.

[PG_malfred]

Do you even skip the army entries? That's some good stuff
condensed into.a single page.

[Critias]

It's your book, read what you want to read. I think you're missing out, since a big part of the fun of wargaming is, to me and many others, enjoying the fictional world it's set in...but I'm obviously biaised where that sort of thing is concerned.

In the end, though, it's up to you.

[Darque]

Reading's hard mmm-Kay?

[PG_malfred]

You pay your money same as anyone else, but I at least think
about this--isn't it like following sports stats without paying
attention to sports narratives? One of the strongest things
sports have is the ability to take a game and turn it into a story.

[Writer@Large]

I will say that, once I started reading the fluff, my army choices began to change. Cryx was (and still is) unappealing to me fluff-wise, though I still enjoy playing the army. But when HORDES came out I chose the army that not only appealed to my playstyle, but also to my sense of story--the Trollbloods. That they also have awesome sculpts makes them the trifecta of awesome armies for me.

My current active WM army, Retribution, is one I play primarily because I like the fluff, even though I'm struggling a bit to adopt to their playstyle.

--W@L

[Brandubh]

Words are stupid.

Agreed. I don't know why Privateer even bothers to put hours of painstaking work creating, developing and expanding backstory and plot when all we really want to do is play with little dolls.

If it makes you feel any better, Doug, I painstakingly research my faction before building a list that is as close to the game "reality" as I can competitively make it...even if it's at the expense of overall army power. (Though, I hope you'll be writing a good Wolves of Orboros tier list for Krueger)

Still, there are myriad sides to this hobby...which is why it's so awesome. Playing the game without reading the fluff is no worse than playing the game with unpainted miniatures. Everyone has their niche. If gaming is your thing and you don't like the stories, great. If you really like to paint and model but you don't play the game, great.

[asoka]

I read some of it, but I don't really get into it. Knowing who hates who makes some of our tabletop games more fun, but in the end, we fight with everyone.

[Ivellis]

I love reading fluff. I regret not reading it before I bought my first models, I still like Cryx's models and gameplay, but there's always the glaring weakness of unenjoyed background. Of course, background is how I ended up playing nearly every faciton...

[Beowulf99]

Words are stupid.

I hereby declare this as the most quoted sentance uttered by a PP staffer EVAH!

[randall3rd]

Well looks like there's at least 1 other person

And yes, I skip the army entries as well.... basically everything that is 'storied' if that's even a word.

I may sit down one evening and try to see what the fuss is about, but for the time being, it's on hold.

Thanks for the replies, most interesting!

[PG_petegrrrr]

I believe that letters are a complex alchemical spell designed to turn me into lead and consquently refuse to learn how to read.

I just slap at the keyboard and hope something legible comes out.

[Temoinlanuit]

You're not the only one.

I don't dislike the fluff, but I'm not really interested in fiction.

I'd be alright with playing this game with models of geometric shapes and no backstory, if everything else stayed the same.

[Raveno]

I'm a big fan of fluff,it sets the scene,makes you like/dislike certain characters that when you battle them gets your heart going.
GW have alot of books done by a company called Black Library...just wondering does PP have the same thing?

[Xrazor]

Yeah I have little to no interest in the fluff and story stuff as well. Maybe, if I ever get REALLY bored I'll read the crap in the mkii rulebook, but that aside, I could do without it. I like gameplay stuff and pretty pictures first and foremost. lol

[AluminumFalcon]

I don't know how to read.

[kealda]

Do you even skip the army entries? That's some good stuff
condensed into.a single page.

That's the problem for me. All that good stuff condensed into a single page. I could devour an entire book dedicated to each model.
I am eagerly anticipating novels.

[Lexington]

Did I walk into my game shop today, expecting to be there for five minutes, and instead spend two hours locked in conversation with two friends over the prospects for Khador's future, the strengths of Rhul, and the ins and outs of the upcoming Dragon War?

Yes. Yes, I did. Damn good day, too.

[PG_Agamemnon]

Words are stupid.

Full Win. I almost fell out of my chair when I readed that one!

I kinda like the stories. I read the online Haley/Denegra story way back when. I even read Prime Remix....about halfway though. Other than that I have not read the fluff. I happen to have every NQ and every WM book in HB (except Superiority on have SB and Khador) and have not read any cover to cover.

I do wish there were cards for the Tier list.

[Sinus]

[...]

Any others out there in the same shoes or am I pretty much the only oddball?

You're not. I read the unit and character descriptions and liked those but didn't really enjoy any of the faction fluff and gave up a couple of times. I eventually have read everything except the Cygnar faction stuff and I even forced myself to read the story featuring Caine.

The funny thing is, that I do enjoy reading about the IK universe here on the forums while I found the official writing very awkward and downright painful. Could be because English isn't my native language that I didn't fully appreciate it.