MMORPG.com's Garrett Fuller recently caught up with Warhammer 40K: Dark Millenium executive producer Tim Campbell to ask him a few questions about the game that, up to now, has been shrouded in mystery. Recently devs have been opening up about the game and we wanted to give our readers information about factions, combat, Tech Priests and a whole lot more. You won't want to miss this one!

In the new trailer you talk about the Imperium of Man. Can you tell us how the Space Marines and Imperial Guard will work together?

The Imperium of Man is drawn to the Sargos Sector because of a significant disturbance in the Warp that jeopardizes a rich mining world. We are not ready to disclose any further details yet around the circumstances, but rest assured that we are working on something that is truly epic and will deliver on the expectations of the Warhammer 40,000 fan base.

Read more of our exclusive Tim Campbell interview.

You should have asked why they are being lazy and only having 2 factions.

I love the arrogance in the way the two faction question is answered...

The more the people at Vigil talk, the less interested in the game I get.

more than 2 factions only works in DAOC.

Black Templars probably do make the most sense for a Space Marine Chapter for PC's. Aren't they the ones that have a somewhat ad-hoc organizational structure based on "crusades", that function somewhat independantly of each other... and tend to deploy in smaller sized units?

Please, PLEASE don't give us some forced "good guys vs bad guys"!  40k is so much more complex than that...

 2 factions? Lets explain away 20+ years of 40k lore because its too hard to create content, AND we are only in it to capitolize on the IP and make a bunch of coin we THINK we are going to grab from wow players...

Give me a freekin break.

[Mod Edit]

To everyone arguing that the 2 faction set up is totally against the 40k lore please remember that it was used by GW themselves in the Eye of Terror global campaign... the sides were Order and Disorder:

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Terror_campaign

So 2 factions can work in the lore, the question is how will it be implemented...

Now I'm guessing you assume  it'll be in a crappy Wow style -(Space marine runs into an Eldar fortress, gets a quest from a Warlock, learns a new skill from a Marine that just happens to be there and trades for a nice new bolter )- way, but that doesn't need to be the case... and as we don't have anymore details yet beyond "There will be 2 factions" it's a little soon to judge.

Somehow I am not being optimistic, I expect another bland MMO like WAR or AoC turned out to be.

Originally posted by quotheraving

To everyone arguing that the 2 faction set up is totally against the 40k lore please remember that it was used by GW themselves in the Eye of Terror global campaign... the sides were Order and Disorder:

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Terror_campaign

 

So 2 factions can work in the lore, the question is how will it be implemented...

Now I'm guessing you assume  it'll be in a crappy Wow style -(Space marine runs into an Eldar fortress, gets a quest from a Warlock, learns a new skill from a Marine that just happens to be there and trades for a nice new bolter )- way, but that doesn't need to be the case... and as we don't have anymore details yet beyond "There will be 2 factions" it's a little soon to judge.

Warhammer Fantasy Battles also uses Order and Destruction in its most recent core rules, as part of the team-play systems. Like it or not, that particular concept has Games Workshop written all over it.

And, coincidentally, so does Warhammer.

This made me snicker:
"How could they not when Games Workshop is closely working with us on making sure that the game stays true to the lore and the IP."

I think he's blaming GW for a boring order vs destruction themed game.

"Who could argue with that order vs chaos two sided conflict? That for certain guarnetees success, right?"

Im still smiling.

Originally posted by Ramael

Originally posted by quotheraving

To everyone arguing that the 2 faction set up is totally against the 40k lore please remember that it was used by GW themselves in the Eye of Terror global campaign... the sides were Order and Disorder:

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Terror_campaign

 

So 2 factions can work in the lore, the question is how will it be implemented...

Now I'm guessing you assume  it'll be in a crappy Wow style -(Space marine runs into an Eldar fortress, gets a quest from a Warlock, learns a new skill from a Marine that just happens to be there and trades for a nice new bolter )- way, but that doesn't need to be the case... and as we don't have anymore details yet beyond "There will be 2 factions" it's a little soon to judge.

Warhammer Fantasy Battles also uses Order and Destruction in its most recent core rules, as part of the team-play systems. Like it or not, that particular concept has Games Workshop written all over it.

And, coincidentally, so does Warhammer.

 

The Empire of Warhammer Fantasy is not the Imperium of WH40k. The Imperium has turned hatred of Xenos (aliens) into part of their religion. There's an entire order of the Inquisition specifically dedicated to exterminating any and all alien influences. About the only thing stronger than Imperial hatred of aliens is their hatred of Chaos.

There are certainly instances that will get humans working with certain aliens, so there are ways that the two faction could work, if they limit which races are playable at all. Chaos or Tyranid invasions can inspire some cooperation with the Eldar, even though both sides will spend the whole time waiting for an opportunity to backstab the other and come out the sole survivor. So if their 2 factions are humans and Eldar versus something like Chaos and Orks (because Chaos gets Orks to do their dirty work all the time, and all Orks care about is a good fight, with the reason being practically irrelevant), I could see that working, provided they make enough reference to the intra-faction tension.

Chaos and Dark Eldar could work  too, since they both are affiliated with the Ruinous Powers to a degree.

I didn't get the chance to play in Eye of Terror, so I'm a bit rusty on the lore there. Did they actually have a reason why the Necrons would be on the "side" of Chaos when the Warp is anathema to them?

Originally posted by Sabrel

Originally posted by Ramael

Originally posted by quotheraving

To everyone arguing that the 2 faction set up is totally against the 40k lore please remember that it was used by GW themselves in the Eye of Terror global campaign... the sides were Order and Disorder:

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Terror_campaign

 

So 2 factions can work in the lore, the question is how will it be implemented...

Now I'm guessing you assume  it'll be in a crappy Wow style -(Space marine runs into an Eldar fortress, gets a quest from a Warlock, learns a new skill from a Marine that just happens to be there and trades for a nice new bolter )- way, but that doesn't need to be the case... and as we don't have anymore details yet beyond "There will be 2 factions" it's a little soon to judge.

Warhammer Fantasy Battles also uses Order and Destruction in its most recent core rules, as part of the team-play systems. Like it or not, that particular concept has Games Workshop written all over it.

And, coincidentally, so does Warhammer.

 

The Empire of Warhammer Fantasy is not the Imperium of WH40k. The Imperium has turned hatred of Xenos (aliens) into part of their religion. There's an entire order of the Inquisition specifically dedicated to exterminating any and all alien influences. About the only thing stronger than Imperial hatred of aliens is their hatred of Chaos.

There are certainly instances that will get humans working with certain aliens, so there are ways that the two faction could work, if they limit which races are playable at all. Chaos or Tyranid invasions can inspire some cooperation with the Eldar, even though both sides will spend the whole time waiting for an opportunity to backstab the other and come out the sole survivor. So if their 2 factions are humans and Eldar versus something like Chaos and Orks (because Chaos gets Orks to do their dirty work all the time, and all Orks care about is a good fight, with the reason being practically irrelevant), I could see that working, provided they make enough reference to the intra-faction tension.

Chaos and Dark Eldar could work  too, since they both are affiliated with the Ruinous Powers to a degree.

I didn't get the chance to play in Eye of Terror, so I'm a bit rusty on the lore there. Did they actually have a reason why the Necrons would be on the "side" of Chaos when the Warp is anathema to them?

 

There is also an entire order of the Inquisition that believes that only through the Empires Cooperation with Xenos (like the eldar) does it have a chance of survival. The Xeno Hybris is the name of that faction of the Inquisition And I would guess that they would make an appearance in the game. 

Even though they're evil, wouldn't Necrons be on the side of "order"? They just have a very extreme way to bring about perfect order...the stillness of death.

Originally posted by Sabrel

Originally posted by Ramael

Originally posted by quotheraving

To everyone arguing that the 2 faction set up is totally against the 40k lore please remember that it was used by GW themselves in the Eye of Terror global campaign... the sides were Order and Disorder:

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Terror_campaign

 

So 2 factions can work in the lore, the question is how will it be implemented...

Now I'm guessing you assume  it'll be in a crappy Wow style -(Space marine runs into an Eldar fortress, gets a quest from a Warlock, learns a new skill from a Marine that just happens to be there and trades for a nice new bolter )- way, but that doesn't need to be the case... and as we don't have anymore details yet beyond "There will be 2 factions" it's a little soon to judge.

Warhammer Fantasy Battles also uses Order and Destruction in its most recent core rules, as part of the team-play systems. Like it or not, that particular concept has Games Workshop written all over it.

And, coincidentally, so does Warhammer.

 

The Empire of Warhammer Fantasy is not the Imperium of WH40k. The Imperium has turned hatred of Xenos (aliens) into part of their religion. There's an entire order of the Inquisition specifically dedicated to exterminating any and all alien influences. About the only thing stronger than Imperial hatred of aliens is their hatred of Chaos.

There are certainly instances that will get humans working with certain aliens, so there are ways that the two faction could work, if they limit which races are playable at all. Chaos or Tyranid invasions can inspire some cooperation with the Eldar, even though both sides will spend the whole time waiting for an opportunity to backstab the other and come out the sole survivor. So if their 2 factions are humans and Eldar versus something like Chaos and Orks (because Chaos gets Orks to do their dirty work all the time, and all Orks care about is a good fight, with the reason being practically irrelevant), I could see that working, provided they make enough reference to the intra-faction tension.

Chaos and Dark Eldar could work  too, since they both are affiliated with the Ruinous Powers to a degree.

I didn't get the chance to play in Eye of Terror, so I'm a bit rusty on the lore there. Did they actually have a reason why the Necrons would be on the "side" of Chaos when the Warp is anathema to them?

 

The Empire and the Imperium couldn't be any more different, yes. But 8th edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battles is relatively new, and is a valid basis for indicating a trend in their methods, which is further echoed by examples in other media.

The fact is, none of the races in either game ever "specifically" get along. High Elves and Dwarfs are technically on the side of Order, but they have one of the bloodiest and longest wars in Warhammer history under their belt. They are, however, more inclined (note: not perma-alliance) to team up against a common enemy. That's what the factions and the allied army rules are designed for: not any long-standing military arrangement, but for situations where the choice is ally or die, who would each army side with? (The Imperium of Man will always claim to choose die, but very few, EVEN the Inquisition, truly put their money where their mouths are)

As for the Necrons in the Eye of Terror, they weren't particularly on any side, so much as they were continuing what they were doing: seemingly random raids, "harvesting" any living being they come across. Abaddon and Asdrubael Vect had something of a bad habit of using the chaos and disruption caused by these Necron raids to their advantage, often attacking immediately after or at the same time. The Imperium probably couldn't tell the difference.

If I were to guess, Id think that oth Necrons and Tyranids would both be NPC races since it doesnt seem viable as playable races.

Originally posted by Ramael

As for the Necrons in the Eye of Terror, they weren't particularly on any side, so much as they were continuing what they were doing: seemingly random raids, "harvesting" any living being they come across. Abaddon and Asdrubael Vect had something of a bad habit of using the chaos and disruption caused by these Necron raids to their advantage, often attacking immediately after or at the same time. The Imperium probably couldn't tell the difference.

 

Yeah they were a wild card, I think they were mainly there to mix things up a bit.

As for the Lore.. Well Abaddon was supposedly guided to the relics which granted control of the Blackstone fortresses by the C'tan called "The deciever".

The BSF's were originally ancient Eldar Warp weapons that had been used against the C'tan and Necrons, but which were lost during the fall of the Eldar.

At the End of the Eye of Terror Campaign one of the few surviving BSF's was purportedly destroyed by Necron raiders so it is possible that the Deciever had all along intended this as a way of removing the threat of the BSF's.

So by that logic they helped both sides... and neither

As for which side Necrons would go on in an MMO... Hell they shouldn't even be a playable race! .. well maybe they could be played by korean bots, but definately not people...

My worst nightmare vision of the way this game could be ruined involves Tyranids and Necrons being playable races in a WoW style alliance with Chaos and Orks... just imagine it pogoing Termagaunts babbling away in Leet!!!11!1 outside an Orktion house while some Necron does a robo /dance... <Shudder>

Originally posted by Unicornicus

Originally posted by Sabrel

Originally posted by Ramael

 

There is also an entire order of the Inquisition that believes that only through the Empires Cooperation with Xenos (like the eldar) does it have a chance of survival. The Xeno Hybris is the name of that faction of the Inquisition And I would guess that they would make an appearance in the game. 

 

The Xeno Hybris are a radical faction of the Inquistion, not an Order. They're like the Xanthists, who believe the best way to defeat Chaos is to use it against itself. Like the Xanthists, most orthodox Inquisitors would view the Xeno Hybris as heretics and traitors.

It seems like a simple fact to me that unless the sides are perfectly symmetrical, one side will always outnumber the other. And since numbers count, that also necessarily means that in that situation you will get a "the rich get richer" situation, which only makes the problem worse. This is why the 3-faction issue comes up so often.

But now it seems that the 2-faction order is actually coming from GW themselves. So the new question is, can you make an RvR game work with just 2 factions? How do yous top the rich from getting richer, and one side constantly demolishing the other?