FIRST LIGHT discussion

[LucaRocks]

After they made me buy POT and SQT again, I think anything is possible here lol. Yes ... they forced me to rebuy the same product! It's their fault I tells ya!

I doubt there will be something for the veterans, but you never know.

My gut feeling says straight release with less content and minis. Maybe just the heroes and one big bad.

[QorDaq]

I am quite curious to see (eventually), what this set will be.

If it is a new starter set, which includes the original 4 Heroes (even in different sculpts), that might be disappointing to me personally. The best case there, again speaking strictly for myself, would be if whatever enemy minis included were also alternate sculpts. Better if there were all new enemies, but I wouldn't expect that unless they lean into WotC/ D&D options... Kobolds in place of Goblins, and so on. I worry though that it would be so much cheaper to reuse existing sculpts. It would make some financial sense I think, but would be less interesting to me, in terms of deciding to buy-in on a new starter.

As to the board, it would be an opportunity for an all new [graphic] design. That may encourage veteran players to pick it up all on its own. My preference there would be for large modular boards (Like Dungeon Saga: Origins did, but with more space) over trying to make a 6-fold board to fit in a smaller box. I have several games that have "Updated" box size by making the game fold multiple times and... Let's just say as manufacturing costs rise, the quality is coming down, and those tend to tear easily. I wouldn't want the for HQ.

Then there are the cards... If First Light isn't just a truncated repackage of the existing core game system, then there is also the potential for some new Artifacts, Potions, and Treasure cards. Possibly even an Alchemy Deck? A Scroll Deck? These could all tempt the old guard to reinvest.

And I suppose my last thought on all of this, is that this could be a great opportunity (as I think others have mentioned), to give us a cleaned up base rule set. After all, at this stage of the game, AH need not worry about faithfully reprinting the 1990s rulebook--blemishes and all. They could incorporate some of the rules clarifications which have featured in various expansions, and possibly even add something new. That could work.

Bottom-line, I am both patiently and at once eagerly, awaiting further info. This could go in any of a number of directions, largely, I presume, based on how much influence the previous team had on the approach for this set... Versus, this being Hasbro's attempt to simply get existing EWPs to re-invest in a "Lesser" product based simply on the IP.

I choose to be cautiously optimistic that HQ is still in good hands. Time will tell.

[Kurgan]

I suppose they could throw later clarified rules in there but the thing wouldn't be 50 pages long for something like this either. If it's meant to be compatible with the other expansions then including the artifacts would make sense unless the quests therein are alternates and abbreviated... like what if they took out all the artifacts and you don't get any (or different ones)? Then that means you won't likely get the basic ones. No, that won't work, because later expansions directly call for some of the same GS artifacts (SQT, PoT, and JoD do this explicitly and ROTWL kind of requires the Spirit Blade!). You also wouldn't ditch the Dread Spells either because those are used extensively. The treasure deck could be different so long as it includes Wandering Monsters, Hazards, and gold of some kind (without potions it would be very odd). A lot can be put into quest notes but the basics need to be there or it will break various expansions (requiring you to do up notes on paper which is far less fun).

I don't imagine we'll be getting plastic figures on sprues like the classic game and cards you have to punch or cut out of sheets (just to save more $)... or the aforementioned stickers for the dice. But if they wanted to go fully cheap, they certainly could. Consider the Brazilian version (Brazil still hasn't officially gotten remake HeroQuest yet)...

But then would people want to buy something like that? You could include a poster inside saying "upgrade to the game system when you're ready to get higher quality components!" or something but that might really piss off some people who might have seen HQ before and were expecting at least that level of quality.

What if there were very few components and it was mostly App driven? Well the problem there is that the current incarnation of the App is incapable of running the game properly without basic components... you need the character sheets (or at least paper to write stuff down), dice (both kinds), a treasure deck, and a LOT of cards (that the App simply tells you to "follow the instructions" on, rather than showing you what it says... assuming you can even read it on your little phone screen).

Someone should try taking their FH/MOTM/ROTDM/ATOH box... remove everything... and see how much of the GS content they can fit inside without damage? Obviously the board and GM screen won't fit, but what else?

I guess they could make the dice smaller without changing anything (golden opportunity to give us rounded dice!). If they make the cards smaller (like US game deck size or even European game size) that would save a little space but then the treasure deck would lose compatibility with the other treasure cards added in certain expansions (NA editions of KK & ROTWL had smaller artifact cards and it was fine, though not as luxurious as later expansions). Tiles would need to be the same scale and figures too (making them the size of the 90's figures wouldn't break anything necessarily but some might look a bit weird side by side with other packs).

Furniture could be papercraft (see Brazilian edition once again) thus still being "3D" rather than just tiles but that would save a ton of space. Leaving out pieces of furniture would mean other quests being played in other packs wouldn't be quite right, but the furniture taking another form would take care of that issue.

New sculpts means spending more money, so it all depends on their goals here. If they really wanted to cut corners (and still have the game technically playable) there are many ways they could, not all of them attractive to new customers who have heard so much about HQ and want to see what the fuss is about before they spend a bundle. If they find it's a cheap box of "crap" they might think twice!

So for the sake of the franchise here's hoping they don't skimp on quality where it counts.

[LucaRocks]

I think a lot of what Kurgan says will be what we get.

I think it will come packed with only the rulebook, 5 new easy quests, a couple of (new) artifact cards, some equip cards, some treasure cards, a set of dice, small game screen, fold out poster type board, a small tile sheet for blocked tile etc... tile sheet of furniture, and maybe 6 or 8 cardboard monsters.

I could see that stuff being able to fit into a starter set. I think the artifacts will be new so that anyone wishing to go to the full base system won't be disappointed by having too many repeats.

I could also see the monsters or even furniture as minis because they could be reused from the base game's molds. Cardboard monsters and furniture tiles could require hiring someone to draw them. Which they may not want to do. Unless they use preliminary art created for the game that was used to model the minis.

One thing I just thought of is how jarring it will be to buy first light with its AI cover and then going out to buy the base game with the different art style. People may wonder if it's the same game lol

[SirRick]

A starter set is just a starter set. You have what you need to play the adventure(s) in the box, so to play other expansions you have to buy the game system too.

I use the number of D&D starter sets as an example. You have rules for advancement to level 5 or so, and stats for monsters and treasures for the stuff in the adventure book you receive. To continue further, you have to buy the core books for advancement rules, higher level monsters, etc.

This starter set will probably be the same. Like a 5 quest campaign with appropriate miniatures and basic stuff to get you by until you get the real game.

[Vorimir]

It would be cool if the starter set give something to add to the fore game: new equipment, new monsters or furniture...

[LucaRocks]

Kurgan reporting on YouTube channel that there may be a first light reveal or preorder tomorrow on Target as part of its summer "Geek Out" event running from 6/14 to 7/19. First drop tomorrow at 9AM EST

https://www.target.com/c/collectors-toys/-/N-54vro

[Kurgan]

Thanks Lucarocks! I'm reporting that some other people are alleging, but yeah... and the latest I heard was cardboard heroes, plastic monsters with new sculpts (think Orcs and goblins with new weapons/poses, etc), full compatibility with other expansions (which necessitates it have the equivalent of nearly everything in the GS, although not necessarily the same quantities or quality), NEW quests, and a $50 price point at Target. At least that's what I hear, we'll see if that's in the final product or not! (so "rumor" until you see it officially confirmed)

Whether the A.I. cover is a mock up of the real thing or not remains to be seen. Here's hoping it's not final as is... and also that it's not JUST at Target stores (what about other countries?).

[Alby87]

Time for the unreleased mythic tier not exclusive miniatures? Could be time to shine for Mentor, and the CoPD dragon (if the sotry about the not printability of the quest book are true) can be inserted as a final boss in a new storyline.
Also, I think that finally the rulebook will fix some missing concepts of the original: better line of sight examples one of them.

[LucaRocks]

10am EST and Target has not revealed anything HQ related that I can see.