Dudes of WWPD- I have been given the opportunity to join Battlefront at their Studio in NZ for one week in the last part of November. I will be given unprecedented access to their design process, studio, and personnel with the intention of creating some media to give fans an inside look at the company! This is part of a larger Battlefront initiative coming down the pike that I am extremely excited about- but that is for another day.

SO, what I need from you guys are questions you'd love to see answered! Keep them clean and on topic and post them here. The WWPD team and I will sift through them and come up with a mammoth list to bring with me to BF HQ. This is a great opportunity for me to act as your proxy to Battlefront- so let's make this happen!

Congrats Steve!! List soon to follow...

Fantastic opportunity - I hope you enjoy it!

In the most diplomatic way possible, I'd be interested to know how they come up with points costs in the design process. There's been some bad feeling in multiple areas lately, but I'd be interested to know if the much-vaunted "points matrix" really exists...

I'm not so sure that it's a question, rather than a request or suggestion...

Can the US M8 Armored Car and the M20 Utility vehicle be made with the fender skirts as options, rather than having them cast as one piece with the wheels? In combat the skirts were removed most of the time anyway. Also, can the M8 include the .50 cal. MG ring that mounts on top of the turret? Again, most late war examples had them.

Thanks!

Would Battlefront ever consider a price decrease... Especially when it comes to plastics.

Just curious. I know someone needs to ask.


Enjoy Hobbit Land.

This is a pretty kickin' opportunity. Does Lydia get to come with? My wife would be LIVID if I left her in the States while I was in NZ.

I'd love some insight at the design process. Does the start point to the end point exist solely on a person's computer, or are there whiteboards of information, design, etc.

I don't think Evan has a studio there as I think he works out of his home, but it would be neat to see some of his old masters or models. Really I just love the creative processes at work.

Should come for a BBQ! No real questions from me - be interested to read your report though!
If you do get the chance to look around a bit, the exhibitions at Auckland museum are pretty choice. There's also the Naval Museum at Devonport, haven't been there yet personally, though.
Make sure you try the pinnacle of kiwi cuisine, the pie. Recommend the Food Room on Ponsonby Road - bloody good!
Could do worse than a summer visit to Aucks!

Though they probably will not answer these questions it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

Is Flames of War going to go to the Pacific theater? If not what motivates them not to?

Will there be any other 1960’s and 70’s era releases, i. e. more Vietnam, Cold War, or Yom Kippur War releases.

Is there a time table on a Operation Sea Lion themed books?

How many people work for BF?
how is the company broken up? (sections, divivions, sister companies)
are all the businesses owned by BF housed in NZ?
How many factories do they work with and where are they? what are their function and what do they produce?
how long does it take to produce a book, a line of models, a game, a peice of terraian etc.?
what happened to radio freebattle front? are there future plans?
what is next years release schedule?
how frequently do they have inner office play? do they only play FoW or do they play other games in the office?
do they get to take the day off when the all blacks play?
can they drink beer at work?
how long do photo shoots take when writing a new book?
do they set up models or do they play games and take pictures for the books?
what is their planning process like for new material?
how big is mike's office compared to JPs?

there are just a few questions, congrats on getting to go wish I could be there.

also will they let you record a WWPD live from battlefront episode using radio free battlefront equipment?

Very cool. I had a blast back in 2009 and Cleaves and I went. You should have a great time.

Bill

Another WWPD coup! Congratulations.


We’ll have the answer to this about the same time that Steven gets back because in mid-December the all plastic US Para Company boxed set will be out.

BTW, I think we can expect the answer to this being “Yes.” The PDF posted on this page ( viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4434 ) has the plastic Para Company price code listed as “TBC.” I expect that means it will be different than the current price for infantry company boxed sets which are price code “M.” If it’s different then I don’t expect it to be more, and then if it’s also not the same, I’m expecting it to be less. The question is how much less?”

So Steven…my main question would be what are BF long term plans for plastics, what frequency of releases well we see and what will BF focus on for plastic (Infantry Company sets and Vehicle Platoon sets)? JP gave some clues in his last WWPD interview, but they must have given it some additional thought and further plan refinement since then. So a general “Plastics Update” would be nice.

Enjoy the trip!!!

Tom

also are their plans to release future additions of Infanty, Raiding or Tank Aces when they update Mid War?

If not tell them Craig in Alaska thinks they should do the following
Infantry Aces- Stalingrad
Tank Aces- Kursk
Raiding Aces- Partisans

what is coming down the pipe for battlefiend in the box as it relates to FoW and how to they decide what terrain to do for BFIAB?

Lucky dog... get some photos of the hobbit holes!

Might have more questions later:

1. I second MrHankSwager in will there be a Pacific or SE Asia theater.
2. Korean War or Cold War
3. WW1 (100 year anniversary soon) perhaps a skirmish game
4. Digital books
5. Errata to TT and ES or updated books
6. Intel on the midwar books in the desert. (to be honest, Western Europe 1944-1945 is getting over done)
7. Are they going to curtail all these new special rules. I know alot are just regurgitated with different names. I am ok with that.
8. Can they make spray paints for infantry (german, russian, american, US para, commonwealth, etc). I used the german desert color on my Poles and the UK armor on my US para for bolt action. Saves alot of time which I currently dont have.
9. Also a spray can for Iraqi Sand would be wonderful.
10. What are their plan for terrain especially since JR Miniatures is changing ownership. I think this would be a good opportunity for BF to help fill that gap and at an affordable price.

Bring lots to read on the plane. I have only flown to Guam and Japan. NZ is a bit longer. Drinking, reading, and watching movies is what I did the most. Didnt get much sleep on the plane.

I'd like some photos of the BF reference library, preferably taken in such a way that the titles are visible on the spines of the books.

Hoping they will bring "early late war" and "late late war" into line in a future compilation. Mainly to bring the points cost of early late war lists down a little to compensate for the goodies that later LW books have been given (AT boosts, bazooka fests that kind of thing). Some kind of levelling would be expected so I hope BF could make some positive sounds in that direction.

Will they ever complete the Polish Early War line, in particular the Vickers E tanks and the Taczanka jeeps and horse version?

There is one question I am constantly bombarded with every time I pull out my Battlefront figs to show a potentially new player the game: When can I play in the Pacific Theater??
so I second the suggestion from the poster from Cleveland above.

other than that Ipad/Tablet digital copies of their products would be great, especially the rules book.

Hi Steven,

That's pretty cool.

Just don't be surprised if you see Kiwis doing funny things with sheep. It's just the way they roll.


My question:

Do they have any initial ideas on what they'd like to do for Soviet forces in 1945?

Digital copies of the rules/lists. One does not always have access to Easy Army.

who are the top three FoW players from the battlefront staff and what do they play/ are their favorite forces?

Pacific? If? When? Why not?

Are battlefront aware of the shift late late war has caused and was it intended or not?

Why has early war kind of been thrown under the bus?

When do I get Pershings?!

Digital copies for tablets would be cool, can we have them please?

When do I get Pershings?!

I'm with dead1; I'd love to hear more about what's coming down the pipes for LLW Eastern Front. Will there be Heer Panzertruppen covered at all? And later German infantry on the eastern front? Koenigsberg, for instance, would allow 561st Volksgrenadier and 5th Panzerdivision...?

Otherwise, more (extensive) leaks about the MG compilation, more about units or battles they plan on covering, that sort of thing. I'm also curious to see if you could get a one-on-one with JM or JP and ask questions about sales, projections, etc, etc.

My big question is whether Battlefront will ever revisit and revamp their Early War books and miniatures and possibly conduct a relaunch. Specifically, I have a strong affinity for the Polish and would like to see the Polish line properly done from a true historical perspective. I realize that Barbarosa is somewhere on the horizon, but this does not solve the problem of the quickly released, and poorly supported, original releases. Kinda seems like Early War is Battlefront's version of GW's specialist line of games.