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Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader

Owlcat's next game is a first classic cRPG set in a Warhammer 40K universe.




The Warhammer 40,000 franchise is finally getting its own CRPG. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, announced Wednesday during the Warhammer Skulls streaming event, is the first 40K-themed isometric role-playing game designed exclusively for PC. Best of all, it’s being made by the experienced developers at Owlcat Studio, the same team behind the well-regarded Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous CRPGs. An early access version is expected soon, and pre-orders begin Wednesday.

In the lore of 40K, a Rogue Trader is an explorer officially sanctioned to carry out their duties by the God Emperor of Mankind. As exploration generally occurs well outside of the range of Imperial space, Rogue Traders have absolute authority over their own operations. Some become rich after establishing lucrative trade agreements with unknown civilizations, while others instead choose to put those unknown civilizations to the sword. From Wednesday’s news release:

Thanks to their Warrant of Trade — the Rogue Trader is endowed with privileges and power beyond imagination as well as the task of expanding the borders of the Imperium. At their disposal is a gargantuan voidship of immense strength and innumerable personnel ready to follow any undertakings of the leader. Show your subjects mercy or disdain, stay faithful to the Emperor or consort with enemies of Mankind — every decision and every act of the Rogue Trader sends ripples throughout entire star systems, changing the in-game world and those who inhabit it.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader will take place in the Koronus Expanse, a region of space on the northwestern fringe of the Imperium. The player’s party can include “a mighty Space Marine, a mercurial Aeldari Ranger, or even a courageous Sister of Battle armed with bolder and ardent prayers.”

Rogue Trader does not yet have a release date. Owlcat Studio said in its press release that fans who pre-order a Founders Pack will be given access to both the early alpha and the beta release of the game.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Matthew Broderick Books GIF
 

Kusarigama

Member
cRPG stands for classic or computer RPG?

It's one of those questions that I don't know and at this point I'm too afraid to ask. (Pls help out)
 

Sentenza

Member
A bit of both, as they overlap a lot, but it's generally intended as "computer RPG".

EIDT: And before anyone objects that they are often also on console (or that other types of RPG are on PC as well), let me state it clearly: no one gives a shit.
Like for the term "JRPG" what it was supposed to mean in origin is irrelevant: the term over time started to describe a specific type of RPGs with some recurring traits.
 
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TastyPastry

Member
the best thing about a 40k crpg is a low chance of current day identity politics so i'm really happy with this.
interesting that they chose rogue trader instead of regular 40k or necromunda or whatever
 
Ok, fair. I assumed arpg was the same as crpg.
ARPG is Action Role Playing
CRPG is Computer Role Playing while that sounds rather confusing it usually refers to top down RPGs like Baldur Gates, Icewing Dale, Divinity etc... old school PC rpgs with turn-based combat.

Diablo 4 is an ARPG because it's in real time and top down/isometric.

RPG is Skyrim/Fallout/Fable although some of these are more RPG than others.

Someone told me that Mass Effect is not an RPG. I had a good laugh.
 
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Eeeeeh. Barely.
Please elaborate in detail how Mass Effect is not an RPG.

I mean I guess you are right.. there is barely any dialogue or choices. Game doesn't have any leveling either, nor do you get to manage your squad. And game severly lacks in classes. Bioware is also known for never making any RPGs either. Yep, your right, totally not an RPG.
 
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the best thing about a 40k crpg is a low chance of current day identity politics so i'm really happy with this.
interesting that they chose rogue trader instead of regular 40k or necromunda or whatever
Regular 40k and Neccromunda or not RPGs in the table top.

Rogue Trader tabletop is an RPG and was designed to be specifically such which is why they chose that.

Also the whole exploration angle. The table top game focuses on exploring and diplomacy over war. It's basically grimdark Star Trek.

What I really love about Rogue Trader also is that you get the more obscure and weirder aliens (Xenos) so probably going to deal a lot with that.

I own the core rule book and pretty much every supplement for Rogue Trader so I'm pretty excited about this.
 
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BigBooper

Member
Oh man. I thought from the title we might be getting a Freelancer clone in Warhammer, but this is almost as good. Can't wait.
 

Labadal

Member
I hope it turns out good. Their previous games give me hope.

I have long been thinking that a crpg in this universe would be cool.
 
Hopefully it doesn't have base building or some kind of awful crusade mode like wrath of the righteous.
Maybe something to do with your ship. The tabletop RPG had a lot to do with your ship that you commanded/captained and explored in.

But beyond anything to do with your ship I doubt there would be any base building.

You'll be exploring a portion of the galaxy known as the Koronus Expanse where there's a lot of weird shit going on and planet hopping.
 

Mister Wolf

Member
Maybe something to do with your ship. The tabletop RPG had a lot to do with your ship that you commanded/captained and explored in.

But beyond anything to do with your ship I doubt there would be any base building.

You'll be exploring a portion of the galaxy known as the Koronus Expanse where there's a lot of weird shit going on and planet hopping.

Sounds good. Now i just gotta figure out how to properly romance a battle nun.
 

WitchHunter

Member
Oh what the fuck happened here?

First, it will be 140 hours at mininum, like Wrath was. Sneaky fuckin' russians must create a game that competes with Solzhenitsyin's The Gulag Archipelago. After the 40th hour 99% of players abandon these games. Doesn't matter, must be long, since winters are long.

Second, who the hell thought that using this art style was a good idea? Do they want to bring in the juvies and inject the wh transhumanist bullshit into their minds?

Third, fucking WH40K universe with severe armpit smell? Whyyy? There are so many WH games out there and most of them are useless. Why another one?

Sigh... hope I'm wrong, but it's ugly as hell, doesn't cling with the usual wh40k aesthetics.
 

ANDS

King of Gaslighting
Will almost surely run like dog piss at launch and I guess this means WOTR console release (on a closed system so they have to be able to optimize it. . .right?!) is just. . .whatever.

If this actually turns out good though, I'm down. Especially if they aren't hamstrung by the Pathfinder system. . .bleah.
 
Third, fucking WH40K universe with severe armpit smell? Whyyy? There are so many WH games out there and most of them are useless. Why another one?

It's probably the best Warhammer setting they could have chosen. Huge potential. And honestly, I have no doubt they will nail it after two great Pathfinder games.

Agreed on the game's length though.
 
Oh what the fuck happened here?

First, it will be 140 hours at mininum, like Wrath was. Sneaky fuckin' russians must create a game that competes with Solzhenitsyin's The Gulag Archipelago. After the 40th hour 99% of players abandon these games. Doesn't matter, must be long, since winters are long.

Second, who the hell thought that using this art style was a good idea? Do they want to bring in the juvies and inject the wh transhumanist bullshit into their minds?

Third, fucking WH40K universe with severe armpit smell? Whyyy? There are so many WH games out there and most of them are useless. Why another one?

Sigh... hope I'm wrong, but it's ugly as hell, doesn't cling with the usual wh40k aesthetics.
The one thing I'll agree with you here is the anime they showed in the trailer. I agree it does not fit with Warhammer 40k.

That said Warhammer games are actually getting better. There's been a few recent releases that have been really good like the new Chaos Gate.
 
It's going to be really hard not to get hyped over this. A game that is about as up my alley as I can imagine.

Should probably just go total media blackout.
 

WitchHunter

Member
It's probably the best Warhammer setting they could have chosen. Huge potential. And honestly, I have no doubt they will nail it after two great Pathfinder games.

Agreed on the game's length though.
WH40K is a cruel, unforgiving, ULTRA VIOLENT, inhuman, savage universe, yet, the games show a honey coated version of it. Oh look, little cute bunnies hopping around with doubled organs. How nice. Gimme a break.
 
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