This is an article that I wasn't really sure how to write until Pooka wrote his take on it and inspired me, but I think it's an important subject that needs to be discussed. Recently, there was a big shake up with Asmodee splitting the miniatures games from FFG over to Atomic Mass Studios, causing everything from complete panic to utter nihilism in the community about the state of the game and how it will be going forward, so here are my thoughts on everything that is going on right now and maybe I will reach some of you desperate for some good news.
First, I feel terrible for Alex Davy and Michael Gernes losing their jobs in the middle of the pandemic. We as a team worked a ton with Michael on this current wave during play testing and I cannot say enough good things about him in terms of his willingness to work with the PT team and ensuring that FFG put out content that was as good as it could be. I for one look forward to whatever projects they take on in the future and seeing what they can do for other games. Despite their departure, I'm still really confident in the game itself and I think there will continue to be great content for years to come.
Second, change is always scary. When I graduated from West Point in May 2018, I felt comfortable knowing that to a large degree my life would be figured out for me for the next 5 years. However, I found out 18 months later, after almost a year battling weight gain, depression, and arthritis across my entire body that I had Hashiomoto's Disease causing me to have a non-functioning Thyroid. Not only did my Army career plans come to a terrible crash, but now I had to figure out what to do with myself and my family. I was terrified that I had to come up with a new life plan quickly and it was probably the hardest 3 months of my life after what had already been an awful year for me. But, like all things, eventually that passed and now I'm working a job where I'm happy and my family is taken care of, living closer to family and having tons of great friends in the area.
On a smaller, and less impactful scale, this is where we are at with Armada. We don't know where the ship is heading for sure, but do not be so certain that we won't end up somewhere just as good and maybe even better than where we are.
Finally, don't be one of those people who ruins the game for others if you're not happy about the changes. I can 100% understand that some of the changes to the game are beyond what some may consider to be fun, and if that's how you feel, that's okay. However, that doesn't mean you have to convince everyone else that the game is also not for them just because you don't like the new card sizes or you're not a fan of prequel factions in the game. There is no need for some of the vitriol and hate that I and Pooka have seen on the forums.
On the flip side, if you are newer to the game, first of all welcome! Don't worry about the vocal portion of the community decrying the changes as I think that they have made it so much easier to get into the game than it was when I did 2 years ago. The main thing is it's just a game; have fun with your friends and enjoy the hard work that dozens of people from across North America have put into it and if you have feedback, please express it thoughtfully to the team at Atomic Mass! I know I never waste my time reading rage bait and I'm sure they don't pay it much mind either.
In conclusion, I hope this has provided you all some relief in the current sea of chaos that is SW miniatures. Just know that things will get better and there is tons of great content coming to Armada in the very near future! Take this time to build the community and welcome our newest players to it and together we will go forward into the next chapter of Armada.
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