Also, I'm getting close to publishing the first version that I'm happy to make public. I have an introductory page in which I try to explain what I have and have not done. I'll post it here as a preview:
About this publicationOrigin and intentThis publication aims to make the Epic Armageddon rules texts less confusing and more usable. It is based on the original rules, errata and frequently asked questions (FAQs) by Games Workshop Limited.
In fact, in terms of gameplay, the rules in this publication are the same as the original rules. That is, I have made many changes to the original structure and wording, but my purpose was to make it easier to understand and to use without changing the meaning or intent that underlies each rule.
This publication is entirely unofficial and not endorsed by Games Workshop. But, you should find it more accessible than the original (and long out of print) books or other 'repackaged' versions such as at Net Epic Armageddon (Net EA —
http://www.net-armageddon.org. I'm not knocking it, Net EA is a great resource and their HTML version of the original rules was my starting point for this publication since it was easy to import and already included the official errata and FAQs).
I hope my 'revamp' helps you to get more out of this great game, with less confusion. Long live Epic Armageddon!
Eric Weston
Changes I've madeWith very few exceptions (that you should find I have annotated), I haven't changed the gameplay in any way. These few exceptions exist because some contradictions and gaps in the source texts are too problematic to ignore and impossible to resolve sensibly without a decision.
Otherwise, if you find yourself thinking that I have changed the meaning of a rule, and thus the gameplay, then it is a genuine mistake I'd like to fix [Comment: Contact details pending.]. Or, there is a fair chance that you missed something in the source texts and were actually 'playing it wrong' — don't feel bad about it, the writing in the source texts is often needlessly hard to decipher and related points are often scattered and hard to find.
What I have done, using technical writing software and techniques, is:
*Rationalised text that was unclear, inconsistent, fragmented, conflicting and ambiguous, to better communicate the underlying meaning and reduce the potential for confusion. I have also integrated many of the FAQs into the main body of the rules (the rest are close to the rules they relate to but out of the main flow of text).
*Reworked the structure to make it easier to use and also more suitable for 'mobile' formats. You should find it much easier to browse and comprehend certain complex passages (such as the Assault Procedure and the rules for aircraft).
*Made titles more self-descriptive and added links between related topics — together, these changes make it easier and faster for you to find and check related rules when you need to.
I have kept the scheme of separate sections for the core rules and for the more advanced rules, as I do think this helps new players to learn in manageable chunks. New players can ignore links between sections at first, while more experienced players can use them to quickly check advanced rules that are less familiar than the core rules they modify or extend.
You can't please all of the people all of the time. But my friends and I have certainly found this project helps a lot with the game, so I'm sharing because you may appreciate it too.