I am planning to update the menu system for games and companies a little. Therefore, I would like to discuss and finalize the names of factions and sub-factions in 40k. Who belongs where, what is part of what, have there been any renamings, and how best to reflect this in the menu sets. I'm not an absolute expert, so I'd like to ask your advice on how best to format this, what structure would be best so that it's not too complicated or too simple.
Please suggest your options! Let's agree on a unified concept.
So, when I was updating the Forge World stuff you asked me to, I noticed Adeptus Custodes is listed under the old name Custodian Guard.
are you thinking of converting all the old names to new names? Or do you want to keep a clear line between old edition 40k and modern 40k. The weird issue is that any of their old spin-off games would still only use names like Custodian Guard or Imperial Guard etc. They will never have their names updated, but would it make sense to just convert everything to new? Or keep the old names on the books for the legacy games that no longer exist.
I think we need to sort out all the names - what has changed, what has been renamed, and what the old names are. Factions have the option of using several names to redirect to one, just like companies. For example, the links https://miniset.net/companies/games-workshop and https://miniset.net/companies/gw will lead to the same page. The same system is used if a company or game changes its name—both the old and new links work, but with a message about the change when you click on them.
I want to slightly rework the menu for games and companies - both for sets (in the right column) and for display in the main block of the game page. I want it to have additional details and no unnecessary links to all sorts of additional materials that are not immediately needed. It will also be possible to add manual links with additional filters. It will also be possible to add some details manually. Together with the text descriptions on the catalog pages, it should become a little clearer for visitors. Something like this:
Warhammer 40k
Armies of the Imperium
-- Adeptus Custodes (old names: Custodian Guard)
-- ...
We have factions and subfactions that are already displayed nested within each other. I want to finish the automation that will check the sets for the presence of both factions and add the necessary ones, because now they can only be found in one of them and not in the other.
To do this, we need to update all current factions and subfactions and specify which of the old ones have been renamed to what.
It may not be very clear how I want to implement this, but I will show you how the working version will look when ill done it.
How do you want to handle Horus Heresy factions, there's a LOT of crossover. Like in Horus Heresy they have the Mechanicum, but in 40k they have Adeptus Mechanicus... they're like the same faction and you can often use Mechanicum gear in 40k.
Because then I can make a conversion list for you.
We could also do Fantasy, Old World is just Fantasy with new names. Age of Sigmar is a bit too different though, but there was some weird overlap for a few years when AoS started.
I think that the connections between the HH and 40k factions can be explained by cross-references and text, using the descriptions of the factions and the texts on the catalog pages (everyone knows they exist, right?). After all, HH and 40k are separated in time and usually do not intersect on the same table (as far as I know).
But the connections between the old and new factions of the same game are more complicated and can cause confusion — somewhere this will have to be explained and taken into account so that both modern collectors and collectors of old sets feel comfortable. This is a difficult task, and I want to solve it. I am not the greatest expert on GW, so in order to understand the complexity, I need to understand all the options. Then I will be able to develop a more or less universal structure that is suitable for everyone. At the very least, the most important question at the moment is whether a structure consisting of two factions — faction and subfaction (and leaving the rest to “specialization”) — will suffice or not.
GW generally sets tasks, since no one else has such a complex structure yet. And from one set, you can assemble several different ones, with different characteristics, combinations, renaming, and gradual replacements of entire games with same sets... But one thing is clear: once we have dealt with these tasks, we will easily cope with any others in the future)
Ok, so here's a proposal, Space Marines are basically Adeptus Astartes now. All the relevant factions have been broken up such as Dark Angels, Space Wolves, etc. However, the vehicles can be used by just about any of them, so maybe just label the vehicles as Adeptus Astartes/vehicles?
So here's what I know
New/Old:
Adeptus Sororitas/Battle Sisters
Adeptus Custodes/Custodian Guard (This faction is the one used in both 40k/Horus Heresy)
Astra Militarum/Imperial Guard
Drukhari/Dark Eldar
Aeldari/Eldar
Chaos Space Marines have also been divided up into their respective factions. Some vehicles are bespoke to a faction others are more generic like the Chaos Rhino. So keeping a generic Chaos Space Marine set is probably worth it.
There is also a faction on Miniset called Daemons of Chaos, which is used in both 40k and Fantasy, but now it's just called Chaos Daemons. You also have it listed as Armies of Chaos, so there is a lot of names for this thing that is the same.
For Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Old World
New/Old
Tomb Kings of Khemri/ Tomb Kings
Beastmen Breyherds/Beastmen
Dwarfen Mountain Holds/Dwarfs
Empire of Man/ The Empire
High Elf Realms/ High Elves
Kingdom of Bretonnia/ Bretonians
Wood Elf Realms/ Wood Elves
Most are slight changes or no change