# Tabletop Simulator 40k



## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

Hello everybody, for some of us playing actual games of 40k, 30k, fantasy, or any any of Games Workshop's systems is easier said than done. This can be due to cost, because this hobby is not cheap (my recent 1k iron warrior list comes in at about $350USD, and it does not have that much in it), or location.

My local hobby shop closed recently and the nearest GW store is located somewhere in NYC, an easy 3 hour round trip for me. Between a job, a fiance, a house and bills, and other projects there would not be enough time in the week for me to include a day of gaming. Now I know I am definitely not the only person out there who has an issue like this, no local shop or means to get to one, so we need to look for some sort of alternative.


Years ago there was a team that made a mod for the vassal engine: a top down system that allows people to build virtual versions of existing tabletop or card game. Over the years that team became a community, people came and went, the community fractured into communities, updates were made, and to my knowledge popularity for the system has slowly died down. (A search for updates to the system hasn't exactly yielded much having been done in the last 6-12 months and a lot has happened since then.)


Recently I stumbled upon a different system, one with what appears to be a slowly growing 40k community. This system is Tabletop Simulator, a game engine that can be found on Steam and, unlike vassal, needs to be purchased in order to use. 

Now the cost is not that bad, TTS is only $19.99USD with relevant additions/mods being free. The reason for no cost beyond the initial buy-in is that the additions are fan made and can be made by anyone.


The system takes some getting used, and at this time not every model/option is available for every army. But from my limited experience with it so far everything seems pretty good. Currently I've taken to playing with a friend, as I relearn some of the rules (a year off of playing will do that to you) and get used to the controls themselves.



Anyone else given this a go? Whats your experience with this been?


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## Haskanael (Jul 5, 2011)

Ive seen some youtube lets plays of tabletop simulator playing 40K its pretty decent, and am looking into getting it myself whenever I have money for it. in the lets plays it looks realy fun, and the models are actualy pretty damn good.


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

I know a fair number of models are drawn from the Dawn of War games. As for lets plays, thats how I became aware of TTS; initially confused about how 500 and 1k games could take as long as they do. Having played a few times I now understand, the system does take some getting used to.


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## jin (Feb 20, 2014)

how long before these sims can be run for a few hundred thousand cycles of every possible list in the computer aided balancing of core game mechanics? i am excited for that.


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## Knighty (Feb 28, 2017)

I think that the table top sim is an awesome little way to play with friends too far away to play with face to face or as you said those of us (me included) whoses wallets cannot keep forking out money to buy more and more models (oh the pain) but i rekon that as it builds more hype and popularity that GW might try and stop it, hope not but i think it'll happen


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

jin said:


> how long before these sims can be run for a few hundred thousand cycles of every possible list in the computer aided balancing of core game mechanics? i am excited for that.


Firstly, why?

Second, I doubt that is ever going to happen. Its easier to maintain the current system, let us the players be the ones doing the testing and take in feedback for the next update.




Knighty said:


> I think that the table top sim is an awesome little way to play with friends too far away to play with face to face or as you said


Yeah, I was really looking forward to getting back into face to face gaming only to learn that I no longer had that as a realistic option.



Knighty said:


> those of us (me included) whoses wallets cannot keep forking out money to buy more and more models (oh the pain)


Well one of the benefits of something like this is the fact that you can playtest options, builds, or units without having to purchase them. This avoids you wasting money on something that won't work for you, and find something that will (meaning that you ultimately do spend money, and possibly more than you had been originally planning.)



Knighty said:


> but i rekon that as it builds more hype and popularity that GW might try and stop it, hope not but i think it'll happen


I'm rather doubtful, especially as of late. Before GW was quick to try and quash fan created versions of their material, but in the last few years it seems they have taken the foot off the gas on things that draw no profit from their IP. 

Vassal still exists and the various GW mods for TTS have been around for a little while without any problem. Theres really more of a potential for GW to try and cash in on this, assuming it gets enough popularity. Imagine paying a 1 time fee and get the digital models for your entire codex? Then a negligible fee for an update if new units need to be added (lets say $10 and $1-2 respectively.)


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## Pssyche (Mar 21, 2009)

How easy is it to come to terms with the interface and start playing games?
Are you also able to play games over a protracted length of time, in that say during a lunch break you could get a movement or shooting phase in?


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

Pssyche said:


> How easy is it to come to terms with the interface and start playing games?


I want to say pretty easy overall, however when it comes to playing games with someone else online you both need to have the same add-ons available, otherwise your not going to be able to load all of the model assets.

As long as you have that part covered, and I've yet to have a time where one person had something that another person could not get in the span of five minutes or less, then the system itself just takes some getting used to.



Pssyche said:


> Are you also able to play games over a protracted length of time, in that say during a lunch break you could get a movement or shooting phase in?


I want to say yes, when you have an understanding of the system the turn phases only take slightly longer than their real world counterparts (and that only really happens because its slightly harder to right certain models if they fall over.)


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## Pssyche (Mar 21, 2009)

Thanks for the prompt reply!


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