amtgard v9
frequently asked questions
THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT PHASE 3 OF DEVELOPMENT (2022/2023).
On this page we will try to answer the most common and frequently asked questions that we have received over the course of development. Please use your search function to browse for specific questions. If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can contact the V9 Team directly through v9@amtgard.com or by messaging the Amtgard V9 Facebook Page.
Questions and answers are listed below in no particular order.
Q: WHAT IS THE ALPHA PLAYTEST AND HOW DO I JOIN?
The Amtgard V9 Alpha Playtest Program is the official closed playtest program for the V9 ruleset.
A closed playtest means that your park needs to apply to join and receive the Alpha documents. You can find the registration forms here and the full list of approved parks here. Only players from registered parks will be granted access to the Amtgard V9 Discord server to provide feedback and participate in discussion.
The Alpha playtests will represent a very raw build of Amtgard V9 and the various rules will be subject to change without notice as we rough in the concepts and smooth out problems that arise.
At the time of writing, the plan is to release the Alpha documents in waves to ensure we are building on solid foundation.
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Militia Playtest Rules will be released no later than October 2022.
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This will include everything from Core Combat Rules to Armor/Weapon Construction, as well as projectiles and safety protocols.
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Class Playtest Rules will be released over time in parts, with all pieces in place no later than May 2022.
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This will eventually include everything necessary to play a proper Amtgard V9 class battlegame.
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Roleplay Playtest Rules are currently earmarked for release during Phase 4.
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Dor Un Avathar Playtest Rules are currently earmarked for release during Phase 4.
Q: WHAT IS AMTGARD V9?
Amtgard V9 is the next major edition of the Amtgard Rules of Play. New editions of Amtgard are released roughly every 10 years and are able to make large-scale changes that would not be possible in a typical update.
Amtgard V9 has the potential to add, remove, or change almost anything game-related in the Rules of Play, including but not limited to: game mechanics, classes, spells & abilities, leveling, magic items, battlegame rules, etc.
The developers of Amtgard V9 want to ensure that the game we are playing after the update still feels like Amtgard, which is why they are investing so much time and effort into Research and Development.
Q: WHEN IS AMTGARD V9 BEING RELEASED?
TLDR: Current plan is July 2024
As of July 2022, Amtgard V9 is scheduled to be brought before the IKCOM for an official adoption vote in July 2024.
Our development timeline is split into five (5) phases. Each phase begins and ends at the annual AICOM meeting, typically held in July. This timeline is subject to change based on the on-going global COVID-19 pandemic.
[COMPLETE] Phase 1 (2020-2021)
Comprehensive Surveys
[COMPLETE] Phase 2 (2021-2022)
Field Research & Class Surveys
[CURRENT] Phase 3 (2022-2023)
Alpha Playtesting
Phase 4 (2023-2024)
Open Beta Playtesting
AICOM MEETING 2024
Circle of Monarchs vote to adopt V9 as the official ruleset of Amtgard
Phase 5 (2024-2025)
Post-Launch Care
Q: I HEARD... (RUMORS, THEORIES, & "LEAKED" INFORMATION)
TLDR: Take everything you hear with a grain of salt.
It is our goal to remain as transparent as we can be during the V9 development process. With the massive community outreach we are undertaking, there will no doubt be tons of conjecture and speculation going around about what’s going to happen in V9.
While we wish we could control the rumor-mill and only circulate 100% true information, it is likely that the majority of information being passed around will be hearsay, theory-crafting, or the byproducts of a friendly brainstorming sessions.
As such, unless the information has been presented by a branded V9 account such as this website, v9@amtgard.com, or the Amtgard V9 facebook page, we highly recommend treating everything you hear as wishful theories at best, or complete fabrications at worst.
Even information provided directly by the Amtgard V9 Team is subject to change. Research and development requires a lot of trial and error. An idea that may be “THE solution” one day can be thrown in the trash the next, and taken back out the day after.
If you ever want to know if a piece of V9 information is accurate or not, please reach out us through v9@amtgard.com or via the Amtgard V9 Facebook Page.
Q: WHO MAKES THE FINAL DECISION ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO V9?
TLDR: The core V9 committee members.
The core members of the Amtgard V9 Development Team are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the project. As such, they will be making all final decisions when it comes to the direction and content of Amtgard V9.
With that in mind, it is the intention of the team to be data-driven and engage with the populous as much as possible to ensure that their decisions reflect the collective aspirations of our diverse player-base, both old, new, and those who have yet to join.
To support this goal, the core team has enlisted an extended development team which includes the Kingdom Rules Reps, who act as advisors on behalf of their kingdom.
In addition, we have several other Advisory Councils designed to review the V9 Committee's plans and advise them in the areas of:
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Women/Non-Men Insensitivities and Issues
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Disability/Accessibility Insensitivities and Issues
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Ethnic/Racial Insensitivities and Issues
These Advisory Councils were formed with careful consideration and recommendations from players who are directly affected by these issues. Their goal is to be a diverse group of passionate representatives that can be the voice of the voiceless in regards to these very sensitive topics.
Lastly, the Amtgard International Circle of Monarchs will act as a final check-and-balance. The AICOM must vote in favor of the final V9 ruleset before it is official adopted. That said, they cannot directly make changes themselves. They can only vote it down and provide feedback for the V9 Team to use in their revisions.
Q: HOW MUCH IS V9 GOING TO CHANGE THE GAME?
TLDR: It's complicated.
To get a proper understanding of what to expect, please watch or read our 2022 Annual report. We did our best to make it entertaining and informative. If you still have questions, please reach out to us via email or facebook (social links at top of page).
Q: WHO IS ON THE V9 DEVELOPMENT TEAM?
Q: HOW CAN I SPEAK DIRECTLY TO A V9 TEAM MEMBER?
You can contact the Amtgard V9 Team directly through v9@amtgard.com or by messaging the Amtgard V9 Facebook Page.
Alternatively, if your park has registered for the Closed Alpha Playtest, you can join the Amtgard V9 Discord server and speak with the V9 Team there.
Q: HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
You can go here to find all the currently available ways to get involved with Amtgard V9 Development.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR ________ IN V9?
TLDR: It's complicated.
To get a proper understanding of what to expect, please watch or read our 2022 Annual report. We did our best to make it entertaining and informative. If you still have questions, please reach out to us via email or facebook (social links at top of page).
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE CODE OF CONDUCT?
TLDR: Not our responsibility.
The Amtgard V9 Team only handles the “Game” portion of the rules. Any additions or changes to the Code of Conduct are handled separately by the Inter-Kingdom Circle of Monarchs and the Amtgard International Board of Directors.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR KNIGHTHOOD & AWARD STANDARDS?
TLDR: Not our responsibility.
The Amtgard V9 Team only handles the “Game” portion of the rules. Any additions or changes to Knighthood or Award Standards are handled separately by the Award Standards Commitee. Kingdom-level award standards for non-ladder awards are handled by each Kingdom's own Corpora.
Q: HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS INCLUSIVITY & ACCESSIBILITY?
Our goal is to improve the overall inclusivity and accessbility of Amtgard by tackling key mechanics and systems that unfairly impact certain populations of our player base. You can see some of the ways we plan to do that by watching or reading our 2022 Annual Report.
In addition, we have created several Advisory Councils designed to review the V9 Committee's plans and advise them in the areas of:
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Women/Non-Men Insensitivities and Issues
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Disability/Accessibility Insensitivities and Issues
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Ethnic/Racial Insensitivities and Issues
These Advisory Councils were formed with careful consideration and recommendations from players who are directly affected by these issues. Their goal is to be a diverse group of passionate representatives that can be the voice of the voiceless in regards to these very sensitive topics.
At this time, the member lists will remain private until everyone is comfortable in the role and willing to be listed here.
For more information, please reach out to the Amtgard V9 Team directly via v9@amtgard.com or Amtgard V9 on Facebook.
If you feel there are issues within the current Amtgard V8 ruleset related to inclusivity or accessbility that should be addressed in Amtgard V9, please reach out to us via email or facebook (social links at top of page). We would very much like to hear from you.