Privateer Press Knows Their Audience
I am very much inclined to like Privateer Press for many reasons, great games, wonderful customer service, high quality metal minis, and last but certainly not least, the Page 5 philosophy. It's what really won me over to Warmachine.
Now at first glance the Page 5 philosophy feels a bit misogynistic, and makes Warmachine out to be a boys only club.
For those who don't know, the Page 5 philosophy boiled down to it's most fundamental point is this, "Play Like You've Got a Pair."
Now, in Prime (the first of the rule books to be released) Page 5 the misogynistic feeling is a tad strong, though I am still rather fond of the idea of a game promoting aggressive play, and a bit of dignity after a loss.
Recently I was flipping through one of the newer expansion books, and I got it into my head to read the Page 5. I was very pleased to find that the list of people they were saying Warmachine wasn't for had grown.
I don't have the book with me for the exact quote so bear with me, "This isn't a game for sissies, Nancy boys, or daddy's little girls."
What this new addition to the Page 5 told was that Privateer Press recognizes their audience, they know and acknowledge that women play their game.
A big Warmachine
At GenCon last year, I played in the Warmachine national tournament, and it had the most women I have ever seen in such a large tournament setting (though I hear some CCGs can get that many women and girls). While I love Warmachine and especially the setting, there are two things that I think make it especially good at drawing women gamers.
First, it has a lot of strong female characters. Each of the factions has female leaders and female models. The leaders (warcasters) actually have background history written about them, and the female warcasters aren't just hangers-on. One of the females is quickly moving through the ranks and has become fairly powerful within the military structure - that kingdom is actually ruled by a strong Queen as well. Another of the female warcasters has a sister in an opposing faction and sometimes struggles with exactly how to react when she faces her sister in battle.
Second is all the story. If they actually wrote novels in this setting, I would be reading them all. The rulebooks alone have tons of background history and current events, and the relations between the factions and within the factions are far from simple. The characters seem more real because they have to deal with personal, social, and political conflict while also dealing with war.