Your discussion of the starter boxes make me think that GW wants to turn 40k into some kind of future-historical wargame.
They don’t advance the storyline, new stuff is always retconned or has happened in the past. They bring out a lot of background books with campaigns. Like Warzone-Books, Sanctus Reach and even their supplements for the codices.
I voted for terrain, because to me that is the single most important element that distinguishes a starter product for tabletop war-games from all other products for a game, which basically consist of models. If you truly want to start someone out with a game, it is in your interest as a company to give them ALL of the required elements to play the game right out of the box, which necessarily means putting some terrain in alongside the rules and minis. Even if it’s just some paper terrain, that beats the hell out of cereal boxes and blankets when you are starting out.
Everyone seems to have learned this lesson and GW has apparently still forgotten it. Even Infinity is putting out a play mat and some fold-up terrain in their upcoming starter set.
Starter kits need to be a loss-leader to get the fence-sitters into the game. As such, rules and minatures need to be packaged in such a way that people see value for money. I’m not neccessarily talking cheap, though I like the comparison of cost being equal to a video game new release.
The minatures should be simple, especially for the rank and file. Taking the extra skulls, pelts and other bullshit off gets them on the table faster. But more importantly, simpler minatures mean greater mass appeal. The greatest success of Black Reach was that the kit could be used to make Ultramarines, Blood Angels or a home brew chapter. And the terminators and dreads had a range of weapons options once you purchased other kits. The orks were even easier because they’re orks and you just glue shit on boyz. With Dark Vengence, you’d better like Dark Angels and robes.
Stormclaw may trump even Black Reach, if offered regularly, because they don’t have to do moulds. Shit, they could even do a “print on demand” from the webstore and allow people to pick the two factions (unlikely).
Finally, do you think that Storm Claw is an acknowledgement that the 6th ed box was too specific?
P.S. I did go too far with the WW1 game idea, though I find the idea of “deadly no-mans land” vs “relatively safe trenches” an interesting mechanic. I’ve no idea how you’d make it work.
voted for value but really any one of those things listed can make a starter set worth buying.. but you really need all those things present for it to be great (because you want it to be one purchase that gets you everything you need, that’s the whole point). Basically you need to be able to open the box and play a small or medium version of the real game… and that includes the rules, accessories to play the whole game… that you can expand on by buying some more sets. Best starter sets I’ve seen come from flames of war, and dropzone commander. Infinity’s new set looks excellent. Dark Vengeance would make it up there if it had terrain and the forces were more balanced. X-wing and attack wing have good ones but a little on the small side. The x-wing one can be bought in multiples and then you have more useful accessories and plenty of ships for a good price.
That being said models are probably the most crucial thing aside from value, rules are more crucial to the game itself (but not including a mini-version of the full rules is a dealbreaker). They have to be a good example of the best and most desirable units in the game too, and a wide variety of the different sorts of units in the game.
Jaded Gamercast 
Your discussion of the starter boxes make me think that GW wants to turn 40k into some kind of future-historical wargame.
They don’t advance the storyline, new stuff is always retconned or has happened in the past. They bring out a lot of background books with campaigns. Like Warzone-Books, Sanctus Reach and even their supplements for the codices.
What do you think about it?
I voted for terrain, because to me that is the single most important element that distinguishes a starter product for tabletop war-games from all other products for a game, which basically consist of models. If you truly want to start someone out with a game, it is in your interest as a company to give them ALL of the required elements to play the game right out of the box, which necessarily means putting some terrain in alongside the rules and minis. Even if it’s just some paper terrain, that beats the hell out of cereal boxes and blankets when you are starting out.
Everyone seems to have learned this lesson and GW has apparently still forgotten it. Even Infinity is putting out a play mat and some fold-up terrain in their upcoming starter set.
I voted for $-value.
Starter kits need to be a loss-leader to get the fence-sitters into the game. As such, rules and minatures need to be packaged in such a way that people see value for money. I’m not neccessarily talking cheap, though I like the comparison of cost being equal to a video game new release.
The minatures should be simple, especially for the rank and file. Taking the extra skulls, pelts and other bullshit off gets them on the table faster. But more importantly, simpler minatures mean greater mass appeal. The greatest success of Black Reach was that the kit could be used to make Ultramarines, Blood Angels or a home brew chapter. And the terminators and dreads had a range of weapons options once you purchased other kits. The orks were even easier because they’re orks and you just glue shit on boyz. With Dark Vengence, you’d better like Dark Angels and robes.
Stormclaw may trump even Black Reach, if offered regularly, because they don’t have to do moulds. Shit, they could even do a “print on demand” from the webstore and allow people to pick the two factions (unlikely).
Finally, do you think that Storm Claw is an acknowledgement that the 6th ed box was too specific?
P.S. I did go too far with the WW1 game idea, though I find the idea of “deadly no-mans land” vs “relatively safe trenches” an interesting mechanic. I’ve no idea how you’d make it work.
voted for value but really any one of those things listed can make a starter set worth buying.. but you really need all those things present for it to be great (because you want it to be one purchase that gets you everything you need, that’s the whole point). Basically you need to be able to open the box and play a small or medium version of the real game… and that includes the rules, accessories to play the whole game… that you can expand on by buying some more sets. Best starter sets I’ve seen come from flames of war, and dropzone commander. Infinity’s new set looks excellent. Dark Vengeance would make it up there if it had terrain and the forces were more balanced. X-wing and attack wing have good ones but a little on the small side. The x-wing one can be bought in multiples and then you have more useful accessories and plenty of ships for a good price.
That being said models are probably the most crucial thing aside from value, rules are more crucial to the game itself (but not including a mini-version of the full rules is a dealbreaker). They have to be a good example of the best and most desirable units in the game too, and a wide variety of the different sorts of units in the game.
For new people, we want the swags. Cool models.
For the dinosaurs using starter kits as booster packs… value.