New Player

I picked up SotM EE at Dragoncon over the weekend from the Foambrain Games booth. My son and I played it that night, and we bought the RC/IR expansion the next day as we were very impressed. I had seen the game before at various LGS, but the ladies at the Foambrain booth are avid players and really sold the game well. I've already pre-ordered the Cosmos expansion, and will pick up Vengeance, Timelines, and whatever mini-expansions I can find in the future (bought Silver Gulch at the con as well). I was a bit surprised to find out that SotM has a "lifespan" so to speak. I know we've got time as I believe we are a couple of expansions away from the end of the story. This does lead to my question. Once the current storyline ends, will GTG stop making SotM in its current form? Or will they start another arc? Some of this info may not have been released yet, so the whole plan may not be known. Could someone summarize what is known about GTG's plans about after "The End"?

From they way they have been talking, I think that once they have finished Sentinels of the Multiverse, that they will be finished producing games for it. They do already have the continueing story in Sentinel Tactics, taking place roughly a decade after Sentinels of the Multiverse's story has ended.

First off, welcome to the world of Sentinels!  Glad to have another person whom enjoys the game!  To answer your question, I think it is safe to say that we don't know, but more than likely when the card game ends, that will be the end of SotM in that form.  However, GtG has/will be releasing a tactical minis game set after the events of SotM called Sentinel Tactics. For those whom backed the kickstarter, they probably have received their copy already, but the game will hit store shelves sometime this month or next from what we hear.  There are many whom are currently playing the game and the feeling seems to be (from what I've experienced and read) that you will either love it more than SotM or it won't be quite as good, but very enjoyable.  ST does open up more possibilities with the game in terms of story and if you enjoy the game and want to accessorize, there are minis available with ST as well.

The plan is to make different games.

Sentinels Tactics is set in the same Multiverse, continuing from where the card game will leave off and they are hopeful that it will also have a good run.

If that is successful there will be more games continuing the saga of Sentinels Tactics, but at the end of the card game there will no longer be anymore card game expansions, or a new storyline with the same card game mechanics.

However there is a pretty good fan community that is already making their own expansions, so hopefully that will continue.

I'm still holding out hope against all odds for more.  A quote from Paul in the comments on the preorder page addressing promo reprints:

"Actually, all of our promo cards will eventually be printed in an "unlimited edition" promo card pack once the MAIN story arc of Sentinels of the Multiverse is complete in around two years."  (emphasis mine)

Maybe some kind of side story concurrent with the main.  Just wild speculation trying to keep my hopes alive.

They could still release mini expansions even after they stop the regular ones.

Sadly there is a "limit" on the current form.  More then that, Christopher has said in the recent House Rules podcast that he will be personally travelling across the country to throw away all copies of SotM once the story ends.  Or maybe I misheard him. :-).

Ben

• Edited for proper attribution to the mighty Creator *

Who is this "Chris" you speak of?

As much as I enjoy SOTM, it has certain limits as a game.  I hope that when it wraps up, we will eventually get a new game which is similar, but adds additional depth in certain key areas (EG giving incapacitated players a more meaningful play-option than saying "okay, you get to do whatever benefits us the most") - SOTM 2.0, as it were, or a game with similarly clean mechanics but a whole new setting.

I hope Tactics has a LONG run because I'm enjoying it more than the card game (which I also love). 

Ditto on this.

It also feels like it is just scraping the surface of what it could be.  There is a lot of potential in the game.

I know that it is a common trope in comic books (at least in the past 10 years), but I am not/looking forward to the inevitable "Civil War" that may happen in ST.  My hope is that like the "evil Justice League" that met the regular Justice League, Iron Legacy was just the first of an alternate FF which I will dub the Iron Five.  I hope that there is never a rift in the FF, but if there is, it will be one heck of a story.

Unfortunatley, I think the end of SotM also might mean the end of the multiverse (speculation). I doubt we will be seeing alternate timeline shenanigans in Tactics, at least anytime in the near forseeable future.

The multiverse for me has always been about the stories that are created.  For example one person could see Baron Blade as a cakewalk where they defeated him handily; while another person encountered Baron Blade and was crushed in defeat.  I do believe there is a "canon story," but I also don't think that the "end of the multiverse" means the improbability of something major like "Civil War" being an impossibility.  If it does, that is why we have a fanfiction section.

We also have fan-made decks, and converting some heroes to villains could be really cool.