As we got new shiny website and old links no longer work I've decided to start a new topic (old one should get locked).
This week I've added Renegade Orc Bikers to the store:
bit.ly/1cBntQX
Short report how we've worked on those can be found here.
For those looking for suitable bike for them I've made Badass Bike available as a separate piece.
Apart from those there's a new gun cart:
http://bit.ly/16eZcfZ -should fit a variety of armies .
As I've introduced Disqus to the new site I thought about a sort of contest - post a comment anywhere on the site for a chance to get box full of goodies and/or get a 10% for future orders .
http://bit.ly/13A6GEK
Man, I love the pose, but would want alternate heads... those are just a bit too much to fit in with my army (I'm looking for a Siege Giant for chaos dwarfs).
This week I have a quick preview of the Mean and Green Gobbo:
http://bit.ly/14Av8JV It will be released this week.
Also you can see a glimpse of the unit Robert is working on - pic on our FB profile:
http://on.fb.me/14v0gKX Kuba is currently working in Rhino on some extra equipmnet for those (knives, pistols).
Gambo Grot you really are trying to give my wallet cardiac arrest, I hope this is the future of things to come kind of reminds me of a conversation we had a while ago
As for the human badasses you know I am down for a set of these plus like the fact you are going to optional weapons for them as well nice touch O except for the Heavy
There is so much amazing stuff going on here of late, the only bad thing is it going to hurt my wallet
The bikers are brilliant was surprised the bodies and arms were metal but they have some great detail, I just need to work out the best way to use the now.
That chaos giant is on the to buy list even change my mind on my army, was going to convert them all to 40k but now going to keep them as a war hammer army.
Personally I'm spending lots of timne tweaking new site code. While I wish I could model something in Rhino/Modo there are rewarding moments when I see that the work on the site is worth it .
And heck, guys from the "design"room are coming with so cool stuff lately so atm they are better left with their projects alone
Just wanted to leave some positive feedback here. I've had my eye on the maxmini biker, and then the new biker bodies and separate bike.
I was a little reluctant to buy, having had mixed results from some other places (Not maxmini, other sci fi Orc creators). I decided to give maxmini a go with the very rreasonably priced mean Gobbo.
He arrived today, fast delivery from Poland to UK (I ordered on the 4th of this month, so less than a week)
Very well packaged, no chance of damage to the mini. And I'm well pleased, he's a really well sculpted and produced little guy.
Added to this they threw in a few freebies, two extra heads and a weapon. Cheers maxmini. Those bikers will soon be added to my collection!
On a workshop front:
Chris painted 3 out of 5 minis from the jungle squad. The one with the minigun rocks!
Robert brought one of slightly crazy greenskin idea I had to life. He also finished some more gobbos.
Kuba did some new gun sets, while Konrad continous to work on some "top secret" tagged project.
I've set up some 3d printjobs with the models that piled up. Also I'm starting to mindlessly drool over my keyboard because of hours spent staring at html/css codes. But at least that's sort of task I can do while I'm sick at home. Tomorrow I plan to go to workshop for some fun time (yeah , I know that sound strange , but after 3 days home. workshop sounds like fun ).
Moltar wrote: Abyss beast looks awesome, but what's up with his nipples? Are those just metal spikes riveted to his under side?
OH YEA! Why not, right? If you are going to make a horribly mutated, infernal, stitched together monstrosity, why not rivet spiky metal to its nipples? When in Rome...
We've worked on those mostly because I really was into assembling a squad using our greatcoat sets (more about it here ). The test mock-up figure turned out nicely, don't you think?
hmmm.... those helmets look a bit swollen to me...?
i like the gasmasks but the combination of both looks to be a bit too much bad copy and paste atm...
Gas mask helmets look fine to me. Yes, they are a bit taller than generic helmets, but even here in the real world, there have been some very tall military helmets. In this particular case, it seems explainable enough fluffwise - if these troops commonly fight in toxic environments with gas masks on, then the helmet 'ceiling' has some filtering/cooling gizmos in it.
Metro minis. Why hadn't I thought about doing some of those? Don't give me any ideas though, I already have enough unpainted stuff sitting on my worktable
The heads are neat though and I could see some really good uses for them..
@MrMoustaffa: it was a quick mockup model - I did it to quickly check what's doable with our bits . I plan to spend more time making things "proper" when I'll work on squad .
@Mr. Sighs: as you might have seen on the photo from our workshop tour article we have first copies assembled. I still wish to tune some areas but I think that after all this time we're nearing the end of this project . Especially considering Kuba has just done some add-ons for it (sponsons etc)
Przemas wrote: @MrMoustaffa: it was a quick mockup model - I did it to quickly check what's doable with our bits . I plan to spend more time making things "proper" when I'll work on squad .
@Mr. Sighs: as you might have seen on the photo from our workshop tour article we have first copies assembled. I still wish to tune some areas but I think that after all this time we're nearing the end of this project . Especially considering Kuba has just done some add-ons for it (sponsons etc)
What about the crew that you showed (renders) a while back ?
Got first copies of Combat Armour Arms . We couldn't resist assembling some mockup models - and even though Student went over the top with heavy weapon choice it shows how versatile those are
Cryptek of Awesome wrote: So I'm very dense... Does the matter displacement gun operate on some sort of gravity-based energy?
I´m guessing it is a solid chunk of resin that doesn´t really operate on anything, but if you choose to glue it on a marine on a bike in space, I am sure people would understand that this gun may indeed dispense imagined concentrated doses of gravity to other things in space.
Got first copies of Combat Armour Arms . We couldn't resist assembling some mockup models - and even though Student went over the top with heavy weapon choice it shows how versatile those are
Student was right, those look amazing. Give him a raise
Just looking at your site and I think it could do with some bundles to help make it easier. The figures shown in this thread (greatcoats and space warriors) look really cool but there isn't an easy way just to buy a squad (ten figures) which kind of puts me off a little.
Cryptek of Awesome wrote: So I'm very dense... Does the matter displacement gun operate on some sort of gravity-based energy?
I´m guessing it is a solid chunk of resin that doesn´t really operate on anything, but if you choose to glue it on a marine on a bike in space, I am sure people would understand that this gun may indeed dispense imagined concentrated doses of gravity to other things in space.
what happens if you put it on a black and white space marine on a black and white bike?
More praise for Maxmini. I just received the Badass Biker. Holy crap this model is awesome. A really great sculpt cast to a fantastic quality. And £14 as opposed to Forgeworld's Biker warboss of £40.
This guys is pretty massive, easily Wazdakka size.
Cryptek of Awesome wrote: So I'm very dense... Does the matter displacement gun operate on some sort of gravity-based energy?
I´m guessing it is a solid chunk of resin that doesn´t really operate on anything, but if you choose to glue it on a marine on a bike in space, I am sure people would understand that this gun may indeed dispense imagined concentrated doses of gravity to other things in space.
what happens if you put it on a black and white space marine on a black and white bike?
@LuckyCraig: to be honest one of the things I really look fowrad is turning those kits into boxed sets that would allow you to build whole squads without fiddling how many separate sets you need to get . SO - we working on it .
Today I've spent quite a time dewaxing 3d prints (well , apart from getting first of my goldsmith exams ) . Check this fellas:
- they have turned out bigger than I intended . Went a tad angry, until when the other guys came and suggested that actually it can be a good thing. What do you think - should I leave them big (some like chieftain size) or should I make them smaller, more suited for regular troopers?
Finally can share - Jane & Anne will soon get some friends :
Some concepts for those can be seen here.
After seing comments on orc tech freaks heads I think we'll leave them as they are - chieftain size .
Those orc 3d prints were also good opportunity to share some thoughts on 3d printing in general.
Apart from finishing some jewelry pieces (that's what we do in spare time - helps keeps our minds fresh) Kuba did matter displacement pistols and cannons.
I think we're also nearing the moment we will be able to show some of the pieces Konrad has been working on for the past couple of months. Stay tuned .
The orc heads are fantastic. I do agree they would make great cheiftan heads I would actually prefer them to be boys size. They would be great for a unit of cybernetic orcs. How about a compromise. Leave the one on the far right large for the boss and the other ones make smaller for the boys? Then you could have a propper unit of madboys or cyborks.
Przemas wrote: they have turned out bigger than I intended . Went a tad angry, until when the other guys came and suggested that actually it can be a good thing. What do you think - should I leave them big (some like chieftain size) or should I make them smaller, more suited for regular troopers?
So because they're digital, you can scale them up or down? I agree with everyone - they are fancy enough to suit leader/character orcs, but would also be nice for trooper-sized specialists or just general variety. Would it be too silly to suggest you product them at both scales? Or would that cause too much confusion with customers accidentally ordering the wrong scale?
Is that a bionic ear on the second one? And a bionic tongue on the fifth? Lovin' it...
- they have turned out bigger than I intended . Went a tad angry, until when the other guys came and suggested that actually it can be a good thing. What do you think - should I leave them big (some like chieftain size) or should I make them smaller, more suited for regular troopers?
I like them big like this. They would go nice on meganobz and war chiefs.
The new girls look excellent. Great sculpts and lots of character. The one thing I don't like about them is the boobs. The boobs are too big. Or maybe they're just too "exposed" for my liking. (I'm sure that's not a problem for most people though)
Today I've spent quite a time dewaxing 3d prints (well , apart from getting first of my goldsmith exams ) . Check this fellas:
- they have turned out bigger than I intended . Went a tad angry, until when the other guys came and suggested that actually it can be a good thing. What do you think - should I leave them big (some like chieftain size) or should I make them smaller, more suited for regular troopers?
Those heads look fething gorgeous. I'd leave a set Chief sized, and also have some that are Noble sized. I'd buy both, and my Orks are nowhere near the top of my priority list to set up again...
I agree, the quality of the sculpts is excellent but the style is too revealing for my liking.
Snrub wrote: The new girls look excellent. Great sculpts and lots of character. The one thing I don't like about them is the boobs. The boobs are too big. Or maybe they're just too "exposed" for my liking. (I'm sure that's not a problem for most people though)
The girls look good. I'm not too sure about the practicality about going into battle wearing a leotard, but whatever. Catachans go into battle in tank-tops. Were the girls metal? I don't remember.
- they have turned out bigger than I intended . Went a tad angry, until when the other guys came and suggested that actually it can be a good thing. What do you think - should I leave them big (some like chieftain size) or should I make them smaller, more suited for regular troopers?
They look amazing. I would stick with larger size, it's nice to have some bulkier "chieftan" sized heads available.
I understand these make great chieftain heads but does nobody else think there is a limited amount of other body parts required to complete such models …………………..HINT HINT !!!!1
This question came up in another thread, but how much post printing clean-up was needed on those orc heads? Is the set shown what it looks like when it is pulled from the printer?
@silent25: simply put - none. The pic with "blue" heads shows 3d print straight after dewaxing.
It's simple - either you use 3d printing that is good enough for miniatures or not. We've invested quite a deal of cash (and we still do) to get the quality I feel is crucial.
The downside is that such process is on an expensive side - when you build model from a layers that are 10-20 microns thick you won't get your models fast. It takes lots of hours. But on a good side while the printer is building model you can get back to your computer and design next .
Przemas wrote: @silent25: simply put - none. The pic with "blue" heads shows 3d print straight after dewaxing.
It's simple - either you use 3d printing that is good enough for miniatures or not. We've invested quite a deal of cash (and we still do) to get the quality I feel is crucial.
The downside is that such process is on an expensive side - when you build model from a layers that are 10-20 microns thick you won't get your models fast. It takes lots of hours. But on a good side while the printer is building model you can get back to your computer and design next .
This would explain why the biker I started painting last night needed no prep work.
That is some insanely good painting. I don't know how that guy does it but you should give me his address so I can kidn-er I mean ask him to share his wondrous knowledge.
Amazing sculpts and yeah, that painting is astonishing. Beautiful. I don't need any more heads but I'm buying these anyway. I love the iron gob on the far right.
@Barzam: I have thought about it, but atm I haven't figured out design that would be fresh and interesting.
I had a rather inspiring oldschool image of the some giant insects with instrumnets but lost it - and I can't recall the author of it.
If anyone has a suggestion do share .
Spot on, mate! Awesome there are people with better memory for names that me . Awesome, filled our studio inspiration folder with quite a number of Rodney Mathhews art . Thx !
He did some awesome stuff - I remember his covers for Moorcock books quite well. And damn, this illustration with a crazy, huge train has a firm place in my memory .
Personally I love the one with cigar.
On a side note - it was a cool experiment in overemphasizing the features to make them look better on a real model. FOr example scar looks over the top on the render while in reality IMO it looks just about right - judge for yourself :
The 3d print was still wet - made taking a photo a tad trickier.
The screaming one on the left is going straight on a Commissar body and the one on the right with the Stogie and 'stache is full on tank commander material.
Barzam wrote: I like the guy with the double chin. He needs a special portly body though to go with it.
Buy Creed cut off his head, replace with Mr. Twinchins.
Put Creeds head on a standard trooper. Watch your opponent scream in rage as Creed outflanks Creed onto the board, who then proceeds to outflank 10 lasguns into the face of some unwitting xeno scum.
Scarface and cigar chomper look brilliant. Not sold on the other 3. No. 1 looks a bit too gaunt, like a recent corpse, while 3 + 4 look too fat. I like my officers with the kind of chiselled features that suggest death and encourage obedience. Just my two cents.
. On a side note - we've just got new batch of rubber (different type we've used so far) for spincat moulds and the work on female guerilla jumpstarted. Apart from regular duties we've got 2 moulds vulcanized today and we wish to keep this pace so the squads will be ready for release on the beggining of new year .
Those officer heads look nice. I'll have to grab a set.
Przemas, I can't see the jungle girls on the website anywhere. Are they still available or have they been taken off the store for good?
Also is there a picture for the Guardsman Sniper?
Along with Jane&Anne the whole squad is now doable
I think that in 2014 you'll see more minis from us .
We're also considering some crowdfunding projects. What do you think? What are in your opinions do-s and don`t-s ?
Do crowd funding, just not indienogo. Really kickstarter or nothing. Also don't bite off more than you can chew, if you only have ten models to get ready don't let the surge of backers try and get you to do twenty in the same time frame. I'd love to see a company say "that's what we have for now, we'll still take orders, but we're not doing more until these are done"
.
Yeah, I'd prefer to go for Kickstarter - the issue is that it has been US/UK only last time I've checked. Getting round those restrictions is not impossible but rather tricky.
I'll add if you do use Indigogo please DON'T use the flexible funding option where you keep the cash even if the project fails to fund
it means very few people will be willing to back in the first place and makes it much less likely you'll hit your target
have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, with the project as while listening to what the backers say in the comments can help they often do not represent the 'silent majority'
Be responsive to them, listen to them but don't let them tell you what to make next etc
Be very pessimistic about delivery dates (and then add another 6 months)
think about how long picking and packing will take if you end up offering backers free choice of minis (rather than selling sets),
if you get a lot of complex orders (300-500 might well be possible from an established name like yours) sending them out will cost a lot of time (& money)
People prefer to see at least some real sculpts but if you use concept art make sure the sculpts match the art (preferably show earlier art and a finished model side by side)
Free stuff makes happy backers but make sure you know how much it will cost you
Make sure your certain about your postage costs (and remember prices can rise while you're sculpting/casting etc), you'll get more backers if you build the costs in to the pledges so it looks as if it's 'free'
And ordered, I am so going to paint mine with trousers on though, running around like that in a jungle isn't exactly good for your health.
And as I've said before, I'd love to see some variants that either brandish shotguns, belt-fed machine guns and sniper rifles, or ladies with empty hands so we can add our own weapons of choice.
BrookM wrote: running around like that in a jungle isn't exactly good for your health.
... unless you're super tough, bioengineered jungle chick .
And yeah, I know that multipart can be fun. We'reworking on a next project that should fit this description. For the female guerilla we've decided it would be too tricky - still (apart one of the models) we tried to make them in a way that would allow weapons swaps without much hassle .
@OrlandotheTechnicoloured: thx for the detailed post - will have to get back to it as soon as I get a while with my laptop.
@Orlando: your post really encourages me to launch a campaign. One of the reasons we hadn't done it so far was that I wanted to make sure I know possible risks and ways to handle them. Luckily many of the things that are troublesome for starters are not a big deal for us, as we learned howto cope with those during years of running our venture. For example shipping - after sending tens of thousands packages I know real costs for both post and courier services, including preparing the package, boxes, fillers etc. Also manufacturing all by ourselves help a lot :-) .
Thx for reminding about keeping the focus on the goal - with lots of new ideas and suggestions it may be tricky not to dilute the core idea, lost track of it.
I'm taking the possibility of crowdfunding really seriously - I don't want to end up with a smelly dud . I've been browsing various campaigns for around a year trying to figure out what people do right and wrong.
Kickstarter is a tad of an issue due to country restrictions. Does any of you have an idea campaigns on it are usually more succesful than on Indiegogo? I'd like to figure out the difference as maybe for some of the projects it may not matter which platform we'll use :-) .
KS campaigns are often more successful on KS compared to Indiegogo probably for a variety of reasons
1. KS is bigger and has a bigger pool of backers who trust it enough to use it
2. Many Americans are reluctant to use non-US platforms partly because they understand their own currency better, partly because they seem to get charged poor currency conversion fees by their CC providers (and it seems a lot of US credit cards don't let their owners spend abroad without a lot of hassle 'oking' it with the provider first)
Since a majority of crowd funding money comes from the USA this negatively impacts Indiegogos potential
(which is why companies like Manitc carried on using the USA KS platform even when the UK one came on line)
Plus a lot I'm sure I've not spotted
Having backed lots (too many?) projects I can see 3 (4) basic areas which can cause problems
1. Getting the costs wrong is clearly a disaster
(know your tax position with regards to the project funds coming in, and with having KS stock on hand at the end of the tax year)
2. Delivering a product that fails to meet backer expectation (even if they're wrong) is not good,
so use the material you say you will (metal/resin/restic) make sure your stuff looks like the concept art make sure they are the size backers expect
3. Communicate with the backers via KS updates preferably once a week. Even if there's not much/anything to say, say something. Carry on until everything has shipped (and been received)
It's also good if you can chat in the KS comments as it helps build/keep a community
If you do run into problems backers who are aware of the issues and feel they have a relationship with you are far less more likely to forgive you
(4) Delays.
Most KS projects end up running late, very late. Projects take longer than the creator expects, they don't factor in the extra work stretch goals add, and things go wrong that they can't control
Personally this does not bother me (and a bunch of others) much, but it's a real issue for a significant number of backers so be realistic when setting your target date in your pledge levels (you can always say you'll try to deliver earlier in the blurb on the front page)
Automatically Appended Next Post: And remember your project is a success if you hit your target!
A project does not need to bring in $1 million and hit dozens of stretch goals to be a success
You can always run another one when you've fulfilled the first,
and if you've handled the first one well a lot of the previous backers will come back, and they'll be much more likely to help promote you too
First of the new chicks look amazing just added to my to buy order list just checked out how much it will cost me
As to the KS any clue as to what it will be ?
As the gentleman above has mentioned pretty much covered everything for a successful KS, the pitfalls he has mentioned are very apparent in the KS I have backed.
The one thing I would add is if you do have any issues during the funding or production time frame, be clear and up front most people will be understanding if kept in the the know.
Although I am sure it will be successful and due to the fact it will all be done in house, the one thing that seems to be a big issue is dealing with third parties or out sourcing production.
I'd have to echo what Orlando has said above, and throw another example of a good KS project into the mix: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/179741323/brothers-of-iron Though this is more about showing how well a small and focused KS can do compared to one where the creators get carried away and start throwing around more stretch goal that just confuse things.
Regular updates are certainly a must, as frequently as suitable during the project and then once a week or so after the funding finishes. Things like work in progress pictures (rough renders / greens / lego men with blu-tac capes), concept art, finished sculpts, other relevant images. Though do try and keep posts about how over whelmed you are by how the funding is going / has gone. One if you're funded pretty quickly and another at the end as a thanks to the backers, there's really no need for more than that.
Do take backer feedback on board, though you don't need to take action on all of it. That's probably going to be one of the more challenging aspects, there'll be dozens of ideas and suggestions flying around but not all of them will be right for the project at that time. Either due to thematic differences or financial implications of implementing it.
Above all, treat backers with respect, keep them informed and up to date and they'll spread the word and come back for future projects. Treat the like mushrooms (in the dark, covered in gak) and they'll respond appropriately.
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote: If you do run into problems backers who are aware of the issues and feel they have a relationship with you are far less more likely to forgive you.
Should this be less or more?
Przemas, what sort of products were you thinking of offering through the KS? Starting up your own game or just want to get a bunch of cool new minis out there?
I think Orlando pretty squarely hit the nail on the head with his post. I would like to add 1 thing about stretch goals though.
You shouldn't feel obliged to offer stretch goals. They are really just a added bonus for backers. Of course they are an excellent incentive, but if you feel you won't be able to handle the extra work load then don't commit to them. Now given you already have a well established business that has a good standing within the community I believe you could get away without stretch goals. People will already be looking forward to a quality product. There will be little need to entice them further. As an example look at the Secret Weapons KS. MisterJustin didn't offer stretch goals and his KS was a roaring success based purely on the merits of what he offered.
That being said. If you do intend to offer stretch goals it would pay to factor in the added time that producing those goals will take. Tack on however many day/weeks/months producing the stretch goals will take onto the main KS delivery date.
That way you have allowed yourself extra time to complete everything and on the off chance you finish earlier then predicted the customers will think you're a legend for getting them their stuff quicker.
In my opinion there is a good market for nicely done "boutique" figures in metal. They are relatively cheap to make if you have the sculpting skills to do a good master, though obviously there are other costs such as concept art to take into account.
Kickstarter is a good way to launch a new model and get the pre-orders for it, allowing you to judge demand before going into production.
Personally I don't like extensive Stretch goals, and I think they are not needed. If you want to offer a series of related figures like the girl commandos. You just launch five Kickstarters, and let people join to fund any or all of them as they like. This plan has the advantage that people who want only no.3 in the set do not have to buy nos.1 and 2 to get to the stretch of 3.
Would it be a safe bet that if you do a Kickstarter, it would be for that elusive Gothic KV-2? For a larger model like that, crowdfunding really might be the best way to go.
@Orlando: you rock, thx for the insight into what do you think about crowdfunding !
@Barzam: no, I don't think KV2 will be crowdfunded - atm I don't feel there's a need, we should be able to work issues out by ourselves. The masters got damaged and we're repairing those as reprinting would be tricky (as it is big project it takes long time to print and I can't find such huge spot in our printing schedule). I really wish to make this kit as good as possible - it would be a shame to waste such potential and effort that went into design because of issues in the mouldmaking and model preparation.
As for hints what we're planning I'd like to start with an army project first. We have first models made but as such project takes a lot of our resources we would have to break it down to much smaller chunks that would take forever if we decide to do it all by ourselves. I don't think we can afford putting the whole team working on this project alone without your help as the design alone would take 2 months.
Whole army seems so much more fun and so much more sense IMO than such smaller chunks.
It may be also the only way to make it sensibly priced - I've did some math and if we release it through distribution channel the price would have to be steep ( due to discounts on each level of distribution chain - warehouses, shops have to get their share too), IMO a tad beyond the point that sales volume would make sense. Indiegogo/Kickstarter seem a good way to reach the people directly with an option to make it available at regular price for non-backers.
A while back I've started "open project" initiative on Fridays - we can have some time for projects each of us want to work on personally, launch some training material etc . So far works great - here's what Konrad made during couple of last sessions:
Should turn out great after 3d printing.
When in comes to regular stuff , Kuba has almost finished preparing new turret variant:
I've bought about 36 of your hussar wings. I use them quite often in my conversions as they look awesome. I was just wondering if you'd ever consider doing these in metal. It's just that when you put them in a carry case they seem to always break. I've had them on ogres, orcs and human models and the pole at the bottom where they largely connect to the model stays attached and the banner snaps. With them being so small and brittle it's hard to pin them.
I finally got around to the Necrohounds I bought a little while ago and I just have to say that they are truly incredible miniatures. Like the look of that new turret a lot.
@howie: the chances for metal hussar wings are high . Inititally I was worried that they will unbalance miniature too much. But it seems not to be a major issue.
@Barzam: soon I should be able to share more. First batch of models is ready, I'm working on the movies, description etc. Also we're trying to find a viable way to use Kickstarter as it seems to be preffered over Indiegogo.
@sockwithaticket: great to hear you like those . I remember how worried I've been when we had been preparing moulds for metal casts of those. But it turned out I shouldn't have been - they turned out great , metal captured all the details and it reasurred me that metal is good option for variety of projects.
Don't get me wrong - I still love resin, I only see uses and strenghts of both .
Hehehehe, got to admit that the reception of this pickup truck is somewhat unexpected - THX ! So cool to hear we're not only ones that enjoy "open project Fridays" creations .
Chris finished painting models for a soon to be released squad. I couldn't resists picking one up for a quick photo:
After getting feedback from you I'm checking the possiblity of launching Kickstarer. But damn, those country restrictions are so annoying. I agree that it is better platform, but opening an account for a non-US citizen seems like a major pain in the ass. Got to admit that's the time I'd prefer to spend on working on next models. If anyone has any ideas how we can use Kickstarter after all please do share.
BTW ask Raging Heroes how to do a kickstarter as a non US/UK company. They are one of the very few who ever went through that complicated procedure. And it took them several months.
Check out the Total Extinction project.
Someone on Dakka kindly assisted them with the necessary U.K details and it took off quite quickly all things considered.
I doubt you'd have much trouble finding similar help.
Yeah, there've been a few EU based companies running kickstarters via one means or another. The route taken by Total Extinction seems to have been fairly smooth, they were able to launch not long after finding a volunteer. Where as the RH approach took them quite some time to get things together.
Another project creator that could be worth asking is Maki Games though I don't know how much prep they put into the KS before it launched to get it running in USD.
I think the UK is a bit easier going towards companies and the like opening an account there as opposed to the US. Main reason RH apparently took so long was because they NEEDED a US account because the wanted their pledges in USD, lest they alienate a large portion of their intended victims pledgers.
What KS really needs to do is either allow for a mainland Europe option or allow projects to set their own currency, instead of being region locked.
Oh blimey, there goes my following paycheck to support the Polish economy! Please release that truck soon
And regarding the Kickstarter; Aren't there crowdfunding platforms closer to home? A bit like what Gamezone do with the Spanish crowdfund? I think backers from outside the EU can alsoback that one, right? Or are people wary of backing something otside their continent? It's not like you are a new player on the market. Also you have a good reputation, to really deliver.
All the best, I will sure be backing any crowdfunder you start!
I'd suggest using a non-KS site would damage the ultimate possible outcome.
My take from reading other comments on here, and my own personal feeling, is people are incredibly conservative with regard to crowd-funding, and hugely lairy of using anything outside of KS or IGG (I didn't back Darkhammer on IGG, despite being a fan of their product and really liking what they were proposing to make)
For a project to be a success, it is important to acknowledge that even the smallest barrier can cost you backers and funds, and to do everything possible to eliminate them.
Got these in today. Nice sculpts, not too much flash. They're basically Malifaux scale for anyone who's looking at buying them as they make my Mordians look like dwarves and are actually a little taller than a marine. They're about the same height as Infinity minis but a good bit chunkier. Shame Malifaux doesn't use guns.
Whilst it might be easier to launch on IGG, there's a number of comments earlier in this thread and on most similar threads that detail issues that people have with that particular platform. Though the main one is the lower exposure that anything other than KS has. If they can work around the current KS restrictions, which seems to be easier if you're running a 'UK Based' project, it'll likely do better than going for IGG/Other platform.
Oh and in Western Europe the idea of a UK/US project sounds 'safer' than something from Poland, but that's just the local xenophobia we're dealing with at the moment. :(
So annoying that Kickstarter still isn't available in the rest of the EU, they'd better hurry up with that or else they will eventually fail...
Malika2 wrote: So annoying that Kickstarter still isn't available in the rest of the EU, they'd better hurry up with that or else they will eventually fail...
Can I ask how you got to that conclusion?
From the looks of it Kickstarter has an excess of success while in limited countries, having only relatively recently opened up access in UK and I believe here in Australia.
With the amount of exposure and brand recognition it seems surprising anyone would refer to it as anything other than a success.
Sure it would be cool to give every country its own ability to use the kickstarter branded platform but the lack of that is far from "eventual failure."
A mainland Europe option would be grand though, or the ability to switch currencies, not leaving them region locked as they are now. I think the main sink or swim thing for a lot of hobbyists is seeing a KS done in a currency other than USD.
@Scrub: thx . I haven't been aware about TE Kickstarter project - will have to dig through the appropriate topic. The more examples the better we should be able to prepare .
While I'm rather cautious about volounteer deal - as we are dealing with your money, I think we're close to working out a solution. We're also prepared for the worst scenario and we've set a date after which we will use IGG (if all else fails ).
@Low_K , @Malika2 : it's like azrael13 said . It seems majority of people prefer Kickstarter over IGG so I think using IGG could potentially impact the result badly. Especially considering that for a start we'd like to launch fun, but rather niche project .
On top of that I've spoken with Maciek about his Pulp City campaign and he praises Kickstarter tools highly - all the more to make us try use it as well .
All in all we're getting close . I've spent couple of last weeks working on videos, teasers (the first small pre-teasers are already on our FB profile ). Sheeeshhh, if anyone suggested a couple years back that I'll be rendering and working on videos I'd thought that this person is crazy .
But it is fun - and seeing the content we're working on makes me all the more excited .
Excited to the point I've al most forgot about latest addition to the store - Bulletstorm Turret:
http://maxmini.eu/bulletstorm-turret-heavy-weapon
Guys I have a question on the ork motorcycle: do you think it's suitable (size-wise) with normal, human-sized characters? I'm thinking zombie hunters of course.
ecthelion wrote: Guys I have a question on the ork motorcycle: do you think it's suitable (size-wise) with normal, human-sized characters? I'm thinking zombie hunters of course.
Not really it would look to large IMHO, if I can find my camera I will take a picture with a scout sitting on it if that will help ?
ecthelion wrote: Guys I have a question on the ork motorcycle: do you think it's suitable (size-wise) with normal, human-sized characters? I'm thinking zombie hunters of course.
Not really it would look to large IMHO, if I can find my camera I will take a picture with a scout sitting on it if that will help ?
Thanks Alph!
And Kroot, when talking about the Afrikaner, it's BOER, not BOOR, for feths sake, get it right.
Well, it is no coincidence at all that the words boor and boer sound identical and mean the same thing: A peasant or farmer. Guess the Dutch word became an English insult during the Boer Wars.
Thanks Alph!
And Kroot, when talking about the Afrikaner, it's BOER, not BOOR, for feths sake, get it right.
Well, it is no coincidence at all that the words boor and boer sound identical and mean the same thing: A peasant or farmer. Guess the Dutch word became an English insult during the Boer Wars.
erm, except "boor" means "oaf", not "peasant" or "farmer" and: First Known Use of BOORISH 1562
boor (n.) Look up boor at Dictionary.com
13c., from Old French bovier "herdsman," from Latin bovis, genitive of bos "cow, ox." Re-introduced 16c. from Dutch boer, from Middle Dutch gheboer "fellow dweller," from Proto-Germanic *buram "dweller," especially "farmer," from PIE *bhu-, from root *bheue- (see be). Original meaning was "peasant farmer" (cf. German Bauer, Dutch boer, Danish bonde), and in English it was at first applied to agricultural laborers in or from other lands, as opposed to the native yeoman; negative connotation attested by 1560s (in boorish), from notion of clownish rustics. Related: Boorishness.
So basically, there is a common descent of the word, but it was used an insult in English 320-odd years before the Boer Wars.
Azazelx wrote: erm, except "boor" means "oaf", not "peasant" or "farmer"
boor (n.) Look up boor at Dictionary.com
(...)Original meaning was "peasant farmer" (cf. German Bauer, Dutch boer, Danish bonde), and in English it was at first applied to agricultural laborers in or from other lands, as opposed to the native yeoman.(...)
Azazelx wrote: erm, except "boor" means "oaf", not "peasant" or "farmer"
boor (n.) Look up boor at Dictionary.com
(...)Original meaning was "peasant farmer" (cf. German Bauer, Dutch boer, Danish bonde), and in English it was at first applied to agricultural laborers in or from other lands, as opposed to the native yeoman.(...)
I was referring to modern common usage. You won't find people speaking in English referring to farmers as "boors", even if that remains an archaic/historical use/meaning of the word.
Now enough of this farmerish behavior and back to topic
Just got my latest order a few head sets which all look clean and full of detail the new girls which are stunning great detail so much potential for a decent paint job but I will do my best.
Some of the Combat Arms which I liked but was disappointed that there was only 2 versions would be nice to have a set of these arms in more relaxed or single arm poses as the detail is rather splendid on them.
But my favourite has to be Gambo the grot that is one great looking miniature full of character great job please make more
ecthelion wrote: Guys I have a question on the ork motorcycle: do you think it's suitable (size-wise) with normal, human-sized characters? I'm thinking zombie hunters of course.
Not really it would look to large IMHO, if I can find my camera I will take a picture with a scout sitting on it if that will help ?
uhm, yes please! Thanks lots.
Not forgot just cant find my scout riders for some reason as soon as I do I will post the picture
Finally I can share preview of the crowdfunding project we're working on:
So excited about it - the miniatures Konrad and Kuba made are so cool and it is only the beggining. Also a fun journey - we had to learn a lot about WW2 US equipment. More details soon .
Hope you enjoy .
Przemas wrote: Finally I can share preview of the crowdfunding project we're working on:
Spoiler:
So excited about it - the miniatures Konrad and Kuba made are so cool and it is only the beggining. Also a fun journey - we had to learn a lot about WW2 US equipment. More details soon . Hope you enjoy .
Oh God...you're doing Gretchin Revolutionary Committee models, aren't you...I...don't...think I'll be able to resist. I'm going to be in trouble with the missus again this year aren't I...
Przemas wrote: Finally I can share preview of the crowdfunding project we're working on:
Spoiler:
So excited about it - the miniatures Konrad and Kuba made are so cool and it is only the beggining. Also a fun journey - we had to learn a lot about WW2 US equipment. More details soon .
Hope you enjoy .
Oh God...you're doing Gretchin Revolutionary Committee models, aren't you...I...don't...think I'll be able to resist. I'm going to be in trouble with the missus again this year aren't I...
I hear you, mate. I am in the same boat :(
@Przemas; Will the heads and weapons be seperate from the bodies to have scope for conversions? Looking very, very good that preview Gob. I want them. No. I NEED them!
Przemas wrote: Finally I can share preview of the crowdfunding project we're working on:
So excited about it - the miniatures Konrad and Kuba made are so cool and it is only the beggining. Also a fun journey - we had to learn a lot about WW2 US equipment. More details soon .
Hope you enjoy .
You most definitely have my attention here! Very interested in what's on offer... and the new ork codex is incoming soon, best get your skates on gentlemen.
OMG I was trying so hard to avoid crowd funding but this is going to be hard to resist, who am I kidding goblins WW2 not a chance in hell I am missing out on this
Dam You Przemas I really wanted to save some cash this year thats blown now
WOW!!!
And now a Special character please: a sarge with a Thompson gun in his right arm/hand and in left Hand a cigar while pointing at something far far away.
Przemas wrote: Must resists playing with the models and do some actual work - first test models for the Green Alliance Orcs have landed on my desk
The model looks excellent...
But I think the choice of arm to torso attachment and the decision to have whole bodies limits the potential for pose-ability. Given the average ork mob consists of 30 models, being able to move them all about a bit becomes important in making sure they all don't look like the same model at a distance.
Przemas wrote: Must resists playing with the models and do some actual work - first test models for the Green Alliance Orcs have landed on my desk
The model looks excellent...
But I think the choice of arm to torso attachment and the decision to have whole bodies limits the potential for pose-ability. Given the average ork mob consists of 30 models, being able to move them all about a bit becomes important in making sure they all don't look like the same model at a distance.
Maybe so, but how many different poses do you see with your usual rank and file stuff? Most of the time you see that almost all models have a very similar pose, a few tiny variantions here and there, but nothing too radical.
However, this Ork seems to have a very specific pose, meaning that some variants would be needed I guess.
fear not guys - there are much more body options sculpted (at least 5 prototyoes landed on my desk ). ALso we want to have some interchangeability between those apart from obvious head swaps .
So while the legs and torso will be attached (we decided we siply won't be able to handle such insane number of parts atm - remember it is an army project ), there should be plenty of options to customize your models.
And it goes even further - I plan to have additional customizing options (extra heads etc) as a stretch goal unlocks.
Could probably be decently solved with a ball joint for the top of the bicep/tricep area on the arm and a socket underneath the deltoid for it to slot into.
I don't think we will be working on rules - don't think there's a need, do you? Also I fear with extra rules the project may enter some murky waters and stuck - like our our skirmish game (for which we have models, but still no rules - I've rewritten the basic core set like 3 times). I want to stick to things we do good - designing models.
As for background - will need to think about summing it up. When it comes to design they are clearly WW2 US inspired. We're having some fun with coming up with background for those , but that's sort of think that is not written atm, it is exchanged during the chats etc .
ecthelion wrote: Guys I have a question on the ork motorcycle: do you think it's suitable (size-wise) with normal, human-sized characters? I'm thinking zombie hunters of course.
Not really it would look to large IMHO, if I can find my camera I will take a picture with a scout sitting on it if that will help ?
uhm, yes please! Thanks lots.
Here you go sorry could not find my scout but used an old converted guard that shows the size difference
While we're working hard on seeting up campaign for the orc army this does not mean we don't have time for other projects.
Mould for the commando unit is under way:
And as the release date is close it calls for a proper teaser
I probably won't have much spare cash available whenever you guys decide to kick this off, but I can't wait to see what else is in store. I've always been really impressed with the stuff you guys make, even if I can't always get very much of it.
Yeah, given it's obviously based on the US M3 halftrack, which has been used for a zillion real-world conversions, the model conversion potential is huge.
I'd just like to say that I've ordered a number of things from Polish companies of late, including Maxmini. Where all the other companies are taking 2 weeks plus for processing and delivery, Maxmini has their items packaged and shipped to me within a few days each time. Great service. Very impressed.
@Azazelx: it come sdown to 2 things:
1. They are major pain in resin. All those bony spikes trap the model in the mould and removing the resin copy without breaking the rim is tricky
2. If you add to that a need to manufacture volumes that are not in a couple of copies range, but hundreds spincasting metal seems like an obvious choice .
Przemas wrote: @Azazelx: it come sdown to 2 things:
1. They are major pain in resin. All those bony spikes trap the model in the mould and removing the resin copy without breaking the rim is tricky
2. If you add to that a need to manufacture volumes that are not in a couple of copies range, but hundreds spincasting metal seems like an obvious choice .
Fair enough - I'm a metal minis guy anyway, so it won't be putting me off buying them. I've got a 50€ parts order pencilled out for when I can afford it. Hope you can get the jungle fighter girls into a squad set for 20€ soon, as well.
I would spend some serious money if someone made cadian sized shoulder pads so I could add in third party arms to my Cadian force. The pads would allow me to tie in the third party arms and give me variety for my troops.
Javin wrote: I would spend some serious money if someone made cadian sized shoulder pads so I could add in third party arms to my Cadian force. The pads would allow me to tie in the third party arms and give me variety for my troops.
I have to agree with you on this the amount of SM shoulder pads flood the market but Guard nothing, I wish someone would create something for traitor guard units that I would buy a load of.
@howie: it is on a to-do board but can't promise any dates until I'll have a working production mould.
@Javin: I may not understand something but that would have to go with a matching set of arms, wouldn't it?
While me and Kacper are working on a crowdfunding project (really torn between waiting for Kickstarter or launching straight away on Indiegogo), Chris is pimping up studio paintjob for the next release:
@Javin: I may not understand something but that would have to go with a matching set of arms, wouldn't it?
I and evidently several others are looking for IG sized shoulder pads. Like the pads in the Chimera or Valkyrie boxes. Basically very small curved shoulder pads for IG regiments. Just like there are many shoulder pads for SM, make some for IG. I would love blank ones so I can use anyone's arms and make those arms tie into my Cadian force. Say your trench coat arms could be added to my Cadian force with shoulderpads.
The arms these would go to would be either the IG arms without shoulder pads or third party arms.
There are a lot of third party arms that IG sized pads would suit. Including Dreamforge eisenkern arms, that I would love to see alt shoulder pads for.
Another vote for IG sized shoulder pads here.
Przemas wrote: @howie: it is on a to-do board but can't promise any dates until I'll have a working production mould.
@Javin: I may not understand something but that would have to go with a matching set of arms, wouldn't it?
While me and Kacper are working on a crowdfunding project (really torn between waiting for Kickstarter or launching straight away on Indiegogo), Chris is pimping up studio paintjob for the next release:
If you crowdfund, definitely go with Kickstarter. I won't back anything on IGG anymore.
@plastictrees, @Javin : ok , so I see some issues - as there are no common arms that we could use with those. You may have DF models, other can have Victorias and so on. Each are different. So wouldn't it be better if we simply release arms with shoulder pad set?
@Azazelx: care to share what happened (via pm if you prefer)? I'm gathering stories so we could make a conscious decision. While we want to use Kickstarter for the orcs (that's why things are getting a tad delayed), I still considered IGG for other , side projects. But it looks it is better to avoid it altogether....
And while we're trying to sort KS things out Kuba and Konrad continue to work on great models . Here's latest from Konrad:
Przemas wrote: @plastictrees, @Javin : ok , so I see some issues - as there are no common arms that we could use with those. You may have DF models, other can have Victorias and so on. Each are different. So wouldn't it be better if we simply release arms with shoulder pad set?
@Azazelx: care to share what happened (via pm if you prefer)? I'm gathering stories so we could make a conscious decision. While we want to use Kickstarter for the orcs (that's why things are getting a tad delayed), I still considered IGG for other , side projects. But it looks it is better to avoid it altogether....
And while we're trying to sort KS things out Kuba and Konrad continue to work on great models . Here's latest from Konrad:
1) They take your money immediately. I really dislike that. It means even if I'm interested in a project, I need to wait until Payday and not as soon as I'm interested - or, I'll back on the final day. Multiply these issues by many times and you'll have not only a much lower total, but a much slower campaign.
2) One campaign I was involved in went bad. Bruno Galice's Pirate Goblins sculpted by Kev Adams. Creator claimed to be about to send everything, then went dark for a couple of months (overdue). IGG took the "nothing is our responsibility" road. Later he resurfaced and claimed that he went on holidays and gave them to a work group for the intellectually disabled to post out, then blamed the postal services, etc. I got my models in the end, but not the full package that was promised. Others got nothing. IGG eventually removed the fething page, so no record of the project even remains.
3) Between 1) and 2), I'll personally never back another project on IGG again, even if it looks great or I know the creators are trustworthy - and you guys check both of those boxes.
Przemas wrote: @plastictrees, @Javin : ok , so I see some issues - as there are no common arms that we could use with those. You may have DF models, other can have Victorias and so on. Each are different. So wouldn't it be better if we simply release arms with shoulder pad set?
I'd much rather fiddle with putting seperate should pads on existing arms (most of which are going to have a shoulder that's within half a millimetre of the others) on the large range of existing arms than be limited by the 'arms with shoulder pads' that you would be able to produce.
I agree with Plastictrees. Separate shoulderpads would be nice. You could make them sized for your own trenchcoat arms, which should fit others like Victorias. Heck you might be able to make a one sized fits all version. The Tallarn type heads look excellent. You should make some with beards and loose Kafias.
Parts that allow you to assemble one of both variants included.
Just prior to release I felt tempted to do some simple kitbashing using quad bike and some other bits. Here's how it has turned out:
Now I need to assemble the gunner .
That's quite a large quad! I'd personally prefer a smaller one, like these (which I'm not sure are available anymore, and are in metal). Would love to see you do something similar in resin:
Przemas wrote: @RiTides - I wanted to have a larger one so we could have a version with a gunner . But we will make a small quads , one-manned, soon
Excellent! Looking forward to seeing the smaller ones, then . I agree that putting a gunner on the back of this larger one would look good, too- just looks a bit odd with only one passenger (to me) atm.
I had some fun putting together a quick promo video:
In a meantime Kacper worked out a promo for steam knights - steam knight helemts, steam knight nobles, gun glaive , pteruges are down to 5.49 for a short period of time .
I'm not trying to be negative, but that seems like a pretty niche market. Perhaps Max Mini would be better served by producing things with a wider appeal.
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I just cant believe it 
I am thinking of adding that to my Chaos warriors just to look cool 
)
Gambo Grot 
I really wanted to save some cash this year thats blown now 
