Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Figured it was time to start up a proper thread to get some feedback from you guys.

What we have below are some new renders of our Greatcoat Troops. As usual, please consider these WIP. They are off to the printers and I hope to have something in hand just before Christmas.

Feel free to leave constructive feedback and suggestions.

The only thing that really doesn't cut it for me is the helmet.
It looks like he is wearing a bowl.

This design seems "off" to me in that it can't seem to decide if it is wwI/II, modern, or sci-fi.

The gun looks ultra- modern but the riveted body armor looks archaeic. The coats bring to mind Stalingrad, bur the helmet/ mask look like modern swat, etc. Seems like an identity crisis.

I'd like to see rivets carries over to helmet, gun, and leg armor. Otherwise drop them.

Id rather see a more wwII style to the gun personally, more like the stylized Vostroyian lasguns.

I also would like to see some of these alt Kits come with backpacks and/or pouches, etc

Just my two cents as a potential customer...

Yeah, the helmet really doesn't fit with the rest of the design.

The bottom half of the coat also doesn't look right. It's got that same soft plastic-ness as the WGF great troopers... I think part of the problem is that it's got too many folds and creases in it. Greatcoats a re usually made from pretty heavy fabric, and they just don't bunch up like that. Adding in all those creases and ridges makes it look like a more lightweight fabric... more like a plastic raincoat instead of a heavy woolen greatcoat.

The reduced rivets on the armour are good though, and I love the rifle.

The helmet looks overly plain in comparison to the rest of the figure, but otherwise this looks good to me.

I agree with insaniak re the draping, but I guess that depends on what sort of fabric the greatcoat's supposedly made from.

The flimsiness of the coat fabric was the first thing I noticed also, it's already being addressed.

On the helmet, is it the actual shape or the lack of surface detail? This particular helmet is based off a WW2 British design. I've been mulling around some ideas to make it more interesting but maybe the answer is a different design.

The last thing I want is a German style helmet so that is out but there may be other options. I'm open to some suggestions.

Thanks for the feedback.

mad robot wrote:On the helmet, is it the actual shape or the lack of surface detail?

Both. You're mixing a WWII helmet with an ultramodern set of body armour, and they two just don't gel.

I like this minature except for the head. The helmet dosen't look right. The shape dosen't look right, and the lack of detail make it all the more painfull.

If you were to release as is, would easily be my faovrit plastic great coats so far. Would have to replace the heads with some pig-Iron heads. Fix the helmet/head and this would be a real winner. Not sure what to change the helmet to, but that one isn't doing it.


Also. I like the rifle, but not big on the M16 handle rail on top. Good things these are plastic, and looks realy easy for me to cut off.

modify the individual peices so that you have a little bit of a range of motion, and the helmets, and you are good to go

Thanks guys, appreciate the responses so far.

Just to clarify: These will not be plastic. They'll either be made from resin or metal.

Lockark wrote:I like this minature except for the head. The helmet dosen't look right. The shape dosen't look right, and the lack of detail make it all the more painfull.

If you were to release as is, would easily be my faovrit plastic great coats so far. Would have to replace the heads with some pig-Iron heads. Fix the helmet/head and this would be a real winner. Not sure what to change the helmet to, but that one isn't doing it.


Also. I like the rifle, but not big on the M16 handle rail on top. Good things these are plastic, and looks realy easy for me to cut off.

Wait these are plastic now? I thought they're resin

EDIT: NINJA'd

kenshin620 wrote:

Lockark wrote:I like this minature except for the head. The helmet dosen't look right. The shape dosen't look right, and the lack of detail make it all the more painfull.

If you were to release as is, would easily be my faovrit plastic great coats so far. Would have to replace the heads with some pig-Iron heads. Fix the helmet/head and this would be a real winner. Not sure what to change the helmet to, but that one isn't doing it.


Also. I like the rifle, but not big on the M16 handle rail on top. Good things these are plastic, and looks realy easy for me to cut off.

Wait these are plastic now? I thought they're resin

EDIT: NINJA'd

heh. In the 1st post it never realy said what material they are, so since they were CAD I assumed they were plastics.
=P

Guess that's were assumptions get you.

insaniak wrote:

mad robot wrote:On the helmet, is it the actual shape or the lack of surface detail?

Both. You're mixing a WWII helmet with an ultramodern set of body armour, and they two just don't gel.

Regarding the helmet? One thing you don't see much of (well okay I don't see it much) are the helmets with a secondary "flap" to protect the back of the neck. What about doing a Cadian-like helmet with visor and an armoured neck guard? Something like the Tele-viper helmet with a neck flap. I believe the Colonial Marine armor in Aliens had them if you're looking for an example?

So far as I know, it would be pretty much unique to your figures, and at the risk of being presumptuous, I think it would compliment the design style.

I don't like body armor OVER a great coat. That makes no sense to me. It would be worn under the armor. Also, those of us in the "greatcoat market" are in it for the coat, not the armor. I'd dispense with it and put some interesting buttons on the front or the like.

The helmet needs some kind of rim or flare at the edge, both for visual interest and to keep the rain from running down the poor trooper's neck

I do see kestral's point - a coat wouldn't be armoured, unless of course the local weather's so miserable that the coat is worn constantly? Even if the armour is a strap-on vest (as opposed to being attached to clothing), you'd expect it to be worn _under_ the coat. But visually, under-coat armour isn't too exciting, so you can't sin either way...

COBRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MDizzle wrote:COBRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This - I agree the helmet looks out of place - but please keep the Cobra trooper mouth bandana!

There's a slight clash in the armor studs vs the plain helmet. I think if the studs were taken off it'd be more uniform, but could leave them on the model so the customer chooses?

The helmet does look a bit bland, I think it needs a flaired collar. If you want to avoid the german look try checking out the designs of some of the modern SWAT helmets. The Cobra helmets are basically a flattened out SWAT design. I think a widened rear brim would give it a better look as right now it looks a lot like a WWI helmet or a cooking pot.






If you want a helmet that matches the armor plates a bit closer maybe add a flat panel to the front simular to how firefighters helmets are, or fighter pilot helemts that have a raised band running vertically up the center. The armor is all flat surfaces and the completely round bowl helmet kinda clashes. You need to give it more angles if you want them to mesh more fluidly.

Paulson minis, where is the model from the last pic from? It's bloody stunning!!

/Calle

It's a Cobra Iron Grenadier figure. Popped up on a google image search.

Looks pretty cool to me.

How many to a box?

I don't mind the figure. I need them for my army of minions. Will there be head options, aside from the helmeted one?

Fith Column, City of Heros.

@Grot: There are plans for lots of head sets in the future. For these greatcoats, there will be 2 or 3 variants on the same head.

I can see where the helmet falls short now, the rest of the figure was refined over the last few months with a different head so this current one was only recently added.

I considered the SWAT type helmet previously but it didn't look convincing to me. Maybe something like that with with some added details would fit the bill.

Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming.

mad robot wrote:@Grot: There are plans for lots of head sets in the future. For these greatcoats, there will be 2 or 3 variants on the same head.

I can see where the helmet falls short now, the rest of the figure was refined over the last few months with a different head so this current one was only recently added.

I considered the SWAT type helmet previously but it didn't look convincing to me. Maybe something like that with with some added details would fit the bill.

Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming.

WW1Kiezer helmets, much in the same frame as the Iron Grenaders, other wise- try the Iraqi Republican Guard one, like the one Major Blood wears

http://www.flickr.com/photos/planephotography/4278754441/

Thanks paulson games for those helmet suggestions - I think something like the Cobra one with the central ridge would particularly suit the Mad Robot figure, simultaneously archaic but modern, if you see wot i mean...

Very promising! The basic design looks excellent, combined with the suggestions you have already got, I think you have a real winner in your hands!

I feel that I should thank you for taking the time to listen to all our criticism, it will ensure that the finished product will be On everyone's wish lists!

Here's a few ideas I threw together, let me know what you guys think.

I really like the second head, as long as you add some sort of eyepiece option on the sprue. The body is awesome though, will be ordering some of these for sure.

Another head idea...it'd be really cool if you could do some cold weather "Russian" themed heads...

Another option that might allow you to improve the helmet while keeping the basic shape (and avoiding the Stahlhelm look) would be to model a cloth helmet cover onto the head, or some kind of camo netting or webbing. Although I do agree with the others that a bit more of a flange around the edge would help as well.