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I've posted before that there is a group working on a new hard plastic SF range. The idea behind it is that it takes place about 300 years in the future and involves a lot of nations of the Earth fighting each other (and aliens)

Basically, though, the sets will be things like mid-tech infantry, heavy infantry, power armour, etc.

They are trying to lock down their first sets, pricing, etc. and have launched a short survey. If you feel like helping out - you can take it here:

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2gz3cbtwpATuVzS
Thanks!


https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2gz3cbtwpATuVzS



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just so you know, they don't ask for any personal info or anything - just about the plastic sets, pricing, and what should be in the boxes.

Most of these will be (at least IMO) useable for 40K proxies too.

What I chose:

Force:
Most: USMC - Due to the US setting standards in military, it makes sense that the future militaries would consolidate around this. Being Americocentric here.
Least: Amazons - Sexist, cauvanist, etc. Would only appeal for sex appeal. Instead, add female members to every other military composition.

Price:
Most: 20/$20 - Doesn't matter too much
Least: 24/$25 - 24 is a stange number, in a way. Keep it multiples of 5.

Makeup:
Most: - Heavy Weapons. For those of us that want to 40k-it up, we'd use the bipods, stands, gunner arms, and kneeling legs and add Lascannons etc.
Least: - Infantry Only

Inclusions:
Most: - 25mm Round Bases. Making these models allow slottabases would also be a plus.
Least: - Skirmish Rules. If I'm getting tons of plastic models, I don't want 5-6 instances of Skirmish rules. 80 soldiers is not a Skirmish. I'd rather get a link on the box to an online .pdf with these rules.

I would highly advice against including a 40k list. You do not want to try and sell "Warhammer" figures.

I voted most for USMC, but also big points to Russians and Germans. French Foreign Legion are a cool idea, but Amazons are not.

$10 for 10 is a good price point; 10 for $15 would be doable. Having smaller sets be available is good for people just wanting to try the models out.

Special weapons and NCOs are good to include. Heavy weapons are cool too, but a little less so for me. Pure infantry should be an option via extra rifle arms or what have you, but not the sole direction.

I vote against including a 40k list as well. Keep things distinct. Free skirmish rules are kind of cool, but those can be on your website. I'm all for bases though, as everybody needs those. Adding in free "extra" minis is a nice touch as well, but not as important as bases.

MasterSlowPoke wrote:I would highly advice against including a 40k list. You do not want to try and sell "Warhammer" figures.

I second this. I prefer a range to be independent, I think I can judge for myself if a range is suitable for use with 40K and in any case it'll attract unwanted attention by trying to obviously use GW rulesets.

I think a well done Amazon army would be awesome.

There is so little significant difference between the other armies offered that I can't see the point in any of them.

It's SF. Do something different!

The Amazons could prove interesting if they aren't sexualized in any way.

How bout some Amazon Foreign Legion with some NCO's and heavy weapon bits. Planet of Females, with nice wracks, comic book dynamic, with lots of ... character.

I'd recommend removing the 40K mentioning stuff or get ready for the C and D lawyer types to wakka wakka your clocka clocka.

Wouldn't mind some She wolves of the SS types, or some naughty nuns with machineguns, either. Evangeline, or Vampirella leaning or Illsa. Something cool, but tastless.

If your going to do it, flaunt it.

Im not to sure on the amazon army ether but some good fluff and concepts could change my mind.

price and number of figs would depend on the size of units in game IE one box = one unit,

again make up would depend on the unit type ? dont go down the gw route of every unit must have a nco/special/and hvy . why would a infantry rifle unit be humping around a mortar/lascannon/hvy bolter leave this to the weapons platoon.

base's are kind of a must realy ..rules wise just have a pdf which you can update if need be.
DONT INCLUDE 40K RULES AND DONT TRY TO SELL OFF THE BACK OF IT

maybe include a none combatent fig with each box eg a medic /coms/sapper/padre etc a differnt or random one with each unit type ?

Amazons with all the special and heavy weapons are the only things of interest. People are always whining for female minis for an army range.

Theduke07 wrote:Amazons with all the special and heavy weapons are the only things of interest. People are always whining for female minis for an army range.

No, people whine for GOOD female minis. Bad ones won't sell no matter how many you produce.

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Love the idea of multi-part plastics, and while I wouldn't OVERTLY include GW army lists, I'd be pleased if something was a respectable alternative. I'd love to see some new Sci-fi military units plus commanders, special and heavy weapons, etc.

But I would say the BEST endorsement would be to post actual concepts up and have people vote. Art if you can reproduce it accurately, but greens would be better.

Show us what you are thinking of doing and we can throw our oar in. I'd love to see this happen!

Bit of an awkward survey, especially the "allocate percentage points between completely unrelated things" part at the end.

I voted least favourite for amazons, they don't really seem to strike me as fitting for a year 2400 setting.

Also, even if they were seperate from the main rules, the last thing we need is more bra-and-panties sculpts that look like they were sculpted by a basement dweller.

Would be massively in favour of having a 50/50 mix of men and women on the main sprues, however.

In full combat gear. NOT a model range with all the men in fully armoured gear and all the women in cleavage jackets/ tank tops/ hot pants.. which is the current standard for pretty much every single sci-fi game that exists right now.

AT-43 was the biggest offender for this, male warriors covered in head-to-toe armour accompanied by the occasional token female with her tits out and her knees knocking.

Is there any way I can give this feedback to this group directly? If they just came on here and made a post asking people their thoughts they'd get much better feedback than some arbitrary survey.

scarletsquig wrote:Bit of an awkward survey, especially the "allocate percentage points between completely unrelated things" part at the end.

I agree. I gave up on the second page because they were asking me to rate my preferences for armies I'd never seen even a concept for based solely on the name of the army.

Make sure to make not just a handful of guys, but a handful of guys for them to fight too. Ranges are more compelling when you've got multiple armies to work with.

I'm mainly interested in the plastic female soldiers, but whether that's an all-female faction or a few all-female kits for other factions doesn't bother me much.

Apart from that, I'd like to see a more modern take on the likes of the future Russians than WWII soldier + laser rifle, and as much variety in the parts as possible: kneeling legs, prone bodies for snipers, SAW operators or troops that have gone to ground, unique torsos and heads for NCOs, arms for medics, comm operators and grenadiers....

I voted highly for the amazons. Why the very name Amazon equals chauvanist, over sexualised, bikini blondes, is beyond me.....it's just another name for a warrior sisterhood.

The other armies are all very generic and do nothing to move the sci fi bounderies for models forward. At least if we have an Amazon option we can intermingle the female models into our current male armies......

Everyone will ask for proper lady troops that can actually fit in with the dudes and not look like pinups and cartoon characters. And knowing their luck, it will end in failure, disappointment or heads. Like great coat legs, it's a demand that just isn't getting provided for, and due to some curse in fate, probably never will.

Call me a pessimist, but people have been asking for this without results for years.

I went Russian, no amazon, 10/$15, NCO/special, and if orget anything else.


I also vote against it having anything to do with 40k. GW stuff has been done about to death at this point. If people want to use the stuff with 40k then let them, but dont market it as such. Let your product have its own identity.

Also, if you try to glom directly onto GWs stuff, they will sue so fast heads will spin.

Yup same with everyone else, voted against any tie ins with 40k

Voted for good ol USMC with Heavy Weapons. preferably $20 for 20

Interesting concept this.

Imo a better starting point would be thinking 'ok, so aliens start invading earth, after 50 years of war (etc), what would the armies of earth look like?'

Rather than thinking Amazon army (..? Hope that means colombian guerillas and not bikini women), German army (not exactly a super power)...

I'd probably say good factions would be:

Amazon Guerilla Forces
USMC
NATO (without US)
Russians
East Asians
Afrikans
The rest being aliens.

All the areas not covered by named factions have already been destroyed.

Having 4 or 5 solid themes would be good, and having geographical factions like this would help to explain a global invasion better, and be better for fighting battles.

The people doing this should be aware that they may need a license of some kind from the army if they are making miniatures of tanks etc. I'm sure I read somewhere about the army suing a company for making a scale model of a currently serving jeep.

Also, there are numerous high tech weapon systems out there being worked on that would be good against aliens. DARPA stuff.

I voted Amazon more as guerrilla fighters, not bikini warriors. They were not my preferred choice though.

I'm fine with 10 figures for $15, that means better quality (hopefully) than $1 per figure, as the other price points were.

Infantry only in a box. Then give me a box of heavy and special weapons. We don't need an NCO in the box. Shouldn't be able to tell him apart from a trooper anyway.

Some of you might already know, but as it turns out this "new hard plastic SF range" is the work of the ex-Wargames Factory guys.

That sound you hear is hope dying.

AlexHolker wrote:Some of you might already know, but as it turns out this "new hard plastic SF range" is the work of the ex-Wargames Factory guys.

That sound you hear is hope dying.

Sadly the company only started to go down hill in August 2010, after nearly all the things on the current range were relased by the old team, then all of Tony's power was removed, and he was given a backseat, the company was given to someone who knew nothing of wargaming, nor miniatures. Have you seen the first render of the bug? Looking good imo

AlexHolker wrote:Some of you might already know, but as it turns out this "new hard plastic SF range" is the work of the ex-Wargames Factory guys.

That sound you hear is hope dying.

I'm not sure that I understand the referance "That sound you hear is hope dying"

If this is ex-Wargames Factory then they know the ins and outs or working in China and how to run the process start to finish. All they would need is capital to restart. I hope it is...... but I doubt it, as they have a good enough reputation that they would be better off being open about who they are.

NoseGoblin wrote:I'm not sure that I understand the referance "That sound you hear is hope dying"

I want to buy good plastic female soldiers. As in, better than Wargames Factory's Amazons.

AlexHolker wrote:

NoseGoblin wrote:I'm not sure that I understand the referance "That sound you hear is hope dying"

I want to buy good plastic female soldiers. As in, better than Wargames Factory's Amazons.

What, you mean the amazons that haven't been released? Those Amazons were supposed to be steriotyped

How about 'urban guerrillas', males and females in a big variety of generic civilian clothes. If designed well, they'd be suitable for a _huge_ range of eras, universes and gaming systems.

Clang wrote:How about 'urban guerrillas', males and females in a big variety of generic civilian clothes. If designed well, they'd be suitable for a _huge_ range of eras, universes and gaming systems.

I second that actually, would be good for RPG's

Yeah, but such a set would be impossible to do in plastic. How do you set up a plastic mold for that?

I want female mini's that don't look like hyper-sexualized bimbos, but look like actual soldiers.

More Vasquez, less Barb Wire.