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Just curious... What, if anything, would any of you guys want to see sold ? Kits for new buildings ? Maybe add-ons (like architectural stuff, ie windows, doors, chimneys, etc) or maybe something else ?

I see there is a lot of plastic injection molded stuff for sale... But, like I said, I'm just wondering... I had an idea for modular terrain pieces that could contain a grid work of magnets underneath... Then a specialized base for figures which would "snap" to the terrain... I'm not quite familiar with Warhammer just yet... Still very new, but I'm curious as to the interest in things like this.

The reason I ask is because I have access to a laser cutting machine, and I am considering starting a small home business... If anyone has any suggestions/interest... Let me know.

Q

Tau and Eldar buildings proved popular in a recent discussion thread on this topic.

If you go down that road you need to avoid specifically 40K symbols such as the Tau circle or GW could get nasty.

Without the specific symbols, Tau buildings are fairly generic SF towers, pads and domes.

Some people have asked for Imperial stuff without all the eagles and skulls on.

You should have a look at the various buildings and accessories already available from GW and other companies. Some eras are well catered for already, such as historical European. That could mean there is a lot of demand in that era, or it be a lot of competition.

Modern/super modern city features might be worth looking into. I don't recall seeing much of that advertised though I can't see I have been looking hard. It could work for modern and SF games.

Steampunk scenery could work for SF and Pulp games.

Magnets to make terrain modular sounds like it could be a promising idea. I don't think warhammer or 40K needs special bases however for minis to sit on terrain. The terrain should have enough flat surfaces for several minis to stand on them without the use of magnets.

And I second the call for Xenos terrain, whether it's eldar, tau or even necron in theme.

I was considering selling things like window frames, doors, debris, etc. Things that could be added on to scratch built projects... Just to start anyway. If there was enough of a market, kits could be a possibility. Oddly enough, I work for a company that sells both model railroading supplies, and LEDs, so I might be able to make some very cool stuff.

Wrecked stuff
Tau
Eldar
Nid
Bunkers
Weapon systems
SH tiles
Gorka morka Road Rally

How about LED street lamps?

Building add ons are a great idea, Gargoyles, chimneys, bay/mullioned windows, exterior staircases and metal fire escapes, extractor flues, street furniture such as barrels, dumpsters, cargo containers.

If you did go down the route of full kits, try to go with things that haven't already been done, so Tau and Eldar style buildings would be good. There are also very few manufacturers of wild west and modern buildings.

I like the idea of windows and doors to add to scratch-built stuff.
I can easily knock a bunker, pill-box or tower together, but to make it look "realistic" it needs some extra bits that tend to take a lot more time than the rest of the building, and never look good for me :(
Patches of brick or stone showing through plaster-work and 'edges' of ruins.
Individual, or small sections, of sandbags (these are probably available somewhere... )

Tamiya do sandbags, or make your own with plasticine and banana oil.

You can get brick pattern plastic sheet, or dolls house paper.

Windows, chimneys, ventilator funnels and other street paraphernalia are available from dolls house suppliers and railway and ship modelling suppliers.

Scales vary so there could be a market for 28mm stuff.

dig outs
trenches
roads
bunkers / hangers
rocky scape / structures


all in all, anything im too lazy to make, but want

trenches
sandbags

Necron terrain, oh do that, and give it a cheesy name that makes it obvious it's necrons without being called such, like 'mechromancers' or something

different boards for the realm of battle
just to make it a little more interesting/bigger

All excellent ideas... Cool stuff.

I'd quite like to see more in the way of medium size terrain pieces with proper thought to model positioning - i.e well thought out space for 10-20 minis inamongst assorted debris

For example say an 'ammo dump' with spaces to spread out a 10-man squad (mantaining coherancy) and with proper size gaps to fit an assulting unti in without balancing them upside down with their faces in a stack of barbed wire

Cheap. It ain't that hard to build terrain.

Hey all !

It just so happens that I am a 3D artist to boot, so I decided to CAD up some possible door items that could be cut... Then using my massive genius (ha) I exported them from my drafting software into 3Ds max, where I renderd them with Vray... What this all means is that I have pretty pics. (The textures are just for show, the kit would be bare wood...)

A "kit" would likley come with the door, the frame, the handle/knocker, bracers, and some other little decorative goodies. What do you think ? The knocker is flat because of the medium used... 2mm ply wood. I would be unable to make a torus (ring) shape, however maybe I could find one and include it... But yea, I could pretty much make anything. I'll upload some window pictures tomorrow.
Cheers !

Kyley wrote:trenches
sandbags

Necron terrain, oh do that, and give it a cheesy name that makes it obvious it's necrons without being called such, like 'mechromancers' or something

NeoKorns

I think instead of the magnets, put spaces under the terrain for them to put in their own magnets. That way those who don't want magnets would have a choice. Either sell them without the magnets or with the magnets seperate from the terrain. Not prepainted as well.

Tau, Eldar, Kroot and Necron scenery would be great

Like the door, would like to see more normal stuff for use on kits not all skulls and eagles etc. Like I said door is good, maybe a steel door/window for bunkers or some doors and stuff to add to the armour so we can personalise it a bit more.

Maybe stickers ? I can cut sticker sheet on the laser... I wonder if there is something that would work... I can also do stencils... Tho they wouldn't be able to be GW's stuff, i could do all kinds of symbols and whatnot.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Hey again... As a response to a post in this thread, I made a door in CAD... This inst a render, but it is what the kit would look like... I designed it so it could be assembled in such a way that the doors could be opened and shut.

Cheers !

Kyley wrote:Necron terrain, oh do that, and give it a cheesy name that makes it obvious it's necrons without being called such, like 'mechromancers' or something

I love this idea, just like I've always wanted a knockoff soda called D.D.S. Pepper.

Tyranid-style capillary towers. Big bug tentacle things for infested worlds.

Alright, here it is. The Sci Fi door, all cutout and assembled... Not painted tho. The doors can be opened and closed, however I would suggest glueing them solidly in either position, as they are a bit finicaty to work with. If anyone has a pricing suggestion, let me know.

Edit - This would most likley come with a window piece too, and perhaps some other random decor stuff... It would all come un-assembled on a fret.

Without further adeu, the door.

Looks good! When are you going to start taking orders?

On second thought, i'm going to start a new post for this specifically... Feel free to continue using this one to post ideas for new stuff tho.

Very nice

Very nice idea.

More stuff !! I made a modular catwalk... Three styles... One would have wood slats engraved, the other would have a fencing kind of deal, and the third one (not shown) would be just blank. Questions, Suggestion, Comments are welcome !

Modular is definitely the way to go; adds a lot of value to terrain pieces imo.

40k Xenos also gets next to no official love from GW so Eldar/Tau/Necron looking stuff would be great.

Decent sci-fi crates, in different shapes would be good - cost is the key to success with this idea - maybe US$6-7 for 8-10 (bottoms not required, though would not go amiss).

Cheap sci-fi roads - I've tried on a few occasions to DIY, but they always turn our less than I'd hoped - you could have them lock together, but that's not really necessary.

Reinforced steel panels (2-3" square/rectangle - could be done with two layers, i.e. glue-it-together-yourself) would work for adding details to existing structures, or using them to build structures on their own.

A gothic computer terminal/lab kit.

If they can be produced cheaper than GW, ruined corners/walls are always useful.

Gears and wheels - a sheet of them in different styles, good for sci-fi/steampunlk/pulp, and you'd have an additional market in cosplayers too.

I love the catwalks, a very nice idea, love to see some done up. I also think that Tau architecture is very under-represented, but circular forms might be tricky to properly represent. Necron stuff would be easier, but they're not a very common army (until their 'dex is updated anyway, though rumour has it that this will be next year). Tyranid stuff would be too difficult. Eldar stuff would be hard but not impossible.

ADDITIONAL IDEA: A gothic sci-fi bridge - make it look as if it's a temporary-deployment kind of structure, maybe making it compatible with the catwalk pieces above. I know a few gamers who only use their rivers in fantasy games since it feels out of place in a 40k game without a few suitable crossing-points.