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Hi Guys,

As you all know I always use the emails, phone calls, and general conversations with our customers to research and develop new products.

With the release of the new P.A.C.K. C4, the P.A.C.K. MAX and the Officially licensed FLAMES OF WAR KIT BAG we have done alot.

One thing I always said when I started Battle Foam was that I would never stop perfecting our products and creating what us gamers want.

So here is your chance.

As fellow gamers of many different game systems what would you like Battle Foam to do for you next?

I don't just mean foam kits, or new bags. I mean as a whole company.

I have 2 new products launching early next year that have nothing to do with bags that all gamers will be able to use.

These type of products is what we need your feedback on.

Imagine being able to call or email GW and tell them what you wanted them to build next. In our case Battle Foam may actually listen.

As an added perk, if your idea is a good one and we decide to go with it, we'll give away an army. More details to come on that.

Lets get those thinking hats on gamers. What do you think?

Romeo

Battle Foam

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CAPITAL LETTERS.

I personally would like to see a bag size between the 1520 and the 432, The points that I play with at my local tournament, makes it so that I need about 2 more inches of foam to be able to fit my army into one of the 432s, but the 1520 is much to large.

So lets see... aside from amazing bags and sweet custom foam....

How about a portable fold out tray with some solid design?

A good sized lip, sturdiness, nice aesthetics. Something that could either be attached to or just match your bags.

Also, maybe different surfaces (like say, a metal surface for those people with magnetized bases).

Good luck to your company! I should be placing an order at my FLGS soon.

-Fool Whip

Something in between the 432 and 1520 would be great, ideally with large degree of modularity to it so you can take a just what you need and nothing else. Perhaps something along the lines of a tank transport bag and an infantry transport bag which can be combined together/split apart as required.

One problem atm is that with many armies going the mech route, the 432 struggles to fit all the tanks in an army and has no room left for the infantry for anything over 1000-1500 points (for example I have 6 Wave Serpents and 3 Fire Prisms in 2000-2500pts which can just barely fit into a 432 and I very rarely play less than 2000pt games). For me this means the 432 isn't viable, which forces me to look at the 1520. Sure it can carry everything I own but it is both more expensive and significantly larger and I would like to be able to take just what I need wherever possible, rather than taking all 5000 odd points around with me at all times.

It may sound kind of lame but what about book covers? I know theres plenty of people (if not everyone) who DONT want their $50 Rule Book to get damaged... or their multiple $25 Army Book/Codex to get damaged. So it would be pretty cool to get cool covers (possibly custom ones) for them.

Modularity was mentioned. I'd suggest a bag with military style MOLLE/PALS webbing on the side, to which pouches could be attached. Obviously the pouches would come with a block of foam cut to accommodate a single dreadnought, or ten infantry or three scout bikes, ect.

Something for those who need to carry a few extra models who don't want to upgrade to the next full pack size. MOLLE/PALS is the way to go.

Another, off the wall suggestion is a really large back, that, once emptied, can be set up as a small table, just large enough to let the player lay out his books. In my (admittedly limited experience) it feels like there is never enough space to put the rulebook and codexes without cluttering up the table.

In the same vein, a large bag that can be made into a folding chair. nothing worse then showing up to an event without a place to sit. Make a pack hang from the bottom. And its gotta have those mesh beverage cups.

Finally, packs should have a folder for codices, and side pouches for dice and measuring tape. The could be either integrated, or available as add on pouches, as described above.

I would like to see a portable gaming table, not just a top that you can put on free standing table (like the GW board) but a complete gaming table with legs that can fold up into a large pack.

I would like to see BF produce gaming aids like custom objective markers, or army specific icons. For example 'Necron' themed run markers (WBB markers would be sweet too) that utilize Necron Glyphs, or Chaos themed markers all done in somewhat the shape of the Chaos Undivided symbol.

I’m planning on 2 of the large 1552 PACK’s, but haven’t quite yet got enough models for my Orks built, to know exactly what I need before ordering. Probably do it Feb / Mar 2010. Anyway, here’s my ideas…..

Bags
Bag Security – In case someone decides to open it or even worse, walk off with it..... Locking bags or Motion Alarms – Its picked up, the Alarm goes off
Different Colours – Make it stand out and be noticed
Velcro Signs – A Velcro patch on the front you could make custom labels for, “Names”, “Army”, or even ‘Fragile’ for when your transporting them by Aircraft or coach somewhere.
Detachable webbing pouches for books, tape measures and stuff.
A 6” thick insulated tray with cut outs for Beer and Ice Packs to keep them cool!
I nstead of stacked foam trays, is there any way you could have the front of the bag opening up, and then the trays ‘pull out’ like a set chest of draws?
Built in speakers for an I-Pod connection

Terrain – If your so good at custom foam……
Interlocking foam road sections
Magnetised modular foam buildings (think Lego)
Hills – The Foam spacers, could they not have push out bits that stack together to make a hill or even craters?
Or some sort of Modular building, that also doubles up as a troop transporters. A Foam bunker, but open the top and there are sections for models to be stored?
Some sort of Terrain, which all packs away small (think Russian Dolls). Terrain takes a lot of storage space up.

Something else to enhance the hobby…….
Squad markers – I’ve a Steel Legion army of +150 troops, what about some token or something that fits underneath the base to identify the squad. Currently I have the numbers painted on the side of the bases.
LED Lighting kits for my vehicles.
A Foam ‘beard’ I can wear or pass to my opponent when they are being a beardy arse!
Electronic dice? Vocal Dice? Press the button to roll, its speaks the result (not everyone’s eyesight is spot on. Or x10 Readouts for D6 results. Press the button and it gives you 10 random D6 results (and you need to select between 1 and 10 of the readouts to work).
Some decent telescopic flyer bases (think radio Ariel). I currently use a 15cm Dia piece of MDF with 2” brass rod which screws together, there has to be something better.

Well, there’s my ideas for now, I may come back with some more!

Here is a good one from me: For the LARGE bags, give them these toll things .
Not because its heavy no , its convenient so you dont have to grab the strap when ever you want to shift the bag to another spot.

( and most importantly so people wont look like dorks hauling a giant bag around )

I just want a distributor in Europe, to save on shipping.

This could be solved If i did just one large order but Im not that style of customer, I'm the kind of getting stuff slowly and for example I would buy one empty box first, then months later some customized foams... The US shipping costs would accumulate to ridiculous levels.

So as I said... get your stuff in Europe asap... pretty please

TERRAIN BAGS!

One of the major problems i currently have is transporting/storing all of the terrain i have. Either it be the Planetstrike bastions from GW i bought or even all of the custom scratch built buildings/forests/hills i own. And even the storage system i have for my terrain i am not comfortable with. I would love to see BF come up with a great system to store/transport terrain so i would no longer need to do constant repairs to it. (fixing trees, broken walls etc)

I also would like to suggest a new option with your website! Custom made trays via point and click on your website. A template could be done so customers could just click and drag what they wanted on a tray via an easy to use GUI. The user would select the "thickness" of his desired trey, then they would be able to click and drag the shape of the vehicles they want on the trey, providing a much larger variation on what could be fit on a trey. For example a Guard player may be able to fit 3 sententials 2 Leman Russes and 2 chimeras on one trey if done this way.

Expand on the use of in-game useful items. A tape-measuse with a laser on it would be great. Also... Battlefoam T-Shirts!!!!

A Canadian distributor, also bags in black. The olive green is nice, but a little drab for me

LunaHound wrote:
Here is a good one from me: For the LARGE bags, give them these toll things .
Not because its heavy no , its convenient so you dont have to grab the strap when ever you want to shift the bag to another spot.

( and most importantly so people wont look like dorks hauling a giant bag around )

Maybe it's just me, but I think of the wheely handle thing as more of a dorkiness multiplier, rather than a reducer.

I'd like to second wheels.. even moreso if you can find some means of making them attach to an existing 1520. Even when its not fully loaded my 1520 will start to dig into my lowerback.

I'd jump all over a P.A.C.K. 700(ish). Running mech or Kan wall orks means the 432 just doesn't have the total capacity I need. 3 or 4 trays for boys, a good 2" tray for nobs and character conversions (I'm somewhat into conversions...) and at least two 4" trays for battlewagons, trukks, kans, koptas, you name it.

I've been wanting to get a Battlefoam bag for a while now, but the smaller size is exactly that, and the 1520 is out of my price range.

Also, for you guys, custom embroidery would be *huge*. I'm not sure of the initial investment for one of those computer controlled machines, but I'm fairly certain with a small charge to add names or symbols to the bag exterior, you'd see a R.O.I. pretty quick.

And hell, if you can make a bag that fits in a Harley saddlebag, then we'd be in business

I would definately like to see some sturdy travel bags more like the style of tough books if you will, but also I definately would love to see you guys do more indy GTS. The east coast really gets no love when it comes to those and I heard you guys do some great event.

Big jars of paints for cheap would be nice from any company
Or a codex and rulebook box of sorts that is a attachment

Non-bag product:
pre-built display trays either an open front or doors, or slide out drawers. The top would be flat so people could build their display bases on top of your display box.
Maybe something 18x12x6 or 18x24x8 with four fold out legs like a card table...

As a follow on you could sell display inserts to fit the flat top and forstner bits to drill the holes for standard size bases. If you were really froggy you could texture the inserts and sell matching bases.

I'll second(third) the display/carrying trays.

Also, pre-cut trays for more games(AT-43, Epic, SoTR, Confrontation, BFG, etc.).

And if you do end up doing pre-cuts for AT-43 and Confrontation, maybe doing ones that would fit inside the army boxes as well as bags(like with Space Hulk).

Red_Lives wrote:I also would like to suggest a new option with your website! Custom made trays via point and click on your website. A template could be done so customers could just click and drag what they wanted on a tray via an easy to use GUI. The user would select the "thickness" of his desired trey, then they would be able to click and drag the shape of the vehicles they want on the trey, providing a much larger variation on what could be fit on a trey. For example a Guard player may be able to fit 3 sententials 2 Leman Russes and 2 chimeras on one trey if done this way.

This is a fantastic idea! It would make ordering custom foam so convenient.

Also a big fan of retractable handles and wheels on packs, especially ones that can be carry ons. Wheels can be a life saver when you have to go all the way across a large airport to catch your connection.

On top of the 1520, maybe a turn/victory point tracker.

And a spot of velcro for patches on each bag, like the FOW.

NAVARRO wrote:I just want a distributor in Europe, to save on shipping.

This could be solved If i did just one large order but Im not that style of customer, I'm the kind of getting stuff slowly and for example I would buy one empty box first, then months later some customized foams... The US shipping costs would accumulate to ridiculous levels.

So as I said... get your stuff in Europe asap... pretty please

+1337 to this

I'd love a 216 for my Infinity army and a C4 for Necromunda and BB. A 1520 for my Dark Eldar. But I can't afford that in just one shot.

PLEASE! Even only one in UK for all Europe would be ok.

How about a painting modeling station type of thing but better than GWs MDF box (that really doesnt help at all). Possibly draws for paints and brushes ect... I dunno about you guys but I am always misplacing my paint brushes or forgeting where I put a pot of paint. I've heard a lot of comments about people having messy work areas so a work station that actualy makes organising easier would probaby work.

Just my opinion

Commander Endova wrote:Modularity was mentioned. I'd suggest a bag with military style MOLLE/PALS webbing on the side, to which pouches could be attached. Obviously the pouches would come with a block of foam cut to accommodate a single dreadnought, or ten infantry or three scout bikes.

A MOLLE system on the outside would pretty much rock. With a selection of different additional pouches it could really add to making a bag 'yours'. Plus it would give me something to attach all of those pouches from the army to ^_-.

Hah. Yeah. Likewise. I can carry my dice cube and tape measure in an old ammo pouch.

On that note, that gives battle foam a foot in the door of the airsofter/weekend warrior/range queen market demographic. These people are always looking for ways to protect their expensive customized pistols and high end optics, and they'll buy anything with MOLLE on it. I'd know. I'm one of these people. Anyway, that seems like something Battlefoam could do.

Sorry. I'm not trying to stray from wargaming here. I'm just highlighting the pros of my argument.

Commander Endova wrote:Hah. Yeah. Likewise. I can carry my dice cube and tape measure in an old ammo pouch.

I do the same thing. Mine's half full of dice from various sources and multiple cubes, though.

Commander Endova wrote:Hah. Yeah. Likewise. I can carry my dice cube and tape measure in an old ammo pouch.

On that note, that gives battle foam a foot in the door of the airsofter/weekend warrior/range queen market demographic. These people are always looking for ways to protect their expensive customized pistols and high end optics, and they'll buy anything with MOLLE on it. I'd know. I'm one of these people. Anyway, that seems like something Battlefoam could do.

Sorry. I'm not trying to stray from wargaming here. I'm just highlighting the pros of my argument.

Hell, battle foam could sell custom cut foam for airsoft weapons and equipment.
Make your bags double duty if you have two hobbies.

I'd like to support the "more colors" crowd here.
Handles/wheels, too... but do it better than Sabol

Also... lower prices. Your stuff is SO expensive.
(you asked. LOL)

Wanna know what keeps me from considering your product for my nex purchase? It's not price.
Allow your distributors to order custom foam.
I want to support my flgs, who carries your product, but -last I heard- you don't allow retailers to order custom foam.
if i could order a bag with a custom foam layout, my next carrying bag purchase has about an 85% to 90% chance of being Battlefoam.

More templates.
You have templates for models laying down. I want some for models standing up. I don't like my painted models laying on their sides, rubbing at the paint.

Eric