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.
2020/01/14 22:06:44
Subject: KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
2020/01/14 23:11:15
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
While it has zero appeal to me, and the quality looks rather poor...I think they know their market and are doing fine business-wise. It's a smart move.
2020/01/16 10:52:42
Subject: KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
I'm very impressed by this! The quality isn't quite there yet, but in a few more years it just might be. If that does happen, it could eventually spell big changes for the hobby!
--Lord of the Sentinels Eternal--
2020/01/16 14:03:55
Subject: KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
Soul Samurai wrote: I'm very impressed by this! The quality isn't quite there yet, but in a few more years it just might be. If that does happen, it could eventually spell big changes for the hobby!
Does anyone think 3D printing will get worse, more expensive or more difficult over time?
This could be huge for any number of industries.
2020/01/16 15:31:15
Subject: KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
Personally I think 3D printing is the future of our hobby. There will always be big boys like GW producing minis, but you're gonna see more and more companies offering 3D files for sculpts and printers getting cheaper and easier to use and better quality. Will be interesting to see where we'll be at in another 10 years or so.
2020/01/16 17:38:06
Subject: KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
Kid_Kyoto wrote: Does anyone think 3D printing will get worse, more expensive or more difficult over time?
This could be huge for any number of industries.
True. Right now most industries benefit from 3D printing mainly for prototyping, not manufacturing (yes, there are exceptions), but miniature gaming seems to me to be one area where 3D printing will change things faster than others.
--Lord of the Sentinels Eternal--
2020/01/17 04:36:07
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
> you're gonna see more and more companies offering 3D files for sculpts
Good point. I'm sure many sculptors only view miniature design as a hobby, or otherwise do not have or want to go through the work of casting and shipping miniatures. Someone's already made 3D prints for every D&D miniature and gave it away for free. Nice!
So here's my first two rules of technology:
* Any new technology will be assumed to be used to replace an existing one.
* The first mistake of a new technology is to use it to replace an existing one.
Non-customized miniatures are still inexpensive enough that any new way to make them doesn't save time or money over the current methods. That's why Hero Forge is such a success. They're not making 3D prints. They're making miniatures that don't exist on the market and which . Not all gamers, just some, namely their target market of "let me tell you about my character" RPG players. Dakka is slowly getting it, and Beasts aren't quite there, but army wargaming isn't the target market.
Anyway, at least for boardgaming, the 3D printer will be busy making all sorts of gaming aids, including storage, for boardgames, and plastic bling to replace cardboard tokens. For miniature gamers, possibly terrain, such as castles, may be more likely printed than miniatures, because of their current high expense (especially if you want a castle, not just a castle wall...), and lack of detail compared to human-sized 28mm. At the least, a 3D printer avoids shipping costs, VAT, customs, and other additional costs, much as email has done over letters. This, of course, assumes the hobbyist in the family can get access to the 3D printer, when the rest of the family is using it to make their custom storage, IP-infringing doodads, broken-thing-around-the-house replacement part, or anything that can be made out of plastic (or resin, or even metal).
I bet Hero Forge is enjoying selling single minis for $30-40 a pop. They've cracked the code on the gamer market for this kind of thing. I'm not terribly impressed with the results, but I can imagine for people who don't paint this is looking good.
2020/01/30 20:08:12
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
ced1106 wrote: Not all gamers, just some, namely their target market of "let me tell you about my character" RPG players. Dakka is slowly getting it, and Beasts aren't quite there, but army wargaming isn't the target market.
As someone who play wargames and bought some Heroforge to use in RPG, I think you could add “Duh!” at the end of these kind of statements. I mean, did anyone expect Heroforge to do something else than minis for RPG? I don't want to design individually all the models in my 40+ WFB regiment, lol.
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
2020/01/31 04:06:22
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
ced1106 wrote: Not all gamers, just some, namely their target market of "let me tell you about my character" RPG players. Dakka is slowly getting it, and Beasts aren't quite there, but army wargaming isn't the target market.
As someone who play wargames and bought some Heroforge to use in RPG, I think you could add “Duh!” at the end of these kind of statements. I mean, did anyone expect Heroforge to do something else than minis for RPG? I don't want to design individually all the models in my 40+ WFB regiment, lol.
And let us not forget the 'Let me tell you about the mini I got for my wife!' market.
I would never pay this kind of money for a miniature for myself, but for my wife? Yeah, I've done it.
Something else worth noting - Hero Forge also sells the STL files, and Impact has 3D printing at less than the cost from Hero Forge. Smokestack on the Reaper forums mentioned to to my wife, who mentioned it to me. (The words 'Hint, hint' may have been used.)
Kilkrazy wrote:When I was a young boy all my wargames were narratively based because I played with my toy soldiers and vehicles without the use of any rules.
The reason I bought rules and became a real wargamer was because I wanted a properly thought out structure to govern the action instead of just making things up as I went along.
2020/01/31 04:52:04
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
Reading some of the wargaming miniature forums, you'd wonder!
Anyway, prepainted miniatures have a long and rich (as in, some gamers spend *lots* of money on these paint jobs) history, and there was a huge market for HeroScape and other lines, until oil prices increased. Hero Clix is still sold by WizKids, although Mage Knight and MechWarrior have long since gone. Dwarven Forge's customer base includes terrain gamers who will pay good money for prepainted terrain, including furniture.
Tiny Furniture, for example, sells hand-painted miniatures, and their customers are not only willing to pay the price, but wait an additional two months for the service.
Anyway, prepainted miniatures have a long and rich (as in, some gamers spend *lots* of money on these paint jobs) history, and there was a huge market for HeroScape and other lines, until oil prices increased. Hero Clix is still sold by WizKids, although Mage Knight and MechWarrior have long since gone. Dwarven Forge's customer base includes terrain gamers who will pay good money for prepainted terrain, including furniture.
IIRC it wasn't oil prices but the rising cost of Chinese labor that made pre paints like D&D, Star Wars Miniatures etc unprofitable.
They could move to other lower wage countries but the quality and infrastructure just aren't there.
2020/01/31 22:10:03
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
"Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. [...] We will continue to diversify the cast of characters we portray [...] so everyone can find representation and heroes they can relate to. [...] If [you don't feel the same way], you will not be missed"
https://twitter.com/WarComTeam/status/1268665798467432449/photo/1
2020/02/12 01:42:12
Subject: KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
My good lady wife went to see what had been added, and saw that I had backed it for two minis....
She immediately jumped to the conclusion that they would be His and Hers.
She... was not at all wrong - the projected delivery is a month before our anniversary.
I just didn't expect her to see it before the KS closes.
She talked me out of the two, and to go for the 10 STLs instead, cheaper, and we can paint them together. (She is a professional artist, and has her doubts about the color prints.)
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/02/12 01:44:52
Kilkrazy wrote:When I was a young boy all my wargames were narratively based because I played with my toy soldiers and vehicles without the use of any rules.
The reason I bought rules and became a real wargamer was because I wanted a properly thought out structure to govern the action instead of just making things up as I went along.
2020/05/01 19:52:57
Subject: Re:KS-Hero Forge Full Color 3D printed minis
Save on your purchase of downloadable STL files for the entire month of May. From May 1st to the 31st, digital downloads are $5.99 with code:
STAYHOMEANDPRINT
Plus, every Friday in May we’ll be releasing a pre-made miniature that can be downloaded for free.
This week's free STL is the dreadful Skeletal Sentinel. These ancient undead stand grim vigil over long-forgotten tombs. Ever-watchful for bold adventures who seek to plunder the riches they protect.
Download this free STL by clicking here or logging into your account and going to the "digital downloads" section of your profile page.
Albertorius wrote: ...hm. Details are also much lower quality than I can get on my printer, compared with the render.
This was expected as the printer they use to get the colors is basically using sand.
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:wow that's that weird powdery stuff from shapeways did that I thought they'd stopped offering
Somethings up. If you look at the preview images that they've posted and youtubers got they're very different in quality. Wonder if this was too successful and to meet the target deadlines shapeways started using those old printers. People have posted on Reddit that Heroforge are giving credit, if asked, for people that are unhappy with the quality.
That's... not good. It the 3d model equivalent of printing a document on draft quality while your ink is also running low. That's definitely a noticeable drop from the already meh samples they showed during the funding.
We Munch for Macragge! FOR THE EMPRUH! Cheesesticks and Humus!
Looks like the same technology FigurePrints offers for 3D printing your World of Warcraft characters. Remember them advertising at Blizzcon when I still played the game. But that was around a decade ago.
Also, the stuff fades. When I moved, found the sample medallion they were passing out. Was about three - four years after I had been to Blizzcon. Had faded considerably.
Albertorius wrote: ...hm. Details are also much lower quality than I can get on my printer, compared with the render.
This was expected as the printer they use to get the colors is basically using sand.
Shapeways uses the Mimaki 3DUJ-553 printer for this, which prints with UV-cured resin. This isn't like the older sandstone printers. It definitly doesn't print any metalics, so it just goes for the closest colour for those.
Here's some more pictures of people that received theirs (with the original Heroforge image if provided). The qualiy seems to differ between models, probably depending on which colours they used. Or maybe SW/HF are still getting used to handling the new tech. While not something most wargamers would consider excellent quality, it's still a step up from what a lot of people can paint, especially with fiddly details like the eyes with iris and pupils like the second one. They definetily doesn't seem as bad as the one above at least.
Thanks for posting the additional pics. I'd consider some of those to be of acceptable quality in reference to the sample pics shown during funding. I personally still wouldn't buy it myself but it's close enough on some of them to not be a bait and switch. Unfortunately, the quality is too variable and some i wouldn't consider acceptable compared with the samples initially shown.
We Munch for Macragge! FOR THE EMPRUH! Cheesesticks and Humus!
From the pics, I can certainly see the appeal to the RPG market. Not only do many RPG players not want to paint miniatures, the sculpt of "their character" may be unlikely to even exist. Sure, it's going to take awhile before the coloring and smoothness become better, but already action figures can be 3D printed. A possible future figure would be a custom-printed figure of your video game character that you designed within the game.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/05/17 14:07:15
Albertorius wrote: ...hm. Details are also much lower quality than I can get on my printer, compared with the render.
This was expected as the printer they use to get the colors is basically using sand.
Shapeways uses the Mimaki 3DUJ-553 printer for this, which prints with UV-cured resin.
Interesting. Looked up the printer and all the images and videos I saw were way better looking then anything from this KSer. Like really impressive. The look more like what Heroforge was showing off during the KSer. Bright and vibrant colors with a plastic look. These are way duller and fuzzy. Kind of like the difference between ABS printing with and without acetone smoothing. Maybe to speed things up they didn't do a post processing step?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2020/05/17 16:47:27