Posted By Zuzzy Miniatures
From the Soapbox:

We believe that a finely crafted scenario, whether it is for any of the above mentioned pursuits can be enhanced with our terrain. Being gamers and model builders we have spent the past two decades observing a sad trend in the evolution of these hobbies. They are not evolving! Oh yes, new rule systems are born every day and yes the large behemoth companies are constantly regurgitating new packaging with old ideas, and yes, there are many smaller companies striving to make their mark by emulating what has gone before them, but no they are not evolving.

With the advent of the Internet a level playing field has been created for all those willing to take the time to share what they have created. A fount of gaming knowledge and creativity from around the world sets at the fingertips of us all, yet, little has changed in the way the games and model hobbies are approached.

We dont believe we have all the answers, just an idea that may enhance your enjoyment of the hobby.

In the good ol days:

Twenty years ago when the industry was a tad bit younger there was a skys the limit attitude about these hobbies. I belonged to two different hobby clubs one based in New York State and another based in Indiana, both had inside ties directly to the Industry and got the inside scoop right from the "big boys" about what was coming around the corner. A good two hours of any gaming session was talk about who heard what and what new thing was right around the corner from which company -the excitement in the air was always electric magical. Games were not just a quick sampling of this or that, but an immersive experience of visual titillation and fine storytelling.

A game by any other name . . .

Game days for both clubs were essentially the same. We always had the players and the team of creators that managed the gaming experience. The team would construct a story line futuristic, historical, fantasy. That story line had a beginning, middle, and an end, each scenario had a beginning middle and an end. The entire story arc and experience took place over a period of gaming years. It always involved roleplaying, epic tabletop battles, and model building.

The creating team would go out and research the construction of the scenario, build the necessary sets, write portions of the story, world build for both paper and on the tabletop. (All the terrain and buildings reflected the theme being portrayed.) Every Friday night after work the creators would meet at the local gaming shop and start their shopping frenzy. We'd start at one shop and move to the next, no game shop or hobby shop within a forty mile radius was safe. Miniatures, paint, paintbrushes, flocking, rule sets, crafting materials were purchased and prepared for the following week. During the week the scripts were set, rule books were read and written, miniatures were painted, and sets were created (The sets were terrain pieces, buildings, streets, building interiors, caverns, and dungeons, all pertinent to that weekends content all within the context of the theme.). Saturday morning arrived, the table was set, the story host was ready to roll, boxes were set out full of the latest weeks projects, all the players had their figures, and then the story (game) began . . .

Our point?

Theme and context breathed life into the gaming experience. If the game took place in the American West, the terrain and props reflected that. If the game took place in a futuristic setting again the terrain and props reflected that. Most of what we used we built, of course, because there wasnt anyone out there doing it for us. It was time consuming and at times exhausting. But the gaming experience was amazing. Twenty years later little has changed. Most terrain companies that we have found on the web have catalogues full of terrain pieces and buildings designed to emulate what people have been forced to use for ages.

Want to run your evil armies and your favorite heroes across the 4x6 terrain slab of molten, sulfuric, obsidian fields of despair? (You know its the place every iconic, chaotic, crazy, demon infested, dark lord from any major story line makes his home.) Sure you do, but you cant, unless you make it from scratch. (And there isnt anything wrong with that. But it is very time consuming.) Most major game companies provide background content in their fantasy and sci-fi systems for such . . . but when it comes to providing you with miniature terrain to back up their ecology they show you the best way to make a green felt covered table with gray foam rocks.

After watching this go on for years, pondering why this aspect of the industry had not expanded with its counterparts (The game designers and miniature companies.) we decided to form ZUZZY Miniatures.

For more information or to give us your feedback feel free to contact us