East Asian Village Kickstarter

[Elbows]

I think the key here is that the MDF stuff is nothing more than a couple of computer files...so the investment is only EVER in time spent designing it.  Essentially a shop could have "thousands" of products available for purchase at will, without having molds, etc.

So if initial interest is enough to cover the time spent designing...as long as they don't print out a couple thousand pieces for fun - they're fine.  They can do a kickstarter and then print out exactly the number purchased and waste nothing.  It's quite handy for the stores.  As more MDF shops pop up, I'm becoming more and more demanding of the quality of the stuff.

There is a huge difference between stuff like 4Ground (the best of the best in my opinion) and other companies.  I'd like to see more companies like 4Ground come into being (really intricate laser work, beautiful attention to detail, clever design so the building and items don't scream "hey, I'm MDF!"...and double-sided print work...even pre-painted!).  As far as I'm concerned, as a gamer - everyone can go nuts.  If I have choice, I'm fine with it.

[Timbor]

I have been following this campaign with interest, but have decided not to back it because of 2 reasons: 1 - I don't have much of any east asian-themed stuff, and don't have much desire to open a new collection theme.

2 - For some of the items, the price just seems too high.  I was almost convinced I needed the junk ship they just designed: 



Its a nice size, with some options for gaming.  It is 20" long x 5" wide at the widest point.  The price tag is $95 though...  Now, compare this ship to the Ainsty Man o War ship, which is 17x5.5":



75GBP (about $115) for a similar sized ship with smooth lines, and gorgeous detailing.  I dunno, maybe that's the best price they can offer, its their business, but if it is the best price, I wonder if they have perhaps reached the limit of mdf scenery?  I mean, the main draw is that its simple and cheap, but if the alternative which looks way better is a comparable price... kinda defeats the purpose IMO.

The new black hat peasant sculpts look pretty nice though.