I find this fascinating but...

[Conquistador]

Wrong place?  If so, Moderators please move.

First when this becomes available in 15/18 mm then I will be involved.  I just don't need more 28 mm figures.

Second, even if I was to get back into FRPG (extremely unlikely) it would have to be with older characters and I would want them in 25 mm because I have those now and the wife (which would be the driver to return to FRPGs) would not be tempted by having to get new figures.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/customizable-3d-printed-tabletop-miniatures?ref=live

We have had the (emphasis, not shouting) "3D PRINTING HOW SOON?"  discussion so let's please try not to go there, okay?  Warning, seriously, if it goes there I plan to lock the thread or remove it.  

This is a thread for my wondering out loud (since the idea has merit for a few figures personally from OD&D days) how much desire, really, is there for personalized miniatures on a scale of 0 ("why are you wasting my time?") to 9 ("I will skip lunch for a week to pay for this for one figure!") for you?

Me?

I think I have no more then ten figures from OD&D (* means later rules)I would have loved to have in gear as the character had.  Topping the list would be [7] A male Egyptian cleric of Seker; [6] an Egyptian female (from the farming part community originally,) Magic User; [5] * A dwarf Fighter/Thief Ghetto Fighter, [5] A dwarf Fighter with axe; [5] * A human generic era Fighter with Spear, Sword, Axe, and Mace; [5] A dwarf Cleric with Mace and staff.

There is not enough there to tempt me and my money at this time to commit but if they had gone to 15 mm as an option I admit I would be in with some specific figures.

Gracias,

Glenn

[carlos13th]

Have you messaged them to ask if they would do it? Worth a shot.

[Argonor]

I wouldn't have need for highly specialized/customized single minis - especially not at the price demanded there.

Regardless of scale, the possibility too design units for wargaming could be interesting to some ppl, I guess, but the price/mini would probably have to be less.

Regarding 15 mm, I don't know if the 3D printers are up to the task with so much smaller details, yet?

I have seen many members here switching their battle games to 15 mm (I'm sorely tempted to delve into Gods of Battle in thet scale myself, as a handful of Danes are showing of their cfollections elsewhere here), and I could easily imagine ppl designing units not readily available for that kind of games?

[Red Orc]

I'm as interested in this as I would be in getting a sculptor to sculpt one or more figures. Of course, I'd like figures of certain characters - somehow, there are some characters that I can't find figures for, even given the massive numbers of manufacturers out there.

Cost is a thing. If 3D printers can do this, and I'm treading carefully, then in theory they should be able to do it cheaply. Pledging $20 to the Kickstarter for a single figure is expensive. Not as expensive as getting a sculptor to do it and then having it cast, but if you do that you have a master from which other castings can be made, which would reduce the unit cost.

A value on your 'zero to no lunch for a week' scale? Something like 6, probably. No, I wouldn't go without lunch for a week. But maybe for a day or two. About £5 - so, maybe, $7.50US?

If I'm paying a fiver (or more) for a mass-produced mini I don't particularly want just because it's part of an army list, then a fiver for a custom-made mini doesn't seem very much - but, of course, I rarely buy new minis precisely because I think they're too expensive.

But I think the idea's neat. Hell, I'd be impressed if they just made the character-generation software available - 'here's a form, now give it a male/female human/elf/dwarf/halfling skin, now equip it from our huge list of parts and hey pretso, print out a portrait of your character'. That would be a good start in my book (because I'm terrible at drawing).

[Cubs]

Wow. Now this could well be a glimpse of the future. Depending on price of course, I can see this being a superb facility for Fantasy, Sci Fi and Historical models and a template for a lot of other companies.

[Daeothar]

I might be tempted to give such a think a whirl, but I find too much fun in sourcing the right base mini and then converting it, to turn to such a service regularly I think.

Still; the idea is pretty sound and I could see it taking off.

Oh, and Conquistador:

Printing from digital models means we can easily scale our models up or down. Want 6 inch display versions of your party to immortalize their heroic deeds? Can do. Playing a niche tabletop game that uses a larger or smaller scale? No problem.

 

[Conquistador]

<snip>

Oh, and Conquistador:
 

 

Yes, i saw that other sizes were possible eventually but it didn't seem to be part of the KS right now so it wasn't relevant (at this time) for my purposes. When I see one for 15 mm being promoted I definitely would have more intense a focus on such a KS.

Gracias,

Glenn

[warlord frod]

Regarding 15 mm, I don't know if the 3D printers are up to the task with so much smaller details, yet?

I saw a gentlemen selling 1/1200 scale modern ships at a convention a year or so ago and the detail was AMAZING and he printed to order at very good prices. (Sorry before anyone asks I do not recall who it was but if I find the info I will post it)

[Conquistador]

I saw a gentlemen selling 1/1200 scale modern ships at a convention a year or so ago and the detail was AMAZING and he printed to order at very good prices. (Sorry before anyone asks I do not recall who it was but if I find the info I will post it)

That's kind of "scary good" to someone who has played historical war games since 1959 but in my old age I am finally learning to accept if not embrace changes.   

Now if that was 1:6K scale I would consider adding to my Java Sea Battle ships.   

If you remember I am sure many naval guys (you know, they sail those water borne targets,) would be interested.   

Gracias,

Glenn

[AndrewBeasley]

Must read this area of LAF more - I came across this today on KS…

Over the years I have converted figures to match my idea of characters and wished I could sculpt / wield the green stuff with anything approaching skill so this looks like a neat idea to me.

Concerns I have are:

• Spikey bits all over fighters - wonder if you can have good old plain armour
• Cost to buy in at the start - I would chip in £8 - £10 at the start max for a single figure
• Detail and stripes on the plain surfaces - they even warn you about it
• Size compatibility with other figures - a bit of a pain now a days as I have dwarves smaller than hobbits in the box behind me.  And yes it does matter to me!

Decided not to jump in yet as I have too many still to paint but for skirmish games this is the way I would love to go.

[Conquistador]

<snip>

• Size compatibility with other figures - a bit of a pain now a days as I have dwarves smaller than hobbits in the box behind me.  And yes it does matter to me!

<snip>

Re-define them as gnomes or brownies?

Yes, I have the Old DK dwarves (18 - 21 mm to top of head) and my old "true" 25 mm humans (to top of head) always seemed small on the same board.

But since each player in the FRPGs we played brought his own figure we just suspended what our "lying" eyes said about figure height in  a party.


Gracias,

Glenn

[Conquistador]

<snip>

Regarding 15 mm, I don't know if the 3D printers are up to the task with so much smaller details, yet?
<snip>

The crux of the matter for me for future buying. 

I would consider "true" 25 mm figures to personalize my retired OD&D PCs though.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Conquistador]

<snip>

But I think the idea's neat. Hell, I'd be impressed if they just made the character-generation software available - 'here's a form, now give it a male/female human/elf/dwarf/halfling skin, now equip it from our huge list of parts and hey pretso, print out a portrait of your character'. That would be a good start in my book (because I'm terrible at drawing).

Several years ago there was a series of Fantasy/SF cartographic software programs out and I think one of them created pictures of characters but not sure how it worked since when I used non-Apple computers I couldn't afford them and now I can't find them (and I am sure they were not Apple compatible.)

Gracias,

Glenn

[Connectamabob]

Conquistador: Closest thing I can think of is Daz Studio, which is sort of a freemium Poser alternative. Not easily usable for minis though, for a variety of reasons.

Anyway, for me I'd need to have a lot of control/input. Like, the ability to actually go back and forth with the artist like a movie producer/director with a concept artist, and it's had for me to imagine how that could be any cheaper than hiring a sculptor. Just having a bunch of modular feature options wouldn't cut it by a very long margin.

To be blunt, this "our artists have industry cred, they know what people find exiting" business is BS. What style some random gaggle of WOW fans likes is no indicator of what I will like or want. There is no such thing as uniform appeal on an individual basis, nor can you expect a single generic design ethic to suit every setting or atmosphere. There is a reason why Star Trek looks different than WH40K looks different than HALO looks different than Cowboy Bebob looks different form Dune looks different than Wolf's Rain looks different than Gattica looks different than Tron looks different than GitS looks different than The Matrix looks different than Zeram looks different than... etc.

[zemjw]

For 2d stuff, there's Character Artist by Profantasy.

I have a "paused" project where I'm using Poser to create 2d cardboard figures for a "paused" Traveller project. I render out front and back views, then print them out with bases attached (similar in style to the old traveller Cardboard Heroes figures). Really must get back to it at some point

Home printing of figures always seems to be one of those things that's "10 years away", but it's getting there...