Northstar Miniatures: On The Seven Seas Nickstarter Launch Date

[Smith]

I'm not sure that 2 rule-sets constitutes a trend!  

Producing a dedicated terrain line for every game is a little excessive - Dux Bellorum, A World Aflame, In Her Majesty's Name, Ronin and Of Gods and Mortals are all well-catered for with both generic (trees, hills etc.) and specific (buildings etc.) terrain available from a number of sources if you really don't care for scratch-building.

A Fistful of Kung Fu presents slightly more unique challenges, I agree, but combining off-the-shelf historical and modern terrain options provides huge amounts of possibilities before you even need to approach scratch-building. I've combined modern and generic terrain with aquarium scenery for my stuff - then again, I don't particularly want to play exclusively urban games, so the more rural setting suits me. Indeed, the game's intro states that it isn't necessarily 'urban'... or even 'modern'. I've got it running wuxia martial arts quite merrily, with not a John Woo gunfight to be seen! The North Star figures reflect this too - 2 of the 4 sets work just as well in the present as in the past, and in the city as in the countryside.

As for On the Seven Seas, if you're looking for ships, there's a pretty extensive range of options here: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=24456.0. I'm using a converted Playmobil ship for my own games, but given how often I've burned myself with hot glue, I'm beginning to wish I'd just gone for something off-the-shelf! In fact, I think LaserDreamWorks already have a range of ships, no?

The joy of Western games and MDF buildings is that the style of architecture can be really nicely replicated in MDF - I would LOVE to be able to build a Caribbean pirate town that simply (and inexpensively), so if anyone wants to take up the challenge, I'm all ears!

[The Dozing Dragon]

I got Boxes with my IHMN, and my A Fistful of Kung Fu . . .. .

I've emailed Nick. I have meant to ask ever since picking it up from a show last year...I assumed the boxes weren't ready and meant to ask at some point but, as the saying goes, one thing led to another......

[lou passejaire]

i have not ordered yet ...
i'm interested in the rules, the Calico Jack crew, but i'm waiting for more informations about the 18th century sailors ...
wait and see 

[Captain Blood]

I feel the same as I did about the IHMN boxed sets.

I can completely understand it from the manufacturer's point of view, but from the customer's point of view, whilst there are a lot of nice figures in there, they are not packaged in the combinations I want to buy, and the boxes are damned expensive anyway.

£23 for 8 figures is top end premium pricing as far as wargames figures are concerned.
By way of comparison, 8-figure Foundry packs are currently £12. And that's from FOUNDRY.

So paying 3 quid a figure for a 'boxed set' (formerly known as a pack) in order to get 2 or 3 figures I want along with 4 or 5 that I don't, isn't an attractive offer... It means I'm paying £6 or £7 for the figures I'd like. Which clearly isn't tenable. I'd really like quite a few of those figures, but not at that price.

Twas ever thus with packs of figures, of course. You take the rough with the smooth. I always accept I'm going to get a few figures I don't want in with a lot that I do.
But not at a £3 per figure starting price point.
I'd suggest that if you are going to charge top end prices, you'd be better off selling the figures as singles, like Hasselfree and other 'premium' figure vendors.

Still, presumably this pricing model has proved successful or Nick wouldn't be persisting with it. So good luck with it  

[Lowtardog]

I feel the same as I did about the IHMN boxed sets.

I can completely understand it from the manufacturer's point of view, but from the customer's point of view, whilst there are a lot of nice figures in there, they are not packaged in the combinations I want to buy, and the boxes are damned expensive anyway.

£23 for 8 figures is top end premium pricing as far as wargames figures are concerned.
By way of comparison, 8-figure Foundry packs are currently £12. And that's from FOUNDRY.

So paying 3 quid a figure for a 'boxed set' (formerly known as a pack) in order to get 2 or 3 figures I want along with 4 or 5 that I don't, isn't an attractive offer... It means I'm paying £6 or £7 for the figures I'd like. Which clearly isn't tenable. I'd really like quite a few of those figures, but not at that price.

Twas ever thus with packs of figures, of course. You take the rough with the smooth. I always accept I'm going to get a few figures I don't want in with a lot that I do.
But not at a £3 per figure starting price point.
I'd suggest that if you are going to charge top end prices, you'd be better off selling the figures as singles, like Hasselfree and other 'premium' figure vendors.

Still, presumably this pricing model has proved successful or Nick wouldn't be persisting with it. So good luck with it  

Artizan have that model with their Thrilling tales if I recall, may be something to consider?

[carlos13th]

I'm not sure that 2 rule-sets constitutes a trend!  

Producing a dedicated terrain line for every game is a little excessive - Dux Bellorum, A World Aflame, In Her Majesty's Name, Ronin and Of Gods and Mortals are all well-catered for with both generic (trees, hills etc.) and specific (buildings etc.) terrain available from a number of sources if you really don't care for scratch-building.

A Fistful of Kung Fu presents slightly more unique challenges, I agree, but combining off-the-shelf historical and modern terrain options provides huge amounts of possibilities before you even need to approach scratch-building. I've combined modern and generic terrain with aquarium scenery for my stuff - then again, I don't particularly want to play exclusively urban games, so the more rural setting suits me. Indeed, the game's intro states that it isn't necessarily 'urban'... or even 'modern'. I've got it running wuxia martial arts quite merrily, with not a John Woo gunfight to be seen! The North Star figures reflect this too - 2 of the 4 sets work just as well in the present as in the past, and in the city as in the countryside.

As for On the Seven Seas, if you're looking for ships, there's a pretty extensive range of options here: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=24456.0. I'm using a converted Playmobil ship for my own games, but given how often I've burned myself with hot glue, I'm beginning to wish I'd just gone for something off-the-shelf! In fact, I think LaserDreamWorks already have a range of ships, no?

The joy of Western games and MDF buildings is that the style of architecture can be really nicely replicated in MDF - I would LOVE to be able to build a Caribbean pirate town that simply (and inexpensively), so if anyone wants to take up the challenge, I'm all ears!

Do you mind sharing your fist full of Kung fu board or terrain? Would love to see it. Maybe better to post it in it's own thread if you do though.

[carlos13th]

I feel the same as I did about the IHMN boxed sets.

I can completely understand it from the manufacturer's point of view, but from the customer's point of view, whilst there are a lot of nice figures in there, they are not packaged in the combinations I want to buy, and the boxes are damned expensive anyway.

£23 for 8 figures is top end premium pricing as far as wargames figures are concerned.
By way of comparison, 8-figure Foundry packs are currently £12. And that's from FOUNDRY.

So paying 3 quid a figure for a 'boxed set' (formerly known as a pack) in order to get 2 or 3 figures I want along with 4 or 5 that I don't, isn't an attractive offer... It means I'm paying £6 or £7 for the figures I'd like. Which clearly isn't tenable. I'd really like quite a few of those figures, but not at that price.

Twas ever thus with packs of figures, of course. You take the rough with the smooth. I always accept I'm going to get a few figures I don't want in with a lot that I do.
But not at a £3 per figure starting price point.
I'd suggest that if you are going to charge top end prices, you'd be better off selling the figures as singles, like Hasselfree and other 'premium' figure vendors.

Still, presumably this pricing model has proved successful or Nick wouldn't be persisting with it. So good luck with it  

Honestly I would be happy to pay slightly more for a model if I could purchase them as singles. So many packs I either want a few figures from or want duplicates of one or two models.

[Captain Blood]

Artizan have that model with their Thrilling tales if I recall, may be something to consider?

Yeah, Artizan (North Star, in fact) sell the same Thrilling Tales figures as singles, in small packs of three matched figures, or (I think) as larger sets.
I don't mind paying top whack for a wargames figure if I can buy the ones I want, and I have a lot of Thrilling Tales figures as a result (like half the entire range) - because I've been able to buy the ones I want.

I would have bought quite a few of the IHMN figures, and (potentially) a fair number of these new pirate figures too - if I could buy the ones I want. But as it is, I probably won't buy any, for the reasons outlined above.

I do understand the manufacturers' rationale for selling figures in packs, and how this links to the economics of casting and so on. After all, it's been assiduously drummed into us wargamers by 'the industry' for years.

Vendors must presumably understand that a proportion of potential customers will be lost through that pricing and packaging model. Because ultimately people want to buy the figures they want - not the figures they don't.
At a pound a figure, buying in packs isn't such a big deal. But at three pounds a figure, it is.

But again - I guess it must work out for them, or I assume they wouldn't do it that way...

[lou passejaire]

At a pound a figure, buying in packs isn't such a big deal. But at three pounds a figure, it is.

for us, UE € customers, it' quite 5€ a fig, postage inculded , that's quite 4£ ...

that's the industry ( that's to say games workshop  ) victory ...

[NurgleHH]

The past nickstarter were very nice, I loved them. But this time, beeing honest, all figures look very similar. I hoped the get some in single packs. Richard is right. As nmanufacturer it is understandable to sell the whole bunch in one piece, but as customer I have to say no. I think (my oninion), that after so much good stuff it would be good for Steve Saleh to make a creativity break to come back with the known quality.

[flags_of_war]

Nick has added some of my flags to the site as part of the deal.

http://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=173&page=1

[Ray Earle]

Going to have to add some of those to my pre-order. Bloody lovely. 

[Timbor]

In regards to folks wanting more terrain, looks like there will be a KS launched in July from a company planning to do pirate-themed ships and buildings.  Update from their last KS here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/renaissanceminiature/east-asian-village-for-28mm-gamers/posts/879807

A couple photos of prototypes:





Might be useful.  Though, delivery would probably not be until next year if their past delivery record is anything to go by.

[cianty]

Ooh, that crane sure looks great! Reminds me of the one I got from Fredericus Rex.

[The Dozing Dragon]

Their website is below;

http://renaissanceminiatures.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page