"Nice painting but your minis suck"

[Ray Rivers]

These kinds of comments have got to stop.

From the rules:

Do NOT try to become the “Critic Laureate” of LAF – it’s “live and let live.”

Trashing someone's painting thread with these kinds of comments appears to becoming more and more acceptable.

It's not and the practice has got to be actively stamped out.

painting is nice but the minis are utterly dire rubbish.

The lazooka barrel is a f'ing oval fer christ's sake and its just downhill from there.

Well painted and looks like a fun time was had...the miniatures are so wildly over-the-top though I can't even see what's going on, or who is who.    Not my cuppa.

Great brushwork though.  Are those the GF9 crystals --- have they been repainted or did they offer a snow version?

[Cherno]

Why exactly does it have to stop, though? It's not like such comments go against the OP. Also, where is the line to be drawn between commenting on some funny aspect of a figure (stripperific outfit, for example) and a perceived flaw (miscasting, mold lines etc.)?

Also, I feel like the thread title is hyberbolic, as the two examples you provided actually describe the miniature's flaws instead of just a throwaway "your minis suck" comment, which I would indeed regard as trashing.

[von Lucky]

I think the point is that someone has made the effort of buying/choosing a particular miniature that may have flaws (casting, style (which is subjective), etc) and then painting that miniature and then posting it on here to share and receive feedback on their conversion and/or painting.

I agree that constructive criticism is what we want in LAF, not bashing someone's choice of miniatures.

Though I'm not sure what Ray has got against the GF9 crystals, I can't agree with him in having those particular comments stamped out.

[Blofeld]

What you realise by joining other forums is how supportive the great majority of people on Lead Adventure actually are! My painting standard I truly awful but I still feel inclined to continue posting work up on the site because any criticism is constructive and done with the best intentions.
I agree that any negativity should be kept to a minimum but LAF is a lot better than most for its general attitude and atmosphere
Thanks
Blofeld

[Oldben1]

I don't necessarily see this as an epidemic either.  It would be nice if everyone was tactful.  It is after all a hobby website.  Some have turned it a business, or a lifestyle I guess.  I don't usually comment on work I don't like.  I find it interesting that rough paint jobs seem to be more tolerated than poorly sculpted minis.

We can't forget the amazing variety here.  I don't want to necessarily play some of these games but I think we can always appreciate the time, or effort our fellow members put in.  You can't get better at something without practice.  Posting WIPs is pretty scary based of the fact that some on this site are real artizans.

I have to agree though, I like the comraderie on this site.  We should keep it friendly.

[Momotaro]

Everyone is in a state of constant learning when they paint - your tenth figure is better than your first, your hundredth is better still.  And we've all been there (and I still am...).  So a great deal of tolerance, support and positive suggestions is to be expected.  And one of the reasons I come here.  The same is true for home-made scenery and game boards.

Commercial sculpts, on the other hand, are more reasonable targets for criticism.  Especially when they are produced by a bigger, supposedly more professional company.

Now I take Ray's point about AoS/GW - the actual figures are top quality, and not liking them is really just a personal opinion. Wading into what's clearly a personal thread is indeed poor form.  I do think though that much of the criticism on LAF has been against the company rather than individual posters.

Duff is on commission from Mongoose/Warlord for the 2000AD rulebooks isn't he?  So he's showing what will presumably become official painted models for the rulebooks/website.  It's an advert for both his painting and the final figures.  In that case, Scurv was perfectly within his rights to comment on both the stunning paint job and defects with the figures.

I tend to be my own most reflective critic of both figures and painting.  If I think the figures were not up to scratch, unusually hard to build, or clean up or paint, I'll say in the thread.

[Ray Rivers]

I agree that constructive criticism is what we want in LAF, not bashing someone's choice of miniatures.

Yep

From the forum rules:

2.2 Criticism.

The LAF administrator and moderators have no problem with receiving constructive criticism, and most users will also be happy to receive productive replies and incentives. Keep in mind, however, that only posting criticism and not producing/showing your own work will leave people with a poor impression or your character. Do NOT try to become the “Critic Laureate” of LAF – it’s “live and let live.” All criticism is well-received if it is constructive, politely worded and appropriately balanced with praise. Don’t be nit-picky and try being positive.

Deviating from those rules is a slippery slope.

Quite a while back during the Lead Painters League, someone commented that he absolutely hated the type of miniatures painted by a competitor and that he would never vote for him no matter how well he painted them. He was a great painter and it was the last time he competed in the League.

Once folks feel the have the "right" to enter into someone's painting thread and attack the manufacturer, it's only time before the practice becomes habitual (as it is becoming) and the result will be folks drifting off to other places where they can post without slanderous comments aimed at the manufacturers who they happen to like.

Like a genie, once you let it out, it is almost impossible to put back in and it will only get worse and take on even more anti-social behavior.

We will all be diminished by such conduct and the forum will suffer.

[tin shed gamer]

The reason I joined this forum,is the quality and diligence of its moderator's.combined with the positive and mature attitude,of its members.
I personally post my work warts and all,(including any spelling issues I've missed) and you sit back and see what people think.Not everyone is going to like what I do,nor am I likely to like the work in every thread I read.
Being critical or receiving criticism is part of the process and as long as it's being qualified and isn't the result of troll's or manufacturers lackies.Then we learn and we grow as painters ,modellers ,and sculptors .When it falls outside this then the honest approach of the moderators is where the forum shines,and you can alert them of anything you find offensive ,Any body who is aggressive or negative for the sake of it is soon sent on their merry way.As in the real world you are bound to bump into someone disagreeable sooner or later,and it's how you personally respond that defines the experience ,how ever negative its start.
But there's also the flip side to consider ,A Thread devoid of any questions and only filled with smoke blowing platitudes can be creatively destructive .Questioning any work is how both sides grow,and learn.it stops the modeller and the reader from becoming stagnant and both sides learn something .
I personally enjoy receiving questions asking me to explain my choices as well as my methods that resulted in the models I post.How did you?,and Why did you? Is more creatively productive than a row of
Mark.

[Argonor]

Quite a while back during the Lead Painters League, someone commented that he absolutely hated the type of miniatures painted by a competitor and that he would never vote for him no matter how well he painted them. He was a great painter and it was the last time he competed in the League.

I am pretty sure the LPL rules state that voters should refrain from stating whom they vote for, and why.

Once folks feel the have the "right" to enter into someone's painting thread and attack the manufacturer, it's only time before the practice becomes habitual (as it is becoming) and the result will be folks drifting off to other places where they can post without slanderous comments aimed at the manufacturers who they happen to like.

I think every member on this forum has the right to comment on any thread on this forum. Posting here is an open invitation for all members to do so.

I also don't think that mentioning that a particular line of models not being one's cup of tea is 'attacking' either the manufacturer, or your personal taste in minis - but merely a statement of personal preferences.

If you feel somebody is breaking any rules when doing so, please report it to the moderators, instead of policing the forum yourself, because, frankly, I think you're winding yourself up over nothing, and such behaviour will, inadvertedly, lead to enmity and the anti-social behaviour you postulate is being developed by others.

[Hammers]

Any body who is aggressive or negative for the sake of it is soon sent on their merry way.

This is very, very rare occurrence.  Our administrators are quite the examples of saintly forbearance.