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Miniature scale - How important?

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 02:53
Resurgence-TheF...
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Miniature Scale

Hi all, first time posting so my apologies if I do anything wrong! My girlfriend and I are currently working on a board game, which we are hoping to launch via Kickstarter next year... at the moment we are working on the prototyping stage (and fine-tuning some of the rules), and wanted to know your thoughts on our miniatures' sizes! The model on the left is our design, compared to a 28mm (heroic) scale 40K miniature.

- My question is: would you be more/less/equally inclined to buy a board game if the miniature scale was 35mm, 32mm or 28mm (heroic)?... I understand that for war games (Warhammer etc.) that scale is quite important for people, but is it the same for board gamers?
- And... your personal opinion about our own miniature's size with relation to this... would this size put you off buying a game altogether?

Many thanks!! :)

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 04:19
#1
ElKobold
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This miniature will likely be

This miniature will likely be problematic to produce if you aim at using PVC. You have to think about how you will take it out of the mold.

Not everything that can be 3D-printed, can be made in plastic. Or it will require multiple parts, which means assembly, more mold space and extra cost.

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 06:57
#2
Resurgence-TheF...
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Hi, thanks for your

Hi, thanks for your response!
Yes, I've spoke to a few manufacturers that have mentioned similar things... especially that some aspects (such as the arrow) will need to be made thicker in order to be produced in PVC. We have also had a look at splitting the models into a few pieces and being factory assembled - it is actually not as expensive as we thought it would be (although it will still rack up a large portion of the budget), so will probably go for that option, once the designs are finalised.
For the scale, we were hoping for something that would be compatible with other games, but at the same time, I know casual gamers tend to prefer slightly larger scale minis... we've got a bit more research to do, but don't have a deadline (thankfully!!).

-Rory-

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 07:11
#3
ElKobold
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Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:
once the designs are finalised.

To be honest, I would suggest to start with finding a manufacturer and then bother about the designs.
Some manufacturers also provide sculpting options which might simplify things for you.

How many different sculpts do you plan to have?

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 09:39
#4
Resurgence-TheF...
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Designs

We did look into that possibility, but after a bit of searching, we managed to find a company that does 3D renders for cheaper than the manufacturers' sculptors... although by the time we add changes for casting, I'm sure the cost will possibly be more ;) We have spoken to some manufacturers as well who mentioned that resin casting would definitely be possible with the designs, but at this stage, we will focus on PVC due to cost and practicality.

We are aiming for 9 different miniature designs in total, and have completed 5 so far.

Thanks again for you interest and input in the thread - it is really good to hear your thoughts :

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 10:34
#5
ElKobold
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Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:
We did look into that possibility, but after a bit of searching, we managed to find a company that does 3D renders for cheaper than the manufacturers' sculptors

Well, using manufacturer's sculptors ensures that you won't have to pay twice to fix your models afterwards.

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:

although by the time we add changes for casting, I'm sure the cost will possibly be more ;)

Exactly. Hence was my advise.

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:

We are aiming for 9 different miniature designs in total, and have completed 5 so far.

Have you considered tooling costs?

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:

Thanks again for you interest and input in the thread - it is really good to hear your thoughts :

No problem.
We've published a miniatures game last year, so I figured I'd share some info, to maybe help you avoid some of the pitfalls.

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 21:06
#6
Resurgence-TheF...
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Manufacturers/manufacturing

We have actually put the model designs on hold for the moment, and when we resume, we have a few more contacts than when we started, so will try to get something sorted with a manufacturer if it makes things easier. Although staying with the same team will keep continuity, we have structured the designs in a way that it shouldn't be noticeable if the sculptors change.

Yeah, tooling cost will be the main cost we need to cover with the crowdfunding campaign - we've had a couple of quotes and are waiting for a few more now, but there is no denying it is quite pricey!
If you don't mind me asking, what game did you publish? How did you find the whole process of producing physical copies?

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Tue, 08/22/2017 - 21:06
#7
Resurgence-TheF...
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Manufacturers/manufacturing

We have actually put the model designs on hold for the moment, and when we resume, we have a few more contacts than when we started, so will try to get something sorted with a manufacturer if it makes things easier. Although staying with the same team will keep continuity, we have structured the designs in a way that it shouldn't be noticeable if the sculptors change.

Yeah, tooling cost will be the main cost we need to cover with the crowdfunding campaign - we've had a couple of quotes and are waiting for a few more now, but there is no denying it is quite pricey!
If you don't mind me asking, what game did you publish? How did you find the whole process of producing physical copies?

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Wed, 08/23/2017 - 05:12
#8
ElKobold
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Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:

If you don't mind me asking, what game did you publish?

Sure. Here's the bgg link:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172965/guards-atlantis-tabletop-moba

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:

How did you find the whole process of producing physical copies?

If I have to describe it in one word - Stressful.
Could've been less stressful with more prior research :)

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Wed, 08/23/2017 - 21:30
#9
Resurgence-TheF...
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Production

Nice work with your game! Just had a look at it and the whole production looks really great!
Yep, I have a feeling that any large-scale production would be stressful - I'm trying to do a big of the organising now so that I don't have to worry about it later on, but I also suspect that things will crop up later that I haven't even considered yet (especially given that it is the first production).

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Thu, 08/24/2017 - 06:06
#10
ElKobold
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Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:
Nice work with your game! Just had a look at it and the whole production looks really great!

Thanks!

Resurgence-TheFallenEmpire wrote:

Yep, I have a feeling that any large-scale production would be stressful - I'm trying to do a big of the organising now so that I don't have to worry about it later on, but I also suspect that things will crop up later that I haven't even considered yet (especially given that it is the first production).

The main advise I can give is this: once you figure out your estimated delivery, add 3 months to it and use that date instead :)

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Thu, 08/24/2017 - 06:37
#11
Resurgence-TheF...
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Delivery

Haha - thank you! That is actually very great advice!

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