D&d Minis Hurrayyy!

[d4]

Re: beating a dead horse

I know I've said it before, but I hate the random packing. I think that's the one aspect that's ultimately going to kill this line.

yeah, just like it killed Mage Knight, Heroclix, Mechwarrior, and every collectible card game ever produced...

The secondary market won't help me because the prices will be higher that way.

depends. my experience with Heroclix has been that except for very rare or "unique" figs, i can always find what i need, at a price cheaper than what i'd get for purchasing an equal number of random figs in a booster pack.

most non-unique figs go on ebay for at most $1-$1.50 per fig, and i've bought big lots of figs that worked out to around $0.25-$0.30 per fig. a booster of 4 Heroclix costs around $7-8.

i'd imagine the secondary market for D&D figs will have similar prices.

 

[Tsyr]

Re: Re: beating a dead horse

yeah, just like it killed Mage Knight, Heroclix, Mechwarrior, and every collectible card game ever produced...

Not to over-use a cliche, but apples and oranges.

The *clix games are designed to be just a 3D version of Magic... a collectable game.

DnD is *not* a collectable game.

Put it this way: Would you expect, when buying a box of batteries, to buy a large box with a random assortment, and just hope that it has the 4 AAAs you need for your remote control?

No, I would hope not.

That's a closer analogy. The miniatures are not, yet, a game in and of themselves. *clix games are. The miniatures are just a tool to play the game. And as I don't want to buy random assortments of batteries, wrenches, or any other tool, I don't want to buy tons of random minis and hope I get what I need.

most non-unique figs go on ebay for at most $1-$1.50 per fig, and i've bought big lots of figs that worked out to around $0.25-$0.30 per fig. a booster of 4 Heroclix costs around $7-8.

Figure shipping in there, and that 1-1.50 cheap plastic miniature is right up there with a decent pewter one that is a lot higher quality, which I can just go pick up new at my FLGS, and get exactly what I want.

 

[drnuncheon]

Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse

Not to over-use a cliche, but apples and oranges.

The *clix games are designed to be just a 3D version of Magic... a collectable game.

DnD is *not* a collectable game.

I was under the impression that there was going to be a miniatures game, and that it was going to be collectable, and the miniatures were produced with that in mind. The fact that they're also usable for regular D&D seems to be secondary.

So, apples and apples, really. If Wizkids came out with a Mage Knight RPG, would you be upset because the MK figs (which would naturally be the 'best' for the job) were randomly packed?

J

 

[Bagpuss]

Ah but it introduces "Sealed Box" D&D tournaments at conventions. Give each table a box of Heros and a Box of monsters, get them 30minutes to design characters and an adventure to suit the figures, then play for the next 3 and half hours.

Could be fun...

 

[Tsyr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse

I was under the impression that there was going to be a miniatures game, and that it was going to be collectable, and the miniatures were produced with that in mind. The fact that they're also usable for regular D&D seems to be secondary.

So, apples and apples, really. If Wizkids came out with a Mage Knight RPG, would you be upset because the MK figs (which would naturally be the 'best' for the job) were randomly packed?

J

Not apples and apples.

First of all, the game isn't out yet. Granted, neither are the minis, yet, but I'm under the impression they will be out much sooner than the mini game. I would say the mini game is the thing that is being thought of second, not the minis for DnD.

Second, If there was a Mage Knight RPG that relied as heavily on minis as DnD starting to, yes, I would be upset. The world for Mage Knight seems pretty cool, but I don't want to have to buy tons of Mage Knight (TM) figure packs to play it. Not everyone likes C*Gs, regardless of if it's cards or miniatures.

 

[mmu1]

I have a number of issues with the new miniature line... The sculpts aren't very good, for the most part (some are just simplified and dumbed down Chainmail minis, which weren't top of the line to begin with, some are just crude, many figures are in ridiculous poses to make one-piece casting easier...), the paint jobs are horrible (in terms of both quality and colors used - brownm black and really shiny silver seem to be the favorites), and they seem to be made from that easily warped stuff they used for Mage Knight and its ilk, which means many will be permanently deformed.

And the random packaging angle is never a good thing for a consumer.

At the moment, I expect to stick to Reaper, although I will almost certainly pick up a couple of packs to get a first hand look at them, and see if any of the larger figures are halfway decent - some of those I could probably use.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse

That's a closer analogy. The miniatures are not, yet, a game in and of themselves. *clix games are. The miniatures are just a tool to play the game. And as I don't want to buy random assortments of batteries, wrenches, or any other tool, I don't want to buy tons of random minis and hope I get what I need.

Actually, the minis ARE a game in and of themselves. What do you think the whole Skirmish thing is? Its the game for the minis. WotC is trying what I think they should definatly be doing, getting in on the clix market. The fact that they will be coming with cards for D&D stats is just an extra bonus for the RPG players.

There WILL be a secondary market. I've been playing Heroclix since it released and the secondary market was out within days. And you WILL be able to find Orcs and other thing that are in 'high demand'. Its just that this isn't aimed at people that already USE miniatures for D&D. This is for people like me. I hate painting. But I hate using non-painted minis because they just look to unfinished. So, now I've got a series of pre-painted minis coming out.

The random packaging is not as bad as it sounds. It would be if it was more like the clix games with only FOUR minis per box...D&D gets EIGHT minis. That's definatly going to help it all the better.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse

First of all, the game isn't out yet. Granted, neither are the minis, yet, but I'm under the impression they will be out much sooner than the mini game. I would say the mini game is the thing that is being thought of second, not the minis for DnD.

You're under the wrong impression then. The Entry Pack has the rules for the mini game. Perhaps there will be some info about using the minis in regular D&D, but that IS secondary to the skirmish game.

 

[Tsyr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse

Actually, the minis ARE a game in and of themselves. What do you think the whole Skirmish thing is? Its the game for the minis. WotC is trying what I think they should definatly be doing, getting in on the clix market. The fact that they will be coming with cards for D&D stats is just an extra bonus for the RPG players.

It's possible I'm operating under a misconception, but I was under the impression that the mini game was still going to consist of other books you needed to buy.

There WILL be a secondary market. I've been playing Heroclix since it released and the secondary market was out within days. And you WILL be able to find Orcs and other thing that are in 'high demand'. Its just that this isn't aimed at people that already USE miniatures for D&D. This is for people like me. I hate painting. But I hate using non-painted minis because they just look to unfinished. So, now I've got a series of pre-painted minis coming out.

There will only be a secondary market if there is such a thing in your area. Where I live, you can sometimes find used magic cards at a comic book store, but that's it for the "secondary" market.

The random packaging is not as bad as it sounds. It would be if it was more like the clix games with only FOUR minis per box...D&D gets EIGHT minis. That's definatly going to help it all the better.

No, it just means that I'm potentialy paying for 8 minis that I wont use at a time instead of four. My actual odds of getting something I want per mini purchases aren't any better regardless of how many are sold in a box.

 

[Tsyr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse

You're under the wrong impression then. The Entry Pack has the rules for the mini game. Perhaps there will be some info about using the minis in regular D&D, but that IS secondary to the skirmish game.

*shrug*

Like I said, It's possible I was wrong. Not going to argue that.

But as the topic at hand is using them for a DnD game, I still say it's a really poor way of doing it.