D&D Minis: What's missing most?

[freebfrost]

Because waiting two weeks to bid, send emails, arrange shipment, and receive a package is an inconvenience. Placing barriers between consumers and what they want makes acquiring the products in question inconvenient. Just because you don't mind the inconvenience does not mean it is not an issue worth complaining about for others.

[/i]

Bartering is an even bigger hassle. There is a reason modern economies use currency instead.

[/i]

Which is an even bigger hassle and inconvenience.

I want to hear your solution then.

Something that doesn't involve the Internet (as a nod to your point that not everyone has online access) and makes these transactions viable for others in a timeframe that is significantly less than two weeks (and obvious sticking point), and is convenient for everyone (another sticking point from your argument above).

So what's the solution?

Or is this just a rant based on what is inconvienient in your opinion? If it is, that's fine, we can agree to disagree, but I'd really like to hear something better.

 

[smootrk]

I think the root of the issue is that there are some DMs (and players) who care little for the collectable aspect of mini's... they would just like to get the mini's that would help their game out the most (with regard to type of critter & quantities).

As to what this type of consumer is looking for:
Easy to purchase (at most retail outlets that may carry some gaming materials).
Low cost (as versus buying metal paint it yourself types)
Predictable types of creatures in the packaging (or singles)
and in addition this type of consumer may want:
Bulk packs of creatures of certain predictable types, or related types of mini's.

I think based on this and other related threads that there really is a market for this, albeit it may not be quite as high profit margin type of endeavor as the collectable line. There is no real reason that another separate line of mini's (especially bulk race or critter packs) could not exist concurrently with the collectable (limited production quantity) mini line.

 

[DamionW]

Also, I don't think randomization would have to be removed completely to be helpful. How about simply creating sets such as this:

Only humanoid adventurers
Summonable creatures (celestial and fiendish animals, outsiders, elementals)
Humanoid villains (orcs, gnolls, kobolds, lizardfolk)
Undead (skeletons, zombies, wraiths)
Subteranean villains (duergar, drow, illithid, Kuo Toa)

Or something along those lines. Maybe monsters by environment type: mountain monsters. Forest creatures. Swamp monsters.

Really, is the only randomization/collectible solution to do it by taking a cross section across EVERY genre? Couldn't they maintain collectibility and still improve utility to the secondary market by letting DMs and players pick from categories like the above?

 

[shaylon]

Did anyone say a Shaylon action figure with Kung-Fu grip?

I would like to see more dragons, and I would like it to be a little easier to get them. Also it seems to me that all the wizard figures are old crotchety dudes. We don't look like that at 1st level! Wizards have teens and twentys too!

-Shay

 

[brehobit]

Mounted.

While others have said it, there is only one mounted figure I know of. As a D&D player I'd really like to see more.

Uncommons of:
Horse-Mounted fighter
Horse-Mounted mage
Dog-Mounted fighte (small)
Dog-Mounted mage (small)

The last two, as medium figures, would even make great commons...

 

[smootrk]

Mounted.

While others have said it, there is only one mounted figure I know of. As a D&D player I'd really like to see more.

Uncommons of:
Horse-Mounted fighter
Horse-Mounted mage
Dog-Mounted fighte (small)
Dog-Mounted mage (small)

The last two, as medium figures, would even make great commons...

When it comes to mounted figures, I would love to have a variety of mounts available, as well as a variety of attachable riders. That would give great flexibility, with more riders types able to share the mounts (which could be rarer, in comparison).

 

[Quickbeam]

I'd love to see the athach, cloaker or darkmantle, a few more demons and devils, a wider array of dragons (as noted above), more fey creatures, some additional slaad, the rust monster, howler, and the ethereal marauder...or did I miss him in a set? Additional constructs and animated objects would be fun, as would a doppleganger in his/her true form.

 

[Quickbeam]

I totally forgot -- I'd love to find my youngest son Griffin's griffon. I have my own for the collection, but he had his very own, special griffon. We have no idea where it's gotten to of late, but finding it would be cool!

Sorry for the hijack Joe, I couldn't resist.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Is there another set of Huge figures coming down the pipeline or are they just using the "collectible"/iconic figures to handle this aspect?

I am surprised that there's no magazine supporting the miniatures yet. It'd be great to see some ideas on how to convert figures, custom paint jobs, and other things that Warhammer has over the D&D minis, like making your own figures and customizing existing figures with special abilities.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

As to what this type of consumer is looking for:
Easy to purchase (at most retail outlets that may carry some gaming materials).
Low cost (as versus buying metal paint it yourself types)
Predictable types of creatures in the packaging (or singles)
and in addition this type of consumer may want:
Bulk packs of creatures of certain predictable types, or related types of mini's.

The thing is that you probably won't get it all. You could get predictable. You could get cheap, but both will probably not work, at least not from wizards themselves: Going away from boosters to anything more predictable in the type of figure you get will mean that they suddenly have many more products, which means that they have more of a hassle with it, which will increase their costs and hence, the price we have to pay. In addition, it will force the shops to track dozens of products instead of just a couple. This will probably mean that some shops will not have sell them.

Too, this will lessen the sales for wizards, as there's no more overhead (you buy what you want, and nothing more. Doesn't work with boosters). To compensate, prices would go up.

I would like to see more dragons, and I would like it to be a little easier to get them.

Hey, I got three cases of underdark minis, and each had a Large Deep Dragon. I think that's all I need for now.

I think we can safely assume that more dragons will come with each set - they're just too popular for wizards not to give us any, and we still have plenty of draconic options. In fact, they already said that in future sets, the Dragons will be more aggressively costed.

Mounted.

While others have said it, there is only one mounted figure I know of. As a D&D player I'd really like to see more.

It's actually three:
Halfling Outrider (Halfling on a Riding Dog, all in all medium)
Mounted Paladin (Human on Horse, all in all large)
Mounted Drow Patrol (Drow on Riding Lizard, all in all large)

I'm sure more will show up over time. Each of the last two sets had a mounted figure, and maybe the trend will continue (maybe we get more)

Uncommons of:
Horse-Mounted fighter
Horse-Mounted mage
Dog-Mounted fighte (small)
Dog-Mounted mage (small)

The last two, as medium figures, would even make great commons...

The faster you forget that notion, the less it will hurt. It would be nice, sure, but it won't happen. Mounted figures are too complex to be uncommons. We might at one point get some simple cavalry type mounted figure that's uncommon, but they would be very simple in sculpt and paint job.

A mounted common figure is right out.

Is there another set of Huge figures coming down the pipeline or are they just using the "collectible"/iconic figures to handle this aspect?

Though they have not officially announced another huge set, it can be safely assumed that there will be another, maybe even next year (right now people are speculating whether it will be the set right after Wardrums - that would mean it would arrive in July - or the one after that - to be released in November). The hunched giant has an ability that gives him bonuses against huge figures, and in the previews it was insinuated that his usefulness would increase in the future. There's also all that talk about the Aspect of Tiamat.

I am surprised that there's no magazine supporting the miniatures yet.

Dragon has some DDM support, and I doubt that we'll see more. Dragon 337, for example, has a DDM map, and later issues will have maps, too.

It'd be great to see some ideas on how to convert figures, custom paint jobs, and other things that Warhammer has over the D&D minis, like making your own figures and customizing existing figures with special abilities.

See the Miniatures Handbook for most of that - except paint jobs, since painting those figures isn't really part of the game.

Anyway, converting/creating/customizing DDM units is a tricky business, and they coulnd't give you more than pointers. Basically, you'd have to do extensive playtesting for that.