New Miniatures... Info?

[Peter Lee]

Can you provide some details on the time factors involved that make it such a long process? I know I've seen 'em posted before but I be a senile bastich.

Sure.

First, an art order is written, revised, and approved.
Sketches are drawn, reviewed, revised, and approved.
Sculpts are made, reviewed, revised, and approved.
Production tools are crafted while a prototype is painted as a master.
Painting tools are created.
Painted samples is reviewed, revised, and approved.
Now actual production starts, which includes casting, painting, assembly, and packing all the figures into boxes.
Then shipping massive amounts of boxes from overseas.

Let's just assume each stage takes about 2 months -- bang, there's a 16 month process right here.

 

[Drkfathr1]

so...we can expect better sculpts and paint jobs in about another 16 months?

 

[JohnnyQuest]

so...we can expect better sculpts and paint jobs in about another 16 months?

Heh, I think that's nearly correct, actually. We shouldn't expect the sculpts on these minis to be any better than what we've seen for the past year or so. Not only were there no promises made about sculpts, but the figures in Dangerous Delves (and some in Dungeon Lords/Legendary Evils) were produced for the old packaging scheme, rather than the new one.

Having seen the minis in hand, I'm confident that the promised 50% increase in paint/deco ops has happened.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Is there a standard time expected for the processes of production and painting tools being crafted?

Sure.

First, an art order is written, revised, and approved.
Sketches are drawn, reviewed, revised, and approved.
Sculpts are made, reviewed, revised, and approved.
Production tools are crafted while a prototype is painted as a master.
Painting tools are created.
Painted samples is reviewed, revised, and approved.
Now actual production starts, which includes casting, painting, assembly, and packing all the figures into boxes.
Then shipping massive amounts of boxes from overseas.

Let's just assume each stage takes about 2 months -- bang, there's a 16 month process right here.

 

[thalmin]

The following was in an email from one of my distributors. Sorry, there were no pictures.

Here are the 1st six releases for the blister carded version of the D&D minis. The release will be out 4/21...

Martial Heroes 1
Male Human Fighter
Female Dragonborn Rogue
Male Elf Ranger

Martial Heroes 2
Male Tiefling Warlord
Male Dwarf Rogue
Female Eladrin Fighter

Arcane Heroes 1
Female Eladrin Wizard
Male Tiefling Warlock
Male Half Elf Bard

Arcane Heroes 2
Male Half-Elf Fighter/Warlock
Female Eladrin Sorcerer
Male Human Wizard

Divine Heroes 1
Male Dwarf Paladin
Female Halfling Cleric
Male Human Cleric

Primal Heroes 1
Male Human Barbarian
Female Elf Druid
Male Goliath Barbarian

 

[Imaro]

The following was in an email from one of my distributors. Sorry, there were no pictures.

Okay... one Dragonborn? Are you kidding, as sought after and unique as a mini for this player race is (I mean you can sub certain elves for eladrin, and we've had a few uncommon tieflings).. and WotC creates one female Dragonborn... Even if they had to, they should have repainted one or two of the previous models...I'm actually shocked at the decision they went with here.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Okay... one Dragonborn? Are you kidding, as sought after and unique as a mini for this player race is (I mean you can sub certain elves for eladrin, and we've had a few uncommon tieflings).. and WotC creates one female Dragonborn... Even if they had to, they should have repainted one or two of the previous models...I'm actually shocked at the decision they went with here.

Well Imaro, it's apparent that you don't understand that marketing costs money and there was no other way WoTC could know that dragonborn are under represented without each pack costing [Dr. Evil] One Millions Dollars [Dr. Evil]

 

[Nai_Calus]

Two female Eladrin spellcasters, and a female Eladrin fighter, but no male Eladrin at all. What the hell.

One Dragonborn.

No pointy-eared divine types.

Lame, seriously.

 

[Imaro]

Well Imaro, it's apparent that you don't understand that marketing costs money and there was no other way WoTC could know that dragonborn are under represented without each pack costing [Dr. Evil] One Millions Dollars [Dr. Evil]

Well another posibility is that the supposed lack of Dragonborn minis is really just the cries of the vocal minority...

 

[CharlesRyan]

I have no special insight into this, but here's a couple things that might be factors:

• We know, from the initial announcement of the format change, that this first release was evolved out of an already-in-development DDM release (entitled "Feywild," I think). The sculpts they had to work with may have been artificially constrained by the content of that set.
• There's another series of heroes coming out just a few months after this release. Perhaps they're planning on rectifying any imbalance in that set.

Also, I point back to my earlier points on long development time and difficulty predicting what will be popular with consumers.

Dragonborn, as a core race, are a pretty new concept. The only thing worse than not having enough of a highly popular new race in your first set of the format would be having far too many of a highly unpopular new race.

The decisions probably had to be made before there was any real consumer feedback on the popularity of dragonborn and eladrin as PC races.