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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aberzanzorax" data-source="post: 5575139" data-attributes="member: 64209">I have two D&D groups that bought WotC minis, and a very sizeable amount of them. Both groups had the same "evolution" of buying behavior. 1. At first, they bought the random sets. This was the cheapest way at first. 2. Then, after having a fair assortment of minis, both groups switched to buying specific minis (from websites that bought randoms and then sold them secondhand) to round out the sets (either for completion or because we wanted a crudload of the same one to represent all of the same thing). This was more expensive in some cases, but less expensive in others (getting a bunch of commons, but no chance at a rare).  3. Then buying slowed quite a bit, with only buying specific neat minis or those to represent a BBEG. I'd say this was the point where we stopped being customers who gave much profit to the line. 4. Then buying all but ended, with the quality decreasing and our collections pretty robust. Since we were only buying "really cool" minis, and the quality was down, this was increasingly harder to do.   "Ok, Aberzanzorax, what's your point?"   Point is, I think both WotC and Paizo are doing a good thing by getting rid of the random collectible aspect of minis (which I also thought they did a good thing with the Harrow and Despair decks respectively versus the collectible fortune cards, which I personally despise). I like to design my games (or play in designed games). They are based on adventures/plots/player motives/etc, and I honestly don't need random elements that are not intentional on my part (e.g. an exeption would be  random encounters that I want to put it for fun/realism).   I think, in order to get my groups to buy minis again, we'd need thematic sets that were not random. The direction of both companies seems to fit our needs, at least partly, but it could be improved even more.  Even better, for my groups, would be: WotC - highlight their special IP creatures (beholder, illithid), and do so along a very nice theme. E.G. Their beholder pack is a perfect example of this, but I'd also love things to accompany it such as a stone statue for players turned to stone, perhaps a thin tower with a movable base to represent flight and height. Along with the minis they could include the powers and stats on cards of each monster to make them easily run (similar to player power cards, but for DMs). For WotC, I'd want to see the minis be specific monsters I can buy, but also other additions like the cards and mini "props" that make using them in game easier and more fun.  Paizo could do something very cool to accompany their adventure paths. I get the impression that the adventure path is quite a substantial component of Paizo's Pathfinder line (in terms of moneymaking).  If so, I actually would like to see a separate "minis" subscription that would complement the APs. (That way people who don't use minis can just get the AP, and people who don't use the AP could get a thematic set of minis.) Each month, it'd be cool to get every mini you'd need for a given adventure in the path. The cool thing about this, too, would be that, since they know what they're publishing, they could actually set up reusable minis in adventure one for inclusion in later adventures along the path (e.g. a necromancy path could have some skeletons in adventure one, and you could reuse them for every skeleton throughout the path).  Basically, what I'd like to see is for both companies to sell me minis for the way I (and most groups, I imagine) use them in their games. Connect them to the game I'm playing, and I'll want to buy them. Present me with generic minis (of even good quality) and I'm probably not going to pay them much attention.  So far, so good, I'm looking forward to see what the future of these shall be.</blockquote>

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