D&D General Why Isn't There a D&D Table Top Miniatures War Game?

[CellarHeroes]

Regarding Onslaught...
I remember seeing this being promoted at Gary Con last year. The only reason I noticed was that they were set up in my usual "Ugh, I need a rest" spot. They were very out of the way, while also being in the way at the same time. Basically, you had to walk by them if you were coming from the main gaming areas to the vendor hall.

I rarely saw anyone at the demo tables, besides just folks looking at the setup. I decided to at least give the rulebook a glance. The rules seemed solid for a head-to-head skirmish game. Then I was reminded of the WizKids logo in the corner, so I immediately started checking out the components. Yup, standard WizKids quality. Not bad for a $75 game...

...huh, what...$140?! And that was when I kindly went on my way.

 

[The Soloist]

What are you talking about? What illegal 3D printing?

People buy 3D home printers, download illegal STL files and print as many copies of the models they want.

 

[The Soloist]

I think they mean folks getting their hands on stl files and printing their own instead of buying authorized minis. I know that many miniature tournaments require "official" brand minis.

Most 40K players don't play in tournaments. They play in basements with friends.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

People buy 3D home printers, buy illegal STL files and print as many copies of the models they want.

What is an illegal STL file? You can buy these legally.

 

[Meech17]

I think they mean folks getting their hands on stl files and printing their own instead of buying authorized minis. I know that many miniature tournaments require "official" brand minis.

I'm not a wargamer, but I do play a fair amount of Magic the Gathering, and there's a pretty similar debate there regarding proxy cards. Typically tournaments require real, WOTC produced Magic cards, whereas in home settings people sometimes make their own, ranging in quality from just a card name written overtop of a different card in sharpie, or a card image printed from the home printer on a sheet of paper and slipped into a card sleeve in front of another card, all the way to very well made bootleg/counterfeits that are hard to tell apart from official cards to an untrained eye.

The community is very torn on the subject. When decks can easily reach the three and four figure mark price wise the idea of proxying cards is very attractive, but it may also make you unwelcome at certain tables.

I wonder if the Wargaming community is equally divided on the subject.

 

[iPwnedMSCS]

I'm not a wargamer, but I do play a fair amount of Magic the Gathering, and there's a pretty similar debate there regarding proxy cards. Typically tournaments require real, WOTC produced Magic cards, whereas in home settings people sometimes make their own, ranging in quality from just a card name written overtop of a different card in sharpie, or a card image printed from the home printer on a sheet of paper and slipped into a card sleeve in front of another card, all the way to very well made bootleg/counterfeits that are hard to tell apart from official cards to an untrained eye.

The community is very torn on the subject. When decks can easily reach the three and four figure mark price wise the idea of proxying cards is very attractive, but it may also make you unwelcome at certain tables.

I wonder if the Wargaming community is equally divided on the subject.

Do you consider MTG proxies that make no effort to pass themselves off as the original cards illegal?

Edit: I lost track of who's posting what so that question should actually be directed to @The Soloist

 

[Stormonu]

Almost forgot - The Miniatures Handbook in 3E/3.5E also had rules to turn the skirmish game into a mass combat game, but it never got any traction or support. Also, Birthright had its own mass battle system, which was a hybrid card/board/war game. And there's DL11 - Dragons of Glory, which was a wargame and Battlesystem roster combined.

I've been interested in table top battles ever since I got my copy of 1E battle system. Other than a couple initial games (my gnolls vs. other people using the chits...), I could never get my gaming group to play - even though some of them took up WHFB, Napoleonics, Battletech and the like.

For some reason, tabletop mass battles didn't seem to click with RPG play. I've picked up a variety of additional systems over the years (WHFB, Runewars, Kings of War, Dungeon Command, Chainmail (2001), Age of Sigmar, D&D Minis Skirmishes, D&D Attack Wing - and that's just the fantasy games) and nothing has really stuck with me. A lot of times, I've found that those that play RPGs aren't interested in mass battles, and those that are interested in mass battles don't do RPGs or aren't willing to tie them to an RPG game. It's confounding as a DM.

 

[The Soloist]

What is an illegal STL file? You can buy these legally.

Crap, I meant download (free) illegal STLs.

 

[nevin]

I don't know anyone that plays it and I've never seen anyone playing it at the local game store. That doesn't mean it's a bad game or that it's not selling. It's likely the type of person who is into Onslaught isn't the same type of person who is into Warhammer or other games that require you to paint your miniatures.

Most of the miniature tabletop gaming market is Warhammer and historical games. I know several versions have been launched over the years but minatures are an expensive add on to a DM's arsenal if you want to do large scale battles. I've done a few over the years and I have several friends and other DM's I know that have tried it over the years and eventually it just becomes a chore and theatre of the mind is easier, That and in my experience the people that want tabletop war gaming don't intersect as a large group with the people that want role playing. I suspect in the end that's really what kill's every time.

 

[Parmandur]

Crap, I meant download (free) illegal STLs.

There are also a ton of completely legitimate, fan-made STLs, it seems to me? And I'm not even looking for them, as I neither 3D print nor wargame.