Author Topic: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)  (Read 14821 times)

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Offline Dave Chase

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Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« on: February 14, 2011, 04:26:25 PM »
So, if Official LOS miniatures (3D type) are not going to be available for a while (assumption), would you be interested (willing) to have figures like GURPS Card board heroes (2D type)?

Or would you want miniatures so much that you would be willing to use non-LOS figures if there were rules for conversion or ways to stat them for the miniature/table top game?

Or both?


Me, personally, I want the game back. Then if no miniatures available I would want both some conversion rules and cardboard heroes figures. If not in the base rules at least as one of the first supplements.
Or even on line for free (website with charts, maybe even a engine that does the work for you, if you click/select your options.

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Offline Vile

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2011, 08:21:33 AM »
I dunno, I've always been pretty happy to use different figures and pretend if I couldn't get exactly what I wanted. I still have plenty of Citadel and Grenadier 25mm SF figures, enough for small-scale skirmishing, anyway. I'd rather use those than 2D cardboard heroes.

Ideally, of course, someone would restart the proper figure lines.
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Offline Dave Chase

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2011, 09:41:13 AM »
I actually have both the leaded version and the unleaded version. (I can't place my hands on the boxes though.)

I only bought the unleaded version because the store I was at only had 1 leaded version (the one I bought :) ).

The 2D figures are not bad for introducing the game. 3D is always cooler though.

If a 2D figure system is generated to help implement the game, I would like to suggest that non-colored ones be available for download (on an official website) so that players could download and color their own.

Dave Chase
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Offline Vile

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2011, 10:16:48 AM »
If a 2D figure system is generated to help implement the game, I would like to suggest that non-colored ones be available for download (on an official website) so that players could download and color their own.
Definitely, with basic graphics software becoming cheaper and easier to use, it's a snip to make pretty decent coloured figures if you have the line art. Probably better if they are JPG or PNG rather than PDF, though.
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Offline Clark

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2011, 12:30:42 PM »
For a while there we had Legions of Steel Unleaded which had cardboard standups and bases like what we used for the doors.  It was never particularly popular because of the price point.  I'm not sure if I still have the graphics files for the stand ups. 

Offline bobloblah

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2011, 12:56:45 PM »
I'd be interested to know what you mean by "the price point."  To me, the issue with the price was that the "leaded" version was so inexpensive for what you got, why wouldn't you pick it over the "unleaded" copy with paper standups? You either had to be extremely strapped for cash, only want the non-miniature components, or simply not like miniatures. Anecdotally, I've seen far more copies of the "unleaded" version of the game show up in Brazil, which perhaps speaks to the first possibility.
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Offline Dave Chase

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2011, 04:47:38 PM »
Hmm. If you do find the art files that would be cool.
Even the art files used for the figure stat cards (the blocks of information on each figure found in the books.)

Then maybe we (you Clark ;) ) could post them up for us the fans to play with a bit to make color figures and avators.

Dave Chase
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Offline Clark

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2011, 06:40:03 PM »
We couldn't price the metal box set much higher than we did (about $60) and we couldn't price the unleaded version much lower than $40 or we were losing money.  So yes, for the difference of $20 or $30 anyone who was in it for the miniatures would obviously not go unleaded, but people not into miniatures wouldn't be too keen on paying $40 for a board game (15 years ago).

Offline SgtHulka

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2011, 12:36:08 PM »
That original boxed set with the over one pound of lead sticker was such a bargain back in the day.

Much as I appreciated the consolidated/cleaned up rules of the later blue box, I lamented the loss of sheer value in that first set. (and I also wasn't so keen on the hodge-podge nature of the blue box units but that's a sepereate issue)

Offline smokingwreckage

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2011, 09:52:16 PM »
Yeah the Black Box was awesome.

Offline Clark

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2011, 04:01:00 PM »
What happened with the Blue Box miniature selection was due to a big marketing gaffe known as the "Rack Deal".  It was a custom designed rack holding a broad selection of LOS products that we gave to retailers on very favourable terms so they actually didn't have to pay us the full price of the products for months.  We got a huge order when the pay date rolled around many of the retailers returned the package, some of them left unopened.  So we got stuck with a huge amount of inventory.  Marco changed the figure mix for the Blue Box to use figures that we had on hand rather than having to make more troopers, Nightmares and Fiends.

Offline smokingwreckage

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2011, 01:25:56 AM »
These days you'd use the (presumably extant) molds and just sell direct via the 'net. Not having to master and mold everything would mean relatively low overheads.

Offline bobloblah

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2011, 02:21:48 PM »
How difficult would it be to get the tooling from Global Games Europe at this point? I know I tried repeatedly to open a conversation with them about buying the moulds when they took them out of production, but couldn't get any response from them. In fact, the only response I've ever had from them was during a PayPal dispute recently over miniatures they never shipped to me; they clammed up again when it became crystal clear that they had zero proof that they weren't ripping me off.
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Offline Clark

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2011, 04:08:46 PM »
Gee, where to start?

Marco has the masters. I was going to contact RAFM to see if they wanted to work together again once I figure out how it will all work. Back in the day it was simple: we contracted them to do the miniatures, then we warehoused and distributed the figs ourselves. That won't work now because we don't have a warehouse and I wanted to use network distribution rather than the standard channels.

As far as I can tell, when Global Games Europe went under, Amazon Miniatures in the UK bought the moulds from the liquidator. I was contacted by someone there but communication ceased when I brought up the issue of royalties. Of course, buying the molds doesn't mean you get a free copyright license, just like if you got your hands on a rock group's master recording you couldn't burn and sell CDs. They have LOS listed on their website but I don't exactly know what they are up to. And I don't have the money right now to hire a solicitor in Manchester to get to the bottom of things.

Offline bobloblah

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Re: Figures or not figures (cardboard hero style)
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2011, 12:48:48 AM »
Yeah, sorry...when I said Global Games Europe, I was referring to Amazon Miniatures. I actually thought that they were one in the same. It's Amazon I've had problems with, so I'd suggest caution. As for copyright, I wasn't looking to produce and sell, but was interested for my own purposes.
Best Regards,
Bobloblah