Casting quality - time for new moulds?
- Thread starter Poi
- Start date
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
i have a nova that looks like its been through the ringer just the hull the replacement was just a tad better
I like most of the models of ACTA but I also have to sign this !
I have a Hyperion that needs major work until the engine part can be identified as such and a Omega that looks like most of its front was blown off ... maybe it will be used as a drifting hulk ?
From my personal experience with ships bought i must say the EA ships are of a ... light sub-standard quality.
Other fleets do not seem to have these problems or in the same frequency.
I have a Hyperion that needs major work until the engine part can be identified as such and a Omega that looks like most of its front was blown off ... maybe it will be used as a drifting hulk ?
From my personal experience with ships bought i must say the EA ships are of a ... light sub-standard quality.
Other fleets do not seem to have these problems or in the same frequency.
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
tchang@mongoosepublishing.com here is an email for you
prelude_to_war
Mongoose
If it's between buying old molds showing their age or hideous new sculpts, I'd lean towards old molds.
Or card counters.
Or card counters.
I have only been playing B5 for a few months. I like the game system, but having bought some ships.......the standard on some of the casting is dire !!!!
You only have to compare with Games Workshop, or some of the other manufacturers to see how poor they are. This is a pity. They take a lot of work to turn into a reasonable model before painting.
Also where are the diagrams to show which bit goes where ? I have had to trawl the net to find pictures, blow them up and try to work out where they go.
Finally, what about quality control - who checks the quality before it goes out ? I have had White star fighters with big bits missing.
Great Game - pity about these issues. It must be costing Mongoose some business. Some people who don't have modelling drills etc will just not bother.
You only have to compare with Games Workshop, or some of the other manufacturers to see how poor they are. This is a pity. They take a lot of work to turn into a reasonable model before painting.
Also where are the diagrams to show which bit goes where ? I have had to trawl the net to find pictures, blow them up and try to work out where they go.
Finally, what about quality control - who checks the quality before it goes out ? I have had White star fighters with big bits missing.
Great Game - pity about these issues. It must be costing Mongoose some business. Some people who don't have modelling drills etc will just not bother.
Yeah gonna have to put my name on this too. I recently purchased a Narn Fleet Box and had to return it due to, well a box of miscast and broken pieces (ships literally came apart in my hands). :roll: In order to tie me over I pushed my painting schedule forward a bit and bought the Centauri fleet box so I could at least get started on my paint jobs........and sure enough the same damn thing. The only thing that was remotely usable were teh centurions...actually fairly well cast.
Buying a wrapped box of mini's from Mongoose is like a lotto, ya just don't know what you're going to get. I'm tempted to just buy the blisters (so I can see the mini's prior to purchase), so I don't get the royal shaft in terms of PAYING FOR THE RETURN SHIPPING OUT OF MY POCKET!!!! and waiting a month for delivery. :evil:
Anyways, I moved on to Federation Commander, another good fleet game, and plan to sell the replaced fleet boxes when they arrive...if they arrive. This is how companies lose customers. I was an enthusiastic fan ready to dive into this game and have been pushed away by shoddy quality and crappy customer service.
Buying a wrapped box of mini's from Mongoose is like a lotto, ya just don't know what you're going to get. I'm tempted to just buy the blisters (so I can see the mini's prior to purchase), so I don't get the royal shaft in terms of PAYING FOR THE RETURN SHIPPING OUT OF MY POCKET!!!! and waiting a month for delivery. :evil:
Anyways, I moved on to Federation Commander, another good fleet game, and plan to sell the replaced fleet boxes when they arrive...if they arrive. This is how companies lose customers. I was an enthusiastic fan ready to dive into this game and have been pushed away by shoddy quality and crappy customer service.
Celisasu
Mongoose
I'm going to sign onto this too.
While my Var'Nic and Sho'kos were in fine shape(although none of them fit their stands) all four G'Quans were in bad shape, my two T'Loths were almost as bad, and all 6 of my Vorchans remain unassembled because I really don't want to mess with the mess that they're in. I'm not an expert modeller. Beyond scrapping off a bit of excess flash I really don't want to go into huge modelling jobs with my ships other than putting them together. I want stands that fit their holes and ships that assemble together nicely.
And the Frazis are in truely aweful shape. Quite a few of my Frazi's had enough flash to make another Frazi out of. And those that didn't usually had enough to make half a Frazi out of.
Replace the molds please. At least for the worse ships such as the Vorchans.
And I support the idea of pre-painted plastic ships as long as they don't look like piles of dog dung.
While my Var'Nic and Sho'kos were in fine shape(although none of them fit their stands) all four G'Quans were in bad shape, my two T'Loths were almost as bad, and all 6 of my Vorchans remain unassembled because I really don't want to mess with the mess that they're in. I'm not an expert modeller. Beyond scrapping off a bit of excess flash I really don't want to go into huge modelling jobs with my ships other than putting them together. I want stands that fit their holes and ships that assemble together nicely.
And the Frazis are in truely aweful shape. Quite a few of my Frazi's had enough flash to make another Frazi out of. And those that didn't usually had enough to make half a Frazi out of.
Replace the molds please. At least for the worse ships such as the Vorchans.
And I support the idea of pre-painted plastic ships as long as they don't look like piles of dog dung.
HollowpointCatharsis
Mongoose
Some of the newer companies are going to a computer generated sculpt. The lines are much cleaner and the models that come out are far better. The best thing is that a majority of the vessels in ACTA come from the Babylon 5 TV show, which there already exists computer models that are usable in the sculpting process. Granted, I have no idea how much it would cost to do that, but the results are awesome.
That's cheered me up !
I have a box of Narn reinforcements and a Minbari fleet coming as Xmas presents. A lottery on Christmas morning. Can't wait.
About the postage........My understanding is that - In the UK if you order goods and they are defective, you are entitled to have the return postage refunded.
Also if you drive to buy something, get home and find it is defective and have to drive back especially to return the goods (the last bit is important), then you are entitled to ask the shop for the cost of the mileage and parking. This is on the basis that it's not your fault that someone sold you the defective goods - the shop/ supplier should check this before despatch.
If the supplier/ shop has a problem with this, mention Trading standards.
You can always have a chat with Trading Standards. They help on this sort of thing !
I don't know how it works in the USA, but I would certainly have a go on these grounds.
I have a box of Narn reinforcements and a Minbari fleet coming as Xmas presents. A lottery on Christmas morning. Can't wait.
About the postage........My understanding is that - In the UK if you order goods and they are defective, you are entitled to have the return postage refunded.
Also if you drive to buy something, get home and find it is defective and have to drive back especially to return the goods (the last bit is important), then you are entitled to ask the shop for the cost of the mileage and parking. This is on the basis that it's not your fault that someone sold you the defective goods - the shop/ supplier should check this before despatch.
If the supplier/ shop has a problem with this, mention Trading standards.
You can always have a chat with Trading Standards. They help on this sort of thing !
I don't know how it works in the USA, but I would certainly have a go on these grounds.
In the states it's a little different. All retail shops now have a NO RETURN policy at the POS (point of sale). Most of them direct you to the manufacturer and tell you to deal with them direct. Which I think is crap, but hey rules are rules. As for the cost of shipping, I was told I'd receive a 'free' ship for reimbursement, not too bad. But considering it's christmas time, and the UPS store was friggin packed I'd much rather perfer a replacement box that's free of miscasts.
I'm almost tempted to order direct through mongoose, so that if a box/model contains defective pieces I can call up the CC company and tell them to coid the transaction and give Mongoose a ring saying they can schedule a pick up ON THEIR DIME to pick up their defective merchandise.
And it's perfectly legal, buisness's do it all the time when they recieve broken or defective merchandise from vendors. They sold me a lemon, I have the power to get my money back and they have the means to come to my door via Fed Ex and take it back, why should I have to pay for something that came to me broken.
I'm almost tempted to order direct through mongoose, so that if a box/model contains defective pieces I can call up the CC company and tell them to coid the transaction and give Mongoose a ring saying they can schedule a pick up ON THEIR DIME to pick up their defective merchandise.
And it's perfectly legal, buisness's do it all the time when they recieve broken or defective merchandise from vendors. They sold me a lemon, I have the power to get my money back and they have the means to come to my door via Fed Ex and take it back, why should I have to pay for something that came to me broken.
Scuzzlebutt142
Mongoose
Here in NZ, we have the Consumer fair Trade law. Its a nice list of stuff to cover consumers, but for stuff like this something has to be fit for what its sold to do.
But for these molds, I know of many people who simple refuse to buy Mongoose products simply after seeing the issues I've had with there models. Some people have actually sold stuff straight after buying simply because they thought "This is crap. Too much effort to get it fixed". As soon as they replace the molds, I'll probably buy out and buy the 3 major fleets I don't have, until then, can't be buggered.
But for these molds, I know of many people who simple refuse to buy Mongoose products simply after seeing the issues I've had with there models. Some people have actually sold stuff straight after buying simply because they thought "This is crap. Too much effort to get it fixed". As soon as they replace the molds, I'll probably buy out and buy the 3 major fleets I don't have, until then, can't be buggered.
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
I opened my ISA fleet box on friday whitestars nice cast 1 victory has holes where in crusade the shuttles return to the ship
Iain McGhee
Mongoose
Other than excessive flash, the only really bad models I ever got (out of around 70) were my Omegas. One was full of holes and was returned, the others needed a hell of a lot of filing and filling to go together straight. Hyperion engine sections need a fair bit of work to clean them up too. My Drazi and Brakiri were perfect and the Minbari were nearly all very good (Tinashi tops needed a bit of work). That said, the bases on virtually all of them needed redrilling to fit (although that's not really much of a problem as I stopped using standard bases a while ago anyway).
Shadow Queen
Mongoose
still got minis to arrive after the new year .... possably finish next year some time
Talisinbear
Mongoose
I got the Centauri box and reinforcements for Yule and spend today drilling, triming flash etc
The Vorchans were the worst
However every model needed to be drilled to fit the stands, and on the Vorchan that was a chore
Never could determine where the stand was designed to fit on Primus so I drilled one about centre
The front gun placements are inpossible to connect
the front guns on Centurion, one broke off in box and was lost, another trimming flash.
I have Confrontation/Warmachine/100 Kingdoms/ Reaper etc and all are far superior.
This game will be fun I am sure, but unless you are experienced with minis YIKKES!!!!
3 other guys are buying boxes here and I know I'll get stuck doing them cause they don'r have the experience, That really limits game in my mind if you can't do the minis easily.
Talisinbear
The Vorchans were the worst
However every model needed to be drilled to fit the stands, and on the Vorchan that was a chore
Never could determine where the stand was designed to fit on Primus so I drilled one about centre
The front gun placements are inpossible to connect
the front guns on Centurion, one broke off in box and was lost, another trimming flash.
I have Confrontation/Warmachine/100 Kingdoms/ Reaper etc and all are far superior.
This game will be fun I am sure, but unless you are experienced with minis YIKKES!!!!
3 other guys are buying boxes here and I know I'll get stuck doing them cause they don'r have the experience, That really limits game in my mind if you can't do the minis easily.
Talisinbear
I admit the models are poor, but they're not impossible. I guess I'm a pretty experienced modeler and it takes a whole lot before I think a model is too far gone. For my Primuses and Centurions I drilled holes and installed piano wire for the forward guns/antennaes. It's stronger and looks better, but it was more work.
Talisinbear
Mongoose
Many of the guns bend almost by looking at them
If you have to go to piano wire etc They are so far out of the league of the average gamer it is sad
Maybe its a Centauri thing, and other races are better, but these are toough to get together, and I fear they will not stand up well once painted, at least if I ever had to transport them much
Talisinbear
If you have to go to piano wire etc They are so far out of the league of the average gamer it is sad
Maybe its a Centauri thing, and other races are better, but these are toough to get together, and I fear they will not stand up well once painted, at least if I ever had to transport them much
Talisinbear
CheesyRobMan
Mongoose
My first Primus lost an antenna to a stray die bouncing across the table... It did make a noticeable "ping" noise when it broke off.
Talisinbear said:
Is this something personal? I'm not sure how to take this. "Sad"? Hurm. :?
Still, you don't need to have all the fragile parts on your models. Mongoose's own pictures often omit some of them. I also have no delusions that the forward array of my Sharlin will be a casualty of some battle having lost plenty of guns and claws off my 40K stuff. Chits will rip and have beer spilled on them as often as a Shadow limb will fail.
I agree that Mongoose could improve their line of models ALOT, and it would help their sales and could get more people into the game. However, I'm in this hobby for the modeling as much as the gaming so I've probably been more forgiving than most. I tend to build "garage kits" over of mass produced kits (see my website) so I have skills (I think of ACTA as a "garage game" if you take my meaning.)
I've never seen any model that didn't require some sort of work before the building and painting. It's just a matter of degree. And now for a final apology for Mongoose: anything worth having is worth working for!
:roll:
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