Civilian Vehicles

[MongooseMatt]

So what you are really saying is that if we want 15mm we need to get our own Miniatures license from Marc....

What I am saying is that you don't really want 15mm

Forget compatibility with older miniatures - the newer ones are going to look ten times better, to the extent that the older models will just look plain odd. Add to that, 15mm could not do many models justice (look at the new look Aslan - born for 28mm).

Of course, there is no agreement yet to do Traveller miniatures, so I am just speculating here.

 

[BP]

Contemplating?

 

[Infojunky]

So what you are really saying is that if we want 15mm we need to get our own Miniatures license from Marc....

What I am saying is that you don't really want 15mm

Yes, Yes I do....

Consider this; encounters generally start at Medium Range or a table range of 9 to 34 inches in common 28mm terms (12 to 50 meters). Now imagine that encounter around the landing gear of your iconic Far Trader. Now look at that fight laid out on your kitchen table. Not enough room if you have the typical table. Now shrink everything by 60%, it fits much better now doesn't it?

Now for the matter of cost, in 15mm I can get 12 Freetrader Crew and passengers for $7.50, in 28mm that same group is $45.00.

Not to mention is is much easier to transport a large number of 15mm figures in comparison to 28mm ones.

Then there is the whole issue of painting, 15mm are far faster to paint than most 28mm.

Forget compatibility with older miniatures - the newer ones are going to look ten times better, to the extent that the older models will just look plain odd.

Meaning more skulls? Or breath of the line? How will they look better?

My biggest issue with all the Legacy lines of figures is only Rafm and Grenadier ever did a Hiver, and both lines had only limited runs.

Add to that, 15mm could not do many models justice (look at the new look Aslan - born for 28mm).

I'm not sure I would say that.

Khurasan Miniatures Felids look like pretty good stand-ins.

Of course, there is no agreement yet to do Traveller miniatures, so I am just speculating here.

Well there is that, too.....

 

[MongooseMatt]

Consider this; encounters generally start at Medium Range or a table range of 9 to 34 inches in common 28mm terms (12 to 50 meters). Now imagine that encounter around the landing gear of your iconic Far Trader. Now look at that fight laid out on your kitchen table. Not enough room if you have the typical table. Now shrink everything by 60%, it fits much better now doesn't it?

Ah, you are presuming this is for an RPG. . .

There will not be any Traveller RPG miniatures from us. There simply is not enough market there to support it. Any line of miniatures, if they are going to be successful and not just short runs, need to be supported by a full blown miniatures game.

Once you start looking at this territory, 28mm starts making more sens and, as for the ranges, crunching down distances is part and parcel of wargames.

Now for the matter of cost, in 15mm I can get 12 Freetrader Crew and passengers for $7.50, in 28mm that same group is $45.00.

Oh, we would do 12 models for you for less than $45. . .

 

[AndrewW]

Ah, you are presuming this is for an RPG. .

Considering this is the Traveller section of the forum which currently only has an RPG it was a logical assumption to make...

Of course this could also just be wishful thinking on what they would like to be using the miniatures with.

 

[G. K. Zhukov]

There will not be any Traveller RPG miniatures from us. There simply is not enough market there to support it. Any line of miniatures, if they are going to be successful and not just short runs, need to be supported by a full blown miniatures game.

So we are having a Traveller miniatures wargame in the next future? :shock: :lol:

 

[Poi]

If it is going to be a wargame, I'm even less impressed at the idea of 28mm. That's for skirmish games, and Traveller is bigger than that.

Space opera gaming needs the scope for big battles, which 28mm precludes. You need at least 15mm for that epic feel. Then we can get tanks etc as well as the infantry.

 

[BP]

...There will not be any Traveller RPG miniatures from us. There simply is not enough market there to support it. Any line of miniatures, if they are going to be successful and not just short runs, need to be supported by a full blown miniatures game.

Ah! Words of wisdom - demonstrating why Mongoose is such a successful company!

( ..now, about that Traveller miniatures game... )

 

[Infojunky]

Ah, you are presuming this is for an RPG. . .

No not necessarily, a fair amount of my gaming is skirmish scale, i.e. single figure mounting with close to figure scale ground scale.

There will not be any Traveller RPG miniatures from us. There simply is not enough market there to support it. Any line of miniatures, if they are going to be successful and not just short runs, need to be supported by a full blown miniatures game.

I understand that. That isn't even a bad thing. Heck, GDW never produced figures for their games, that was always a function of a licensee.

Once you start looking at this territory, 28mm starts making more sens and, as for the ranges, crunching down distances is part and parcel of wargames.

28mm makes sense with fantasy and Pre-Napoleonic combats where the Ground/figure scale isn't as readily apparent. But once you move into the era of vehicular combat 28mm looks silly, look at you average 40k game. Now take the same rules (40k in this case) and changing just the figure scale to 15mm and the table looks much more reasonable.

Heck we are looking forward for your Gear Krieg edition of Battlefield Evolution, for which we are using all 15mm figures. It just makes sense.

Now for the matter of cost, in 15mm I can get 12 Freetrader Crew and passengers for $7.50, in 28mm that same group is $45.00.

Oh, we would do 12 models for you for less than $45. . .

But could you beat the $7.50...

 

[MongooseMatt]

But could you beat the $7.50...

Probably not, but we won't leave you feeling burned either.

 

[Dave Chase]

Traveller Clix??

Hmm, maybe the new license holder might be interested.

So, would I.

Dave Chase

 

[Jame Rowe]

Traveller Clix??

Hmm, maybe the new license holder might be interested.

So, would I.

Dave Chase

I wouldn't be, though. Yes, it does take all types, but still. Do something that isn't Clicky. :roll:

 

[BP]

Traveller Clix??

Ok - I give - what's a Clix? :?

 

[rust]

Traveller Clix??

Ok - I give - what's a Clix? :?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeroClix

These miniatures look a bit too "cartoony" for my taste, they do not
fit into my image of the Traveller universe.

 

[Dave Chase]

Traveller Clix??

Ok - I give - what's a Clix? :?

WizKids LLC (before Topps bought them and then sold them later) produced many different games using the Clix base figure

HeroClix
Mage Knight
MechWarrior: DarkAge (BattleTech)

Sure the bases were big compared to some of the figures but many of the figures were very cool and very inexspensive. (Unless they were a hot popular item.)

The Clix games were Collectible minatures.

Now, I am not advocating that Traveller miniatures become collectible. But the figures could still be done using that system.

Dave Chase

 

[BP]

Hmmm... definitely 'cartoony' and not my style (thanks for the link rust)

...Sure the bases were big compared to some of the figures but many of the figures were very cool and very inexspensive. (Unless they were a hot popular item.)...

Are those plastic? I haven't done minatures in 20-odd years - I painted model railroad scenes in painted H.O. scale - but for gaming I must say metal just 'feels' right... and paint seemed to stick longer (though I guess one wouldn't be painting those figures...).

 

[GamerDude]

Please please NO collectable minis. Make packages that are standard no random nothing...

Want all kinds of humans... buy box 'A'
Want Aslan?... Buy box 'B' etc


Even WotC has gone to this model with the character minis for 4th ed D&D

 

[Sturn]

Please please NO collectable minis. Make packages that are standard no random nothing...

Want all kinds of humans... buy box 'A'
Want Aslan?... Buy box 'B' etc


Even WotC has gone to this model with the character minis for 4th ed D&D

I completely agree. I don't want to have to hunt online to buy what I want from a 3rd party or buy stacks of boxes to get, "Free Trader Captain". (big but coming)

BUT, I would rather have collectible Traveller miniatures then no Traveller miniatures from Mongoose at all. The reason there are 1000's of D&D miniatures from Wizards is that the collectibles worked so well as a sales gimic. For the exact reason we hate the gimic it makes the collectibles sale great and thus Mongoose could make many, many more types of minis for us to buy. Imagine not just some basic minis, but a Traveller line like Wizards D&D to pick from. "Solomani Security Officer in Vacc Suit" or "Sword Worlds Grav Carrier". If collectibles allows us to have many more obscure minis to pick from, then I might be able to live with them.

 

[GamerDude]

Well, getting lots of talk while member of WotC's demo team, and of course their website articles... the collectable thing was driving by the skirmish game, but had problems from trying to satisfy role players and balance out the skirmish factions.

That's why they killed the skirmish side and went with the fixed-look-thru-the-plastic model.

Unfortunately, it's what, $10.95 for three minis? almost four bucks a mini. its nice for painted plastic but that could come down if they dropped the plastic for all cardboard with the pics printed on front. THen they could lower the price or add another mini (this point was made by WotC when announcing plans for Heroscape and keeping the cost down).

And they don't have to be painted, I like panting

 

[G. K. Zhukov]

Traveller Clix??

Ok - I give - what's a Clix? :?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeroClix

These miniatures look a bit too "cartoony" for my taste, they do not
fit into my image of the Traveller universe.

On the other hand, the HALO universe collectable miniatures are quite a sight to behold... :shock:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7656/haloclix2ft3.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2627/haloclix3qq1.jpg

...But they are victims of the scale creep syndrome, measuring quite a bit more than 28mm from eye to toe.

And they are collectable. :evil:

And they are not 15mm nor true 25mm. :lol: