home made minis et al

[cthol24601]

Ok so I am disappointed with mongoose dropping mini production. Its my favourite ship to ship game of all time (even without the cool b5 fluff) and its my second favourite wargame of all time (first being Urban War).

So the question for me is it ethical, which home molding kits owned by a friend of mine who casts his own dreadnoughts and the like for 40k, to start making castings and making our own ships given we aren't getting proper minis from the factories. SO far we've made a point to buy proper minis to support companies who's games we like but if the minis aren't being made any more...

This raises an interesting question the people who produce Urban war have free downloads of the rule books and stat cards etc but are specific about people using proper minis for the tourneys etc as, in their words, "miniature production is our bread and butter". I find it odd the same wouldn't be the case for mongoose given the quantities of minis sold (heaps at our club alone) and the number of rules sold much much smaller which should equate to bigger money from minis than rules, Why wouldn't this be the case.

 

[darklord4]

Ok so I am disappointed with mongoose dropping mini production. Its my favourite ship to ship game of all time (even without the cool b5 fluff) and its my second favourite wargame of all time (first being Urban War).

So the question for me is it ethical, which home molding kits owned by a friend of mine who casts his own dreadnoughts and the like for 40k, to start making castings and making our own ships given we aren't getting proper minis from the factories. SO far we've made a point to buy proper minis to support companies who's games we like but if the minis aren't being made any more...

This raises an interesting question the people who produce Urban war have free downloads of the rule books and stat cards etc but are specific about people using proper minis for the tourneys etc as, in their words, "miniature production is our bread and butter". I find it odd the same wouldn't be the case for mongoose given the quantities of minis sold (heaps at our club alone) and the number of rules sold much much smaller which should equate to bigger money from minis than rules, Why wouldn't this be the case.

Using the music analogy, if you bought the mini and made copies for yourself, I believe you are OK, of course the original makers were expecting you to buy several, so you are shorting them. If you buy a mini and make copies for you and your friend, I believe you are distributing 'pirated' material. I also believe that if you buy a mini, cast a few copies then sell the original off, you are distributing pirated copies as well, in this case to yourself. Note that just because no one is making the minis, doesn't mean the designs are not copy protected.

 

[cthol24601]

Ok but if the company is no longer producing said music, or minis?

 

[JayRaider]

Whatever you do, just keep it quiet lol

 

[Greg Smith]

It is still technically copyright violation.

Apparently there is quite a trade in knock-offs of classic Citadel miniatures. You can tell a knock-off because it has two sets of mould lines, according to an article in WD a while back.

 

[cthol24601]

In books there is an option for copying if something is out of print. I think there has to be a certain time to elapse first. I'd rather though just have someone get the license and produce the minis as home made jobs usually look rough as guts and I would much rather support the company.

 

[KJ]

Ok but if the company is no longer producing said music, or minis?

Irrelevant to copyright law (UK or US, at any rate). Copyrights do not expire because someone isn't producing a particular work (whether it be music, art, sculpture, books, etc.); they expire (U.S.) 75 years after the death of the author, and (IIRC) 50 years from the first copyright date in the U.K.

You can, under Fair Use, legally make copies for yourself, so long as you do not distribute (even free) or sell said copies (according to U.S. law - don't know all the ins 'n outs of U.K. law). So making a couple of Vorchans (for example) for your own fleet is OK, but giving one of them to ANYONE else (with or without the exchange of money) is definitely illegal.

 

[cthol24601]

Well thats what would be happening anyway. people having a shot at expanding their own fleet because the minis aren't available. Seriously its a huge time and effort and to do and not worth it if you can buy one. Except may be that $1000 Naroon. It also would work only on very basic ships with simple construction, if at all.

 

[KJ]

Yeah, you'll find that casting your own minis in resin can be pretty expensive if you've never attempted it before. Even if you get your molds and casting perfect the very first time you do your own casting, that first mini is gonna cost you $50-$75 or so in material costs. MUCH easier (and less expensive, unless you're looking for the Neroon or Brivoki...) to track the real thing down from someone that's selling it/them (at least at this point...).

 

[[Omicron]Urobach]

Yeah, you'll find that casting your own minis in resin can be pretty expensive if you've never attempted it before. Even if you get your molds and casting perfect the very first time you do your own casting, that first mini is gonna cost you $50-$75 or so in material costs. MUCH easier (and less expensive, unless you're looking for the Neroon or Brivoki...) to track the real thing down from someone that's selling it/them (at least at this point...).

oh yes....50$-70$ bucks (or euros in my case) :roll:

this damn,high material costs. this is the cause while i sell my ships....

 

[KJ]

Yeah, but two things:

1. You do your casting in metal, no? Materials are more expensive.
2. Cost goes down with each successive casting from the same mold; hopefully you get enough castings out of each mold to pay for itself (and maybe even make a profit, in your case) before having to make a new one.

 

[Phrathum]

How exactly do you make a model? I've always wanted to make my own custom things, or even just clone an existing model so I can modify it