.png)
Well, another ogre miniatures thread has just bitten the dust over on the SJG forums, for which I'm probably partly responsible for, in that I posted a comment that lead to other people over reacting, and saying things that were best left unsaid. I find the reaction to close the thread is evidence that my original comment, "The problem is the way Ogre is being handled is the problem; the miniatures is just a symptom of the bigger picture," has some substance. IMO how this thread has been handled is a PR pratfall, YMMV.
Still, I was looking at my shoebox of Ogre miniatures, as one does, and musing that even after painting up my Pan European force in 2012, starting my new Combine force in 2013, which has run into 2014, I still have a shoe box of Ogre miniatures left to clean up and paint. Ironic, because for years I had a shoebox full of unpainted miniatures, I now have a load of painted models, a load in the process of being painted, and probably have more unpainted castings than I originally started with.
I must be a true wargamer.
Looking back at how much I've spent on these, just over the course of this year it was $650.00, which was all the disposable income I had. Unless I was the only person spending this kind of money with SJG I'm having a hard time understanding their position on the sales of the miniatures.
"I'm having a hard time understanding their position on the sales of the miniatures"
ReplyDeleteand that is why I sold all mine off at a massive loss.
Regrets - some but gone now and no more 'will they won't they' concerns.
I have enough, and not only that, but as you can probably tell I'm up for making my own "fake" Ogre style cybertanks, and or my versions of what I think a giant cybertank might look like. So I'm able to just get on with it. I'm also thinking about playing HS Crucible rules with my Ogre miniatures, so win-win AFAIAC.
DeleteDon't blame yourself over that thread being closed. SJG has mishandled Ogre Miniatures for years, and they have no one to blame but themselves. Closing the thread is just their way of admitting that the problem lies with them. Over the years I've probably spent in excess of $3000 on OM, and would continue to purchase them if they were still available.
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying this.
DeleteOk, 1st off Steve is an absolute PITA to work with when it comes to miniatures for OGRE. Partly because it is one of his 1st Babies, and mostly that is how Steve works. Now couple that to overhead on metal miniatures, and most modern thinking businesses run the other way. Small runs, highly labor intensive, fluxuating materials cost and the list gets longer as a little company moves in the secondary tier where SJG's lives, the basic fact is there isn't enough profit in that level of fan service.
ReplyDeleteWith all that I am sorely disappointed that one of my favorite incarnations of OGRE is sinking again.
One last point about the SJG's forums, they can be stupid and vicious to an unreasonable ends.
I agree, you me both. I'm taking a bit of a break from the forum. Without Ogre there is little to interest me.
DeleteSorry to hear about this. Sadly, fans/mods are a game's worst nightmare occasionally and in their overzealous attempts to squash dissent they instead beat down interest in the property instead. I'm in a bit of a pickle myself with my two supposedly preferred giant mechanical games as neither Robotech nor Heavy Gear has developed as I hoped or expected over the past year. If you're on a break from Ogre, this thread along with the older embedded link in it may give you a few ideas to work out some giant mechanical frustration on the tabletop.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/605887.page
I've studiously avoided looking at Robotech, because I can't afford to go there, and don't want to be seen pining away in some dark corner crying. ;-)
DeleteAs for Heavy Gear they're doing a reboot with a new version of Blitz. I've played the old version and enjoyed it with some reservations. Mostly down to the use of jargon, and it suffers from the same problem as BattleTech, too many rules. The new Beta version looks promising though, and may well become a contender for my go to mecha game. OTOH TooFat Lardies are promising an SF game, and if they have power armour then they will also be a contender.
I'm a bit pessimistic about the new HG rules. They've weighed down the version I tested out last year with lots of new rules, acronyms, and definitions to the point where I'm not sure if it'll end up any quicker. I will likely just wait till the final version shakes out next summer and just use my modified blitz rules till then. As for Robotech, the starter is quite a good deal for the number of mechs you get so you may want to look into that more so than the booster packs. 34 minis that fill up 40mm bases or bigger (if you count the 3 veritech modes/models as separate models) for $100 at full retail isn't too bad especially if you split it with a partner.
ReplyDeleteI can't say too much, but I may be in the running to act as an editor on this project; I proposed working to turn it into plain English to the head honcho involved with bringing the project to market. Hence I've not been getting involved with the forum frenzy of ideas, wanting to read the rules fresh and try and play the game from first principles, then rewrite them so that can be achieved. Madness I know, but we shall see.
DeleteAnd I had a thought about Robotech. I think it would have been much better if they had gone with 3mm miniatures rather than 6mm. I love the fact they went with 6mm. After all what's not to like, but given what I've seen about the number of miniatures on the table when playing a game, I don't have the room. Hence my idea for 3mm.
DeleteFor me the scale one chooses to play with is down to the limitations from only having a small table to play on: 30 x 40 inches in my case, which has to accommodate the playing area, and leave room for dice, cups of coffee, the rules etc., etc. Otherwise I'm pretty ecumenical when it comes to the one true wargaming scale. :-)
"I can't say too much, but I may be in the running to act as an editor on this project;"
DeleteBy this project... do you mean Heavy Gear? In any case, congrats on going pro regardless of which super double secret probation effort you might be involved in.
I do not think I could pick up another set of 'giant robot' style rules - they have never sat well with me and to be honest seem rather impossible (he says on a fictional game site) to accept - even the bootleg conversion of Ogre to giant robots was off-putting. That was the main attraction Ogre had over other SciFi - it was just feasible that developments could go this way.
ReplyDeleteI may end up going 2/3mm in the end. I did a game a few years ago in Bristol using GZG / Germy 2mm figures as humans vs a converted Tau drone based 'fleet' of aliens and now with Shapeways / O8 / Plasmablast being in place it is for me the obvious way to start up again. I do have a set of Land Ironclads in the lead pile that may fit in somewhere (as the actual Ogre I guess) but I will miss the shape and look of the units - these where key for me and will detract from any other 'proxy' game. Shame I do not have the skills to Shapeways the figures (or even the money come to that) else I would print them myself!
Have you seen this VOTOMs clip on YouTube? I embedded on a page I did back here:
Deletehttp://panther6actual.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/votoms-in-10mm.html
This is my preferred size for mecha in wargaming these days. Large enough to be practical, small enough to be somewhat realistic.
In response to your next post (!) which I can't access, isn't Blast-tastic on 4th October, or am I being dense?! I hope I haven't missed it.
ReplyDeleteYou haven't missed it, I had an oops moment. In this case it was me going through and tidying up tags and accidentally posting my pre-prepared Blast-Tastic! post, thereby revealing the magic behind the blog (I plan and write posts in advance of their publication). And yes I have a bunch of draft posts that need a bit of polishing off to finish, usually pictures, that allow me to post stuff when the muse is off having fun elsewhere.
DeleteSo stay calm, and carry on; as they like to say nowadays.
I have a big box of OGRE minis like that too!
ReplyDeleteCool. We can The Box of Unpainted Ogres Club, we can be founding members. ;-)
DeleteI've fortunately got more Ogre minis painted than unpainted, but I've still got a sizable number sitting waiting to get some color.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, you're not alone. I was spending in excess of $500 a year on Ogre minis when they were available, and still would be today if they'd give me the chance.