Mushroom King
Thor
Underboss
1938 Posts
    
 | | 02/08/2006 9:10 PM |
| | Anybody else use the Dwarven Forge stuff to make neato battle sites for SWM????? I get board with maps quickly........... | |
Cheers !!
----THOR (Atlanta GA)
Kauke@Juno.com (E-Mail me for a current Trade List)
www.maxminis.com/hwlist.asp?user=Thor
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Darthrau
Underboss
2233 Posts
| | 02/09/2006 1:43 PM |
| | Nope expensive give me a call when they have them for 25 bones ok.[:)] | |
Champion of Jarlaxle
Sets:
Star Wars Year one complete,44/60 Champions of the Force,0/60 Bounty Hunters | |
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Mushroom King
Thor
Underboss
1938 Posts
| | 02/09/2006 6:33 PM |
| Well, They do have two-for-one sales.....
But a basic set up would be around $100.00
E-Bay has all kinda sets sometimes as DF stopped having a retail arm. So many dealers are selling off odd bits on E-Bay.
DW is expensive. But I use the stuff. (I get DF stuff for X-mas which really helps) GRIN | |
Cheers !!
----THOR (Atlanta GA)
Kauke@Juno.com (E-Mail me for a current Trade List)
www.maxminis.com/hwlist.asp?user=Thor
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10639 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 02/10/2006 2:47 AM |
| | I've been thinking about investing in some of their sci-fi stuff seeing as it goes for somewhat cheap. I may also try my hand at making some custom terrian. It can't be any more difficult than making 40k stuff. | |
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul | |
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Mushroom King
Thor
Underboss
1938 Posts
| | 02/10/2006 12:07 PM |
| Hard part is finding/making all the "neato" pieces to make the set-ups fun. Comouter Desplays, Bunks, Weapons racks etc..
I just found an old "Power Plant" resin piece from some long ago co.
I primered it and painted it silver. Adding a black wash made it blend in very nice with the Sci-Fi DF stuff... | |
Cheers !!
----THOR (Atlanta GA)
Kauke@Juno.com (E-Mail me for a current Trade List)
www.maxminis.com/hwlist.asp?user=Thor
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LargeMarmot
Sergeant
463 Posts
| | 03/04/2006 11:27 PM |
| | DF is a little too rich for my blood. I'd rather get a little crafty with the plumbing section at Home Depot. Honestly I think they are a little to gritty for Star Wars anyway. | |
Champion of the Tohr-Kreen.
WotDQ Called Shot: Fang Dragon. | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10639 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 03/05/2006 4:30 AM |
| | Right now I'm trying my luck on e-bay to score some of their sci-fi kits. | |
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul | |
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bigbadjon
Sergeant
546 Posts
| | 03/05/2006 11:04 AM |
| | Have any of you considered using hirstarts molds? They are not as convenient as dwarven forge but they end up being a heck of a lot cheaper. You just have to invest the time casting them and building them. They look good unpainted for sci fi settings to. | |
Evil triumphs when good men fail their morale saves. | |
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Avatar of Stars
Ghengis Ska
Warrior
334 Posts
| | 03/05/2006 3:08 PM |
| Yeah I have some of the HA molds, the two newer Sci-Fi ones.
While I like them to make wider corridors and some set rooms to go with the DF, I don't buy that they are "a heck of a lot cheaper"
At about $35 a mold, and add in plaster ($30-75 (Die-keen is expensive)then up to $10 for shipping). you are out $70 before you even start making the stuff. Then there are the cost fo the tools, scrapers, a mask for the plaster dust.
While it looks cheaper there, you make an outlay equal to 2-3 DF sets to get the stuff to make "unlimited" amounts.
It looks cheaper, but then you add in the resource cost of the time.
The time for this is a lot. There is the time for casting (mixing, pouring, waiting to set, then the drying), after that there is the painting, and construction. Then we get back to the more $ the cost of the paints, ther glue, etc.
It took me I think 3-4 weeks to make the stuff I made.
I'm not knocking it (will buy the set he is working on now, i like those bunks) but there really is a huge time investment in it, and if you miss cast a bit you may have to throw it out, if you suck at painting you could have waisted weeks by a bad paint job...
I'm not knocking it, and i like it, but it's not for everyone. | |
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bigbadjon
Sergeant
546 Posts
| | 03/05/2006 3:35 PM |
| Sorry, I should have said that it is cheaper in the long run, but that also depends on how much terrain you make. If you are making a full table top of terrain it is much cheaper than DF. I can make quite a bit of terrain out of 50lbs of plaster. If you only need a few pieces buy then dwarven forge. Also, DF dungeon accessories a well worth $30. As I mentioned previously, the molds are time consuming but you can still usually turn out a couple of modular tiles in a couple of hours. Also the sci fi casts don't look half bad
left unpainted. | |
Evil triumphs when good men fail their morale saves. | |
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Avatar of Stars
Ghengis Ska
Warrior
334 Posts
| | 03/05/2006 4:55 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by bigbadjon
As I mentioned previously, the molds are time consuming but you can still usually turn out a couple of modular tiles in a couple of hours. Also the sci fi casts don't look half bad left unpainted.
And this is where i say it takes so much time, it takes what, 20-30 miutes, for most of the plasters to set, so the most you can do is two-three of the same mold in an hour. While some of the floor tiles look like they might produce a decent bit of area to cover, the Cracked Floor #203, and Smooth 202, and 260, others like Starship Deck #270, have 2 sets of tiles that are a match the flat and the "carpet" that produce less than 4 square inchs each of like area. to make the designs you need to do the multiple casts of that one edge etc. to get lots of decking or more than one grid/vent you ahve to loads and loads of casts. More time, to get a uniform are you could get 6 inchs in an hour, maybe 9 square i can't see how you can knock out a full table top with 1 mold in anything under months. Sure you can get more molds for "speed casting" but then you are laying out tons of money for molds, or it takes up loads and loads of time. Even with multi-tasking and doing other things at the same time, if we go by my "hourly" rate a work (which i don't have, i am salary) the amount of time it takes to make this suff doesn't even out in the end to loads of savings.
I'm not saying don't use it, to anyone so don't take it that way, just it really think people need to decide for themselvesand can be lulled into thinking it saves money, but can't help remember that phrase "time is money". HA is just a different form of expense.
if people are interested check out this page best discussion on rhe pros and cons of both.
http://www.terrainosaur.com/mastermaze/castlemaze.html
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Knight of the
Round Table
Thenameless
Warlord
8640 Posts
The Fortress of Solitude
| | 03/05/2006 7:52 PM |
| | DF is nice but very expensive. Do they even have stuff that fits in well with the sci-fi genre? I thought they were strictly fantasy. | |
Over 270 successful online DDM trades. | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10639 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 03/06/2006 2:14 AM |
| No they just came out with some Sci-Fi sets that don't seem to be moving too well. They currently have them on special through their website.
quote:
Originally posted by Thenameless
DF is nice but very expensive. Do they even have stuff that fits in well with the sci-fi genre? I thought they were strictly fantasy.
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Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10639 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 03/06/2006 2:16 AM |
| I've considered it myself. However the time investment is a little too rich for me. If I end up doing some more sci-fi terrain specficaly for starwars it will likely be mostly foamcore.
quote:
Originally posted by bigbadjon
Have any of you considered using hirstarts molds? They are not as convenient as dwarven forge but they end up being a heck of a lot cheaper. You just have to invest the time casting them and building them. They look good unpainted for sci fi settings to.
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Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul | |
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Avatar of Stars
Ghengis Ska
Warrior
334 Posts
| | 03/06/2006 1:24 PM |
| The "Special", is becuase the Sci-fi line was one of the first to try a new sales model, and it's not becuase they aren't selling as well as being the reason why they are cheaper than the other sets.
The Sci-Fi starter is about $38, the fantasy starter is about $44 for the same amount, the cost is pretty close, only $6 differnt, don't see that as much of a special.
From their online bestsellers list
1. *Den of Evil (Room and Passage) Set
2. Sci-Fi Starter Set
3. Sci-Fi Passage Set
4. Sci-Fi Alpha Expansion Set
5. Floor tile, 6" x 6" (Fantasy)
The reason they were on special is what Thenameless said "I thought they were strictly fantasy." A lot of people know of the product line only from the fantasy aspect, when the Sci-Fi first came out i asked around at a number of stores (ranging from Boston to New York City- when i went to them for the Release tournies of the SW games) and they had never heard of the Sci-fi line even though they stocked the DF Fantasy. And it had been out for depending on the location from 3-6 months.
They discounted prices, and cut out the middle man to do it which is why the were cheaper, tey needed to generate a customer base for it like they did the Fantasy. To do so the went with a different sales modle (namely removing the middle man like the distrubutors like Alliance, and even the Brick and Mortar FLGS) with out hurting the bottom line. For just about any product the minis included (I have seen what WotC sells them to the Distrub/FLGS for) there is a mark up, there has to be at each part of the line for people to make money. The product can't cost what you sell it at or you only break even and make no money to produce more, or feed yourself etc.
DF Cut the Distrubutors out, and with the ease of lots of people being online, just started to sell from their website only. Which means they can knock 50% of the price off on most stuff and still make the profit they made before, but now the customers get the savings. (that's how much they would sell it to Alliance or your FLGS, who would then mark it up the MSRP or the dealer price to get thier cut).
And with a new product line that they needed to get people interested in dropped the price as about low as they could go to generate sales and intrest to get it exposure, to get it to the point where people know about it like they do the Fantasy Maze Master. Combine that with the Generally Lower intrest in Sci-Fi than in fantasy items it looks like it doesn't sell as well.
But when you consider that few people know about it, it is being compaired to a product that has been on the market for what 7 years? that has a history etc the Sci-fi isn't doing bad, does it sell as well as Fantasy no but, traditioanlly since most any Fantasy setting can use almost any other fantasy prop/terrain/scenery and not look bad there is a much larger audience for Fantasy than Sci-fi with its fractured base. People tend to like a Particualr Universe in Sci-Fi, which has a very distince look and feel, Star Trek looks different than SW or Babylon5, or Starship troopers. But they are all Sci-fi. Something designed to look like one and capture that market won't work in another, something you don't see in Fantasy, so few compaines make stuff for Sci-fi.
DF Sci-fi has it's supporters and they are growing,. DF has put a stake in the Sci-Fi and is supporting it right now about as much as the Fantasy. | |
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bigbadjon
Sergeant
546 Posts
| | 03/06/2006 1:46 PM |
| | It seems like my comic shop has offered the DF sci fi sets for over a year. I guess it could be just a similar product, but they have the bowtie connectors and general look of DF. | |
Evil triumphs when good men fail their morale saves. | |
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Avatar of Stars
Ghengis Ska
Warrior
334 Posts
| | 03/06/2006 9:22 PM |
| | Huhm well the Sci-Fi sets came out before the Star Wars Minis came out, and they don't have the Bow-ties. The timeline could be right, but don't know about the bow-ties cause they don't have them. | |
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