print your own figures

This post is perhaps not Malifaux specific. OK, it' s not at all Malifaux specific, it's generic and applicable to any figure gaming system.

A quick google suggests a 3D printer is currently available for a mere £15,000. Hmm.. OK, that's a lot of money, but, like any technology it'll start to come down. And I was wondering, does this have implications for our hobby?

Why accept the costs of manufacturing, packaging and distributing figures if you can sell the template for people to print their own in their own home?

You the user would browse the wyrd web site, think, hmm.. I like that one, click a button, order it, receive the template there and then and have a figure 5 minutes later.



Mini figure 3d printed. image by Creative Tools

Now I'm no 3d printing expert, I don't know what the limitations of these devises are, but from what I've seen of what can be printed, I think these machines are more than capable of printing these figures, maybe some of them will need to be printed in sections and glued together, but they could still be printed. In fact, as you can see, a quick search and I've found someone that's already done it.

Also, for those that aren't painting fans, colour 3d printers are also available. Perhaps before too long they will be sophisticated enough to print colour well enough that you could buy a colour template and not need to paint the figure afterwards?

There would need to be a method of limiting the number of times you could print a template. GW aren't going to sell you one orc template and watch you print off 200 of the blighters are they?

Not sure if figure prices would be cheaper for the consumer or not, the manufacturer could reduce their prices as they'd have no manufacturing costs, no distribution costs and no packaging costs. However consumers would need raw materials, and the printer of course.

There are of course implications for game stores too. They sell plenty of things beyond figures, but this could make a dent.

But, at the end of the day, maybe this is all just a rambling pipe dream.

These printers are still very expensive, it might cause too much of an upheaval to the industry, and lets face it, it hasn't happened in an area it could have done already.. the books and manuals our games rely on.

What do you think? Let me know.

it lives!

contrary to recent posts, this blog will continue.  It will not die.


(C) Wyrd Miniatures

Happy days, at least for me.
I don't know how long for, but at least for a few months, hopefully indefinitely.

Calculations were done, cogs whirred, gears crunched, in the end it was found we can continue.

Hurrah.

Now all I need to do is lay vinyl flooring, install a shower and tile a bathroom, re-wire and install a new kitchen, build some wardrobes, clear my shed,  unpack my stuff and get painting.. new posts should be arriving soon then huh?

death of a blog

Regular readers will be aware of various personal issues that have impeeded the writing and development of this blog.

Firstly I lost my job and had to concentrate on finding a new one, then we moved home and my gear was packed up. I had hoped, once the move was out of the way that I could pick things up and get posting again.

Unfortunately my new job is not as well payed as my old one, my child will soon need full priced care, and other issues mean that apparantly, my hobby is depriving my family. As such I can no longer continue with it in the manner in which I would like. Consequently I will be ceasing almost all hobby activities, including this blog. This blog will taken off-line in 2 weeks time.

Meanwhile I'd like you to review my train ride to malifaux page and let me know, what you think, I should keep. One master with a crew size of 35 - 40 ss. This will enable me to continue to play against my friends, albeit in a limited way that won't have them guessing much about what I'll be putting on the table. I will also be keeping SnowStorm as it's such an awsome model and I want to finish it off. In two weeks everything else, model wise, goes on ebay. I'd really hoped to make something of this blog but it seems that I cannot do so.

Thanks for reading.

Moving

3 days away now.  3 days from a new home for me and my family.
Needless to say all my Malifaux models, books and scenery are packed away ready to move, all apart from my rules manual and model cards which are all in my rucsac for lunch time reading at work.

How long I wonder, until it's unpacked the other end.
In theory I get a nice large, powered shed all to myself.  Desks, maybe even a game table, shelves & chairs. There should be room for all of it.. We'll see. 

(c) Wyrd Miniatures

Meanwhile I will soon have another small cash injection heading my way, from sale of some GW items.  So, apart from a LONG overdue copy of Twisting Fates I have to decide what else to get. 
Bits to augment what I have?  Some arcanist minions for Rasputina for instance? 
A henchman?  Kaeris is appealing, Lucius or Collodi perhaps?  
A book 2 master?  I have none and they all appeal to some extent..
An Avatar?  I have none, Rasputina's is available?
Or should I make that move to Ressurs I've been thinking about?  Nico, McMourning and Kirai all appeal..

Anyway, it gives me something else to look forward to and think about.

I intend shortly to add a page that lists which figures I have and what state they are in, built painted etc..
Then when I ask what I should spend my money on you'll have an idea what I already have.
It should also serve to shame me into action and get painting.. yeah right ;-)

So, sorry folks, another mindles rambling post, but, fingers crossed, before long I should get some actual hobby time to report on.  Just don't hold your breath.