No one's saying you can't have new toys, just that they can't infringe on IP. For instance, if I sculpted an IP-neutral APC with a startling resemblance to an M-113 and had a variant hull with a turret ring and sockets for sponsons, I would have a model that was IP neutral and also of use to the community here. The TC:LE area is an excellent place to be inspired by existing products, just not a place to copy them.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Pretty sad, I know companies have to protect themselves, but when they don't even produce things in that scale and show no signs they are willing to produce new mini for the game....well Like Elsmore says...I find my interest waning and am seriously considering just selling off all my stuff.
I am the only epic player in Town, and it is really hard to get new players involved when they can't get minis, and guys who make minis get letters and then disappear from the board...
Yes it is wrong to copy, but isn't it the sincerest form of flattery? And doesn't the interest in the minis show their is a Market for the product?

Sad to hear of this. One would have thought the scale and lack of own activity and therefore financial interest would have kept the growing scores of IP-persons hunting elsewhere, but alas. Parkinson's law I guess.

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Nitpicks Knapsack (Scratchbuilding and 3D designing and printing and painting)

Well said, SG, If I could, I'd give you the highest of fives right now. [holds hand up]

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Eeergh... nope, can't reach.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Wow, just wow. (suppressing a lot of bad words and ill-will right now)

To clarify, he was removed from these boards at his own request.



Exactly. It is clear that the casting and design activites on this board need a review and a shake up. I have no intention of blocking this creative and inspiring activity and would rather try to make it as positive as possible - for example a full TC race in 6mm made by the community, or a full catalogue of 6mm armour and aircraft for a variety of games.

I think that it will be a slow start. Getting the momentum going for new designs will take some time and discussion, but once the process starts it will pick up as design themes and styles are established.

On which note.... are there any concept artists or designers who want to take a first stab at this? What I think we need to start with are either:
- full art, for example battle scenes or any artwork that you might find in a suppliment book, which contains units which are entirely original
- specific miniature designs (in any medium) which are new and unique designs

The idea is just to get a collection of pictures that we collect together and use for inspiration and getting the creativity started.

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No one should be surprised that this has happened. Its not enough for a company to have IP and claim copyright, they have to demonstrate they're actively protecting same.

There's plenty of scope for 6 and 10mm modelling still: hell, this will probably convince me to get off my arse and finally finish the 10 or so projects I've had on the go for a while now.

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Angel's Trade Thread

As other have said, you have captured the sentiments of others quite well, myself included. Although I've not been on the boards for long, I've been into epic and GWs other specialist ranges for years. I have felt almost depressed about the lack of new specialist games minis, and at times almost like i was flogging a dead horse by continuing to persue it. I've often asked if I should be changing games systems after such a huge amount of personal investment. As i grow older, GWs 28mm based games just don't do it for me. They're dumbed down to the point of near retardedness and aimed at selling minitaures to kids. However their specialist games rules are way more fun, incaptivating, and require more skill and tactics to play. Sadly Gw has turned their back onanything not 28mm and left us out in the cold. It's clear that their are still plenty of us who want to play these 'specialist games' and therefore surely money can be made from it. If someone at home can design these minis in there spare time and produce casts for releatively little cost, then surely GW can do this? Why don't they try and work with the community instead of against it? Maybe a licenced company like Forge World could be set up, where GWs IP is protected and they get a cut of the profits? Dropping support for specialist games will not make me play 40k or warhamamer, they'll make GW lose a once loyal customer. These events have once again depressed me about where to go with EA to the point where I think I'll sell up and move to alternate games system, like dropzone commander instead.



Patrick

Pure economics. Cost's to setup and run a Specialist Games division won't result in acceptable return on investment.

Better to increase the profit margin on their current best selling lines. More volume at higher prices.

There just aren't enough Epic A players out there to sustain the game commercially, and if they tried to push it in store it would be competing with another product of theirs.

They (both GW & FW) have been offered new 6mm models for free, and turned them down.
They (GW) have also turned down attempts to license the IP to set up an external company.
Mr. Jervis Johnson was quoted less than 1 month ago saying Epic will never return.

They are to all appearances totally uninterested in selling 6mm scale models.


We at Troublemaker Games would truly cherish any new customers. :-)

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

As noble an endeavor the attempt to produce an IP neutral catalogue is, it just doesn't have the player support. Most people play epic because they want to play a game set in the 40k universe, but with a more... epic... scale, and a more adult and tactical ruleset.

I'm just not interested in playing with generic looking tanks.

Basically, GW just killed off epic for good.

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Epic: Hive Development Thread

Don't be so melodramatic, will I miss the efforts of those here? Of course and I wish our texan friend well but my favourite armies have been my own conversions which forum-ware has removed the impetus to do.

I loved epic before forum-ware and I'll still love and play it now, we are just back where we were a few years ago relying on GW,ebay, FW, non IP proxies and conversion work(and I dare say more local operations).

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