Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Pendraken News & Info! => General Pendraken => Topic started by: Leon on 29 December 2020, 10:06:31 PM

Title: Review of 2020!
Post by: Leon on 29 December 2020, 10:06:31 PM
Way back in the mists of time, when 2020 felt like an exciting new decade (see Plans for 2020 for the new/not new decade argument), and before the world was flipped upside down by a dodgy bat sandwich, we made some optimistic predictions for all of the things we'd like to achieve over the coming 12 months.  Many of those plans have been completely scuppered by the pandemic but we've still managed to make progress on some of them!


Greeks/Persians
These were all released as planned, so that's a nice tick to start things off!

Revamped Samurai
Another new range all moulded and released as scheduled, so another big tick.  It's easy this 2020 lark...!

TB Line
We'll give ourselves half a tick here as we managed to get the TB Line Islamics back into production but we didn't have time to get the Mongols done as well.  These will be on the cards for 2021 along with the TB Ancients ranges.

Not-Kickstarter
This is another half-tick I think, as the pledging for the Peninsular project went fantastically well and we achieved much higher sales pledged than we were ever expecting.  As most of you will be aware though, the project then stalled as our sculptor had to take some time off to take care of his father.  The good news is that work has restarted and Tony has done the smaller Misc items for us.  He's then moving on to the Brits and we should have that batch with us in the first few weeks of the new year.  We'll be prioritising these moulds throughout Jan/Feb and we can start sending out batches to our backers, rather than a single big box.

Other Ranges
Potential new ranges that we'd hoped to squeeze in:
Crimean revamp - These lost out to the same issues as the Peninsular project so we've had to shelve this range until we've got the Naps sorted out. 
Napoleonic French Guard infantry - These will be our first release of 2021 as all of the moulds are done and ready to go. 
Post-1950 MBT's and trucks - We're still waiting on this batch from Mart but hopefully we'll have something soon.
Korean artillery - Most of these have been sculpted during this year so we just need to get them all into moulds and then these can be released.  We're hoping to add a few extra infantry codes to the Korean range to fill some gaps as well.
Fantasy - A half-tick again here with the first batch of Fantasy figures moulded and released.  The second wave will be ready by the end of January I think.

SCW Supplement
The launch of Libertad! is a big tick for this year and was very well received with over 150 copies sold so far.  It's also given our SCW ranges a nice little boost and we've picked up some extra sales off the back of the supplement.

Korean War Supplement
No tick here sadly, we've not been able to focus much time to get this completed this year.  Work continues behind the scenes though and we should have something ready by Mar/Apr time I'd hope.

BKC Online Army Builder
Unfortunately this one is a complete Covid casualty as one of our developers was pulled out of retirement to help his old company deal with the pandemic so our coding team have been halved.  The database engineer has been doing extra work to keep things moving along but it'll be a little while before everything is finished and tested properly.  We'll keep everyone updated as we move along and we might be looking for some testers at some point as well.

Cold War Commander II
Another Covid casualty here but this one is much closer I think.  The text is here with me and I'm getting it all formatted over our Christmas break.  Once that's done we can put it out to some proofreaders while I finish putting the army lists together as well.  I'm wary of underestimating the final stages of this so all being well we should be OK to look at a Feb/Mar print run and release.

Dungeon World
Complete fail on this one I'm afraid, I need to get the other rulesets done and out there before looking at the Dungeons and we also need to make a few new moulds for the monsters/furniture.  I won't put a timescale on this as there's so much going on at the moment that I don't know where it will fit in.

Forum
We've got good news on this as we've found a new webguy to look after the forum for us.  We're just waiting on Matt to transfer the domain and files over and then we can get this place upgraded, fix that apostrophe bug, start sending newsletters again, etc.  I really want this done asap as we'll be bringing the Painting Competition back for 2021 and we need the forum working properly for that!

Website Photos
We've got a big tick here!  With the shows all cancelled this year I've been able to spend a lot more time blackwashing and photo'ing the ranges.  At the start of the year we had 1375 codes needing photos and at current count we've got 771 still awaiting a picture, so that's 604 new photos added!  That's the most pictures we've ever added in a 12 month period so I'm really happy with it.  It also means that we're a lot closer to getting 100% of our catalogue photo'd, a job that's been frustrating me for nearly a decade now.  Currently we've got:
- The 1812 Naps ranges are over with Kev Rouse being painted up.
- The WWI British range was with a chap in Spain but he's gone AWOL and I'll need to blackwash those instead.
- The WWII artillery is next on my list with the American and British codes on the side at work to be done as soon as we're back in the workshop.
- The rest of the WWII vehicles are with JAD Designs and will be back with us in the next few months.

Minibits
We had a good year on the Minibits side of things with the purchase of RedVectors bringing almost 100 MDF designs into our hands and new stocked ranges like the Raiden aircraft.  We've got a few more plans coming this year and we've finally managed to make some headway in finding a new 28mm sculptor for our modern mercenaries. 


So it's a bit of a mixed bag this year, as you'd expect with everything that's been going on.  We've made some real positive steps with new ranges, new rules and more web photos but we've missed a few key targets with the Naps project, the Korean supplement and the BKC Builder software.  It's always disappointing to miss our goals but if I'm honest I think that just surviving as a business has to be taken as a win this year.  So many people have suffered so much during 2020 that I'm just thankful that we've been able to weather the storm and keep ticking over. 

All of those leftover jobs will of course carry over into 2021 and I'll be putting up a thread for our '2021 Plans' in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that!
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Orcs on 29 December 2020, 10:20:58 PM
Excellent progress Leon, given the issues you had.

Looking forward to the buildings from the Peninsular non-kickstarter.

Do you have someone working on more buildings/ converting existing ones to different scales  for the Red Vectors stuff?

Still waiting for the WW2 Armored train.

(I know ! - Typical bloody wargamer - loads of stuff released and still asking "when are we getting  such and such)  :)
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: mmcv on 29 December 2020, 10:32:20 PM
Just a quiet year then ;D
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Ithoriel on 29 December 2020, 10:33:13 PM
"No plan survives contact with the enemy" :)

Well done on what you have achieved, all things considered.

"I've found that just surviving was a noble fight" - Billy Joel Angry Young Man
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: paulr on 30 December 2020, 01:01:21 AM
As you say "just surviving as a business has to be taken as a win this year", a definite win  :-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd

You've neglected to mention the 6,000 PPE visors you produced at a time of great need

So much more than just surviving, helping the community and expanding the business with additional ranges and new supplements

All at Pendraken should be incredibly proud of their achievements in this peculiar year
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 30 December 2020, 06:53:18 AM
Good stuff given the year we've had.
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Techno II on 30 December 2020, 07:54:18 AM
Totally agree !  :)

Cheers - Phil
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: fsn on 30 December 2020, 08:43:49 AM
I think you also forgot that you have by your existence kept some very peculiar characters (and I am proud to include myself in that description) entertained and focused in what would otherwise have been a very difficult year.

Well done Pendraken!


Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Steve J on 30 December 2020, 09:20:33 AM
Well done to all invovled in what has certainly been an unusual year to say the least. As Paul says, you really should add in the PPE equipment, as that was more important than any toy soldier stuff!
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Leon on 30 December 2020, 09:27:38 AM
Thanks for the replies, I wasn't sure whether to put the PPE in as it wasn't on our 'Plans for 2020' thread!

Quote from: Orcs on 29 December 2020, 10:20:58 PM
Do you have someone working on more buildings/ converting existing ones to different scales  for the Red Vectors stuff?

Kinda...  We've got so many new RedVectors designs to get into production that I've got the guys prioritising those first, but there is a growing list of designs that I want to rescale for 10mm.  We'll be putting together a schedule for all of the Vectors products once we get back after the new year, so I'll see what we can fit in.


Quote from: Orcs on 29 December 2020, 10:20:58 PM
Still waiting for the WW2 Armored train.

I might have some good news on that in the next month or so, we've acquired some 3D designs for an armoured train so I just need to sort out getting it printed up and into production.
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: fsn on 30 December 2020, 09:34:36 AM
Are you going to unveil your plans for 2021?   :)

Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: FierceKitty on 30 December 2020, 09:38:43 AM
T'ang Chinese, of course.
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Scorpio_Rocks on 30 December 2020, 10:07:47 AM
Quote from: paulr on 30 December 2020, 01:01:21 AM
As you say "just surviving as a business has to be taken as a win this year", a definite win  :-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd

You've neglected to mention the 6,000 PPE visors you produced at a time of great need

So much more than just surviving, helping the community and expanding the business with additional ranges and new supplements

All at Pendraken should be incredibly proud of their achievements in this peculiar year

THIS... with bells on! Fantastic work by all at Pendraken towers, Thank you!
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Leon on 30 December 2020, 10:09:14 AM
Quote from: fsn on 30 December 2020, 09:34:36 AM
Are you going to unveil your plans for 2021?   :)

Quote from: Leon on 29 December 2020, 10:06:31 PM
All of those leftover jobs will of course carry over into 2021 and I'll be putting up a thread for our '2021 Plans' in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that!

;) :D
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: FierceKitty on 30 December 2020, 10:11:51 AM
Hmmm, Leon didn't deny the T'ang report. Interesting....
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: fsn on 30 December 2020, 10:14:42 AM
Sorry, when I said "are you going to unveil your plans for 2021", I was politely saying "do it now, I neeeeed to know."  :-[


Fingers crossed for more Castle Arts, Amazons, Arab-Israeli and I'm sure there are some Centurion variants that haven't been covered. (I have a list.)
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: sean66 on 30 December 2020, 10:31:06 AM
Not to mention the Fomorians  ;D
been waiting nearly as long for these as photos  :o
Regards
Sean
P.S. outstanding work this year for all you have achieved.
the photos alone was a massive task.
but stepping up with the facemasks in a time of need. Is in my eyes more of note.   
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: fred. on 30 December 2020, 10:35:32 AM
Quote from: paulr on 30 December 2020, 01:01:21 AM
As you say "just surviving as a business has to be taken as a win this year", a definite win  :-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd

You've neglected to mention the 6,000 PPE visors you produced at a time of great need

So much more than just surviving, helping the community and expanding the business with additional ranges and new supplements

All at Pendraken should be incredibly proud of their achievements in this peculiar year

What Paul said!

I'm always impressed / stunned / surprised at the shear amount of projects you try and achieve in a year - and that is a normal year, not 2020.

It's interesting to hear that without shows you have had time to do other activities (such as website photos) - might be worth a review of time vs benefits of some of these things to see where best to focus your limited amount of time. To me it would feel that getting things into production that have already been sculpted has to be at the top of the list, as these are things you have spent money on, but only need a little effort to get them to generating sales.

Quote from: fsn on 30 December 2020, 10:14:42 AM

Fingers crossed for more Castle Arts ...

That would be good. Especially the arch and bridges, let alone the actual castle
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Leon on 30 December 2020, 10:39:29 AM
Most of those things are on the list (except T'ang I'm afraid Kitty!) so we'll be getting to them.  There's potentially some stuff happening this year which should help us speed up a lot of the processes.
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: FierceKitty on 30 December 2020, 12:10:32 PM
It's OK. I'll wait until everyone's gone before I start crying.
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: fsn on 30 December 2020, 12:13:10 PM
You know when you've been T'ang-o-ed
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 30 December 2020, 12:44:06 PM
Nobby - chew your own coat, after all no one else will go near it !
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Orcs on 30 December 2020, 01:35:21 PM
Quote from: FierceKitty on 30 December 2020, 10:11:51 AM
Hmmm, Leon didn't deny the T'ang report. Interesting....


OI! You've had your Meso Americans your not allowed another selection until Leons a Granded (might not be that long the sped they grow up)  and I have been patiently nagging for ages and ages for the armored train.  :)
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 30 December 2020, 01:51:36 PM
Orcs you know the kitty will keep mewling until it gets what it wants, generating much tedium in us sensible peps. Now Cheiftains, Challengers, and 432's are a massive ommision....
Title: Re: Review of 2020!
Post by: Leman on 30 December 2020, 04:53:08 PM
A very positive approach to a run of very negative events in this year.