Indian Mutiny

[fsn]

... yes but ... it's a small family run company the members of whom wear at least three hats each,

Do you think productivity could be improved by dispensing with the headgear and perhaps just some sort of badge system? I think wearing three hats must be a frightfully difficult balancing trick.  Quite distracting. Especially if you've got two bonnets.

[d_Guy]

The three hat thing. Isn't that what you lot call a "hat trick"?

Always amazed by the scope of product and congeniality of service provided by Pendraken.
Especially Leon, whose spirit quest name is "Owl-who-never-sleeps"

[cameronian]

The three hat thing. Isn't that what you lot call a "hat trick"?

Always amazed by the scope of product and congeniality of service provided by Pendraken.
Especially Leon, whose spirit quest name is "Owl-who-never-sleeps"

[Leon]

Wow! I didn't realise the impact was that dramatic. Hope everything is getting back to what passes for normality in the Pendraken world. Must have been a worrying time.

Unfortunately it was quite bad, we weren't able to pay ourselves a wage in August because of it. 

Don't cheer just yet...I seem to remember being promised the revamped sci-fi range 'in April'...two years later they finally appeared.

I'm also sure someone said something about Dragonmen being released in the near future, like this month! But so far nothing.

I really think we need to start taking these release dates with a very large shovel of salt.

The Sci-Fi range was quite delayed, and I'm sorry about that one.  Unfortunately real life has a habit of getting in the way of things though and causes everything to slip.  The past couple of months we've had birthdays, weddings, illness and one of the casters away for a fortnight on honeymoon, so we've been slowed down quite a bit.  Plus the other caster has got himself a full-time job and isn't able to work as many days for us, and Dave's decided to go back to the college day job full-time as well. 

In a normal job, if you were off ill for 3 days, you'd just work overtime when you returned to catch up.  But when the working week is already 80-90 hours, overtime becomes quite difficult and you have to delay things instead.  Moulding, new releases, BKC, Dragonmen, all those are things that have to take a back seat when we're busy as the priority is getting customer orders cast up and getting prepped for the shows. 

I hope people know that these delays are just as frustrating to me, if not more so.  I hate the fact that BKC isn't finished yet, I'm annoyed that we've missed our own deadline on the new Warband ranges, and the number of sculpts sitting in the drawer here is a constant reminder of my ridiculously large To-Do list.  I'm hoping we can hire a new caster over the next couple of months, so that they can come in and take on some of the workload there.  We've also been spending some time trying to better organise the unit and streamline a few areas to make them more efficient.

Apologies for the long reply!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Don't apologise!  hugs!

[Techno]

Apologies for the long reply!

I think it needed saying, Matey.

What's the old saying ?
"You can't fit a quart into a pint pot."

Cheers - Phil

[fsn]

Unfortunately it was quite bad, we weren't able to pay ourselves a wage in August because of it. 

That is very distressing. I trust things have picked up since.

But when the working week is already 80-90 hours, overtime becomes quite difficult and you have to delay things instead.

Perhaps, and I hope this is taken in the spirit in which it is said, you could ease some of the pressures on yourselves? I'd rather that Kitty waits another 12 months for his Aztecs than have one of you good people laid low with exhaustion and stress. Perhaps a review of your planned releases in light of your current circumstances.*

Ultimately everyone suffers if Pendraken Towers crumbles. 


*Next week, FSN teaches Techno about using a Dremmel

[d_Guy]

Ultimately everyone suffers if Pendraken Towers crumbles. 

THIS!

*Next week, FSN teaches Techno about using a Dremmel

MedEvac standing by!

[Steve J]

I don't think anyone minds if things get delayed. We all understand what a tight ship you guys run and any small thing has a disproportionately large effect on your operations.

[Ithoriel]

I think (hope) most of us realise that those who make the toys we play with are by and large walking a financial tightrope ... lets face it many of us who buy them are too from time to time!

And I certainly look at peoples projected release dates as aspirations rather than promises.

So I'm with Douglas Adams - "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."

Lang may yer lums reek!

[FierceKitty]

I'd rather that Kitty wait another 12 months for his Aztecs....

Get friggled, Mr fsn! There are FAR worthier things to go on hold.

[paulr]

Well said FSN

Perhaps only 3 months delay for the 'Duckmen'

[d_Guy]

Thinking of adding eiderdown to the new AGA range 

[fsn]

I've decided to give myself an early Xmas present, and put in an extra Pendraken order for some "odds and sods" that I've been wanting to get for a while.

Centurion AVRE. Centurion ARV. Few bits of extra scenery.

Double Pendraken day this month!

[Steeleye]

I quite understand that this is a small company and how many hats people have been forced to wear. Perhaps it would be better not to make promises that can't be kept? Why not say that new ranges/models will be coming out as soon as possible without giving a date?

Actually, now I think of it, no matter what you do its not going to please eveyone.