A few thoughts on the top 10's.
The "ranges" top 10 looks OK especially around the modern ranges and seems to reflect well the popularity of some of the posts.
I don't look at the board every day and rarely at fantasy threads so I probably miss quite a lot. I must say I am a little confused as to how some of the requested "items" never appear although they get votes.
E.G.
Napoleonic Austrians with shako
Napoleonic casualties
French Guard Lancers
Italian wars mounted arquebusiers
WW2 British casualties
All of the above I am certain would be rock solid commercial successes.
I just wonder if a better way would be use the request board to initially register a request to get a it into a table of sorts and then whenever the top 10 list is to be updated everyone gets a chance to vote.
Cheers, Rob :) :)
Those of Herakleitos, Epicuros, Marcus Aurelius, Ibn al-Rawandi, Komensky, Pascal, Descartes, Russel, Wittgenstein, Me.
(OK, OK, I was a bit stretched to come up with ten producers of thoughts that really qualified as top ten. I grant Wittgenstein is out of his league there.)
:-\ :-\ :D :D :P :P
I too was fooled by the title. I thought it would be
1. Love your fellow man (or woman)
2. The customer is not always right, but he is always the customer
3. Never agree to a custard fight with Westmarcher
4. etc
It's a difficult thing to manage, I would guess. There's a certain lead time (that's "lead" as in dog-walkies, not "lead" as in plumbum) in the production of "tiny men", and there are always the whims and vagaries of the hobbying public.
So, if 400 people voted for "Darkest Africa" 5 years ago, that could be that it was because Darkest Africa was popular then. Now, Cobblestone Castings and the Grayson Perry Brothers have produced inumerable Darkest Africa ranges and everyone has bought what they want and no-one gives a flying monkey if Pendraken do it as well.
There is also the question of completeness. It would behoove the Dark Lord not to dangle one dainty tid-bit of a range in front of us without the other half. For example if Techno beavered away at Korean War British to finally go alongside the blessed Centurions that have been waiting patiently for absolutely ages, but failed to putty his wy to some North Koreans and/or Chinese (in summer uniform, not winter) then we (the strange "Uncles" who avidly watch the Pendraken under 16 girls netball final) may legitimately raise some complaint.
Are we (the soft drinks in the Pendraken wine cellar) the right mechanism influence the Dark Lord's choices? Yes, we probably buy quite a lot of tin between us, but there are other factors to consider - what's popular at the moment, who else is producing what, the gaps in the Pendraken ranges, what is selling well for Pendraken at the moment.
From a personal point of view, I would like to see a more dynamic Top 10. It will change constantly, but it should better reflect what we (the olives in the Pendraken martini) desire.
For me: modern infantry, chariots, Byzantines and a widening of the Napoleonic range. I know they are not big sellers but I would like to see gangsters, superheroes and wild west figures - even at a premium price. I mean, how man Wellingtons are you going to sell?
Frankly, I don't envy Leon and Dave (or any other figure manufacturer come to that) the task of deciding what to produce.
My limited experience of asking people what they want and then attempting to provide it is that it regularly turns out they didn't actually want it they just felt they ought to want it!
With the possible exception of the Guard Lancers there's nothing in Rob's little list I'm remotely interested in. I'm sure that for others they are "must have" items.
Still want those Italian Wars mounted arquebusiers and genitors though.
I agree with Rob.
I sometimes think that some of the Top 10 requests nullify the opportunity to complete/fill out other ranges. Personally I was confused why the Napoleonic range concentrated on 1809. then appeared to stop until Waterloo came over the horizon, which even now is incomplete.
With regard to WW2, it would be interesting to see how many of the more common/numerous vehicles/weapons are missing, against requests for the more esoteric vehicles.
I sometimes wonder how many votes qualify a request to enter the top 10?
Since the requests went downloadable, not as many as it used to.
Top ten thoughts:
1. Totty
2. Beer
3. Lead mountain
4. Footie
5. Beer
6. More lead
7. Spag Bol
8. Curry
9. du Vin
10. Beer.
Hehe, getting all the requests and the sculpting schedule to engage in happy liaison can be likened to convincing pandas to spend time happy time together...
Quote from: Rob on 22 June 2016, 11:05:34 AM
Napoleonic Austrians with shako
No plans for those at the moment, they've not had that many votes so I'm assuming folks have found a proxy for them, or bought them elsewhere.
Quote from: Rob on 22 June 2016, 11:05:34 AM
Napoleonic casualties
These will be getting done, not sure on timescales.
Quote from: Rob on 22 June 2016, 11:05:34 AM
French Guard Lancers
These are already done, they're just awaiting release along with the other new cavalry already previewed.
Quote from: Rob on 22 June 2016, 11:05:34 AM
Italian wars mounted arquebusiers
Only a handful of votes for these, but we might look at doing a small expansion of these ranges to cover some of the requests.
Quote from: Rob on 22 June 2016, 11:05:34 AM
WW2 British casualties
We'll be doing these at some point, makes sense when we've got them for the other nations.
Quote from: fsn on 22 June 2016, 12:00:21 PM
For example if Techno beavered away at Korean War British to finally go alongside the blessed Centurions that have been waiting patiently for absolutely ages...
For me: modern infantry...
Modern infantry is already on the schedule, after the Warband ranges have been completed.
Quote from: Chad on 22 June 2016, 06:07:54 PM
I sometimes think that some of the Top 10 requests nullify the opportunity to complete/fill out other ranges. Personally I was confused why the Napoleonic range concentrated on 1809. then appeared to stop until Waterloo came over the horizon, which even now is incomplete.
That was a bit of a nuisance, the 1809 range was originally started to fulfill a customers wishlist (and resulting purchases) but things went a bit awry on that front. By that point Waterloo was impending so we wanted to get some Brits done and out there, leaving us with an odd mismatch. We've got the Prussians just about ready to go, which fills in a bit more for Waterloo though.
Quote from: Chad on 22 June 2016, 06:07:54 PM
I sometimes wonder how many votes qualify a request to enter the top 10?
Not as many as you'd think really. I think a lot of people chat and discuss things in other threads, but they don't go and make a 'formal' vote in the requests area, so those might not appear on my radar to add a vote. I include everything properly suggested and voted for though, plus email requests and things we get asked for at the shows.
8)
Firstly, I will echo Friend Ithoriel in his sympathy for your plight. Whatever you do will garner excitement in some quarters and raise huge quantities of apathy in others. I, for a humble example, have no interest at all in Fantasy (but loves me some SF) and can't wait until Techno can stops lollygagging around with faeries and pixies (or whatever he's up to at the moment when he should be sculpting) and get onto some decent modern stuff.
Secondly, I have a solution. Outsource the decision making to a member of the forum. I'm not suggesting one of the crusty older member who have become hidebound and probably had their say in far too much anyway, nor indeed some of these whippersnappers whose application form still has the ink on it. You want a compromise of maturity and dynamism, say about Lt-General? Someone who contributes regularly and enthusisatically to the forum. Someone who has purchased extensively form the breadth of ranges available (though having them all painted should not be a criterion for selection.) Someone of wit and poise, of discernnment.
Oh by the Dark Lord's Oddly Shaped Second Toe! I've just realised that that descriprion could be applied to me. Of course, I wasn't putting myself forward, but if asked to serve ...
I have no ambitions to hold office myself; greatly prefer a quiet, retired life....
My mistake :-/ I thought the Guard Lancers were missing. Can any kind soul point me to the pictures please? :)
No idea what Techno is about to Post :D
The first fish, or shoe joke, will earn the poster a good slap ! ;)
Cheers - Phil. :)
Quote from: Techno on 23 June 2016, 10:14:29 AM
The first fish, or shoe joke, will earn the poster a good slap ! >:(
You an oo else sunbeam.
IanS
Oooh! Fish puns in defiance of Techno!
You'll have had your chips!
Nobby - chew yer own coat, and LEAVE.
IanS
Whoa!
If the price of getting space marines and the rest is putting Nobby on the selection committee (or simply making him the selection tzar) I'm down with it! Granted we will also get every tank and its known variant in the history of the world but they can always be melted down later.
No we'd just get every mark of Centurion. It would be like making FK make the choice - thirty thousand different Aztecs.
Now ME ;)
IanS
Quote from: Techno on 23 June 2016, 10:14:29 AM
The first fish, or shoe joke, will earn the poster a good slap ! ;)
Cheers - Phil. :)
Mess with Phil about fish, and you will have had your chips :P
You could do with some Tartars to source that Dazza
IanS
Ye gods!
You're all in detention !
Cheers - Phil
Eel be upset!
I was trying to think of a good pun but I'm floundering a bit
I don't get the porpoise of this discussion.
I think we're trying to bait Techno.
[If so, I think we're making a rod for our own backs]
Quote from: Rob on 23 June 2016, 10:02:12 AM
My mistake :-/ I thought the Guard Lancers were missing. Can any kind soul point me to the pictures please? :)
I can't seem to find a picture of them at the moment, but they're definitely done as Techno did some tidy-up work on the plumes for us recently.
Quote from: Leon on 23 June 2016, 11:30:49 PM
I can't seem to find a picture of them at the moment, but they're definitely done as Techno did some tidy-up work on the plumes for us recently.
Leon is fishing for a picture or a reference :)
Did he tidy up the plumes or the fins :d :d :d
Quote from: Rob on 23 June 2016, 10:02:12 AM
My mistake :-/ I thought the Guard Lancers were missing. Can any kind soul point me to the pictures please? :)
No idea what Techno is about to Post :D
I can go back and change your post to 'sole' again, Rob. ;)
PM me your email addy, and I'll try and dig out my copy of the pic I took for Leon....(If I can find it.... X_X)
Cheers - Phil.
Oh Solo Meo is it Phil ?
IanS
Quote from: Techno on 24 June 2016, 06:00:00 AM
I can go back and change your post to 'sole' again, Rob. ;)
Watt dew yew maen?
Second most important thought going through my head is, what shall I eat at 10 o'clock, with my cup of tea?
Sultana scone. Piece of dark chocolate. Both bought at a Lidl store ... er, ironic?? ;D
[post edit]
Oh, FFS! ~X(
The one time I actually intend to quote one of my posts I go and modify it by mistake.
Now the original post is gone.
Croissants while they are cheap and available.
Well I hope the hobby can remain international and see no reason why it can't.
Why, without our friends in Europe we would never have had WWI, the Napoleonic Wars, War of the Spanish Succession, Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Spanish Armada etc, etc.
As for breakfast, you could also have a crescent shaped puffy-crumbly-buttery roll.
Leaving...baaaad news, I fear.
Quote from: RoyWilliamson on 24 June 2016, 08:52:22 AM
Second most important thought going through my head is, what shall I eat at 10 o'clock, with my cup of tea?
Sultana scone. Piece of dark chocolate. Both bought at a Lidl store ... er, ironic?? ;D
[post edit]
Oh, FFS! ~X(
The one time I actually intend to quote one of my posts I go and modify it by mistake.
Now the original post is gone.
This should be the reply to the food question.
The question on price rises in the hobby, due to political events, has been lost :(
Quote from: RoyWilliamson on 24 June 2016, 08:52:22 AM
Sultana scone. Piece of dark chocolate. Both bought at a Lidl store ... er, ironic?? ;D
Also ironic that England & Wales might have indirectly voted for the break-up of the UK.
I will go, I will go, now the referendum's over
To remain in the EU that England left to be a loner,
I will go, I will go.
If Nicola comes along, if she calls us a' together,
Saying, "Youse lost the last ref, are ye up tae fight another?"
I will go, I will go
Don't want Boris as PM, don't want Farage on the docket,
Don't want the one percent with politicians in their pocket,
I will go, I will go.
10am shall from hence forth be known as Brexit time.
A time where you consume a late breakfast (croissant or otherwise) before throwing abuse at your work colleagues for no longer sharing their wine gums with you and storm out the office - I think it'll catch on.
Just had a thought (that's why I'm writing it here). Does this mean we (the UK) don't have to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest?
Hurrah! <:-P
No. Wait. If Scotland gets independence and remains in the EU, we're back where we started.
Noooooooo! X_X
Never thought I'd ever actually see Turkeys vote for Christmas. One woman on the TV, when told that EU funding had poured millions into regenerating her town replied, "I don't know anything about that far back. But now we've got our England back."
Democracy can be a very dangerous thing.
I also thought about Eurovision, then remembered countries like Russia, Ukraine and Norway are in it, so no bonus there then!
Not sure what you lot have done but woke up this AM to discover I now have a 10% discount at Pendraken.
I'm quietly crying in the corner. Hopefully someone in France or Italy will take me in :'(
My plan is move to Scotland or Ireland. Hopefully both will go independent leaving the kingdom of Dopiness to fend for its xenophobic self.
Let's keep 'Brexit' right away from the forum, Gang....Or we'll have some right Royal Rows.
Cheers - Phil (Delete and Lock buttons on Standby. X_X)
Quote from: Techno on 24 June 2016, 03:08:17 PM
Or we'll have some right Royal Rows.
And what prey do the Windsors have to do with anything ????
From the man who voted to boot Wales out of the UK. ;)
IanS
Quote from: ianrs54 on 25 June 2016, 06:32:11 AM
And what prey do the Windsors have to do with anything ????
I understand their favoured prey are foxes and grouse. I thought everyone knew that.
Top thought of the morning ... Is it possible to get Trench Foot while wading through all that mud at Glastonbury?
I wonder if the US band Puddle of Mudd is on the billing ;D
Did Adam & Eve have belly buttons?
Quote from: mad lemmey on 25 June 2016, 08:58:08 AM
Did Adam & Eve have belly buttons?
Have to attach the fig leaf to something, I suppose.
Quote from: mad lemmey on 25 June 2016, 08:58:08 AM
Did Adam & Eve have belly buttons?
Hmm, good one. :-\
Also, it's the perfect answer to give people when they pose the silly question 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?'
The egg, it came out of a lizard. The lizard came out of an egg, which came out of an amphibious thing. Which came out of an egg, which came out of a fish. Which ... and so on.
So much easier to say to someone, "But did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?"
Or you could just punch the egg person in the face. End of discussion.
I was going to answer the navel question by looking at a Neanderthal, or the like, but then the Adam and Believers wouldn't accept that answer I remembered.
Did Adam and Eve have a fleet of ships.
So does all this mean we may get chariot armies at some point?
Unlikely. Still working on the 1815 French.
That's good. 1815 French are much needed.
But that means I now want 1815 Dutch-Belgians too!