Bones Kickstarter #2 Pre-discussion

[buglips*the*goblin]

And sculpted by Bob Murch, who is also a Canadian and so would obviously know what buglips looks like, since all us Canadians know each other.

 

I bet it's a pseudonym, and his real last name is Mackenzie.

[Doug Sundseth]

 

Bah! Buglips doesn't wear pants and he lives up here in Canada.

 

You'll be fine.

 

Pants are a symbol of dogmatic oppression by the reactionary minions of orthodoxy!

 

 

Come and see the violence inherent in the system. Help! Help! He's being repressed!

But not enough, which is why I need help.

[Pixel]

This thread is ginormous, but earlier there was a lot of speculation about what the kickerstarter did or did not do for Reaper or for the hobby. So for the record... I would never have purchased and attempted to paint a mini without the kickstarter. After the kickstarter when I got interested in the hobby I went online and ordered a couple of other minis for a PC I want to play (part of the bennies of being a painter, right? You get to make your own PC.). I didn't realize they were metal. And that they would come in pieces. And that I didn't have the right tools to put the pieces together. I'm not saying it's that hard; I'm saying it's another hoop in the hobby-entry threshhold I didn't have jump through. Bones are an EASY way to enter the miniature collecting and/or painting hobby.

 

So I think bones will bring a lot of people to the hobby, or even just to buying minis to play with instead of improvising. And the value that the kickstarter provided made it almost irresistible to jump in. So whatever issues there are with bones or kickestarter, I think both are a huge benefit to the hobby and the gaming community.

My 2 cents,

Heidi

[ArthurDent]

I reentered painting because of Bones.

 

They are perfect for my needs as a GM, easy to paint, lighter than metal, don't get chipped when dropped.

 

 

I painted more in the last 2 weeks since I got the Kickstarter Bones than in the last 5 years.

And I'm really having a blast.

 

Thank you, Reapercrew!

[Finarfin]

Well, in my selfcentered and humble opinion, I would take the D&D 3.5 core manuals (and or the pathfinder ones), make a list of each class and monster on them and look for the ones who lack miniature. A good thing about the last bones is that there are versions of monsters that usually appears in group, and that´s a nice thing.

[Mattnuke]

I'd like to see some more new sculpts for large elementals. The large fire elemental is the best I've seen.....I like the design where there are no obvious features, but it has two arms and a head, and still retains it's fire look.......same sculpter for a wind, water and earth elemental please.

 

Blue transparent bones for water, clear bones for air......standard bones for earth.

Dark transparent green can also provide some nice effects on earth creatures (leave gems jutting out of them unpainted....) Edited August 28, 2013 by Runelord151

[buglips*the*goblin]

I reentered painting because of Bones.

 

They are perfect for my needs as a GM, easy to paint, lighter than metal, don't get chipped when dropped.

 

 

I painted more in the last 2 weeks since I got the Kickstarter Bones than in the last 5 years.

And I'm really having a blast.

 

Thank you, Reapercrew!

 

 

Same. Since 2006 I've painted about 48 metal miniatures.

 

Since January I've painted 110 Bones.

 

 

Now to be honest, some of that is just because Bones seem more low pressure. While the internet is a great resource for miniature painters, the overwhelming attitude of "you got to get great, show off, use NMM, become master" can quickly turn a fun hobby into a high-pressure boiler room. And then everything you paint sucks, and metals are expensive, and so each becomes precious. And eventually all the fun dies and you paint like one or two a year.

 

But Bones? Doesn't matter. Even the larger community attitude doesn't care as much (lingering "eww, rubbery plastic" maybe). So there is none of that pressure. It's just fun. Real fun. And so I paint, and encourage others to have fun. And along the way, maybe I even get better at it.

 

There's a lot of people out there in the big web, though, who seem dedicated to murdering other people's funtimes.

[Hellcow]

 

I reentered painting because of Bones.

 

They are perfect for my needs as a GM, easy to paint, lighter than metal, don't get chipped when dropped.

 

 

I painted more in the last 2 weeks since I got the Kickstarter Bones than in the last 5 years.

And I'm really having a blast.

 

Thank you, Reapercrew!

 

 

Same. Since 2006 I've painted about 48 metal miniatures.

 

Since January I've painted 110 Bones.

 

 

Now to be honest, some of that is just because Bones seem more low pressure. While the internet is a great resource for miniature painters, the overwhelming attitude of "you got to get great, show off, use NMM, become master" can quickly turn a fun hobby into a high-pressure boiler room. And then everything you paint sucks, and metals are expensive, and so each becomes precious. And eventually all the fun dies and you paint like one or two a year.

 

But Bones? Doesn't matter. Even the larger community attitude doesn't care as much (lingering "eww, rubbery plastic" maybe). So there is none of that pressure. It's just fun. Real fun. And so I paint, and encourage others to have fun. And along the way, maybe I even get better at it.

 

There's a lot of people out there in the big web, though, who seem dedicated to murdering other people's funtimes.

 

 

Is there a Big Book of Buglips Truisms in print anywhere, yet? I ask b/c you, out of all the wonderful, wonderful people here on the Reaper boards help me keep things in perspective. I read this and remember - 'Yes! That is why i quit painting for years! Nothing was good enough and I would never reach the 12th level of Painting God!' I know I need to just block 'those people' out of my mind and paint because I enjoy it and gives me a very much needed creative outlet. Sometimes it is really hard so I was hoping you had published that book I mentioned and how I could get my hands on it!

[Adrift]

I'm planning to pick up a couple extra shifts at the hospital in the next couple weeks; that'll pay for all the Bones I want from the KS2. And if I'm feeling tired or cranky, I just have to think about all the sweet miniatures for which I'm going to pledge!!!

[babbles]

 

Right now, DHBones has 60-70 Persons* and 126-136 Monsters* - which is about 1:3 PC:Monster ratio and isn't too bad, really.

 

*depending on how you classify them. For instance, I didn't count any of the Dark Elves as Persons, and among the Necromancers I counted only Terezinya and Ghoul Queen, thinking the others to not really be "PC" styled. It's subjective though, so count them however you think makes sense to you.

Which begs the question, dear Forumites, if you counted every DHBones model into one of either "character" or "NPC/Monster" category, what would YOUR classifications/ratios be? How close is my count to yours (collectively)?

 

 

Since you asked here is my count of PC:Monsters in the first kickstarter. I want to point out that in a lot of the games I have played or watched there has been at least 1 evil character and so I see the models that can be the "BBEG" as also PCs (such as dark elves).

 

I didnt include: IMEF, NOVA, Chronoscope, Spell effects, Misters Bones or Familiars (I see familiars as extentions of PCs so they arent monsters but they arent PCs by themselves.). I also only counted unique models (ie. I only counted 1 of each type of vermin though there were 2 of each in vampire level)

 

MONSTERS:

Original 30 (14), Dungeon Attack (9), Undead Horde (5), BBEG (2), Fire it up! (2), Haunts (5), Bedevilled (4), PF Goblins (9), Vermin (6), Mummy (4), Swamp Things (4), Owlbear, Griffon, Grave Danger (3), Storm Giants (2), Golems (4), Fire Giants (2), Ebonwrath, Ice Giants (2), Mind your Manors (3), There be Dragons (2), Demons (2), Deathsleet, Mythos (3), Undead Giant, Clockwork Dragon, PF Red Dragon, Fire Giant Warriors (2), Spider Centaurs (3), Frost Wyrm, Forces of Nature (2), Deep Dwellers (5), PF Jabberwock, Nethyrmaul, Hydra, Kaladrax, C'Thulhu

TOTAL: 112

 

PLAYABLE CHARACTERS:

Original 30 (16), Fighters (4), BBEG (2), Elves (2), Dwarves (4), Klocke (4), Townfolk (5), Heroes (6), Dark Elves (4), Zombie Hunters (4), Iconics (7), Pirates (5), Townfolk II (4), Dark Heroes (4), Iconics II (4), Grave Danger (1), Half-sized Heroes (4), Necromancers (4)

TOTAL: 84

 

Which makes the ratio 3:4 by my count. Though looking at those numbers I feel that compared to what others are saying I might have missed something? I was talking about it with a friend (our GM) who would say that he would define it as humanoid to Non-humanoid because if its humanoid you can play it, generally speaking.

 

Hope this helps Bryan

[Braxandur]

 

Now to be honest, some of that is just because Bones seem more low pressure. While the internet is a great resource for miniature painters, the overwhelming attitude of "you got to get great, show off, use NMM, become master" can quickly turn a fun hobby into a high-pressure boiler room. And then everything you paint sucks, and metals are expensive, and so each becomes precious. And eventually all the fun dies and you paint like one or two a year.

 

But Bones? Doesn't matter. Even the larger community attitude doesn't care as much (lingering "eww, rubbery plastic" maybe). So there is none of that pressure. It's just fun. Real fun. And so I paint, and encourage others to have fun. And along the way, maybe I even get better at it.

 

 

 

A very well known feeling. Somehow miniaures also started getting more and more detailes, which didn't help either. The first "special characters" that I bought from Games Workshop were so more detailed and challening that I just didn't dare paint them, being afraid to don't do them justice. The still are precious even though I can easily tackle them now.

 

It took me only 15+ years to get over that feeling and just don't care and go for it. To be honest, I still like models with less trinkets more than the ones with them. Even though I care much less now, I would still not easily do a quick paint job on metal or resin miniature, while with plastic or bones I care less :)

[Beagle]

Buglips, if you don't need your pants could you send them to me please? I struggle to get by on just the one pair

[smokingwreckage]

Yeah, the details is another reason why I'd like to see some well-sculpted but less encrusted historical-ish troopers to bulk out squads.

[Beagle]

Fairies please. Big ones, with wings.

I also like the idea of rank and file troops for those of us that like pushing battalions around tables

[klarg1]

I don't find myself painting more miniatures with the advent of Bones, but I do find myself more relaxed about the whole process. It has left me free to experiment with techniques and materials stress-free. I also find that I am much less concerned about duplicate, missing or damaged miniatures. I can replace or use anything for some purpose.

 

The other thing I have noticed (which I have mentioned before) is that the ridiculously low price of the KS Vampire box, combined with leftover freebies from ReaperCon, has led me to hand out free Bones to just about anybody I know who expresses even a mild interest in learning to paint, or in trying out the product. Let me assure you that I never did that with $6-10 metal figures.

 

Personally, I think all the cheap and free Bones from Reaper are a plot to turn us all into unpaid marketing engines.

 

 

 

I reentered painting because of Bones.

 

They are perfect for my needs as a GM, easy to paint, lighter than metal, don't get chipped when dropped.

 

 

I painted more in the last 2 weeks since I got the Kickstarter Bones than in the last 5 years.

And I'm really having a blast.

 

Thank you, Reapercrew!

 

 

Same. Since 2006 I've painted about 48 metal miniatures.

 

Since January I've painted 110 Bones.

 

 

Now to be honest, some of that is just because Bones seem more low pressure. While the internet is a great resource for miniature painters, the overwhelming attitude of "you got to get great, show off, use NMM, become master" can quickly turn a fun hobby into a high-pressure boiler room. And then everything you paint sucks, and metals are expensive, and so each becomes precious. And eventually all the fun dies and you paint like one or two a year.

 

But Bones? Doesn't matter. Even the larger community attitude doesn't care as much (lingering "eww, rubbery plastic" maybe). So there is none of that pressure. It's just fun. Real fun. And so I paint, and encourage others to have fun. And along the way, maybe I even get better at it.

 

There's a lot of people out there in the big web, though, who seem dedicated to murdering other people's funtimes.

 

 

Is there a Big Book of Buglips Truisms in print anywhere, yet? I ask b/c you, out of all the wonderful, wonderful people here on the Reaper boards help me keep things in perspective. I read this and remember - 'Yes! That is why i quit painting for years! Nothing was good enough and I would never reach the 12th level of Painting God!' I know I need to just block 'those people' out of my mind and paint because I enjoy it and gives me a very much needed creative outlet. Sometimes it is really hard so I was hoping you had published that book I mentioned and how I could get my hands on it!

 

 

You can't buy Buglips' Big Book o' Facts anywhere. Few have ever seen it, but legends say that if you bury an old 'Partha paint or two at the very bottom of your dirty laundry and wait, you may wake up one morning to find find his wisdom scrawled across your walls in a mix of crayon and blood.

Edited August 29, 2013 by klarg1