Re: [SG2] 15mm Figs, Anyone? A company wants to supply...

In message <199702062103.QAA07547@smtp1.sympatico.ca> Allan Goodall
writes:
> I posted a message to rec.games.miniatures.misc about a lack of 15mm
SF
> figures and vehicles, echoing a thread that we had hear on the mailing
list.
> In response, a company called Enigma Miniatures wants to supply this
> possible market.

Excellent.

> Anyway, I told them about Stargrunt 2 and explained that in my opinion
it is
> best played as a 15mm game. I told them that I would post this to the
list.
> What they want is feedback. They want to know what kind of figures you
would
> like to see, and what kind of vehicles. Do you want GW style figures,
or
> Traveller style, or more conventional figures? Do you want your APCs
to look
> like Hammer's Slammers hovertanks, Eldar gravtanks, or
> Abrams/Challenger/Leopard 2s? How many figures would you need? How
many
> vehicles?

Well, God forbid we get another GW-esque range of Space Wombles with
unconvincingly short-barreled weapons without shoulder-stocks, waving
swords around. Gothic, my arse.

I'm not sure what is meant by Traveller-style. 

I suppose for Stargrunt I'd be after figures not-unlike the actual
GZG Stargrunt range, modern-looking figures with distinctively not-
twentieth-century-looking uniforms and futuristic details. It suits
the whole modern-with-futuristic-details feel of the game.

The problem with the GZG figures is that they are not posed with
much drama. "Sniper being obvious", "soldier standing around looking 
vacant", "officer pointing into middle-distance" could so easily have 
been "sniper crouching, observing with binox", "soldier running for 
cover", "officer waving frantically and shouting abuse". So I'd look
for really dramatic poses. Anybody standing up should be running.
Anybody shooting should be kneeling at least, very heavy armour,
perhaps, excepted.

Another plus-point would be lots of clutter; extra magazines, night-
vision devices, anti-vehicle rockets, radios, maps, knives, binox,
entrenching tools, canteens. Things like that.

No bloody chainswords and powerthingies.

I suppose that for 15mm figures in general, I'd look to Irregular
Miniatures for an example of how to do them. They don't have a 
particularly good SF range in this scale, sadly. In general their 
figures are not the most beautiful things to look at unpainted. They 
have character, paint up well, and usually have a great variety, with 
the same sort of figure being made in up to six varients.

As for vehicles, again I'd go for modern-with-futuristic-touches. Low
and flat would be much better than tall and thin. Clutter would be
good, but resin doesn't do clutter so well. I suppose some spare lead
clutter could be produced seperately for modellers to go wild with.
APC's would be good, as would trucks and jeeps. Something like a
hummer could be converted into endless variants. Tanks I can live 
without.

Well, that's my humble opinion, sent to the list, and to the address 
Allan gave.

-- 
David Brewer