RE: How a minature should look

Just to add a little to what Jon has said, I'm a miniature collector,
gamer, and painter and I prefer the metal to the plastic.  Granted, the
metal is heavier, and more cumbersome to transport, but there is a
certain sense of sureness and ruggedness to a metal mini in comparison
to a plastic.

When I get a metal mini, I am amazed and fascinated at the amount of
detail the creator took to make it.  Also, I don't worry about paint
chipping off so easily due to the primer applied before painting.  To
me, the metal minis are more durable and sturdy for wear and tear.  This
is from the gamer/collector viewpoint.	 

>From the painter's viewpoint (and my personal viewpoint), I do minis
for
the enjoyment of it - painting them and seeing the looks on other
people's faces when I bring a newly painted mini into the office and set
it on my work place is fascinating.  I do it to relieve stress and the
first thing they mention is the amount of stress I must have had when I
painted something so small and detailed.  Its really amazing but it
gives a sense of accomplishment as well and they (the minis) are really
not that hard to paint or master.

Also, I prefer to play referree in my groups games.  1)  I'm the most
familiar with rules, and 2)  I have the largest collection.  For those
of you out there gaming who paint minis and referree can attest to this:
 There is a sense of pleasure (in a twisted sort of way) at watching the
other gamers 'fight' over which mini they want to use.	Watching them
move the minis you painted is a great feeling and I've noticed that
metal minis tend to stand up to the punishment inflicted on minis a
little better than plastics, aside from the economics of production.

Gil
 Murphy's Laws of Combat #5
>"A sucking chest wound is nature's way of telling you to slow down!"

>----------
>From:	jon@gzero.dungeon.com[SMTP:jon@gzero.dungeon.com]
>Sent:	Monday, December 22, 1997 4:37 PM
>To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
>Subject:	Re: How a minature should look
>
>>First let me say, I don't own any minatures, and have never enjoyed
>>painting them. I have had fun playing with them, but think it's a
>>waste of effort to spend so much time/money on them. I'm quite happy
>>with FT as a strategy/tactical game, using some type of
>>markers/counters, or maybe even PBEM with gif maps ala FTMAP.
>>
>>Having said that. I have built a few model aircraft models in the
>>past. Why don't minature makers build slightly larger, precision
>>plastic models, rather than dull lead minitures that lack definition.
>>I suspect some of this is that historically using lead in molds was
>>the only real option, but surely this is not true now?
>>
>>I think I've been pretty fair here. Please be rational in your
>>responses, or email me privately so as to avoid adding to the trafic
>>on the list.
>>
>>david..
>>
>>-- 
>>Binary Bar - Australia's first free access internet bar/cafe/gallery.
>>243 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia. 5pm - 1am
>>http://www.binary.net.au
>
><Snipped>
>
>If you prefer not to use miniatures at all, that is fine - the games
work
>just the same with counters; but don't forget that an awful lot of
gamers
>get a lot of fun out of collecting and painting minis, and this (to
them,
>anyway) is as much a part of the hobby as actually playing the games,
if
>not more! (I know I've got a twenty-five-year-plus collection of metal
>figures, most of which will never even get painted, let alone gamed
with -
>but collecting them was a lot of the fun!!) 
>
>Jon (GZG)
>
>
>