Re: [OT] Heavy Gear minis (was Re: Locating minis)

At 08:34 AM 5/1/99 -0400, you wrote:
>
>A good synopsis, just a few comments/additions:
[snip]
>Though they were also quite willing to replace any damaged/missing
bits,
>and I had very good experiences in this; others apparently didn't.

Yes, RAFM's response to replacement parts requests was - irregular.  I
for
one had no problems getting parts.  In fact, more than once RAFM sent me
back an entire new blister to replace a miscast without charge.

[snip]

>>The reason for the new scale, from what I hear, is that the Internet
mailing
>>list was asked what they wanted, and they called for a smaller scale. 
I
>>suspect this was too narrow a demographic: rabid players who had a
mature
>>collection in the larger scale.
>
>Not true -- or, at least, not the way you make it sound.  (A lot of us
>aren't *that* rabid, for one. ^_- )  DP9 *did* ask the mailing list
what
>scale they wanted gears in, well before they canned RAFM's license. 
The
>overwhelming response was for 1/300 gears for microarmor games.  The
second
>place response was for RAFM's scale.  Anything else was a lot further
back.

Microarmor was the definite and overwhelming response <g>.  Most every
who
was calling for microarmor also assumed that it would be new product *in
addition* to the RAFM scale.

> Yes, the request for microarmor scale was a response from people who
had a
>lot of the old scale -- but the scale DP9 ended up with is too darn
close.
>Personally, I have yet to buy any of the DP9 scale Gears, and very much
>doubt I ever will.  Of course, I do have a lot of RAFM gears to
assemble...
>though not enough Southern gears, unfortunately.  I've also not played
in a
>while, though I've got enough unpainted metal around that the gears
don't
>add too much to the total.  (Anyone want to sell some Southies?)

Not right now. :)

>DP9's stated reason for going with the smaller scale is to seperate the
>figs from RAFM's -- and from RAFM's poor QC issues.  Unfortunately, for
>those people who were just getting into the game, RAFM had a handle on
the
>QC issues, so they were left with only hearing rumors.  Heck, I didn't
get
>into the game until late '97, and RAFM had most of the QC problems
dealt
>with!	But I guess DP9 thought the bad rep was there to stay (or
something)
>and so wanted the scale change for a visual reinforcement of that.
>Personally, I disagree, though not as vocally as some others on the
HGML.

Guilty as charged.

>[snip]
>>In the end, I think the two companies had a falling out and instead of
>working
>>together they divorced. I don't know how well Heavy Gear miniatures
are
doing
>>now, except to say that I hardly see the small scale at all. I know a
lot of
>>the retailers around here don't like it as the figures are too small
for the
>>price. 
>
>>From what I've seen, they're a lot like GW: very good detail, rather
high
>price.  Unfortunately for DP9, neither they nor Heavy Gear has the
>recognition that GW and GW's games do, so they can't get away with the
>pricing as easily.  Do the figs sell?	In some places.  Especially
Canada,
>actually, since the minis have the same price in Canadian dollars as in
US
>dollars.  Areas that sell 'em in the States, though, are places that
have
>the more active Pod supporters running games and demos and whatever...
>actually, a lot like other small companies' games. <shrug>

Here in Seattle, there are two stores who carry the figs as well as the
books.	NEITHER store has sold any of the new DP9 minis to speak of, and
neither store plans on ordering or carrying more of the new line -
outside
of what they already have on the shelf.

Fantastic Games, Lynnwood
  2 boxes Northern GP Squadron - none sold
      Actually, 1 box was sold and then *returned* when the buyer found
out
      it wasn't the same scale as the RAFM figs.
  2 boxes Southern GP Squadron - 1 box sold at cost
  1 box Northern Mammoth Strider - box sold at cost
  1 box Northern Assault Mammoth Strider - none sold

Fantastic Games is the primary historical minis shop in the Seattle
area.
They also have a large Full Thrust / Dirtside group that meets there on
Sundays, so you would think that there could be *some* demand of the HG
line.  However, none of the SF players are even remotely interested in
HG
any more - mostly because of what went on with the minis.

Games & Gizmos, Redmond
    3 boxes Northern GP Squadron - 1 box sold
    3 boxes Southern GP Squadron - none sold

G&G is where my group plays Heavy Gear - using RAFM minis.  There are
about
8 of us who play at various times.  G&G is primarily a Games Workshop
outlet.  Although they carry quite a selection of non-miniatures games,
90%
of their minis are GW stuff.  They have no plans on carrying the new DP9
minis line, and only have a few boxes of the new stuff because they were
ordered by mistake.

I've heard similar stories from others on the West Coast.

===================================================================
Mark "Hauptmann" Shurtleff
  email: hauptman@sfcmd.com -or- hauptman@concentric.net
      The Gear Locker - http://www.sfcmd.com/HeavyGear
	  Full Thrust - http://www.sfcmd.com/fullthrust

 Finagle's Law:
   The perversity of the Universe tends towards the maximum.
===================================================================