v22TTC

Supervike: About the meta theme, I should just clarify that it was the fact that the theme titles were from pretty much the same source: you know, if there had been some Tangerine Dream or Cocteau Twins song titles in there, for instance, that would have been a whole different bag of bones!

Yeah, I dig that whole 'No amount (even infinite) can possibly satisfy someone who isn't satisfied with enough' thing (Lao Tzu said pretty much the same thing at pretty much the same time, half a world away). Clearly doesn't apply to minis though! Would love to read an alternate timeline book where the West laughed at Plato and Aristotle and built a civilization upon Epicurus' and Diogenes' philosophies instead ... someone say something about meandering threads earlier?...

Round 2 of the last IP was - without any doubt - the worst fortnight of my life in the last six years ... yep, I'd be up for another IP: I'll be that jack russel gnawing on Commander Y's ankle again ... and again. I'll have moved into a new gaff by the next one, so hopefully will be able to give a better accounting of myself. Not very helpful, but I both like it as it is and like some of the suggestions of how to change (not improve) it - I mentioned a 'people's vote' variation last time. I'd keep the duel format and I'd certainly agree with the Commander about not shortening the deadlines and for the same reason. I'd suggest if you change it too much, to call it something else, coz IP's an Institution! I think the themes should be as random as possible to maximise variety: I didn't like the pop songs meta theme at all - too samey in tone (all banal or cliche phrases). Must be something in the air though, because I've been itching for a new IP for around a week now....

Yeppers - some of the Infinity masterpieces too (Michael Bigaud and Olivier Nkweti Lafitte). Thetang22: Yeah, I find Wyrd really does have a niche all its own - a kind of Epicurean ...enough. (As in what Epicuris said, not what the early Church said he said, which is sadly the 'interpretation' that everyone remembers....) I've been painting a single Wyrd mini all week, without getting distracted and starting to paint/sculpt something else, which is totally unheard of for me (except for my brief foray into IP and the only piece I [more or less] finished was Wyrd too....). They're detailed enough to look ace and be enjoyable to paint but not mentally detailed ... not too much filigree etc. They look gorgeous but not so much so that you get 'performance anxiety' and come over all impotent.... I've got some seventh eighths painted Infinity minis that bring me out in a cold sweat if I even think about trying to finish them - like I was holding a phoenix egg or something. I suppose they feel friendly and not intimidating: I suspect Nathan sprinkles some 'Paint Me' powder into the metal mix too.... [being the absolutely cleanest casts I've ever seen doesn't do any harm either!]

Yeah, the reason all this doesn't bother me as much as it might is that kind of 'circle of life' thing - pretty sure some of my favourite sculpts of all time (Infinity and Anima Tactics) wouldn't have happened if R had carried on being what it was, nor would we have seen such a deluge of innovative, genuinely next-gen skirmish rulesets. Thetang22: I think it's probably the sheer amount of effort you need to invest into Cadwallon (reading the rulebook three times to make sense of it, an awful lot of thought, extrapolation and deduction, coming up with extensive house rules and reading every post on the forum to see if anyone else has a clue; all with almost zero help from the company) that's given me such an attachment to it ... I suppose it feels more 'mine'/'ours' than the 'theirs' of a more polished and company supported product. I suppose this is how modders of unfinished games (like KotOR II) must feel - I know a couple of people who started to seriously get into sculpting because of what happened with Cadwallon: 'Well if they won't sculpt any more minis for it, I will!' Pretty sure my first, finished, completely from scratch sculpt will be my Cadwe character....

EldinTux (or anyone else, for that matter): Consider any thread I start to be yours - I like threads that meander a bit: shows agile and creative minds. Cheers for the info everyone - will get some when I go into town next week (which, being me, means I'll get them all...). EDIT: Good luck with the Gyrocopter, by the way!

Ah - say no more Sir! Cheers for that though.

I know some folk are sick of chatting about what happened with R, and that the idea of a forum is a place where everyone agrees to disagree, but I'm kind of a relic who considers debate to be healthy, non-threatening and the main engine for achieving understanding and therefore progress. I guess you, Bexley, are especially fed up with the R conversation - and totally fair enough! - but it seems to me that either your or Thetang22's statement must be correct; just out of interest, since it's been raised and I've read it, I'd like to know which.... Also, if you or anyone else comes across a reliable one of those online sellers of the R metals you mentioned, I'd be really grateful if the info was shared - there're still tens and tens and tens of R minis I need to get.... Yes, I said 'need'.:adore: EDIT2: Also, does anyone know any more about whether R will release the Cadwallon Secrets 2 book in English? Last I heard was the Jean Bey interview on TGN, and something about a subscription. Don't know why but I'm borderline obssessed with Cadwallon....

Just wondering if they're worth getting, and what they might offer that other methods don't. Needless to say, the GW staff think they're THE BEST THING EVER!!! but I don't consider that objective testimony.... I see Demonherald used them, in his Wyrd article, which obviously is a whole different matter and made me curious about them.

Bexley: I don't think making money is bad of itself but it should be balanced by some ethics. In a world where it is illegal for corporations to have ethics (and CEOs have been prosecuted by the shareholders for making ethical decisions for over a century now), we must rely upon the consumer £/$/etc to shape the world we want to live in. [since we can be sure that no Western Liberal Democratic government will ever legislate seriously against a corporation in these matters - it would be illegal under the terms of the (unelected) WTO, or the IMF/WB loan agreement: why democracy isn't currently....] Anyway, where we see a corporation trying some exploitative new money-making scheme we shouldn't start talking about 'evil' or whatnot, any more than we should consider tigers or sharks evil, but we should give them a little consumer slap to hold the line. I suppose the history of pay-per-view TV would be a good case study: if people had refused to pay for that Tyson fight (IIRC) when Murdoch first came up with it, then the idea would have died then and there. Can't blame Murdoch for trying it on (though of course ethically you can and should) but you can blame the consumers who whinged and moaned but still paid and have been paying through the nose ever since, rather than making that one 'sacrifice' at the beginning. [Though people who watch TV deserve everything they get....:vb_devil:] So, my point was that if Wren's thesis was correct - go consumer power! 'Bout time.... Other points: There's a huge difference between chucking a coin into a machine and seeing what you end up with, from a selection so random that you don't even know what the possible results might be, and wanting a mini of your favourite pop-culture character and spending hundreds of pounds to get it (and maybe you still won't). Perhaps this a piece of fun for the rich: "Ya, I was hoping for the Jag, again, and ended up with the five Fiestas, again." It is an unpleasant marketing scheme as it exploits human weakness, which is where humans should reply with strength, which was my point. But, I never really got gambling either (largely because I never win anything ever), and on that point I stand corrected ... though it's worth checking the history of gambling, in terms of how Western civilization particularly has viewed and punished it in all its forms - capitally in some cases. Not to say that that proves its 'wrongness' (goes without saying) but worth thinking about in an era where you can't go on CMoN without some incredibly intrusive online casino ad blasting you in the face and making your computer grind to a halt.

The Blacksmith: finally, an Elf that can be entered in Total Testosterone without being generally laughed at!

I certainly hope Wren's thesis turns out to be correct. I think consumer power is the only power we've really been left with, and random 'product' is an insult. Imagine applying that model to cans of goods, paints or cars - I'm sure companies would if they could but maybe the general 'consumer' isn't as much of a sucker as the general gamer?... [Lest I come across as 'holier than thou', I bought a huge amount of Star Wars collectable minis - "But it's Star Wars!" - until my precious friend made it clear how disappointed he was in me....]

Sniffyness, bitterness, betrayal and sadness aside, if Rackham Entertainment does get into video games, a Knights of the Old Republic style Cadwallon RPG could be the best thing ever... except for Knights of the Old Republic, of course. Like how Dawn of War made even this venomous, bile-spitting, ex-GW staff member start to warm back to the 40K Universe....

I voted for the WTO, WB and IMF and they got in again! Voting's ace!

But... didn't Jean Bey just tell us that the future was PPP?...:vb_devil:

I've had my eye on Vanda for a while - Marike Reimer painted one up (amazingly well, not surprisingly) ages ago. I like the new paintjob too (forgot who the painter is). EDIT: Anna Machowska.

Wyrd's Pandora?

"What it means for us, is that Rackham will no longer exist on next Tuesday." Insert ironic and slightly bitter comment here....

Gotcha! Pretty sure I actually completely understand that, cheers! First shall be a Wyrd mini, in tribute Sir! EDIT: On re-reading, could seem I'm being a bit sarky - is genuine, heartfelt thanks and amazement that it's that easy. Them 'puters is a capricious bunch....

So, is the procedure exactly the same as when uploading to a competition (but clicking the relevant section)? And it'll come up in the Showcase bit? Sorry man, I'm clueless.... [Think I got confused by the answers a while ago about most forums not being geared up for images - I guess you're saying that Wyrd's different? I just don't want to get all excited about having stuff finished and run full tilt into the inevitable - for me - computer barrier.]

I asked about this a while ago but I'm as daft as a brush when it comes to computers and digital doings. I know you can upload directly to a gallery when there's a competition on (and have) but if you just wanted to show a random mini in the Showcase bit, can you upload to the users' galleries? If you need something like Photobucket as an intermediary, can anyone recommend a good (free) one - that won't randomly delete your stuff, and is the most generally accessable on forums to all different types of computer setups... you know, to avoid the whole 'I can't see any images' thing? Will really need to know this in a few weeks when I move into my new place and can finally get some freaking peace!

No GW from me - and I spit on them [Ptoo!]... well, a bit less than I used to.... Anyroad, though a while ago, Demonherald: if you're still after Infinity, I've got shedloads with multiples of stuff you can only have one of in your army (and I won't need for conversions); particularly PanOceania, notably the Aquila Guard and big, beautiful Cutter TAG. Should be cheap to post from Manchester to Leeds.... I'd be interested in the Enigma, any of the newer Wyrd you might have or any Imperial Battlefleet Gothic ships you may have knocking about... from GW... [cough...]. PM if you're interested, or anyone else for that matter. [i'll post the stuff off first too as a sign of good faith - someone disappearing from a forum might not engender much confidence, I realise (though for good reason and I'll be back with painted and sculpted stuff fairly soon when I've fully re-arranged my life in order to do so... IP tought me much about my domestic arrangements... shudder)....]

Mmmm... think ol' Drago might end up being the first heavy 'jack I buy....

And so we wait, pain The IP scores are due in Twenty points for me?

Not poets perhaps But some are influenced By them - check my sig