I´m amazed that so many people even don´t object the "Virtual Minis" Line. Please compare what a full fledged computer game costs!

Quote from: John MorrowBecause they will not produce non-random miniature sets, I'm not going to buy them at all.  Instead, I'll stick with using a pawn to be an orc.

You can always buy them second-hand. That way I get my non-random collection. And seriously cheaper than if I would buy boosters. :rolleyes:

Quote from: SettembriniI´m amazed that so many people even don´t object the "Virtual Minis" Line. Please compare what a full fledged computer game costs!

That they exist?  No problem.  It's just a tool.  If I have to buy them?  Fuck that.

Don't forget about Magic: the Gathering online. You buy randomized packs of virtual cards to play the game. The costs of packs are on par with packs of actual physical cards. There are a huge number of people playing MtGO who have spent countless dollars on randomized packs of stuff.

I'm not suggesting that the same marketing scheme will work for them with D&D minis, but don't discount the gaming public's willingness to shell out big bucks for randomized virtual stuff.

This reminds me of a thread on big purple - "That they would even consider X is a sign they don't knwo game design, and I won't be buying it!"

:rolleyes: Yawn.  You consider EVERYTHING, and drop what is silly or doesn't work.

They got rid of it.  Lets move on.  Just considering it isn't a sign of the apocalypse, it means they are trying to think in new directions.  In thinking outside the box, you sometimes come up with wacky ideas.  Eventually, in a successful company, the wacky ideas get tossed.  Sometimes something doesn't SEEM wacky, but the end result isn't what you envisioned and it became wacky.

For a large company that pouts out countless products, they've had FAR more hits than misses.  Plus, with it being an online computer based delivery system, even if they launched with random for-pay minis, they could easily toss the concept in the future if it was determined it was a failure.  

I quite frankly don't know how they are going to do DI virtual gametable.  They want to have the system available to those who don't play the game, but also want to be able to sell virtual minis.  I think you'll see regular, bland minis, and the big ones and special ones you have to pay for, and they are customizable with weapons/armor, etc.  You can put a generic size Colossal Dragon on there, but if you want something cool looking, you've gotta cough up the bucks - or they just put mini-codes in boxes of blisters, and you can access physical purchases online.

I read somewhere that the idea behind randomization also has to do with encouraging trading and collection behavior. The cynical take on that is that it's just a trick to make money, but if you open your eyes a bit wider you can see that the high level strategy is to encourage community behaviors surrounding the game (which in turn, generate high levels of interaction and interest, which in turn boost popularity and fandom, which finally-- make money).

But the obvious thing is: unless there is a way to trade or collect virtual miniatures, there's no point in randomization of them.

Now--if for example, your Gleemax profile page (or something) allowed for a display case that shows your virtual mini collection or there was a trading lounge (like there is for M:tG Online) it might be a good idea. But I suspect that since that isn't any of those things in the works, it just makes sense to do it this way. I mean, the idea of displaying my virtual minis appeals to me, anyhow. I have my for-real minis on display. I love to point out my Ghaele Eladrin to anyone who gives that shelf a passing glance. She's my favorite, and she's a rare.

ANY game, ANY game company--in any size-- would benefit from a strategy involving community behaviors. It's probably a shame that not too many companies know how to work that.

Quote from: HackmastergeneralThis reminds me of a thread on big purple - "That they would even consider X is a sign they don't knwo game design, and I won't be buying it!"

:rolleyes: Yawn.  You consider EVERYTHING, and drop what is silly or doesn't work.

QuoteActually no you don't. Sure some ideas are tried and rejected but if games design is gonna be effective and not take eternity you focus it!

I agree with everything said here. VIRTUAL minis already suck ass just as much as virtual MtG cards do, but RANDOMIZED, VIRTUAL miniatures, the only fact that the concept was discussed seriously demonstrates where the interest in a fourth edition lies, IMO.

Only a single-minded business retard could have had such an idea.

hey abyssal maw, what set is your ghaele eladrin from?  got a pic?

Quote from: AlnagYou can always buy them second-hand. That way I get my non-random collection. And seriously cheaper than if I would buy boosters. :rolleyes:

It would be seriously cheaper if I could just buy the miniatures I want rather than paying some secondary middle-man a mark-up for buying the boosters and then reselling people exactly what they want.

You mean to tell me they had a bad idea and decided not to use it?

There are such ideas that are just so wrong you wonder why people would even have to think before dismissing them. Like you know... randomized... virtual... minis.  Unless you're a braindead, self-righteous marketing motherfucker who just wants to find a way to make one extra buck and thus French kiss the ass of the suits to get the fucking promotion at the end of the year, of course.

For fuck sake. It makes my brain bleed just thinking about it.

I think people would pay, and it is therefore an Excellent idea.

If people are willing to pay for it, then theres nothing wrong with making money.

Just be happy they didn't go along with that idea.

Quote from: GoOrangeDon't forget about Magic: the Gathering online. [snip]

In fact, I forgot about it. Thanks for that pointer to what people DO fall for.

Quote from: John MorrowIt would be seriously cheaper if I could just buy the miniatures I want rather than paying some secondary middle-man a mark-up for buying the boosters and then reselling people exactly what they want.

In reality, though, it's the opposite. Common and uncommon minis get traded around or just disposed of as side deals in trades from the bigtime collectors. Or they get sold off in lots for around .17 ea. I was lucky (is that the word?) enough to have two guys in my group that were buying miniatures by the case, splitting them up and sorting them for collections. The rares are indeed expensive and marked up.. but they are also rare. You could amass a collection far more cheaply than with metal. I would often receive little baggies full of castoff commons and uncommons after every caseload from the two collectors. "Here's some kobolds..and I think I threw a fire elemental in there.." was pretty common. They would just toss them to me as a favor.

I definitely have issues with the plastic minis compared to the metal I used to really spend a lot of time and money on, but pricing isn't one of them.

FWIW, My beloved Ghaele Eladrin was from Angelfire. I touched her up a bit, but here is what she looked like out of the box:



Do a search on Ebay for D&D Miniatures and you will often find large lots selling really cheaply. Like--entire squadrons of 4 archers or 6 living statues or whatever going for like $2 or so. That's for the group, not individual.