Would you pay money for this?

RPMiller · Post by **RPMiller** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:26 am

Ok folks, I have an idea, but I want to ask you for your honest opinion.

I would like to make a lot of custom token bases that look like this. They will be various colors, textures, etc. I will probably take requests and then put them all into a single download.

My thought would be to sell them for like $2. My question is, would you pay $2 for a set of these? They wouldn't have figures on them and I'm thinking you just drop the top down versions into Token Tool and drop your top down image on top. The isometric ones would need full body shots obviously.

So once again, would you be willing to buy these for $2? What would you need to see in the set to make you buy them? Comments?

plothos · Post by **plothos** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:33 am

We don't really use top-down tokens in our games, and making all this stuff is half the fun anyway, so I don't see myself buying tokens.

I might pay for a good tutorial about how to do them myself (assuming the required software isn't super expensive in its own right), but probably not for individual tokens.

RPMiller · Post by **RPMiller** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:35 am

These are 3d models so there really isn't a tutorial involved. It requires a 3D application and the models.

Vry · Post by **Vry** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:42 am

I wouldn't, but only because I have the capability of making my own (those exact ones even if I bought that pack from daz. It's been sitting in my cart for days, just haven't been able to justify it yet).

Phergus · Post by **Phergus** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:07 am

Well as someone who has purchased the majority of the FUM top-down tokens, I probably wouldn't buy a set of round token bases.

I might buy a nice set of hex bases. Or even a set of hex, round and square bases.

RPMiller · Post by **RPMiller** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:08 am

Thanks for the feedback Vry.

I would like to add that for me time is money as well. The $2 for the set is a meager amount that saves the purchaser all the time and effort to recreate the set themselves. You know very well how much time it would take to do all the various custom bases. I would think the $2 would be nothing. For most people. It is less than a cup of coffee or don't buy 3 candy bars and you're set.

If you are looking for justification to buy those bases, I would think that this thread should be enough.

Go buy 'em. It is definitely worth it.

RPMiller · Post by **RPMiller** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:12 am

Phergus wrote:Well as someone who has purchased the majority of the FUM top-down tokens, I probably wouldn't buy a set of round token bases.

I might buy a nice set of hex bases. Or even a set of hex, round and square bases.

Hmm... I think I could probably modify the geometry easy enough.

Not sure what the difference would be though. What does a hex or square base give you that a circular doesn't? Do miniatures come with hex and square bases now? That's an honest question because I never shop for miniatures so don't know what is out there.

Vry · Post by **Vry** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:17 am

Seems like there was a miniatures game with hex bases but I can't think of it right now. Most are either square or round though...or rounded squares.

Phergus · Post by **Phergus** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:18 am

A hex base looks good in a hex grid. Better than round bases. Especially with a nice bevel on the edges. Square bases probably aren't that useful because of 45 deg facings. I just threw it in there for completeness.

For me these would be fall into the eye-candy category so if they ain't purty I got no use for 'em.

delgondahntelius · Post by **delgondahntelius** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 2:19 am

Depending on the quantity, the price is nice and I know you couldn't stretch yourself too thin or you'd be just scraping by.... I might be swayed to buy some. I've yet to do a whole lot of VTT gaming (which I hope to remedy soon). May I ask what 3d application you used? Or is that a trade secret?

Also.. what really limits a really great set like this is the inability to be able to manipulate them in 3d... spin them around so you cold snap a shot of what you wanted.... now... that.. that might be something I would seriously consider buying

Ya know... here's a thought... you could always offer to do custom mini's like that for people's favorite PC's ... you might turn a buck like that

Amaril · Post by **Amaril** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:01 am

I wouldn't buy them. I'm fine with 2D tokens.

Full Bleed · Post by **Full Bleed** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:06 am

RPMiller wrote:Ok folks, I have an idea, but I want to ask you for your honest opinion.

Honest opinion?

Token bases aren't cool enough to justify buying.

But, if you really want them, I think it's worth doing for yourself and then giving those bases away because when you look at what the community has and will provide you for free, the time you put into making bases would be just a small give-back in comparison.

The more people that keep the hobby a hobby, the better off the community is. In my experience, profit motive is a corrupting influence.

Now, if you were to start getting a lot of play with regard to creating custom bases after-the-fact... I'd say go ahead and look for some compensation.

DrVesuvius · Post by **DrVesuvius** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:04 am

Actual Hex bases can be useful in miniatures games to clearly show facing and arcs of fire. That might be less useful in Maptool where you can turn a grid overlay on and off.

I'd probably not buy a set of token bases, mainly because I'd find it more enjoyable creating my own. Plus that way I know I'll be able to tinker and modify them to my exact specifications.

That said, $2 would be a good price-break and I might buy it just for the heck of it. I wouldn't expect to make a small fortune with it, but you might get the cost of the original base model back.

Dr V

wrathchild · Post by **wrathchild** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:37 am

Sounds like something that is easily worth $2 to me!

RPMiller · Post by **RPMiller** » Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:10 pm

DrVesuvius wrote:That said, $2 would be a good price-break and I might buy it just for the heck of it. I wouldn't expect to make a small fortune with it, but you might get the cost of the original base model back.

Dr V

That is exactly why I was thinking $2 and not doing it for free. There really is no profit in this idea contrary to what some of those above may think. The cost of the software, models and of course my time makes this pretty much a loss for me, but it would be nice to at least make back the money spent on the models. That by the way isn't a great deal either thus I can justify only charging $2 and even then I wouldn't be getting the whole $2 as I would be paying someone for the store use which means I would probably only be getting $1. It doesn't sound like there is much of a market for this though so I'll probably not offer them for sale.

I may post a few here and there for free, when I make them for myself. We'll see. Just to reiterate this wasn't meant as a profit making enterprise I was simply seeing what the demand would be like and if it would equate to break even sales.

Full Bleed wrote:The more people that keep the hobby a hobby, the better off the community is. In my experience, profit motive is a corrupting influence.

I am curious about this statement. Do you think those people that make the material for your hobby shouldn't be selling it?

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