So, as mentioned in a couple other posts, I’ve found some creators that make my life easier in that they produce modular building parts that fit in with the game systems I use. Adaptable models that fit anything and everything from Cthulhu’s Victorian period up to and including Post Apocalyptic and Cyberpunk genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a little tedious that everything has to be re-scaled before printing so that it fits in with the 28mm scale I use rather than the default 35-50mm that these things fit. I’m guessing that in the main these things are intended for use with the GW (Games Workshop) “heroic” scale which starts around 35mm and goes up to 55mm for named heroes. Almost none of it fits the scale I use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not an issue as such. I mean, it’s a simple matter to re-scale the open lock and other building stuff to 75% to bring it closer to an accurate size. It’s also easy to re-scale 32-35mm figures to around 87% to bring them closer to the scale of my collection. So, people who want higher levels of detail are happy, and I can just carry on playing with the scale dials to get it all down to the size I want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thing is, there’s no need for scale creep. With higher resolution printers available at affordable prices, it’s possible with 4K, 6, 7 or 8K printers to get high levels of detail on surprisingly small items. So, why the scale creep? I figure it’s to fit in with the GW scaling of scenery, vehicles and other stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being one of the few exceptions out in the world who doesn’t buy anything from GW because of the extreme cost and small model packs of their products, unlike most people I don’t have growing collections of GW stuff. Those who do I guess want models which fit in with what they have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, why the whining then? What am I complaining about if it’s no problem re-scaling stuff? Well, simple really. I object to a company ruled by greed who charge excessive amounts of money for small pieces of plastic for a hobby that is primarily populated by young people controlling how things should look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the case of GW, I’m guessing that they need to increase the size of their models as this is one of the few ways of increasing detail. Looking at their large named models there is an impressive amount of detailing on the figure. With buyers wanting better details on the smaller figures as well, it is easier to simply increase the scale than to look at re-jigging their entire production process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I often use Tamiya as an example of excellence in plastic modelling when comparing other companies and their complete lack of effort. But, Tamiya work at 1\/35th as their chosen scale, and they seem to use a particularly fine – if brittle – type of plastic. GW use what to me seems to be a cheaper form of plastic, and their figures are a lot more chunky and bulky. No real comparison can be drawn really, one is highly detailed and consistent, the other is getting bigger, chunkier and more detailed and the buyer is getting less for their money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While I doubt that will affect 3D printing in any great way, the scale creep does. I’ve seen one creator shift from 28 to 32 and then 35mm over the space of a year. Keeping an eye on this, and compensating for that prior to printing keeps me on my toes. The same applies to scenic items. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, to be fair to all creators, there is no empirical standard at this scale of gaming. There is nothing that actually says “This is 28mm,” so it’s all a bit of a shooting gallery anyway. It’s just unfortunate is all. With space and money at a premium and ever decreasing amount it seems rather sad that so many creators are increasing scales rather than just increasing quality. Modern 3D printers can handle a considerable amount of fine detail, so there is no real need to increase scale to compensate. There is virtually no difference on my 4k printer to the detail level from 35-28mm. I’m hoping to buy a better printer in the new year, which will make the difference even less noticeable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of the day, for me anyway, cost is everything. As an example, I’ve been going through the Neo Osaka<\/a> set that I have with a view to printing that for a Cyberpunk game. With the other city buildings<\/a> I have as well as the growing collection of OpenLock stuff from Thingiverse<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, one floor piece from Neo Osaka at the default size takes 3hours and 27minutes to print with a 0.4mm head at 0.1mm layers (yes I know the line height is smaller than needed, but I rather prefer the smooth finish). The same piece, scaled to 75% takes 1 hour 43 minutes and a consequently smaller amount of material. That in itself is important. Less time means less electricity and less material – so, saves money. This being of vital importance in this day and age with the current financial climate. The pieces printed fit the smaller scale of my “28mm” figures and it all takes less room on the game table, which means I can put more on the table to make it a more packed and “city like” environment for the players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day 3D printing has improved so much since the beginning, and the cost of the printers is dropping all the time – especially when improvements are released. Scale creep seems nothing more than pandering to a market force that really needs the power taken away from it. If games workshop want to increase scales to fit their version of heroic, let them. But take away their market power by letting them do it in isolation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I would have thought that creators would think about the cost of materials – especially resin – and reflect that in their product rather than following along the bunny trail of GW scaling inanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh well, who cares? Right? I can simply re-scale things and ignore this creeping nonsense. So I’m whining about nothing and it will make no damn difference in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n True.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day though, it’s not me who is getting hurt by this scale creep. It is the new-comers to the hobby who don’t yet realise that they can scale things to suit their gaming areas, who – and I have noticed this with several people – who are discarding their older gaming models as they are “too small” and don’t fit with anything anymore. So they are getting hit twice. Once for their original investment – now discarded – and second for the extra cost of materials used to print the larger scales<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, rather than levelling or getting cheaper, the cost of producing the toys with which one plays games is increasing in line with scale creep. For no real, justifiable reason. That, I suppose, is what I’m whining about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So, as mentioned in a couple other posts, I’ve found some creators that make my life easier in that they produce modular building parts that fit in with the game systems I use. Adaptable models that fit anything and everything … Continue reading