I just read an article in my local paper commenting on holiday sales, and that one of the most reliable "sellers" of gift products are chess sets.

Proposal

Development of a SFB Chess set, using minatures and a standard game board.

first set uses Federation and Klingon ships, (prepainted) white vs Black, and include a set of rules for chess and a sales material advertising all of ADB products. (another option, ship the unpainted minatures and include a notation on the box "some assembly required.")

I cant imagine what kind of price line this would have, but given that upper quality chess sets retail for $2,500.00+ it should be possible to assemble such a set for a reasonable price.

Should be a natural for many hobby stores to carry, a number of chains do feature chess sets, so it would have a natural market to start with.

The comes the question of what pieces should have what role...

I suggest Frigates for pawns, and a Battle ship for the King, (CVA or SCS for the Queen).

One side benefit, is if the price is set at about the market rate for minatures, it would allow people the option of buying a fleet of ships (actually two fleets) all at once.

Its too late for this christmas holiday season, but It might make a spectacular roll out product for next years GAMA or ORIGINS.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 11:07 am: Edit

The one major issue with that (and chess sets have been discussed before just not in their own topic) is the quality of the pieces. SFB miniatures are great as miniatures for a game but a chess set require them to be finished out of the box if you want to reach people beyong just wealthy SFBers' (I imagin that's a pretty small group).

That is not to say it's impossible. However, given how the mini's line is done now (which works just right for it purpose) the minis would each need to be hand deflacked and touched up. Now they should be painted but that would take WAY too long and $2500.00 would be the minimum to start with. But electro-plating would be just right. Nickle and gold for the two sides would be just right. If not electro plating then straight enamel would be minimum (racial colors).

32 mini's at average of $8.00 each = $256.00
Basic materials for preparing minis=__$60.00
32 mini's basic coating labor @ $5 = $160.00
Basic marble chess board...........=__$50.00
Shipping and Handling costs........=__$10.00
____________________________________________
Minimum Cost to start per board....=~$536.00

So were talking a $600.00 to $800.00 set depending on the quality of the finished minis.

I have to wonder if such a set would sell. The stands would have to be all medal and come attached. A special box would then need to be designed, possibly a nice wooden box with a little latch.

Personally, for the wood box and the minis prep and packaging I'd want $250.00 a set. If there were enough orders I'd make a job of it. I do want a new job.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 11:15 am: Edit

FEDS:

King: DNH
Queen: BCG
Bishop: CA
Knight: NCL (or DD if a medal on can be made)
Rook: BATTS
Pawn: FF

KLINGONs:

King: C8
Queen: C7
Bishop: D7
Knight: Me...err...D5
Rook: BATTS
Pawn: F5

One issue is moving pieces. Minis are a little fragile and while designed for play on an SFB map they won't hold up to chess play too well. The proximity of all the pieces would require you to pick them up by the hull. Perhaps a specialy designed push stick would suffice(more cost as then the bottoms need felt).

By Andy Palmer (Andypalmer) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 12:15 pm: Edit

I think SFU ones would sell better.

FEDERATION:
King: President of Federation
Queen: Female Admiral
Rook: SB or BATS
Bishop: Security Agent
Knight: CA
Pawn: Federation Marine

KLINGON:
King: Klingon Emperor
Queen: Klingon Concubine
Rook: SB or BATS
Bishop: SecISF Officer
Knight: D7
Pawn: Klingon Marine

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 04:31 pm: Edit

That's an interesting take on it but would require brand new minis for the people.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 09:58 pm: Edit

The board will be a problem too as each square has to have an inlaid hex or the SFBers will get confused.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 10:06 pm: Edit

Nah, it's Chess so they should be squares and play by traditional Chess rules...IMO.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 10:40 pm: Edit

Note, I said squares inlaid with a hex. The rules remain the same.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 10:44 pm: Edit

If your going to need game pieces that are more "damage resistant" than standard ADB mini's, then it might be more economical to "Standardize" the ships.

mass produce a common saucer, use it for a single engine DD (pawns), a 2 engine NCL (Bishops), 2 engine CA (rooks) 3 engine DN (queen) and 4 Engine BB (King). 2 engine Tugs (Knights)(with pod?!?).

Use metal stands and coat with Enamel paint (white).

That way all the engines could be the same size (except for the NCL's) and the same saucer is interchangeable.

Do the same kind of process for the Klingons (same booms and engines) and only the rear hull size changes.

Depending on how you do it, you might cut your cost of production of the game pieces by 80% or 90%.

If the engines are all made of round dowels, then the connectors could be pins and glue.

Substitute a wood game board for the Marble one, you could cut the cost of (the estimate of) $536.00 significantly.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 10:59 pm: Edit

It needs to be cheaper. Elite sized pieces?

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 01:49 am: Edit

Tos: Oh, drrr. I missed that.

By Troy J. Latta (Saaur) on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 07:05 pm: Edit

Why not use PFs for the pawns? Cheap, expendable...
And sell the "fleet" separate from the board. That way every player could buy his/her own favorite race .

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 08:55 pm: Edit

I like that idea... 6 standard PF's and a scout and a leader version. (for the Klingons and other races.)

Federation doesnt use PF's, substitute fighters or bombers maybe?!?

If the cost line could be kept competitive...

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 09:16 pm: Edit

There are currently no PF minis available.

By Tony L Thomas (Scoutdad) on Sunday, November 28, 2004 - 11:37 pm: Edit

But SVC has stated that ADB still has the molds for the PFs and they will return... someday...

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 01:38 am: Edit

Yaaa (said longingly) that'd be cool.

By Les LeBlanc (Lessss) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Edit

Wouldn't it be better to have the SFB chess set be allianc vs coalition and minor races?

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 01:25 pm: Edit

Could get a really cheep SFU chess out with MegaHex counters. They will be doing a run of those next year (well, probably) and could maybe do a special sheet.

Now we are looking at something for $19.95, I'd bet.

With that perhaps a few variations on the game could be added. Think chess with combat rules (played out with SFBF or something?) Have an area that must be captured instead of just killing the King. For instance, Emporors and Presidents are quickly replaced. So if you capture or kill a King piece he is replaced in the Kings0 square but you also get a second move. From the Kings and Queens squares there is a homeworld square right behind them. You must move your King into that area to win the game.

Like I said, traditional chess playable but with rules for alternative games as well.

Card Stock map with Mega counters.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 01:47 pm: Edit

Heh, could even play out battles with the upcomming Federation Commander.


Maybe add some political rules???

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 02:25 pm: Edit

I doubt you'd sell a cardboard version to non-SFB players.

Minis. The problem is you'd have to do new sculpting to get the scale you want. You'd need king, queen, bishop, knight, pawn, rook for each side. I might get a sculptor to do those for a grand per side. Then you'd have molds, figure another couple of hundred. Then you'd have production, ... much thinking ... maybe the whole thing could be done with a $50 price tag.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 02:36 pm: Edit

SVC: Thanks for the quick response!

I was thinking that the mega counter set could then have advertisements about Starline 2400 in there. But if you are considering smaller scale minis with a $50.00 price tag then that would certainly be the better way to go.

Would alternative game rules still be of interest?

I like the idea of people and ship figures mixed. I think there was a Star Trek Chess that did that. Maybe all ships would be better.

By F. Michael Miller (Fmm) on Monday, November 29, 2004 - 03:08 pm: Edit

A long time ago, when I was casting Fed CAs and DNs in silver (and N-TH CLs in bronze) I looked into doing a Fed vs Klg chess set (Fed: DN, CA, TT, NCL, CL, FF; Klg: B10, C8, TT, D7, D5, F5 (KQRKnBP)) in silver and bronze. Not counting my time, I figured I could do it for about $200. Unfortunately, I don't have access to casting facilities anymore...

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 - 12:18 am: Edit

This idea might be do-able today with Shapeways. The question, however, is would the price be low enough anyone would buy it?? The pieces would probably have to be about half the size of 3788 minis.


Garth L. Getgen

By Steve Zamboni (Szamboni) on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 - 12:41 pm: Edit

The big issue I see with this type of set is making them heavy enough to stay put (and survive the constant handling). Using 3D prints to make the masters and then casting the sets may be more effective (especially for the 16 pawns).

Casting or machining the bases, and then making 3D prints of small ships to top them off may be an option. The price of a printed metal 1/7000 ship should be reasonable if the bases can be mass-produced separately - and doubly helpful if the designers can recycle existing 1/7000 models.

(And yes, I just signed everyone up for 1/7000 fleets. No one tell Jean.)

By Marc Michalik (Kavik_Kang) on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 - 02:08 pm: Edit

Hmmm... ;-)