Archive 2012
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Starline 2500 Miniatures: General Discussion:
Archive 2012
I got an email from Matthew moments ago with the official announcement (which we have been mutually working on) of how we're going to fix the issues of quality control and production volume. It's a good direction which ADB fully supports. I haven't posted that decision because Matthew and I want to post it simultaneously. We've both been around the miniatures production block for 20 years now and we both know all of the ins, outs, goods, bads, tricks, quirks, issues, and problems. The decision made is the best way to go and the madness WILL end by next week. You should have the information within an hour or two.
Production Change of Star Fleet 2500 Models
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You will be aware that the new range of Star fleet models has had some problems with both consistent quality and in getting enough models out of the door in order to satisfy the large number of orders we had. For both of these, you have our unreserved apologies. Despite our trial runs in resin casting last year going well, we ran into a number of problems when scaling up to wider production runs.
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We have therefore made the decision to alter the way we produce these ships. Larger models, such as the C8 and Condor Dreadnoughts, as well as the various bases and stations, will remain in resin. However, all the smaller ships will be switched to metal production using systems we know extremely well. In one stroke, this will relieve the pressure on the resin casting team, bring this range up to our usual quality of casting, and allow us to produce as many models required to not only service all existing orders, but make a convincing world-wide launch with models people can be confident in.
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The process for this change is already well under way, and while production and shipping of the Federation squadron and fleet sets will continue, we are temporarily suspending sale of the other box sets for just a few days.
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We expect to be up and running with the metal Romulan squadron set by this time next week, with the Klingon squadron and Romulan fleet set a few days after that. By the end of the week after next, we expect to be in full production of not only the Klingon fleet set but the two Federation sets as well, which will at that time also switch to metal.
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To give an example of the change this will have, not only will our casters be working with a material they have been using for the best part of two decades (at least), they will be able to produce (for instance) as many Romulan squadron sets in three days as have been ordered in total since the line was announced. This is obviously much, much faster than our current methods.
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Any remaining mail orders will now be given absolute priority, and we are expecting to be able to make a world-wide launch through distribution channels towards the end of March - we will keep you all updated when firm dates have been set. You will also now find that fleets such as the Gorn and Kziniti will be turned around much quicker. If you have pre-ordered either, you will see them within a month or so of the world launch.
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Once again, our deepest apologies for the delays and hiccups, but I believe we have the measure of this now, and Star Fleet goodness will be pouring out of our warehouse starting next week.
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The above is Matthew's post from a few minutes ago, which ADB approved.
Matthew advises that for those who absolfreakinglutly want resin and nothing else, proceedures will be announced allowing you to get resin ships. If you have pre-orders on file and want resin and only resin, contact Mongoose ASAP.
Hi guys,
Rumour Control!
The metals are using the same masters as the resins, so there should be no drop in detail.
Cloaked ships will be done in resin, though Rob has been surrounding himself with test tubes and weird scientific equipment, madly gibbering about a breakthrough see-through metal he has been working on.
The Condor, C8 and bases will be resin. At the current time, the Fed Dread is metal.
No price changes on the metals. _Potentially_ there _could_ be an increase on the larger singles but, as the large models are all resin, we will likely avoid this.
Those who want resin on their pre-orders can have resin - though we would advise one and all to give the metal a try as it will be good. As for the future... it is our intention to be perhaps offer the entire rnage in resin for special orders, but we cannot promise anything right now, nor can we promise there would not be a premium on such models (they will need completely new moulds for a start). However, the intention is there.
It will take a little time, but I will see if I can get a metal model painted photographed next to an identical resin one, and we can play spot the difference 
Lovely test, though we will be concentrating on fulfilling orders first.
The latest from Matthew:
LATEST UPDATE
Just to keep you all in the loop...
At the moment, we are slightly ahead of schedule in the transition from resin to metal. Production moulds for the Romulan squadron set are already complete and we will have a plentiful supply of this set by Tuesday/Wednesday next week. We are already well on our way to bringing other sets online, both squadron and fleet, and we'll keep you informed as to when they are ready.
We will also have singles ready earlier than planned, beyond those found in the squadron sets. The Klingon FD-7, for example, will likely be available next week as well.
By this time next week, around 90% of all Federation fleets sets pre-ordered in the US and Canada will either be in our customers' hands or be in the post on the way to them. Once again, I'll update you on the other sets as they start moving out, but they are now only days away.
We have a provisional date of around March 12th as to when we start shipping to distributors world-wide (again, a little earlier than we had expected), but we will confirm this a little closer to the time as we wish to build stocks up first.
Finally, the first metals arrived in the UK earlier today - you will have a chance to see them if you are attending Cavalier (http://www.twws.org.uk/cavalier2012.htm) this weekend, but a Federation Battlecruiser is already on its way to our painter, and we'll do some side-by-side comparisons hopefully next week. However, looking at a metal Ramius right now, there is _no_ loss of detail whatsoever.
More news as it comes in!
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Matthew Sprange
From Matthew at Mongoose about Starline 2500 minis:
More News As It Comes In.......
More people in the UK will be receiving Federation fleet sets today and/or tomorrow, and another wave will be going out on Friday - this will cover around 90% of all open orders for Federation sets, and the rest will be covered by the restock we take in next week.
At that time, we are also expecting to see the first Klingon and (hopefully) Romulan fleet sets. We expect to cover all pre-orders for those within a week of the first sets arriving.
US pre-orders are also moving out and we are expecting them to be fulfilled at about the same time.
'Single' ships for all three fleets will be going out throughout this period.
After that point, we will be fortified in depth with Federation, Klingon and Romulan Squadron and Fleet sets, and will be starting work on the new fleets. Unless anything changes on the design front, these will be turned round extremely quickly (it takes us about a week to prep all the production moulds for a single fleet set).
We are just waiting for the Federation decalsd/transfers to arrive from print - we should have them in our hands next week. Give us a week to get copies to ADB in the States, and then they will go on official release on both web sites.
The latest word from Matthew:
Latest Update...
We are just about there!
The last of the pre-ordered Federation fleet sets are either on their way to players now, or on their way to the UK office where they will be quickly dispatched next week.
The Klingon squadron/fleet sets (along with the Federation) will start shipping to distrobutors around the end of the week after next. By this time, all pre-ordered Klingon and Romulan fleet sets will be in the post or already at your doors.
The Romulan squadron/fleet sets will go into distribution two weeks after that.
Then, it will be back to the release schedule, which will get updated for Star Fleet this afternoon. There will be a few little surprises going up on the site today.early next week as well, with some new ships that you have not seen yet - they will be available (and dispatched!) for mail order next month.
Once again, apologies for all these delays, but we are finally 'there' with just the last production moulds being created for the fleet sets, and then it is full bore on actual production (which is a hell of a lot quicker than pure resin sets).
Oh, and nearly forgot! The Federation transfers/decals are in, as soon as ADB get theirs (on their way today), we will be able to ship these as well.
_________________
Matthew Sprange
Matthew posted this on Mongoose's forums:
We now have large stocks of Federation and Klingon squadron and fleet sets (the Klingons proved a little slower than we liked, primarily because of the resin C8, but we have all new production moulds for those and they are now streaming out). As I type, there is a big box of Klingon fleet sets in the air over the Atlantic, and as soon as they arrive at our HQ a little later this week, people in the UK, Europe and 'ROW' will starting seeing messages that their sets are on their way to them. We will be getting another such shipment next week which will complete the stock levels we need to complete all mail orders, even those that are placed this week and, beyond that point, we should be on a turnaround time of a few days, and then down to our normal 24 hours.
Federation and Klingon Fleet and Squadron sets are also being shipped to distributors, and will start arriving next week. There is a 'street date' of the 20th for the sale of these at the retail end. We'll see who keeps to that...
Our friends at Amarillo Design Bureau will be receiving their first batch within the next few days.
Romulan fleet sets are about to start main production - we are just waiting on the final production moulds of the 'Hawk' series to be completed (will take about a day to finish after everything is out the door this week), and then these will start moving out as well. I would expect the first to leave our doors next week (we have a fighting chance of getting all pre-ordered Romulan fleets out next week, but I won't promise that just yet!). Romulan fleets will be in stores 2 weeks after the Klingons and Federation. That, I can promise.
After that, the mountain has basically been scaled, and we will switch back from 'emergency mode.' The first three Squadron and Fleet sets will be in stock, in depth, in both the UK and US and be subject to our normal 24 hour turnaround on orders.
The next set of new models will already have production moulds by this time, and will include the Kzinti squadron and fleet sets, and Federation reinforcements. No dates set yet, but these will start to appear in stores next month, and I would not be surprised to see us fulfilling pre-orders before the end of this month (you really will start to see things speed up from now on).
There is a good chance that you may see some or all of these models for sale at Salute, but we'll see how it goes (there is an outside chance that Judge Dredd fans may see the Manta Prowl Tank at Salute, but that will really be pushing it!).
As a forewarning, the Gorn fleet and squadron sets may be a little delayed as we have agreed a revision of the entire line with ADB. We are still planning on a June release, but we will be reliant on the speed of the rapid prototypers for this - at the moment, I would give it a 90% chance of making the date.
There will also be a veritable slew of various squadron sets coming out over the next few months, leading up to the release of the first supplement for A Call to Arms: Star Fleet at the bottom end of the year. We are still agreeing content with ADB, but I can reveal it will contain expanded fleet lists for both Tholians and Orions, including the ability for the former to make webs!
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Matthew Sprange
The latest from Matthew:
Latest Sit Rep...
As of today, every Klingon set due to be shipped from the UK is now in the post. This covers the UK, Europe and 'ROW.' The US warehouse is in a similar position, and will complete their shipping this week.
Here in the UK we have literally a handful of open orders for Fed fleet sets, Klingon squadrons amd a few singles - we have run dry on stocks of these but will be replenished in a few days. We will dispatch them immediatly. So, if you are waiting, you won't be waiting long.
We are a tad behind on the Romulan fleets (squadron sets fully in stock) due to some mould complications and I am hoping to hear they will start shipping this week. We don't anticipate any issues on production and are looking to get through these in just a few days.
At which point, we will be fully up to date!
I'll have news on new squadron and fleet sets soon...
_________________
Matthew Sprange
Matthew Sprange reports:
We are very grateful for your patience - but we are also happy to announce that the first waves of A Call to Arms: Star Fleet are now not only available via mail order but, from this week on, will also be in your local stores! This includes;
A Call to Arms: Star Fleet Core Rulebook
Federation Fleet Set
Federation Squadron Set
Klingon Fleet Set
Klingon Squadron Set
The official street date is Friday 20th, but we have heard some stores have already received their stock.
You can see the full range at http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/miniatures/ctastarfleet.html
The Romulan Fleet and Squadron sets will appear in stores mid-May, and the rest of the range (including new squadron sets and the Kzinti fleet) will be hot on their heels!
Quality control report on Mongoose: We got 90 Romulan "singles" today (the smaller ones are actually doubles). Of these, 89 packs (119 of 120 actual ships) passed quality control. Whatever fire Matthew lit in Ohio seems to have worked, at least this time.
That amounts to 10 pairs of snipes, 10 pairs of skyhawks, 10 pairs of battlehawks, plus 10 each of war eagle, firehawk, sparrowhawk, fasthawk, king eagle. and 9 Royalhawks.
Folks, remember that the way it works in the book world (and I assume in the gaming world) is that the customer pays $20 for the book. The store only paid $10 for the book they got from the distributor. The distributor only paid $5 for the book it got from the manufacturer. The manufacturer only gets about $2.50 profit from that book -- and that is if he priced it correctly. If he didn't and that book cost $5 to produce, then he's losing money as he still has to pay someone to package the book and postage to ship it. Don't forget that for us, Paramount also gets its cut.
We either had the option of ending sales to stores (and that would go over like a lead balloon) or losing money on each sale to the distributor. No one likes raising prices. However, we need to stay in business and losing money on each sale isn't the way to do it.
The rest of the core book releases should be out in September!
NO MORE RESIN FROM ADB:
We had some of the original resin ships in stock for months but when people were offered a choice they always took metal. I said several weeks ago that if you want them, get them now.
We will, probably today or tomorrow, mail back to Mongoose all of our resin ships (except for those dreadnoughts done only in resin). If you always meant to order some, you might phone Leanna RIGHT THE HECK NOW (if she's not in, ask Mike) but otherwise you can ask Mongoose if they have any.
They're just complicating our inventory system and nobody wanted them.
UPDATE: Matthew says he doesn't intend to sell any more white resin ships other than DNs so no point in asking them about those.