Federation Commander

[Mxslade]

Any timeline on when the Monster box comes out?

[Darkbridger]

Monster box? What's that?

[MikePowers]

It's a box 'o monsters.

[Darkbridger]

Oh, miniatures for things like the Space Dragon and such? That would be cool... didn't realize such a thing was on the production schedule. I should probably visit the other site more often.

[Vanessa]

Monster what? I guess this is something that SVC has left off the production list...I'll ask about it Monday when he's back in the office, but as of right now...I've got a list of what's coming out for the next 6 months and even through the greater part of next year and this is the first I've heard of it. Not a good thing if it's a valid product, for the marketing director to NOT know. lol...I've kept SVC pretty busy since I came on board...then he kept me busy getting things ready for his trip to Europe...I'll find out...

[terryoc]

Vanessa, the Monster Box is a box set of miniatures for the monsters featured in FC, like a squadron box only... monstrous SVC's mentioned the Monster Box a few times. I think it will be a while before it comes out. Most of the miniatures that will be in it still have to be sculpted AFAIK. It's probably not on the schedule yet because of that.
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[Vanessa]

LMAO...it isn't on any schedule. Must be on the "one day" list. Lol, SVC is having to learn to change the "one day" list to actual schedule with me...I tap my watch and ask for 6 months worth of future product at a time. I can tell you what the "definites" are for the next few months. But then SVC may clobber me...he hates me keeping him on a schedule.

[Darkbridger]

[Vanessa]

[Steve Cole]

Monster box, two of them, are on the "sometime, perhaps soon" list. They are not "scheduled" products.

One would have space dragons (we'll just pick stuff already in production out of the Reaper catalog). In theory we could "sort this out" in a few hours and announce it for Feb or March or April.

The other will involve monsters made for us by sculptors. The first two (planet killer and moray eel) are done. We'll need several more including the amoeba and death probe and maybe another one. This one depends on when sculptors send us workable models. Once we have those, 90 days for the wholesalers (well, one of them) to get it into their books and away we go. Maybe it could happen by Origins, but that's not a promise or a schedule. I cannot make promises based on what some sculptor might or might do nor not do at some future or very distant date.

As for Vanessa's big client, that plan works only because they're "re-releasing" all of the FedCom stuff for the last year as new products to their stores. We can easily do things on time that are already on the market and we can obviously provide them with art for products already in production.

Only one wholesaler needs 90 days advance notice, another wants 60, and most of the rest are happy with 30 or 10. But that one wholesaler sets the tune for the whole industry, like it or not, and that is not a good thing. We cannot afford to finish a product and then let it sit in the warehouse 90 days so every manufacturer ends up guessing when an unfinished product will be finished and what will be in it and get the cover art done and approved three months early (and the artists expect to be paid on delivery not publication). It's a BAD way to run an industry but it can't be changed because the one wholesaler who writes the rules for all the others cannot grasp that even their stores don't want or need or use 90 days notice. The industry changed about 18 months ago and the "pre-order model" is just no longer used. We sold that wholesaler three copies of FedCom:KB in the 30 days after it was released for every one of their pre-orders. They just don't get it.

Anyway, the theory is that by the middle of 2007 we will be on a "normal" (if archaic and stupid) schedule system and will have art and content down solid 90 days in advance.

The list Vanessa speaks of (one I have posted on the other BBS) is the stuff we KNOW will come out because there is nothing to really stop them. These are mostly FedComm products under our control. The list is not complete but it IS all I'm comfortable with announcing right now. In theory, we will have several RPG books during April-May-June but until I have complete drafts in hand I have no plans to announce them (for 90 days after I have complete drafts in hand).
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[Nerroth]

When the space dragons get done, could it be possible to ask the sculptor to include optional 'metal hull' modules, to allow the dragons to represent the Branthodon warships from Omega 4?


Gary
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FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[MikePowers]

Or possibly we could make monster miniatures out of hot dogs.

[guentherm]

[Steve Cole]

I don't think I want to include branthodon backpacks in the dragon box. For one thing, very few players would want them. For another, it would take three or four months to get them done, and we'd have to invest about $500 just to get the molds done so that we could include a couple of small parts that 3% of the audience would even want. Better to let you get some ribbon epoxy and take your own best shot.
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The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander

[Nerroth]

Maybe include a note indicating their usefulness as ships for the Branthodon fleet - as well as a picture or two showing a sample conversion to represent the backpacks?


Gary
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FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion