Re: Field Marshal Games Pieces Project Discussion thread

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I hope to have more info on Germany soon.

I have a question about the Italian Semovente piece.  Is it a 75/18 or a 105/25?

HBG lists it as a 75/18.  The 75/18 uses the same base as the M13/40 tank, but the FMG piece is clearly wider.  At first I thought this was to allow the player to use them as heavy units.  But the proportions are different, the Semovente piece is wider, but not longer.

Upon further investigation, I’m pretty sure it’s actually a Semovente 105/25 which was built on a widened tank hull.  It’s a nice choice in that it was the best Italian AFV of the war.  However, only 3 dozen(ish) were made before Italy surrendered and they were only used in the defense of Rome (against the Germans, for a few days).  The Germans siezed 26 of them and had 91 more built.  So if it is a 105/25, its use in the game is more of a “what if”, which is fine (and the same can be said of OOB Japanese carrier class, the only one of that type was sunk before completion).

Side note:  Another fun one is the OOB Japanese transport class.  It is actually an American ship, and Japan had just one of that type.  It was a US military transport ship from WWI that was sold to a private British firm after 1918.  It was on a charter in Japan when hostilities broke out between Japan and the Allies, and it was siezed by Japan for transport use.  It’s my favorite OOB piece just because of the story behind it.

Just a small update.  The factory has reported that they have completed the GERMANY Mold.  Looks like production will not be finished before the Chinese NEW YEAR.  I hope to have finished samples to show you soon however.

Aside:  We are now working with a second factory on the other sets.  The current factory is too slow and unresponsive.  We hope this will speed up the project and allow us to see it complete in 2012

Jeremy, that’s great news! And about time too…  :-)

Wow, a factory replacement to speed up production sounds like a great idea. For FMG and all of us gamers I hope this works out!

“Tall Paul”

Yeah, production delays are bad enough.  It would at least be nice if you had a factory that will answer when you e-mail or call them and give you some kind of answers.

So this new factory will be handling the molds for the future sets – USA, UK, etc.  What will happen with the molds for Italy and Germany?  Do they remain with the first factory?  Assuming you still have plans for creating the German Combat Units in Black after the Grey is complete, will the first factory still make them?

What about future orders for Italian or German combat units, or combat dice?  Doesn’t the first factory have all that equipment?

@knp7765:

Yeah, production delays are bad enough.  It would at least be nice if you had a factory that will answer when you e-mail or call them and give you some kind of answers.

So this new factory will be handling the molds for the future sets – USA, UK, etc.  What will happen with the molds for Italy and Germany?  Do they remain with the first factory?  Assuming you still have plans for creating the German Combat Units in Black after the Grey is complete, will the first factory still make them?

What about future orders for Italian or German combat units, or combat dice?  Doesn’t the first factory have all that equipment?

We will be working with the first factory still for GERMANY and ITALY.  If it gets really bad then we will have the new factory pick-up the molds.  I have given the old factory a final deadline for the delivery of GERMANY…  If they miss it then it is their last FMG project.

Also remember that they messed up the ELITE COMBAT DICE and have still not delivered the replacements!!!

It was time for a move.

@FieldMarshalGames:

We will be working with the first factory still for GERMANY and ITALY.  If it gets really bad then we will have the new factory pick-up the molds.  I have given the old factory a final deadline for the delivery of GERMANY…  If they miss it then it is their last FMG project.

Also remember that they messed up the ELITE COMBAT DICE and have still not delivered the replacements!!!

It was time for a move.

Oh yeah, and I was really looking forward to those ELITE COMBAT DICE too.  GRRRRR!  Any idea when they will be finished?

Well, it sounds like you are getting things better under control.  I sure hope the new factory treats you better.  I didn’t realize that you could have the molds for Italy and Germany transferred to the new factory.  Then again, even though the first factory got the molds forged, FMG actually PAID for them and therefore owns those molds, right?  So I guess you could have them taken to any facotry you wanted to.  I guess it’s the same for whatever equipment they use to make COMBAT DICE too, right?  That actually belongs to FMG.  Boy you guys are investing in a lot of stuff that is being kept in another country.

@knp7765:

@FieldMarshalGames:

I didn’t realize that you could have the molds for Italy and Germany transferred to the new factory.  Then again, even though the first factory got the molds forged, FMG actually PAID for them and therefore owns those molds, right?  So I guess you could have them taken to any facotry you wanted to.  I guess it’s the same for whatever equipment they use to make COMBAT DICE too, right?  That actually belongs to FMG.  Boy you guys are investing in a lot of stuff that is being kept in another country.

The molds are made by another company and then used by the plastics company so yeah, they are owned by FMG.  I imagine the dice use a standard mold and are just made in custom colors with the 1’s silk screened with the roundels instead of a pip, so that mold could be had at any company that does dice.  :)

But I tell you … a mold is definately not a cheap investment.  And shipping them is horrendously expensive (I imagine a single FMG Units mold would weigh a few hundred pounds based on the molds I used to work with in a plastics factory here).

Good to see the plug being pulled on a company with piss poor customer service too … s’about time!

@moralecheck:

I have a question about the Italian Semovente piece.  Is it a 75/18 or a 105/25?

HBG lists it as a 75/18.  The 75/18 uses the same base as the M13/40 tank, but the FMG piece is clearly wider.  At first I thought this was to allow the player to use them as heavy units.  But the proportions are different, the Semovente piece is wider, but not longer.Â

Upon further investigation, I’m pretty sure it’s actually a Semovente 105/25 which was built on a widened tank hull.  It’s a nice choice in that it was the best Italian AFV of the war.  However, only 3 dozen(ish) were made before Italy surrendered and they were only used in the defense of Rome (against the Germans, for a few days).  The Germans siezed 26 of them and had 91 more built.  So if it is a 105/25, its use in the game is more of a “what if”, which is fine (and the same can be said of OOB Japanese carrier class, the only one of that type was sunk before completion).

OK, it’s confirmed.  The barrel of the 75/18 does not extend beyond the front of the hull, but 105/25 does.  Given the width of the hull and lenght of the barrel, the FMG piece is actually the 105/25.

I just finished a 1/350 scale model of the Graf Spee and set it next to my model of the Bismarck.  The size difference is nearly identical to FMG’s sculpts for the German set.  Pretty cool.

Hey knp7765, those look great. If anything, I would say that FMG should consider raising the structures on the tops of their Cruiser and Battleship units, as they seem a bit low compared to the deck base. What do you think?

I don’t know, they look pretty okay to me in that regard.  I think it’s really hard to make all the little distances just right at such a small scale.  The Bismarck was a pretty sleek looking ship with a fairly low superstructure anyway, at least when compared to some other battleships used in the same period.  Plus, if you make them much taller, you run the risk of making them somewhat goofy looking.

I would prefer that they concentrate on the 2nd & 3rd gun turrets to make sure they are elevated above the 1st and 4th turrets, so we don’t have the same situation as we had with the Italians’ battleship where the 2nd turret was on the same level as the 1st turret.

Completely agree with everything you just said.

Hey Jeremy,

It’s been three weeks; how are things coming along with the FMG Germany Combat Units project? Any word from the Chinese factory recently? Do you have any finished samples you could show us? We wait eagerly…  :-)

Thank you so much.

@Lozmoid:

Hey Jeremy,

It’s been three weeks; how are things coming along with the FMG Germany Combat Units project? Any word from the Chinese factory recently? Do you have any finished samples you could show us? We wait eagerly…  :-)

Thank you so much.

They just got off Holiday this week.  Remember the Chinese New Year is a TWO WEEK National Holiday there.

I hope to have news soon.

FMG that move to the other company can’t happen soon enough. This waiting is the pits. Hope the wait is worth it and they don’t screw it up again.

@GoSanchez6:

FMG that move to the other company can’t happen soon enough. This waiting is the pits. Hope the wait is worth it and they don’t screw it up again.

I have some news…  reluctant to share however due to the lashing I got last time.

Things ARE moving.

Ooh! Have you gotten any pics of finished German units?

Outstanding FMG looking forward to it. Thank you again.