Plastic Playing Pieces

It should be noted that these are sister ships. The Lutzow(originally Deutschland) was the first in the class of panzerschiff (armored ship). She was followed by the Scheer & the Graf Spee

C_Strabala
I’m aware of this.  I have Jane’s Fighting Ships of WWII.  Even though they are sister ship they all look different.  That’s why I listed them.

Making custom units like mechanized infantry and air transports would be a terrible mistake.

TG Moses VI
We all have our own ideas of what we like and not everyone is going to agree on the same thing.  If you have a disagreement with someone that’s fine but be nice about it.  But don’t insult me or others by calling their idea a “Terrible Mistake”.  Just because you post on here frequently doesn’t mean all of your idea’s are always correct or the most popular.  For the most part, everyone on this forum are nice people and respectful of one another, even when they disagree.  I would appreciate if you followed this lead.

Now my reason for wanting special units are because I want pieces that are difficult to find.  That will entice me to buy these.  If it’s just the same old pieces then I probably won’t buy it because I already have them.  The only exception to this is if the pieces are of high quality like the GHQ miniatures.  Then I will buy them.

Since FMG will be making them.  Ultimately the decision will be theirs.

I think that list above is a bit too much.

Well I did say it was a wish list.  No harm in shooting for the moon.  :-D

Lets give them practical suggestions. Pretend you had a budget only for 12 new molds. Decide and fill the obvious immediate problems and add a few other candidates. Dont be concerned with the actual pieces at this point ( Graf Spee, SU-155 etc).

The first batch has to have maximum success in order for other sets to follow. The molds cost thousands so they need the best choices and not wish lists.

just my suggestion.

Lets give them practical suggestions. Pretend you had a budget only for 12 new molds. Decide and fill the obvious immediate problems and add a few other candidates. Dont be concerned with the actual pieces at this point ( Graf Spee, SU-155 etc).

I here you IL.  My list is primarily for reference.  If I were considering making new units those would be my choices.  Maybe if FMG can give us some parameters as to what is feasible then I think it would help us provide more useful suggestion.  If 12 new units is the most they can do financially for now, then I can narrow my list and suggestions to their needs.

By the way, I agree with most of your list but why do you want the Kongo for the Japanese when they already have the Yamato?  Just curious.

Field Marshal,
If you do make ships, here are my suggestions.  For BB I would choose ships with 3 barrels per turret or 2 barrels but with 4 turrets.  For CA, 2 barrels per turret with 2 turrets at the bow and 1 at the stern.  For DD, 1 barrel per turret and 1 turret at the bow and one at the stern.  And of course make the sizes more distinct between one another.  I think these features will help make the ships more distinguishable from one another.  My ship list above are already set with these conditions.

Thanks

By the way, I agree with most of your list but why do you want the Kongo for the Japanese when they already have the Yamato?  Just curious.

The Japanese had 2 Yamato class BB’s, the other 16 or so Battleships looked like the quintessential 'pagoda" style ship typified by the Kongo class Battlecruiser. The Yamato was a poor choice and id give Japan two types of BB to use making the Yamato a “super-battleship”

I dont think all of the Italian pieces should be redone. Nothing wrong with the tank, destroyer or infantry. Italy did use some Me-109 designs so its not needed, but the BB, CA, SS, and Bomber and artillery should all be redone properly.

Keep the original colors as the game. most people wont be repainting them Grey. And you will now be forcing everybody to repaint the original pieces.

On the subject of colors, it would be nice if there could be a fairly wide range of them.  Different colors (and/or different shades of the same color) have been used for each of the five major countries in the various A&A games, which is annoying in terms of consistency but useful for people who use the extra colors to represent additional countries as needed.  So one suggestion would be to ensure that, for each of the five major countries, there are pieces available in at least one of the colors which have been used most extensively for them (and ideally in both of the top two colors, where applicable).  My own preferences in those five cases would be:

USA - Green (medium)

UK - Tan (medium) or Beige (light)

USSR - Brown (dark or medium) or Maroon/purple

Germany - Grey (dark) or Black

Japan - Burt orange (dark) or Yellow/amber (medium)

It would also be good if these could be supplemented with other colors, to represent additional countries – preferably colors which are fairly distinct from the ones listed above.  A color scheme that I like to use, for example, is blue for France, light grey for Italy, red for China (in the last case, by using the red Japanese pieces from A&A:Pacific) and white for neutral countries.

CWO Marc

there’s so many different opinions floating around in this thread, and i think it’s getting a bit overwhelming

i think we need to hold a vote/poll to decide on a starting point. personally, i agree with moses. we should just replace all of the units provided with AA50, as the whole reason for this thread starting was that players were unhappy with the over-all quality of these base pieces

but i can also see why some others would prefer to simply add new units to the existing base pieces

just think, though, that if you just add on to AA50 with new pieces, the colour/size/feel/weight/etc will be noticable. do you all really not mind if your new pieces are noticably different to your base pieces? i know i would, hence thinking a re-cast of all base units would be a better starting point. if this will be expensive, focuse on one nation or one unit-type at a time

what does FMG think? if they’re the ones that are going to be going through with the final design, then they should definitely have some input into what that design is

I am with IL on this.

New Italian Battleship, Cruiser, Transport, bomber and artillery.

……so we are at 5 new sculpts

Now we need a halftrack piece and a truck piece for both axis and allied mech infantry

now at 7

give the japanese the kongo battleship

make a generic Blockhouse piece in grey (same color as AA-guns and factories)

we at 9

one new sculpt for jet fighters one axis ( me-262) one allied ( glouchester meteor) and a V-2 rocket for techs

12 total for first set. done. and I will buy this.

Bad vibrations, Moses, bad vibrations  :-(

Are these prices to have them made in the US or China?  Also, when were these prices quoted?  The way the economy is right now I’m sure you can negotiate a lower price but it’s still going to be expensive.

Just out of curiosity, when they say 48 cavity molds, do they mean 48 units in one mold or 48 molds?

i think moses has got the right idea about how this should be approached

if this kicks straight off with pieces to cover technologies and doesn’t focuse on the main issue of original piece quality, then i doubt i’ll be ordering any. but if we get a mix of both, then everyone is (should) be happy  :wink:

Hello all,
     I have been watching the thread daily.  Thanks for all the great ideas.  Next weekend I will be meeting with Craig at the Niagara Board Game weekend, there we will go over all these and discuss the best options.

I appreciate all the help being given here and EVERY idea is a good one, unfortunately…  I am not a millionaire so we will have to keep the scale of the first Edition within reason and cost limits.

My Goal so far is the following:  (I am still working with factory on cost)

1. To make a FULL set for each Nation in AA50.  Better quality and greater quantity than provided in the stock game.  These can fully replace the stock units OR complement them.

2. To add two additional colors for expansions ie; BLUE for France and one other color with general sculpts to be used as Neutrals or other nation as required by expansion.

3. To add some new SPECIAL Expansion units to the game.  “Why would some one buy this?” Something new will give the set greater appeal to the general public and and help pay of the cost of the production investment.

So far I think these should be:

a) The Truck or Half track unit
b) The bunker unit
c) The commander unit
d) The Rocket unit (Maybe… I just think it is cool)
e) Transport Plane
f) Other…??? (we will all figure this out)

This list is not final.  But after reading the entire thread this is my starting point…  which I am sure will evolve.

Craig asked me to comment so here is some dollar figures.
Production costs for injection molded plastic pieces.  The cost is set per hour at about $75. Also figure in a $400 set-up fee. You can expect 144 shots per hour.  The number of pieces does not make much difference in the production costs.  So if you shot one piece at a time it will cost you 52 cents each.  I am currently working on a 48 cavity mold and expect the cost to complete the mold at around $65,000.
Consider this cheap as I do all my own piece and mold designing and contract friends who do the work on the side.
The idea of 500 interested people putting up $50 each = $25,000

So you’re talking about 2000 sets sold just to break even.  Not more than 10 people have agreed to plunk down money for these pieces.

I think in this case for at least the first batch, you may want to first finalize the actual sculpts, then make a P2000 list with prepaid orders that would be charged only when the pieces are ready to ship.

So get about 2,000 orders first that would be filled and that includes credit card numbers…everything… You can take this to a bank and they may give you a loan because its showing you got orders to fill and its not a pipe dream.

Id post it on your side and ill sticky the information here.

Also working with table tactics would be good because they already have many pieces already done, so to split the seed money would secure a more solid investment.

Table Tactics make poor quality