I'm sure they would bring it back if they could--by which I mean I don't brink they'd have taken it down without a compelling reason, from their point of view.

I can't, for the life of me, figure out what that would be though. I've heard potential copyright laws but I really can't make sense of that.

I mean all the threads still exist, they just fell off the map on the main sub-forum. Whatever violations were being committed can be still be committed here, so what gives? Furthermore, if it was a moderating tactic, it was a foolish one. If you want to keep on eye on a potentially dangerous needle, don't store it in a haystack.

I mentioned this in an off-topic thread, and I'll start off by saying I'm not a lawyer and I have zero actual information. But here's my guess.

Remember the weird bit in the tournament rules about not being able to modify the shape of minis? That's obviously a licensing thing. And it's a great fit for the little bit I know about the Star Wars license: under any management, Lucasfilm is interested in making sure their recognizable properties stay recognizable.

Over here, though, FFG is expressing explicit support for painting and modding by providing a forum where people can talk about and show off those things. Notably, it's not the content that's a problem--a reasonable person wouldn't expect FFG to control what people do with the minis. But a reasonable person might conclude that FFG condones or supports it, and that introduces ambiguity where the license doesn't tolerate it.

So either FFG's lawyers did a review and concluded it was a risk, or Disney's lawyers asked them politely to cut it out. Either way, the result is what we see now: the content is all still here, but it no longer has a dedicated forum. That lets FFG quietly continue accommodate their fans, while also providing plausible deniability--again, they want to establish that a reasonable person would conclude they're in the business of protecting Lucasfilm's recognizable properties.

This makes sense, but there is something which does not click. If this was really the reason, then any painting/mod thread would have to be forbidden too. Nevertheless, they are floating around.

If a person chooses to upload a photo of ship (we'll say it's an A-wing painted green), and a Disney lawyer see's it, and he complains to FFG about it, then FFG can claim we can't control what a person post, and if the Disney lawyer pressed the issue then that certain post would be removed.(because FFG is supposed to do their job moderating the forums, and Disney could sue them for failing to do that duty).

If FFG has a painting sub-forum, Disney could sue them for money for trying to distort the image of the Star wars product.

A person is protected by the Bill of rights, a corporation/company is not.

I actually loved the painting sub-forum, and I am saddened to see it disappear. At least the posts are still up.

Bring it back FFG, please !

Remember the weird bit in the tournament rules about not being able to modify the shape of minis? That's obviously a licensing thing.

Never struck me as a licensing thing. Struck me as stopping modification of the minis to the point of being unrecognisable or appearing as another ship and deriving an advantage from thus thing, and maybe a modification of the minis to the point where you can't tell if the starting point was an official FFG miniature thing.

Well.

I can see the issue with having highly modified models in Tournaments.

However the Painting Forum was something of a creative outlet.

Using an artistic flare and add your own touch to a model.

Or create a more perfect version of a specific star wars vehicle

ie.....Luke and Wedge, Corran Horn, and so on.

Yes for Tournament games

Stick to the Rules.....But for those games with freinds and fun club meets.... A little pinash and creativity adds that extra sparkle.

If the other player is OK with it.

" Wouldn't it be boring if we all looked the same ? "

And I will say this.

Yes,

The Models are fantastic and already well painted.

And most of my models are untouched for that reason....they look great.

However.

For those of us that love to spend hours adding extra detail,or converting some of them into something more.

Adding that extra flare with a new paint job.

Is a great way to expand on an already great Hobby.

It's a chance for a community of people to admire each others work.

Let imagination and creativity flourish.

Or Just Tell a young Han Solo that he can't Modify his Stock YT 1300 because the rules won't allow it.

What I mean by that is,

It's part of the genre to take a ship.....and modify it.

All those pirate Z95's

The many Cards in X wing showing so many different paint Schemes.

Having a single forum for this.

Allows us to easily view and marvel at each others models.

I will add my voice. Bring it back.

My speculation: someone at Disney / LFL got pissed off by the way official model were transformed into something non-official, and demanded the forum to be closed. Otherwise I don't see any good reason for something that didn't hurt anyone to be erased. It'd have been nice to have an official explanation, tho

In any case, I add my voice to the OP in the plea to have the forum back. I'm a disaster at painting, but I loved skimming through what some very talented individuals did in the years

I'm inclined to believe it had nothing to do with repainting/modding FFG models as its been stated. All those posts are still floating around in the main forum. So obviously, there was little to no legal issue there. What I noticed in the sub and believe to be the issue, were several posts regarding completely unrelated, non-FFG, non-StarWars models/toys being displayed and used in the game. IP from other companies. Which either FFG had a problem with or those other IP holders had noticed and sent legal notice to FFG. Those posts (the 1 or 2 I can remember) are no longer searchable or found in the main forum.

What is confusing, is what makes forcing everyone to post into the main forum any easier to police than allowing a subforum. Unless its purely a matter of human time requrired to search multiple areas. Any automated process surely doesn't care where its at.

If they could, they would. Why would you go through the effort of shutting it down if you didn't have to?

I approve of this topic.

Hi Sythethix.

I Think you are closer to the Answer....as I have thought.

However at the moment it is pure speculation.

I just hope FFG reply to my email as to why

Or

Perhaps a Moderator could enlighten those of us that are in the dark over this matter.

And just a thought.

If it is an issue with unlicensed products in the Painting Forum

Wouldn't it be easier to police it in one area instead of the Vastness of the main Forum.

And then we could enjoy each others work in one area.

And give every one else back the main forum for general topics.....as it should be

Just a thought.

Hey Macross.

Glad to have your vote here!

I'm inclined to believe it had nothing to do with repainting/modding FFG models as its been stated. All those posts are still floating around in the main forum. So obviously, there was little to no legal issue there. What I noticed in the sub and believe to be the issue, were several posts regarding completely unrelated, non-FFG, non-StarWars models/toys being displayed and used in the game. IP from other companies. Which either FFG had a problem with or those other IP holders had noticed and sent legal notice to FFG. Those posts (the 1 or 2 I can remember) are no longer searchable or found in the main forum.

What is confusing, is what makes forcing everyone to post into the main forum any easier to police than allowing a subforum. Unless its purely a matter of human time requrired to search multiple areas. Any automated process surely doesn't care where its at.

Again, I don't think it was the content of the forum that caused a problem. FFG has a limited degree of control over what people post, and no control at all over what people do with the models they buy.

But having a separate part of the forum for painting, modding, and scratchbuilding could, legalistically, indicate FFG's support for those things. And if the license says that (e.g.) FFG has to work to keep the shape of a TIE fighter consistent with every other licensed depiction, then they can't afford to risk the license by doing anything that could be perceived to endorse modding and scratch building.

And I will say this.

Yes,

The Models are fantastic and already well painted.

And most of my models are untouched for that reason....they look great.

However.

For those of us that love to spend hours adding extra detail,or converting some of them into something more.

Adding that extra flare with a new paint job.

Is a great way to expand on an already great Hobby.

It's a chance for a community of people to admire each others work.

Let imagination and creativity flourish.

Or Just Tell a young Han Solo that he can't Modify his Stock YT 1300 because the rules won't allow it.

What I mean by that is,

It's part of the genre to take a ship.....and modify it.

All those pirate Z95's

The many Cards in X wing showing so many different paint Schemes.

Having a single forum for this.

Allows us to easily view and marvel at each others models.

Here at Boss=Central we have extra rules and upgrades and such, because we grew up with STAR WARS and we know how to make a great game a little better. Example: X-Wings... people hate them now, or so meta-talk says. I love X-WINGS because I am smart enough to make little cards and titles on my own.

Tournament play is the reason the extra fun you describe here is not allowed for.

I dig, and I did it for years myself. There needs to be order in these events.

Now I am older and settled and just enjoy the game and modeling for it's own sake. I do not need to come on here and cry about a ship needing fix-fix-fix and nerf-nerf-nerf. I'll do it myself. When FFG comes out with an official real solution I will use that too.

The customs board was the place to get STAR WARS ON FFG STYLE, while staying way-away from all of the small fuss and bother; the daily noise of the meta-talk-tournament prep and repetitive complaining.

I think it was the most fun and active sub-forum this site had in the two plus years I have been here anyway, it was.. Because there are a lot of 20 to 50 year olds on here that just love STAR WARS because we grew up with it.

I had not been into miniatures games for years until FFG made X-WING.

I am here for everything now, even Vorpal Snark and some drive-by STAW Hater rants.

That custom-sub-forum was pretty darned nice!

I also approve of this topic. Bring it back!

I agree.

+1 Bring it back.

+1 Bring it back.

Yup!

+1

Seriously guys, if they could they would. Why would they go through the effort of getting rid of it if they didn't have to?

That is what a lot of us are aiming to find out !

As there is no reason why it was taken away.

Only speculation.

And if you don't ask.

You won't know the answer.

No harm in trying

To find out why it was Removed.

And see what can be done to bring it back.

That's why.

Would be nice if the painting forum was back. It just makes sense. This is a miniature based game. Yes the miniatures come pre-painted, but some people out there like to customise & paint said miniatures. It's part of the hobby. But apparently not part of the FFG forums any more. 8[

+1 to bringing it back.

Seriously guys, if they could they would. Why would they go through the effort of getting rid of it if they didn't have to?

This is how we let them know what is important to us. Which may eventually make its way to someone that can make the call and we may get the sub forum back. Worst case we don't get it best we do. That's worth a little effort in my book.

Perhaps a company which has a license to make Star wars model kits is crying foul over how painting x-wing minis muddles the line between miniature and model kit.

Bring it back already!