Question is in the thread title: Would you still buy and play X-Wing if the ships came unpainted?

The question is strictly on painting, everything would already be assembled to the same quality as they are now - just without the paint.

Would you still pay $15 for the basic expansions if they were unpainted?

Would you be happier/more satisfied if expansions cost less without paint jobs?

Would you still enjoy the game if the ships were not painted?

Me, personally, I really appreciate how FFG can price the products so well, especially with the paint jobs. However, I feel like the paint job is just the icing on the cake. We already get FANTASTIC models, the game is fleshed out and successful and their goal of providing everything needed to play at such a low price is respectable for a miniatures game. If the ships came unpainted, I don't think I would have any grief.

For example, IA does not have painted miniatures, but they're still pricing their relatively-sized expansions similarly to X-Wing and it's still popular (I think). I think unpainted ships in X-Wing would benefit people who enjoy the hobby aspect of the game, those who are willing to spend the extra time and money to paint their ships, but it could also benefit the gaming aspect if ships were unpainted and the expansions cost $5-$10 less because of it.

Now, I have no idea whether or not FFG would sell unpainted ships, I'm actually 100% certain that they wouldn't even entertain the idea. But, in an alternate world where X-Wing's franchise was sold unpainted for cheaper or at the same price, would you still bite? Would it still be as popular?

Maybe. Doubtful, though. Part of the reason for this game's success is that it's ready to go out of the box. It wouldn't be as popular otherwise.

As you said this game is fantastic. Regarding the painted ships, I'd like to quote a character from another franchise. "Sauce for the goose". The painted minis are just a bonus.

I don't know if I would have invested as heavily or not. Given that most of my imperial fleet is repainted anyway I probably would still be in as much as I am but I'm pretty confident that popularity would suffer. One of the huge draws is out of the box the models are beautiful and well painted so those who don't enjoy that aspect of the hobby don't have to do anything.

Right now I say I wouldn't pay what we now call MSRP if they came unpainted.

But who knows? This game is really good.. Maybe I would have? Glad I never had to make the decision based on that caveat lol

Probably wouldn't have given the game a second look with unpainted ships.

I'd definitively have bought it if it was all just bases and a cards with no models (assuming that prices were adjusted) but I probably wouldn't have bought into it if the models were unpainted.

Probably not. One of the reasons I got the game in the first place was that, even if I don't get to play much (and I don't), the ships look pretty on my shelf (and they do). So, yea, no, I suppose I wouldn't.

That said, after playing and enjoying X wing and reading about IA, I *might* try my hand at getting it and maybe even painting a couple minis. I'll much more likely get Armada first, tho, and even that is not 100% sure.

After trying 40k, I wouldn't have touched this if I had to paint the minis.

I bought a space combat game not dissimilar to x-wing in the mid-80's that came with 8 unpainted metal miniatures...

...30yrs on, 7 of the 8 are still unpainted, and I've played more games of x-wing in 8mths than I ever played with the other in those 30yrs.

I think the 'complete' gaming experience counts for a great deal...and my regular opponent wouldn't even have considered it without the prepainted minis

I don't think I would be as quick to have picked it up if I knew I had to paint the models.

I have modified a number of ships in small and big ways, but having to do all of them would have been less appealing.

No.

Only if it cost less.

Nah.

It's not that I'm not interested, I'm just not a hobby guy. I bought a ton of stuff for a Warhammer 40k starter army once, ended up painting and assembling one model before scrapping it. I just don't have the patience for that kind of work.

I love a miniatures game that is good to go, right outta the box.

Maybe the Rebel Ghost I would have; but all the others? Nope; they're gorgeous minatures.

Now, maybe. When i first started no. I had no interest in painting and still sometimes do sometimes don't. I bought a falcon for the model, and wouldn't have done so if it had been unpainted, and decided to play the game after that. Between armada & x-wing alone FFG has made a few thousand dollars off of me because i wanted a millennium falcon model. I can't imagine I'm the only one that started this way.

I used to play a couple different minis games that came unpainted, and I enjoyed painting them, but I don't have time for that kind of hobby-within-a-hobby stuff in the last few years. So no, I wouldn't have gotten into X-Wing if the models weren't painted. Even at a lower price point.

Not a chance, no.

Have had a few games in the past where I had to paint the minis, ultimately ended up dumping each of them in turn as it takes more time than I'm willing to spend on it. Then spent a decade or so not playing any miniature games at all, no matter their theme/reviews/etc because I knew full well anything that required painting would be just a non-starter for me.

X-Wing was the first I got back into miniature gaming with, thanks to the pre-painted minis.

No.

No, this was the first miniature game I played and I only got into it because I saw the models and love star wars. Also why I'm not playing imperial assault

No. I love repainting the miniatures but had the ships in the core set been been grey and lifeless, I wouldn't have been so inclined to buy the expansions (which is what really got me into the game).

There is something awesome about being able to take one out of the packaging and boom, you're off to the races.

As an entry level miniatures game? No.

As an experienced miniature gamer? Yes.

The first miniatures games I played were all prepainted. They were just a lot more accessible. Having to learn to paint on top of learning a rule set can be intimidating.

While I now play some games that require painting and building your own figs, those games don't get as much game time because there is so much to prepare. X-Wing is immediately playable.

funny how this kind of topic keeps popping up. And it seems like its basically people wanting cheaper ships. I for one remember the days of "Star fleet battles" you had to paint your own stuff. back then I sucked as a painter and that is the problem some people just suck as painters. A crappy paint job takes away from the game as does a non painted one. So unless FFG were to make a no crappy or non painted ships allowed rule i am against it!!

funny how this kind of topic keeps popping up. And it seems like its basically people wanting cheaper ships. I for one remember the days of "Star fleet battles" you had to paint your own stuff. back then I sucked as a painter and that is the problem some people just suck as painters. A crappy paint job takes away from the game as does a non painted one. So unless FFG were to make a no crappy or non painted ships allowed rule i am against it!!

I agree that the main reaso to want unpainted ships is the perceived reduced cost. However, when you compare the cost of X-Wing to the cost of unpainted games, I really don't think the cost savings would be that significant. X-Wing is already pretty inexpensive to play compared to other collectible games.

No way José.