There has been some nice Decimator paint jobs i have seen in the past. I remember my very first kit tournament, someone there had one where they actually had a small guy standing on the bridge. I wished i had a picture of that to share though.

1 minute ago, Flyingbrick said:

There has been some nice Decimator paint jobs i have seen in the past. I remember my very first kit tournament, someone there had one where they actually had a small guy standing on the bridge. I wished i had a picture of that to share though.

I saw one in the Decimator showcase thread of the Dauntless , battle-damaged and complete with a smashed X-Wing crumpled on its hull. Effing brilliant.

There has been some nice stuff out there. Some of my favorites were when led lights were added to the Falcon and to a-wings for engine glow.

On ‎10‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 2:39 AM, Ikka said:

Truly, it doesn't matter at all to me.

Well, that's handy.

Because. . .

Quote

Frankly, we had this same discussion about the gold Vulture from Adepticon, and it basically will turn out the same way- no one should really care about alt painted ships,

. . .and it came up again.

So people obviously do care.

I'm with @Estarriol that it's annoying, and with @theBitterFig that FFG is depriving the entire community of a chance enjoy a key component of a MINIATURES game.

Alts may not affect play, but full-color, pre-painted miniatures are a key feature of the game, so I think that they are the one component that should be equally available.

5 minutes ago, Darth Meanie said:

Well, that's handy.

Because. . .

. . .and it came up again.

So people obviously do care.

I'm with @Estarriol that it's annoying, and with @theBitterFig that FFG is depriving the entire community of a chance enjoy a key component of a MINIATURES game.

Alts may not affect play, but full-color, pre-painted miniatures are a key feature of the game, so I think that they are the one component that should be equally available, even if they do not affect play.

I'm not criticizing you here, but by that argument why are alt. cards and other components okay, but not models? By that same argument I feel it's not unreasonable to say that we should be upset that the maneuver templates in the core set aren't acrylic as they are a marked improvement in durability for a necessary game component

On 10/23/2019 at 6:07 PM, Blail Blerg said:

While I fully value artists' time as a moral principle, I'm not so hauling in cash just to drop upwards of $50 for a pretty. That makes me kinda sad lol

learning to paint yourself is a pretty rewarding hobby if you have the time. I also craved the choice custom paintjobs but feared the price, so noe I paint my own. to wit a nice pallet of colors from Valejo, Reaper, or Citadel paints, a brush set and primer will set you back around $150, but you can paint dozens of models before needing to spend more. If you have some cheap models to practice on (i used some star wars starship battles minis) then you get good fairly quick. Everyone who paints minis on here used to not paint em, you know? trust in the force Blail

1 minute ago, Nyxen said:

I'm not criticizing you here, but by that argument why are alt. cards and other components okay, but not models? By that same argument I feel it's not unreasonable to say that we should be upset that the maneuver templates in the core set aren't acrylic as they are a marked improvement in durability for a necessary game component

Because it's a miniatures game.

What's shows thru the bubble pack?? The cards?? The dial?? The stands?? Nope. . .it's the mini.

I'm going to spend money getting Phoenix Squadron A-Wings just because of the paint job. As are others. So repainted ships are lost revenue in a way that cards, mats, and the like are not. I was sad when I went to Adepticon and the Vulture was gone because I couldn't be one of the first 100, I'm sad to discover that Repaints As Prizes is now an ongoing thing, and I'll be even more sad to learn that the TIE Fighter just got a regular repaint but then maybe Inferno Squadron TIEs will never be a SKU because they were a convention special.

To me the ship matters most, of all the things in the game. And the only components that survived the transition from 1.0 to 2.0 were the miniatures, so ships are in fact the most important component of the game.

Lastly, as "veteran" player who just went to his FLGS this week to play public XWM for the first time, there is (even for me} a huge intimidation factor to walking up to opponents who have 2017 Championship Mats, swag Force Coins, and Alt Art Cards. So it's a bummer that the ships have gone Elite, too.

1 hour ago, Darth Meanie said:

Lastly, as "veteran" player who just went to his FLGS this week to play public XWM for the first time, there is (even for me} a huge intimidation factor to walking up to opponents who have 2017 Championship Mats, swag Force Coins, and Alt Art Cards.

This is slightly amusing to me just because whenever I go to a tournament and get anything alt art, whether cards or FFG-produced tokens/stuff, I always give it back to my local league so they can use it for prizes. When 2.0 came out I went all in with Curled Paw acrylics and have just added in whatever tokens I've needed like Strain ever since, so I give everything I earn away so that those who don't have the option to get acrylic/want alt art stuff can get it. I've only kept two alt art cards so far- the plastic dual Bounty Hunter/Grey Squadron from my first tournament win and a frosted Guri from my first System Open tournament, as they are pretty special to me as tokens of fun/unique experiences. I've personally just never cared for the alt art stuff, so I give it to people who want it. Same sort of thing for the alt ships- I paint my own so I don't really care if there are "event-exclusive" ships.

I understand people wanting them, but I also understand it from FFG's point of view. They are rewarding those that chose to spend the time and money to go to those big tournaments, giving them something that has no in-game difference (if it did change stats/had an exclusive pilot/upgrade then I would have major issues) that they can show off to recognized their commitment. If you can't/don't want to go to the event, I don't see a point of getting upset that the ship is more expensive than a regular one. Of course there are scalper-types that just get models/cards to make money, but aside from them there are plenty of players that simply choose to defray the costs of going to an event by selling prizes that they don't have a use for.

I'm bitter about it too OP. I could paint my own, I'm pretty handy with a brush. But if I'm going to do that, I'm a half step from painting a batch and selling one online as a deep fake.

3 hours ago, Darth Meanie said:

Because it's a miniatures game.

What's shows thru the bubble pack?? The cards?? The dial?? The stands?? Nope. . .it's the mini.

I'm going to spend money getting Phoenix Squadron A-Wings just because of the paint job. As are others. So repainted ships are lost revenue in a way that cards, mats, and the like are not. I was sad when I went to Adepticon and the Vulture was gone because I couldn't be one of the first 100, I'm sad to discover that Repaints As Prizes is now an ongoing thing, and I'll be even more sad to learn that the TIE Fighter just got a regular repaint but then maybe Inferno Squadron TIEs will never be a SKU because they were a convention special.

To me the ship matters most, of all the things in the game. And the only components that survived the transition from 1.0 to 2.0 were the miniatures, so ships are in fact the most important component of the game.

Lastly, as "veteran" player who just went to his FLGS this week to play public XWM for the first time, there is (even for me} a huge intimidation factor to walking up to opponents who have 2017 Championship Mats, swag Force Coins, and Alt Art Cards. So it's a bummer that the ships have gone Elite, too.

The ships are also the easiest to mod. Custom paint jobs, both based on a canon design or something original, do nothing to invalidate the ships play. I’d even say you could buy one completely unpainted and still run it with no violation of rules. The only thing standing between you and a Plo Koon Aethersprite is your willingness to either paint it yourself or getting one from a third party (which covers buying the prize version, or commissioning a paint job). Not FFG.

I also think the prize aspect of the ship is worth repeating. FFG wanted to do something special for the people who came to their HQ to play their game from across the world. The people who got it as participation prizes also participated in at least one of their other events, not only helping advertise the game, but also providing data on game balance. While it is sad that not everyone had a chance to get the Plo Starfighter (myself included), I think FFG did a good thing in rewarding those that were able to go to Worlds.

1 hour ago, Ikka said:

I understand people wanting them, but I also understand it from FFG's point of view. They are rewarding those that chose to spend the time and money to go to those big tournaments, giving them something that has no in-game difference (if it did change stats/had an exclusive pilot/upgrade then I would have major issues) that they can show off to recognized their commitment.

Um, so I'm going to come off harsher than I actually feel about this, but...

I totally call BS on this notion. You are quantifying that tournament players are somehow a better breed of contributor to the game than someone who can't or doesn't go.

Yeah, some people spent a thousand bucks to get there. I spent a thousand bucks on Huge Ships. And FFG got every SINGLE DOLLAR of my contribution to the game. Can I expect my Exclusive Repaint in the mail??

Because if not, it's just a form of elistism that players who play at tournaments contribute more to the game by travelling long distances to play for a weekend with 3-6 ships than those who have massive financial investments in collections but prefer to play with friends at home.

16 minutes ago, SabineKey said:

I also think the prize aspect of the ship is worth repeating. FFG wanted to do something special for the people who came to their HQ to play their game from across the world.

And I will certainly grant that.

But, I wish these prizes were more specific to attending an event. As in, don't use livery that has in-universe significance.

Attendees should get the FFG Worlds Special Paint Scheme, not Plo's. Everyone who plays should have access to stuff that comes from the SW universe. Because a lot of us play this because it's Star Wars.

That way, attendees get a special ship, and the rest of us could still get Plo's Aethersprite at some point.

3 hours ago, Nyxen said:

I'm not criticizing you here, but by that argument why are alt. cards and other components okay, but not models? By that same argument I feel it's not unreasonable to say that we should be upset that the maneuver templates in the core set aren't acrylic as they are a marked improvement in durability for a necessary game component

I can't quite put my finger on why a miniature seems a step further than anything else.

Some of it is that 3rd party templates and everything are just out there. I suppose it's possible to find someone else who can paint-well a Plo Koon (or paint it yourself, which isn't impossible, but let's not kid ourselves: it isn't in everyone's wheelhouse), but that's also a whole step harder than just looking up popular acrylic vendors on Etsy or wherever.

//

I dunno. This is mostly a thread about folks talking about their feelings. It doesn't fully follow rules. A decent number of folks have said "I don't mind not getting the other stuff, but the models feel different." That kinda should be enough.

1 minute ago, Darth Meanie said:

And I will certainly grant that.

But, I wish these prizes were more specific to attending an event. As in, don't use livery that has in-universe significance.

Attendees should get the FFG Worlds Special Paint Scheme, not Plo's. Everyone who plays should have access to stuff that comes from the SW universe. Because a lot of us play this because it's Star Wars.

That way, attendees get a special ship, and the rest of us could still get Plo's Aethersprite at some point.

Everyone does have access to Plo's Aethersprite. Those with the talent can paint one themselves; those without can pay those with the talent to paint one for them. Simples.

Why is it so important that it be a separate, FFG-produced ship?

25 minutes ago, Darth Meanie said:

Um, so I'm going to come off harsher than I actually feel about this, but...

I totally call BS on this notion. You are quantifying that tournament players are somehow a better breed of contributor to the game than someone who can't or doesn't go.

Yeah, some people spent a thousand bucks to get there. I spent a thousand bucks on Huge Ships. And FFG got every SINGLE DOLLAR of my contribution to the game. Can I expect my Exclusive Repaint in the mail??

Because if not, it's just a form of elistism that players who play at tournaments contribute more to the game by travelling long distances to play for a weekend with 3-6 ships than those you have massive financial investments in collections but prefer to play with friends at home.

I am also going to come across harsher than I intend here, but such is the nature of Forum discussions, I guess.

If people getting event-exclusive cosmetics because they took the time and effort to attend is a form of elitism, then thinking you deserve access to them just because you spent money on the game is just a sense of entitlement. You paid your money and were given product in exchange; you are not owed anything extra.

On 10/24/2019 at 7:50 AM, Estarriol said:

I really, really don’t like these. The worlds exclusive Plo aethersprite is popping up on the trade groups for an obscene mark up. I’ll get around to painting my own but I’m annoyed that they were only available to a select few with the wherewithal to travel across the world, and (a percentage of) the people who got them only did it for the dollar value when selling them on.

grumble.

If someone's silly enough to pay those prices for it, more fool them. The game is expensive enough lol.

28 minutes ago, DR4CO said:

Why is it so important that it be a separate, FFG-produced ship?

If people getting event-exclusive cosmetics because they took the time and effort to attend is a form of elitism

Firstly, for the same reason that FFG shut down the painting and mods subforum a long time ago when it wasn't featuring FFG product. Because having it come from FFG matters.

And, I have painted some alternate schemes. On alternate sculpts. I did that in part because I had hoped FFG would issue more Aethersprites as repaints down the road. So FFG has actually lost my business for this repaint, because I would have bought it. I had HOPED to buy it.

As for the second bit, I think that everyone who loves XWM deserves a Plo Aethersprite from FFG. And I think hand waving that away as a privelage of a certain subtype of player is a disservice to the community.

I would happily pay FFG for an exchange of product. But I can't now.* It is only for the special few.

*And, no, getting gouged on the secondary market doesn't count.

34 minutes ago, Darth Meanie said:

Um, so I'm going to come off harsher than I actually feel about this, but...

I totally call BS on this notion. You are quantifying that tournament players are somehow a better breed of contributor to the game than someone who can't or doesn't go.

Yeah, some people spent a thousand bucks to get there. I spent a thousand bucks on Huge Ships. And FFG got every SINGLE DOLLAR of my contribution to the game. Can I expect my Exclusive Repaint in the mail??

Because if not, it's just a form of elistism that players who play at tournaments contribute more to the game by travelling long distances to play for a weekend with 3-6 ships than those who have massive financial investments in collections but prefer to play with friends at home.

I never said anything about tournament players being better or contributing more, but any sort of alt art that is dependent on attending a tournament does show that FFG values those that attend. Otherwise, they wouldn't produce them at all. They are a reward for coming to the event and are gained by either purchasing the model or earned through playing in the tournament and redeeming your winnings for the exclusive alt arts. Tournaments are a way to both reward players for their skill and to increase the game's visibility by having large amounts of players gather together. FFG is following pretty standard practice by having event exclusive items- it makes people happy to get them and more likely to attend such an event in the future, giving the game more longevity.

The other side of the coin is that FFG has to look at their models and plan for what will sell. While some players may like and purchase three or more different paint schemes of the same ship, FFG has to balance that on whether or not it will be cost effective to have that many of the same model on the market. Shop shelf space is limited, and it may work out better for FFG's business to have three different ships produced at the same time rather than one with three paint jobs. Doing a small run of 100-500 alt art ships is much less of a gamble than making 3k+, and potentially having a lot of them sit on shelves for years.

4 hours ago, Vontoothskie said:

learning to paint yourself is a pretty rewarding hobby if you have the time. I also craved the choice custom paintjobs but feared the price, so noe I paint my own. to wit a nice pallet of colors from Valejo, Reaper, or Citadel paints, a brush set and primer will set you back around $150, but you can paint dozens of models before needing to spend more. If you have some cheap models to practice on (i used some star wars starship battles minis) then you get good fairly quick. Everyone who paints minis on here used to not paint em, you know? trust in the force Blail

I paint. I’ve got a few pieces I’m very proud of. I no longer have the time to spare.

44 minutes ago, Ikka said:

Doing a small run of 100-500 alt art ships is much less of a gamble than making 3k+, and potentially having a lot of them sit on shelves for years.

Sounds great.

Can I get in on the pre-order for the next special repaint?

1 hour ago, Darth Meanie said:

And I will certainly grant that.

But, I wish these prizes were more specific to attending an event. As in, don't use livery that has in-universe significance.

Attendees should get the FFG Worlds Special Paint Scheme, not Plo's. Everyone who plays should have access to stuff that comes from the SW universe. Because a lot of us play this because it's Star Wars.

That way, attendees get a special ship, and the rest of us could still get Plo's Aethersprite at some point.

Again, the only thing between you and Plo’s Aethersprite is you. Not FFG.

The company wanted to do something nice for people who not only supported them with money, but time and data. I personally look forward to more such paint jobs, both original and canon, at future events. Maybe next time I’ll be able to get one. Maybe not. That’s how it goes.

1 hour ago, Darth Meanie said:

Um, so I'm going to come off harsher than I actually feel about this, but...

I totally call BS on this notion. You are quantifying that tournament players are somehow a better breed of contributor to the game than someone who can't or doesn't go.

Yeah, some people spent a thousand bucks to get there. I spent a thousand bucks on Huge Ships. And FFG got every SINGLE DOLLAR of my contribution to the game. Can I expect my Exclusive Repaint in the mail??

Because if not, it's just a form of elistism that players who play at tournaments contribute more to the game by travelling long distances to play for a weekend with 3-6 ships than those who have massive financial investments in collections but prefer to play with friends at home.

I wouldn't call it elitism, but think of it this way. The World tournament is just as much a marketing event as it is a test of skill. They want those tables packed with players excited to be there so the images coming out of it are exciting and positive views of the experience they're inviting their would-be customers to join. That means offering top notch incentives to attend, and you can only get so many sets of dice and templates until they don't matter to you anymore. Limited runs of alternate scheme ships fit this bill perfectly, the cost is nearly nonexistent as the model's already sculpted and the hype builds itself

11 minutes ago, Nyxen said:

and you can only get so many sets of dice and templates until they don't matter to you anymore. Limited runs of alternate scheme ships fit this bill perfectly

The funny bit here is that everyone who CAN'T have one is being told that it doesn't matter.

So it matters that you can get one, but doesn't matter if you can't.

Yeah, I think that might be why some people are annoyed.

2 minutes ago, Darth Meanie said:

The funny bit here is that everyone who CAN'T have one is being told that it doesn't matter.

So it matters if you can get one, but doesn't matter if you can't.

Yeah, I think that might be why some people are annoyed.

I “can’t” get one. And yet I’m also saying that it doesn’t matter. This isn’t a “haves and have-nots” situation.

5 minutes ago, SabineKey said:

I “can’t” get one. And yet I’m also saying that it doesn’t matter. This isn’t a “haves and have-nots” situation.

Exactly.

32 minutes ago, SabineKey said:

This isn’t a “haves and have-nots” situation.

Well, not anymore; FFG has decided who's who in that account.

This is about whether you are disaffected by that paradigm.