You guys complain about sporadic releases... I’m just constantly frustrated by the fact that several SKU’s I browse suddenly gets discontinued for no reason, despite the fact that Army hasn’t been discontinued.
Again, this is how its always been. Infinity has always been in a state of constant releases with no sign of completion. In late N1/early N2 when there were still huge numbers of N1 units without models we started seeing resculpts, includng new starter boxes. We saw Human Sphere releases before all the N1 units were released. We started seeing even more resculpts before all the Human Sphere units were released, and the final N1 unit (the Raicho) wasn't released until after Paradiso and the introduction of 2 new armies. We saw N3 and the onset line wide digital resculpts while many Human Sphere units were still waiting for models. We saw HSN3 and a host of other N3 expansions while units released in Paradiso or early n3 were still waiting for sculpts. During all of this we continued to see new units added and new sectroials. Do you really think that without sectorials CB would have stopped releasing new armies and new units? Do you think they would have just made do with the units in the original N1 lists? There was always going to be continual expansion. Infinity has always been in a constant state of growth, with no apparent plan to ever catch up. More importantly, nearly all players WANT more releases. More new units for their army or sectorial. Resculpts (even if they are totally uneeded). New sectorials. The hype around 'new' sustains the company and drives sales. Theres a constant demand for more, and CB are very good at encouraging that demand, even if they can realistically never meet it.
I just find them a bit frustrating with their releases. It could be a lot worse. At least by them NOT coming out with figures I need, I can save money. I just wish they would stop coming out with new profiles if they have no intention of making a figure any time soon. Even more frustrating is when they make them very important. I'm NOT against proxies at all. but I really don't want to play a whole force of proxies either. For example: White Banner only has two core fire teams. Zhanshi and Shang Ji. Zhanshi are AVA4 and must have a Wildcard to be a full core. As of now only one of those wildcards exists (Adil) and he's in a box set with a PanO guy you don't want. The Shang Ji is a core selection in two sectorals and only one exists and he's in a box set with again a bunch of PanO guys you may not want. I can't afford to buy figures I'll never use and can't sell. The Jujak can be a part of a Shang Ji core in WB, but again, only one of them exists. So you must proxy the whole squad. The Tian Gou is a Wildcard and can be used to make the Zhanshi core full five man but for some reason they can't seem to come out with ONE figure! This is where they could have not even created the TG and just have made the Zhanshi AVA Total and it would have been fine.
That was a joke. I just remembered how Bostria (if I'm not mistaken) said something similar about number of sectorials and how difficult it was to deal with all of them. But fair enough, you're right. And yes, I'm slightly upset buy how my faction was treated during 2019.
You’re right, it has always been this way. What’s changed since the beginning of N1 is the rate of profile releases. Model releases are falling further behind the profiles without models rather than closing the gap, or at least it seems that way.
BTW White Banners was only one example of making a good a profile and not coming out with a figure. The same is with SWF and the Karhu. He's a no-brainer-take-me good. Haris, wildcard, and can be taken by White Company too. But who knows when the figure will be seen.
The why part strikes me as pretty simple - insofar as they are aiming for ~50 SKUs per army for retailers, they don't want to cut too much too fast with new releases in high sku armies to make room for new stuff. NA2 and O-12 have "room" so they get disproportionate releases right now. I wish they'd release data sheet designs earlier, though, so we could mod up better proxies while we wait.
Understandable, but they could do it without Kosmo. With Kosmo it makes more sense, because they already kicked the FRRM ;-) I had my own guess and another resource (A Warcore smiling with a pretended hidden knowledge, as we talk about that, but he said he could say nothing. This is - of course - a long time ago, so I may be wrong) and I like this rumor. No but ... one could hope and complain. And sometimes they realy do not nice. I don´t want to mention WB or Kaldström again, but someone remember that the ISS Starter came out a bit before the generic one (in BV)? While we have to wait almost a year or something for the CG SWC Box, the bring a Zhanshi (!) SWC Box while not even a sectorial was on the horizon - and they messed up the scale. The Zhanshis are very good sculpts but compared to their combi rifle sisters and brothers, the look like primaris vs old ultramarines.
Yeah, same for Alguacile Hacker and few other miniatures across all factions. Then again - new Zhanshis (Kaldstorm) are back to original scale.
Adil is also in a box with some Combined aliens, if you don't want the dire foes box... unless i've misunderstood Op Wildfire as a template, can't we expect that the action packs are meant to alleviate the feeling of models being locked in starter boxes with an extra faction? and that one is likely on the horizon after Op Prisoners v. Pioneers in Spaaaaaace is released? and not for nothing, for all the folks crying for new releases, Zewrath makes a good point--it's equally frustrating when something you want goes out of production to support a new SKU you don't intend to buy. but it seems like CB has been pretty clear about their constraints to having models in production, and it seems prudent to protect the longevity of the game and overall model line than to expand faster than they're comfortable. not to mention that if new sectorials dropped with the existing range supporting all the core models, we'd be bellyaching about how they're just reskinning old models to squeeze more money out of us... that's not to say i'm never frustrated with their release schedule, or that amazing profiles sometimes end up being limited runs on exclusive bundles/convention prizes, or that it seems like they'd rather have a million Joans and Ko'Dalis than a Varangian or an Tian Guo, but it seems like CB has a manageable balance between releasing fun new stuff and supporting legacy armies. not perfect. not always intelligible. but it seems like it works for them and so far we're all mostly ok to be along for the ride..? anyway, while we're all here asking for the color of the sky to change, CB please make sprues of faction specific weapons and generic arm poses so i can do the conversions i want.
Spoiler Your not wrong, my point was that the magnitude of the problem has gotten more and more out of hand.
I mean, the Stingrays, introduced with the original Human Sphere, didn't get models until a couple years into N3. I think the oldest profiles without models now are barely a year old (excepting the poor Taquel).
@Pierzasty has/had some spreadsheets with released and missing minis, but no idea how up to date they are. How to get of a hole you are digging? Step 1: stop digging. They ignored the weapon sprue market for years (rumors said something about not being profitable)... and resin 3d printers fullfilled the prophecy (zero profit granted). So if you can cut around the hands of the model...
The guy doing most of the 3D printed weapons used to work with Antenocitis IIRC, so already had a relationship with CB. If he can make a profit doing something that wouldn't be worthwhile for a larger company then that's a win for both sides IMO.
Or (rumor I read ages ago) CB did not want to do it thinking it would reduce sales of full minis . BTW, the models are out there, so anyone can print them, no profit either side in some cases. And it is not like anyone else could not model new versions if the files vanished.
i mean i can, but not well. and i have to be realistic about how the conversation of "i need a 3d printer for my toy soldiers" is gonna go down with my partner...
So to give a preliminary summary of what the consensus regarding my original question seems to be ("I refuse to believe CB just sits down every month and says "What about all the old stuff that has been waiting for their sculpts for over a year or more?", only to decide 'Nah, let's bring out a second Monstrucker.'") — it's actually: Yeah, that's kinda true. They release profiles without any idea when (or if at all) they'll ever bring out the models for it. Without any official negation (and alternative explanation) from CB, I will from now on just assume that's true. Which still seems absolutely bonkers to me and a surefire way to piss off parts of your community in the long term. But oh well. Like my girlfriend likes to say to me: You do you, boo.
