Let's not pretend this is a case of "Every model needs to be released immediately!". They released a Securitate box. They chose not to include additional arms to round out the remaining 3 profiles(Feuerbach, MSR, CR+Repeater). They chose to include a single Grenzer with CR+LFT instead of a 4th Securitate They have a history of doing things like this where they do a weird setup for the box and you damn well know it.
It likely isn’t profitable to add additional arms. This was even mentioned in the video. (No weapon sprues b/c it isn’t profitable). As CB already have a fairly low cost for this game, I don’t think beating this dead horse is going to get you anywhere.
That is on the assumption that prices stay static. If they included 4 extra pairs of arms in 4 man box and increased the price by 10% i still would buy it (as i think most people would)... i'd probably buy it twice if it was for LI
It's also on the assumption that the prices are currently reasonable. I don't think so, not with the content in there. They don't even have to include 4 "extra pairs" of arms. In the case of models where the weapon is being held leveled--two sets of gun holding arms and one steadying arm is enough. In the case of models where it's like most rocket launchers or whatnot, it just needs an extra arm holding something in lieu of the launcher.
Weapon sprues are also useless at this point, without arms sculpted onto them and a lot of extra work done to ensure that it can match with the way they sculpt everything. So please. Stop bringing up "weapon sprues aren't profitable". It's useless commentary.
The ORC Feuerbach could easily have also been the new ORC HMG. One additional arm would have completely ruined all profitability?
It really isn't. People have now brought up "weapon sprues" three or four times in the past week or so in response to myself or others discussing alternate arms/heads. They aren't the same thing. Weapon sprues were something that people asked for an individual faction based release of when the SpecOps and Tournament Packs included them. Since the sculpts no longer really allow for that to be a feasible thing(seriously--take a look at some of the newer sculpts. There's actually indentations within the arms and torsos to 'guide' the weapons into that specific pose), the majority of asks are for a second set of arms that allow for you to get two weapon types out of one pose from a box. The fact that people keep trying to equate extra arms keyed to specific bodies as "weapon sprues" is just disingenuous as hell.
Yeah it's weird because CB state they've got an sku problem on one hand then actively make it worse by doing weird releases like riot girls X3 + tinbot, meaning they need to release further skus to then fill the core team. A box of five and no tinbot would fix the problem at source. A box of four with a blister with arm swap Inc tinbot is another option
I admire Corvus Belli for taking such a huge hit to their profitability last year to give Ariadna players that choice.
They could always make the weapon and head options a file which they then sell on Shapeways in their own store. Don't get, why no company realizes the possibilities 3d printing services offer.
Very much so. If there is a SKU count problem, start packaging to reduce SKUs! I get really frustrated with this, because I like Infinity and I want CB to be successful. Failing to fix the SKU bloat, or even making it worse, is not helping!!! Well, Shapeways recently changed their pricing structure, driving costs for the highest-resolution prints up 30% and adding a minimum $5-per-part charge. Shapeways is actively trying to get out of the 3d modeling for hobbyists business. costs of a good-enough resolution 3d printer is getting down to good-airbrush-setup levels, instead of being 10s of thousands.
I think CB would rather prefer you to buy two miniatures and cannibalize one to get the conversion done. Because $$$$$$ Edit: If they did not, then we would already have bits companies like MaxMini or MicroArts making the weapon sprues. They make plenty of those. Those companies prove that money is there to be made on bits.
What makes it even worse is that they have most of the weapon sculpts already. There's no reason for them not to do a digital weapon swap and save all our finger tips.
There are reasons. They might not be reasons we agree with or enjoy, but one particular reason might be that releasing a miniature for a loadout that's less in vogue will promote this profile's use instead of catering to group-thinking. Remember that another answer from Bostria was that CB make informed decisions based on popularity where models or sectorials with poor sales are targeted for resculpts over models or sectorials with good sales. Another answer by Bostria also informs this debate, and that's what he answered about what's the least fun part of his job; having spent hours and days on making 5-6 different poses for a unit and then having them all declined. If a gun has different distance between the trigger and the forward brace (HMG vs Combi), or if it's got a vertical grip (T2 rifle) or if it's got a drum magazine (Ariadnan HMG) or if it's a very different shape (SWC weapons vs SMG) or if the grip is at a significantly different offset (chain rifle) or... or... or... you will have some potentially very serious issues with a weapon just slotted onto a sculpt such as, but not limited to; the magazine clipping through the model's stomach, the soldier looking down the sight of a weapon that's a DTW, the soldier pointing the weapon in the wrong direction, the model being unstable due to shifting centre of mass, and so on. In short; it's not that simple and at the end of the day, CB has looked at the figures and decided that they need to not offer weapon or arm sprue due to profitability.
I actually don't mind the Tinbots at all, I think they are quite neat and nice to have. However, when they replace an actual profile in a box so you only got 3/4 models, that's where the sand gets in my vagina.
