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  #1  
Old November 19th, 2018, 02:34 PM
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An Impactful Customs Creator

An Intro
This is the first part of a multi-part post (if there seems to be interest). If not, then I just really enjoyed posting this and feeling a part of the community again.

It has been a long time since I posted anything of substance around these parts. I am certain many folks around here won't even know who I am (which is encouraging as it means the community has grown).

I was pondering my time as a customs creator, both as an individual and for the C3V; I was thinking about what made for an impactful customs creator. I thought through things I did and things I wish I had done differently.

To be honest, customs creators are a dime a dozen. We are legion; just look at the pages and pages of threads in the Custom Unit Section. Beyond us are the Great Customs Creators. There are a handful of them. You know, the guys who create customs that everyone oohs and ahs over; whose thread attracts replies and kudos that we mere plebes could only hope to generate; the ones who seem to have made a deal with the devil in order to churn out such exquisitely crafted units. But even beyond them are the Impactful Customs Creators. Customs creators whose impact extends beyond their incredible custom units and to the community itself. Those who are known as much for their social impact and contribution as for their custom work; the ones we just hope will comment on the new custom unit we posted; the ones whose mere reply seems to give some credibility to our design aspirations. I remember when Grungebob once posted something positive in my customs thread; I was almost giddy.

Not everyone wants to be an impactful customs creator. Some just want to have fun and design for their own personal enjoyment. To those I say, “Design away! Keep it up and have tons of fun with this awesome game!” To those who have a desire to move beyond that, maybe what is shared here in the OP and any ensuing replies will help you move to at least being a good customs creator if not great and maybe even an impactful customs creator.

Just a note: I make no claims to being an impactful customs creator. I aspired to at least be good at creating units; I certainly was not on par with the great ones. So, take all of this as my observations from the outside of what I think it would take to get a chair at the Impactful Customs Creators table.

To be an Impactful Customs Creator

Have Lengthy Experience Just Playing the Game:
Spoiler Alert!


Any other thoughts on the benefits of having game playing experience before embarking on a customs career? Any disagreements? It would be awesome to hear you out.

Comment In Other Custom Creators' Threads:

EDIT: I was doing some research for the next post when I came across a far far superior article by @Scytale which hit on this very thing. Please check it out. I don't think it received the recognition it so richly deserves. Great job, Scytale!
Spoiler Alert!

Do you have any other thoughts about the benefits or “do’s and don’ts” of commenting in other designers’ threads? We would love to hear them!

Ask Yourself "Why?"
Spoiler Alert!


Quality Over Quantity
Spoiler Alert!

Thoughts about Quality Over Quantity? Let us hear from you!

Respond to Feedback
This is a long post so bear with it..
Spoiler Alert!

Any other thoughts? Did I leave something important out? Let us know!

Be a Part of a Community Project
Spoiler Alert!


Expand Your Horizons
Spoiler Alert!



HS Codex Custom Creation Articles
The revival of the HS Codex has presented us with many excellent articles covering not only custom unit philosophy, but also the nuts and bolts of custom unit creation. Son of Arathorn, Scytale, ishMEL, and Johnny139 have all contributed out of their experience and knowledge. If you have not read these articles, you really should.:
Tandem Designs: Part 1
Tandem Designs: Part 2
Designing Top to Bottom
Where Rules Don't Bend
YACE
YACE Special Powers
Faction Creation
Make It Fun
Criticism: Giving and Taking
The Good, the Bad, and the SoV Worthy
The Question of Balance
Dripping with (Not Too Much) Theme
Simply Creative
The Epitome of Play

Last edited by Lamaclown; December 17th, 2018 at 03:00 PM.
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  #2  
Old November 19th, 2018, 02:46 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

Welcome back @Lamaclown . I think you hit some pretty good points. I may add aome commenta to this later. +rep
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  #3  
Old November 19th, 2018, 03:01 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

Glad to have you back around these parts, @Lamaclown . I joined the site 3 days before you retired from the SoV, so you're one of those "old-timers" that I look up to immensely. Here we are 6.5 years later and I'm the second-longest-tenured judge

I very much agree about playing the game as much as possible. I became a much better customs creator and evaluator when I started playing competitively and frequently. Online 'Scape was a big boon for me in that regard. The more you play, the more you get a feel for what "fits" the game well. Even when you design to plug those proverbial holes, game experience gives you the background to do that in a thematic and game-appropriate way.

Good post, I look forward to reading more!
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Old November 19th, 2018, 04:12 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

I love the idea of this thread and I think you picked an excellent way to kick it off, LC. It's great to see you posting again.

I know who you are! I didn't forget!

The designs of the Age of Annihilation, and their ACES compatibility with VC
C3V "Easily the best quality classic customs I have ever seen."
= =
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  #5  
Old November 19th, 2018, 05:28 PM
Heroscaper 101 Heroscaper 101 is offline
 
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

I joined heroscapers this year, I had to seize the initiative and join this site. None of my brothers who played heroscape, they just ignored this site completely. It was time to do something and join the community. Got a few SoV and C3V miniatures for Kantono Daishi, Tomoe Gozen, Haduc and Zhen Yuan. Those custom units made the game fun again.
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  #6  
Old November 19th, 2018, 10:10 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

I agree that playing the game over a period of years will make you stop and revisit your customs. I used to buy any miniature imaginable and wanted to make them all cards. My biggest flaw was trying to make them too complex. Sometimes a simple twist on a simple design works perfectly for another character while not overshadowing the previous one. Over the years I've went through my customs thread and deleted a bunch of not so much embarrassing customs, but customs that just looked tacked together to get the mini to the table. In my latest revamp of my thread its mostly characters from different genres that have characters and traits already. I'm just giving them life in the most balanced, fun, and thematic way I can. It also serves use to my horde of minis. I have realized that a design can not be forced. If you want to make a figure a card, but don't know where to start with it. Stop. Give it a little time. Think about it. It will come to you eventually, and when it does it will be way better than if you forced it. Great thread Lamaclown. Its always good to see the older crowd of scapers pop up here.

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  #7  
Old November 19th, 2018, 11:02 PM
Heroscaper 101 Heroscaper 101 is offline
 
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

It takes a lot of experience, to have a impact on this community. I think you need a lot of time and patience before becoming a Heroscape idol.
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Old November 19th, 2018, 11:07 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

When I was new to the C3V, I traded a shoebox full of MtG cards for a big pile of Mage Knight minis.

I was sure that, in time, the Mage Knight minis would be used for C3V units.

I was such an idiot.


The designs of the Age of Annihilation, and their ACES compatibility with VC
C3V "Easily the best quality classic customs I have ever seen."
= =
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  #9  
Old November 19th, 2018, 11:19 PM
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Lamaclown Lamaclown is offline
 
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heroscaper 101 View Post
It takes a lot of experience, to have a impact on this community. I think you need a lot of time and patience before becoming a Heroscape idol.
That is an absolutely true statement! I think people sometimes want to rush to greatness, others, like me, take so long we never get there

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dad_Scaper View Post
When I was new to the C3V, I traded a shoebox full of MtG cards for a big pile of Mage Knight minis.

I was sure that, in time, the Mage Knight minis would be used for C3V units.

I was such an idiot.

I would hate to inventory all the figs I have from MageKnight, World of Warcraft, Dreamblade, etc. that I got at great deals thinking I would create units, but either never got around to it or realized how horrible or incompatible the sculpts really were.


They were from my quantity over quality days of customs creating- which will be a topic in an upcoming post
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Old November 19th, 2018, 11:23 PM
Heroscaper 101 Heroscaper 101 is offline
 
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

It was a learning experience, so others do not make the same mistake.
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  #11  
Old November 19th, 2018, 11:24 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

Quite. We all learn in our own ways.

The designs of the Age of Annihilation, and their ACES compatibility with VC
C3V "Easily the best quality classic customs I have ever seen."
= =
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Old November 19th, 2018, 11:37 PM
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Re: An Impactful Customs Creator

This was a great read. I know that there are more than a couple of customs that I have jotted down around my house from the days back before I visited Heroscapers (or even properly used height advantage ) that boggle my mind today. Simply playing the game at length is absolutely the most effective way to develop a "feel" for what might work and what shouldn't.
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