Le Regne de l'Acier

[the french guy]

Hi,

Today I'm having a tweaking morning

I'm working on skill players. I used a base a friend gave to me. That base worked great on a miggle tackle, but didn't work at all on my all customized team...So I retweaked it quite heavily.

I tweaked that speed base for wide receiver, but custom poses are so important in the tweaking process that first I tought that the base was ruined, since it didn't work on any of my WR or TE.

I also tried on my HB : same result.

So finally, I made a try on my fullback : the figure goes straight on 30-40yards, like a lightning And 50% of the attemps, he can run a straight 100yards in about...4 seconds Remember that my board is 42" long...

Sometimes, he falls off, so I tried to add a little weight (the figure is about 3.5gs)...it completly ruined the effect So I removed the weight, after all, it's something can happen in real life. I'll keep it like that. Unbeatable speed on the snap.


My process of tweaking speed is simple with speed bases : I try it out of box to see what happens. Then, I remove flashes with a lighter. If the base is already "used", I put it on a "marble" (a piece of windows glasse) to see if the base is levelled. If not, I use a lighter to correct it. Then, I try again.

Depanding of the custom pose, a 100% levelled base will not work each time. So I try with the lighter to heat one prong, trying to guess the "faulty one", and test again. And again, an again. Sometimes depanding of the weight of the figure, I make inside or outside prongs shorter, on front or on rear, to add balance and "rebound".


SOmetimes it works...other times, not.


Here's some vids.


100yards




40yards




I also tweaked a wide receiver, a way slower but 100% (or maybe 99%) reliable on his straight run. I 'll dedicate him for medium/long range passes.

[artlax]

Dimitri - good work.

[the french guy]

Thanks

The difficulty here is to obtain reliability on receivers. Since I play passing simulation, with scale sticks, I cannot (if I want to do the things correctly) be happy with a WR who will turn or slow down sometimes.

On a TTQB style, you can deal with that if you're dexterous on the passing attempts. With passing sticks, if you can count on your athletes routes, you're scr**d.

So I have to find the best balance between speed, snap "explosion", and reliability. I need at least a 8yards (short-medium range) consistancy on snap/board switching ON for good passing game.

This morning I tweaked a WR who runs on a rail. Not the fastest by far, but if I can make him open in wide range, he will score, even with the long stick.

[Coach K-LO]

Frenchy,

When you get into tweaking bases, remember that you need to think about the 'end result' before you start the process on that base.

do you have a tool for tweaking?? if yes, try slightly pulling the prongs first before you use flames on the prongs. you can get more from a base by doing this...not pulling them too hard or long... go slow until you find "your sweet spot".

[the french guy]

do you have a tool for tweaking?? if yes, try slightly pulling the prongs first before you use flames on the prongs. you can get more from a base by doing this...not pulling them too hard or long... go slow until you find "your sweet spot".

What do you mean by "pulling" ? I grab the prongs with my pliers, and pull ?

Should I grab the top of prong, or the base of it ? I didn't know that tips. Thanks

You're right, with flame it's a non returning back journey If you go too far..too late. But for speed tweaking, it's the best solution I know.

When you get into tweaking bases, remember that you need to think about the 'end result' before you start the process on that base.

Yes, I try to think about the end result even during the sculpting process of the figure Powerfull full back for shoprt push, slot receiver, etc, etc...


The difficulty is th achieve the good tweaking for it.

[the french guy]

Hi,

TOnight...nothing really impressive But it's not everything to make good looking figs, they have to go well on the field too

So I just fixed two figs on the squad, reinforcing them with steel wire, without ruining the look ot them.

Here's some pictures. Now, I hope these figures will be better. I'm currently fixing a lot of things in MF : my board, some figures, personal ruleset, finishing the figs for my american friend, etc, etc...

I hope I'll be able to work soon on the steelers defensive squad. I've got plenty of exciting projects for it : keeping the "super heroes" look but with some improved features.

Now that I start to be a little more experienced in tweaking and MF, making new figures is better than ever, because I can thinkg about how they will go on the field. It's what I like in MF, since the game is dynamic : you can really build an athlete. It's really fun. On other figures games and wargames, you can barely put a stone on the field, or a banana, and say it's a fabulous barbarian, elve or whatever, since the charts, stats and stuff like that will rule the whole thing.

By the way, I created the jumping receiver in only one purpose : TTQB ! It joins what I was saying about making figures in a gaming purpose : I created the pose after the unique game we played with TTQB. Because it was so hard to hit the receiver behind the defensive line...SO I decided to make a big tall figure especially for that purpose : slot receiver in the pocket.
*


Anyway, I also have to finish my giants squad. To be honest, making these "realistic style" figures is not as fun as making pure steroid monsters, with super muscles, shoulders and creative poses. But I'll finish it.

[TVsCHACHI]

STILL AMAZING

[Reginald Rutledge]

Dimitri,

I love the fact that you put so much work into the features of these "little bitty" players but you made a very interesting and key statement. This was it:


TOnight...nothing really impressive But it's not everything to make good looking figs, they have to go well on the field too


I sometimes feel like I can envision so many things. I say this because that statement tells me you are now thinking with logic instead of your passions. Don't get me wrong, it's great to put all the details in the figure but if your purpose is to play quick, to hurry up and get many teams on the playing field, to establish a league to impress, the end result of "beautifying a team" with all the features can be well overrated.

Here's why: When I stand back away from a little player, the difference in features a miniscule! They are so small that in the overall realm, does it make much difference. When you can turn a quality team of figures around in 2-3 days without blinking an eye, and with 45 new and different poses, that is very impressive to me.

The problem with getting caught up in the "beautifying of a team" is you never get to play with many teams. You only get to play with that one or two teams that you got because you're putting so much time into making that one truly impressive team.

I guess for me, the thing is, "No two athletes are ever the same". In that case, I continue to impart my energies into making different poses from magazines, pictures, videos, etc. If they are not perfect, that's okay! I don't claim to be the most artistic, just the most creative in my approach.

So people are stunned when I can take 24-48 stock poses and in less than 5 hours, have 40 new custom poses never before seen. I want all players unique in their look and trust me, when I put them on the field, they look equally as impressive as anything else out there with the addition of the field, the actual stadium, the lights, and the whole nine yards.

So to me, the devil's in the detail. You've got to ask yourself, are you doing this for "Show" or for "Pleasure". At least, after 40 years in the game, that's what I had to make decisions on.

Reg

[the french guy]

TOnight...nothing really impressive But it's not everything to make good looking figs, they have to go well on the field too

I don't like "show case" modelling. When I build MF figure it's to play it. When I build a detailed slot car, same thing, I'll race it. Since I started MF hobby, I always kept it in mind. Even if, of course, with the lack of experience, I made some mistakes during experiment. Now it's really cool, because I can mix my (little) MF knowledge with my (a little bigger) modelling experience.

But I just can't make 40 poses in a day or paint a team in a day. Not because I'm not able too (I can be fast when it's necessary...Hopefully it rarely happens ), but simply because it's not what I love in modelling, in MF or other sides of that hobby. Perhaps you know, I'm a former modelling freelance artist. I sculpted for miniature companies, I created scenery for professionals companies and hobbyists who could afford it. I had this job during 1 year and half, and stopped because I didn't earned any money.

Why ? Because I just can't finish one thing before I decided that is finished. And I'm the worst critic on the earth concerning my own work. That 's not a good way to make business, I guess.

but if your purpose is to play quick, to hurry up and get many teams on the playing field, to establish a league to impress, the end result of "beautifying a team" with all the features can be well overrated.

Sadly, not matter I'd play with the most beautiful figures or some cheap cardboard printed miniatures, I already know that the crowd here in France is almost non-existent. It's a fact, sadly. So for now, 70% of my MF fun is creating figures. 25% is making solo scrimmages. 5% play against humans with no really interest for MF.

I also created a blog in french to promote the hobby. I created french articles, I post a lot of MF things in french on at least 8 diferent forums (modelling, wargaming, gaming, slot racing, etc...), national or local...Even on the motorbikes forum I am But you can't force people to like what you like. Here again, it's a fact.

I'll try to find french people to build a league, or at least, play regularly with. But I don't count on my figures to attract anyone. It's not a good advertisement for an average joe. Imagine the scene : "joe : wow your team is great, where can I find the same figures ? Me : You can't.". Not a really good advertisement, I guess.

In that case, I continue to impart my energies into making different poses from magazines, pictures, videos, etc. If they are not perfect, that's okay! I don't claim to be the most artistic, just the most creative in my approach.

So to me, the devil's in the detail. You've got to ask yourself, are you doing this for "Show" or for "Pleasure"

I believe there is a misunderstanding somewhere :

When I sculpt, paint, or whatever, I do it for me first. If I post pics on mfca.org, it's first because you (the mfca members) are the only friends I can share my enthusiasm with. My friends and relative does not care about my work. They just know and say "Dimitri ? he mades nice little things. Nice fig. Nice diorama or whatever he calls it. Can I have another beer ? ". I caricature a little, but you get the idea.

I never made any figures for show. Like a statement we could find in Kung Fu tv show, "it's not the goal wich is important. It's the path", or something like that It's the part I enjoyed in modelling. Making figures the easy way does not interest me. I don't use molds to simplify everything (yet I have all the necessary materials!), or I don't use jennings figures as bases for my work.

I love to create new figures and find technical solutions, and then, teaching them. Why can't we have detailed muscles on figures ? I make detailed muscles, and explain the technic. Detailed faces ? I make the thing, and explain how. Same thing for painting technics, hands, helmets, sculpting and everything I can do and teach then.

the final figure ? It does not interest me so much. Most of the times, I put it in a box, and only open it for scrimmage, or curious friends. I like the create new things. I wanted to create comic books style, very "graphic" and dramatic figures using ff.net figures, I did it. I wanted to make high detail on buzzball and other "classic" figures : I did it. Now, it's time to move on.

I hope you will understand my MF state of mind a little better now


Wow, I almost wrote a novel

[Reginald Rutledge]

what you've brought to the game. It's not the detail in the figure but the passion for teaching others.

Everybody is not like that. That is what makes what you do so special. You do not selfishly "keep your knowledge". You share it.

Keep doing what you do and get online with me some times after hours (in America).

Reg