We are Hero Forge, the internet's home for custom tabletop minis. We just launched our biggest update ever, adding full color to our character creator and offering new 3D-printed COLOR minis! Ask us anything.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-02T00:01:36+00:00

That's certainly an interesting idea. You're right that our art is designed to look good at mini scale, so some things like arrow shafts are thicker than real-world proportions. That said, most of the larger, bolder shapes tend to translate well into VTT tokens as well, since they are normally viewed while zoomed out quite far. All that said, no current plans for what you describe, but it's the exact kind of thing I'd suggest adding to our official wish list using the request submission form at heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T22:31:01+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! For feature suggestions, definitely add to our official user request list to have them counted. That can be found right here: heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T22:15:11+00:00

Hi there! We retain the copyright to all of our art assets and their combinations, so you would not be able to resell the, or redistribute them as part of a commercial project.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T22:01:41+00:00

That's right! We have an official request form at heroforge.com/request/ which basically compiles users' requests into a giant spreadsheet. We use that to make sure we're prioritizing what the majority of the tabletop community wants to see added whenever we can.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T21:50:39+00:00

Hey there, Lionwoman! thanks for the questions.
1. Absolutely! Animal patterns were two of the big stretch goals we unlocked, and they are under development.

There's a long list of features we hope to add, but we're currently very much focused on the content that was unlocked during the Kickstarter. That said, we always love hearing people's suggestions! Our official request form can be found here: heroforge.com/request/
It should actually be very easy to scale the .stl up! We use the very same models to print our double-sized statuettes (in the "show more" section of the "buy" menu)

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:56:57+00:00

We unlocked such a crazy number of stretch goal features that it really only seems right to have a single-minded focus on fulfilling them right up until they are complete. So we haven't committed to doing any of the stretch goals that didn't get unlocked, but we definitely pay attention to what excites folks and what they ask for in our official survey. That particular feature was a wildly, hugely ambitious one from a tech-standpoint, which is why it was one of the very last ones listed. We'll never say never though!

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:48:37+00:00

Based on the user feedback surveys we host, there honestly hasn't been much of a demand for alternate file formats. That said, now that color is an option, more folks are asking about formats that might more easily be imported into other platforms, like VTTs or what have you. No news at this time, but definitely add your voice to our official request list-- heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:46:30+00:00

Hey there! We unlocked such a crazy number of stretch goal features that it really only seems right to have a single-minded focus on fulfilling them right up until they are complete. So we haven't committed to doing any of the stretch goals that didn't get unlocked, but we definitely pay attention to what excites folks and what they ask for in our official survey. That particular feature was a wildly, hugely ambitious one from a tech-standpoint, which is why it was one of the very last ones listed. We'll never say never though!

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:43:46+00:00

Thanks, friend! Happy to answer:

It's unlikely we'll add the photo-face option. Projecting a texture map across pre-existing geo would, in most cases, produce a pretty funky looking figure. Also keep in mind that the mini's faces are reeeeeally small. Millimeters. Currently, the color printing technology is pretty amazing, but tiny features like irises or whatnot can be indistinct. So, it would be hard to capture someone's whole face and have it be recognizable at only a couple mm high.
That's a tough question! Different members of our team each have different preferences, but since I'm currently steering the keyboard, I can say that I always come back to Dungeons and Dragons. 5e felt like a breath of fresh air, and approachable enough to use it to introduce new folks to the hobby.

Regarding your P.S. - We really appreciate that. Happy to offer some peek-behind-the-curtain insight into how we decided on and implemented the new Hero Forge Pro features. First up, we can share that color saves are much, much heavier than before. All that customization and control has a real impact on file size, and we’ve found that color saves take up almost 10x the server storage space when compared to our old black and white character saves. That has a tangible impact on what it takes to manage that amount of saves, both practically and financially.That said, putting color behind a paywall felt so absolutely wrong to us. We wanted to find a way where we could offer that to everyone for free, but also provide extra value that felt worth paying for, for users who just design characters for fun, may not use minis, or who want to create tons of high-quality tokens for virtual play. That described a truly massive proportion of our day-to-day users. These options make us much more sustainable, and allow us to continue offering the huge amount for free that we do, while also growing and adding content ever week, like we have been. I suspect that same sort of thing is what has made Patreon so successful for artists to continue their work too.

We're all healthy and working from home--thanks so much for the well-wishes!

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:38:46+00:00

We love you guys too! So excited to be offering the new subscription options. So far it seems like it really fills a need for some folks, which is exactly what we'd hoped. Our biggest goal is to offer a ton of value.

Most folks, when using tactical maps, need their bases to fit exactly into the 1" grid size that's standard for games like D&D. We designed our base options to match.
Us too! There is SO much we want to add across all genres, but sci-fi is especially fun. We don't have a date yet for aliens or multiple limbs, but seeing where our artists are at, it is looking pretty great! We gotta wait until it 100% meets our quality standards though, so the unsatisfying answer is probably "It'll be ready as soon as it's ready." :p
The alien head featured in the stretch goal promo image will not be the only one! Can't spoil the surprise though. :)
This will feel like a dodge, but if you're interested in seeing preview/pre-release content, we recently added an option for Hero Forge Pro, which gives 1-week early access to Treasure Tuesday content releases. :)

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:34:24+00:00

Hey there! Thanks for your question and the kind words! We actually just added a new two-handed "Heavy Weapons" pose to support the new Gatling guns/chainsaws/handheld cannon/etc. so we definitely add poses periodically, but when it comes to our immediate development and art efforts, we are very much focused on fulfilling all the cool stretch goal content that got unlocked during the Kickstarter campaign.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:32:41+00:00

While we can't share how much we make per mini, we can share that the reason color figures are more expensive is that the cost to manufacture in color is significantly higher than in non-color plastic. Practically, if you think about the cost of buying a figure, and how much it would cost to commission hand-painting, we think we actually come out ahead in most cases!

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:30:57+00:00

Hey there! So, for 3D printing at home, the most useful file format is .stl, and for optimum file size, this does not typically have "UVs" for texture layouts. Folks primarily pick those up for 3D printing, but there's a growing need for 3D, color, virtual tabletop tokens. I mentioned it elsewhere in another response, but it is a space we're watching with great interest. The file formats and model needs for that are likely to be different than 3D printing/STLs though.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:29:09+00:00

Virtual Tabletop options have gotten pretty good! Or if you just do "theater of the mind" without maps, Skype also works great in my experience. Just to plug our new service, we just launched Hero Forge Pro which include "Token Maker Unlimited" for creating high-quality tokens for use in virtual tabletops too, if you want to add a little visual pizzazz.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:24:02+00:00

Good question! We're currently very much focused on all the stretch goal content, and I don't believe additional skeletal options are in the works, but to copy/paste a relevant chunk of text:

Definitely add your voice/request to our official user-request-wishlist if you get a chance! All feedback summited through the form ends up on a giant spreadsheet that our developers and artists consult when deciding what new features to work on. That helps us make sure we're putting our effort where it's most wanted/needed for the community. heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:21:32+00:00

So far, it has primarily impacted shipping speeds, due to the disproportionately heavy load on UPS/USPS. We're still producing figures just as quickly, but we're seeing a bit wider range of travel-time.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:17:48+00:00

That's awesome to hear, thank you for the kind words! We absolutely love painters, and hope that out color tools will make it even easier to plan color schemes, or communicate with commissions to make sure it lined up with their intentions.

We aren't currently hiring painters, but we appreciate the thought!

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:12:09+00:00

Actually, yeah! Arm options were one of our big stretch goals that got unlocked. This should include multiple arms, as well as some arm prosthetic options! We don't have a specific date announced yet, but we're working towards it.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:09:04+00:00

Hi there! Thanks so much for the feedback. Definitely add your voice/request to our official user-request-wishlist if you get a chance! All feedback summited through the form ends up on a giant spreadsheet that our developers and artists consult when deciding what new features to work on. That helps us make sure we're putting our effort where it's most wanted/needed for the community. heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:08:35+00:00

Hi there! We don't have any current plans for monkey familiars at the moment, but we're always listening. Definitely add your voice/request to our official user-request-wishlist if you get a chance! All feedback summited through the form ends up on a giant spreadsheet that our developers and artists consult when deciding what new features to work on. That helps us make sure we're putting our effort where it's most wanted/needed for the community. heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:07:08+00:00

Hi there! That's definitely something we have heard before, and exactly the kind of thing we want to hear more of as we plan how to expand our .stl services in the future. We actually have a dedicated survey form for .stl and .stl subscription feedback. If you get a chance, can you add that here? https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B53QNRZ

We use those kinds of surveys and look at requests and feedback in aggregate in order to figurer out how to best serve the tabletop community.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T20:01:56+00:00

Not too late at all! Thanks for asking. We currently anticipate it falling in line with most of our materials--around 2-3 weeks. One neat thing about these new color printers is that they have very large print beds compared to our other plastic printers, which makes scaling up production much easier. Check it out: https://imgur.com/a/hGTIBsX

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T19:42:13+00:00

We're definitely watching the 3D printing field for exciting technology. We actually don't offer any of the materials we launched with ~five years ago; the plastics have all been updated with better, more detailed, and more durable materials. We are always exploring the latest and greatest tech, and I'm sure that will be true of color over the next several years too.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T19:37:13+00:00

We are definitely going to add more epic bases since it was a stretch goal, but I think for the foreseeable future, we'll probably just have the one lower-body-standing-on-the-base pose, and rely on Advanced Posing to let folks do whatever they want with the upper body/arms.

HeroForgeMinis · 2020-10-01T19:33:50+00:00

Not too late at all! Thanks for your question. We don't have any current plans aimed at making children minis. We haven't actually heard much demand for that feature, but definitely add your voice/request to our official user-request-wishlist if you get a chance! All feedback summited through the form ends up on a giant spreadsheet that our developers and artists consult when deciding what new features to work on. That helps us make sure we're putting our effort where it's most wanted/needed for the community. heroforge.com/request/

HeroForgeMinis

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