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We're here with Terry Adams, the man behind the oddly-named miniatures site Electric Ocean. If you're interested in miniatures or miniatures gaming, you can't find a site with more love.
RPGNet: How did the site start?
Terry Adams: It started as kind of an itchy spot behind my eyeball. I have always painted minis (not very well) since I started playing Dungeons and Dragons back in the Blue Box days. About a year and a half ago I started getting back into miniature painting because of some of the stuff I saw on the internet. I saw an online community that I wanted to be a part of.
RPGNet: How long will you continue working on the site? Is there a line or a goal
you've set?
Terry Adams: I usually work on the site till I'm late for my torture session -- err, I mean day job.
In June I set some goals of what I wanted to achieve before the end of the year when I would reassess it. I met all the goals in September.
RPGNet: If I were to decide to create a fan site, what advice would you give me?
Terry Adams: I guess my three tips would be:
1. Pick a time schedule for when you will work on your site and stick to it.
2. Think of your viewers as players in a game of yours. Half the fun is creating the site; the other half is creating the site they want.
3. Never ever put up "Coming Soon" or "Under Construction" signs.
RPGNet: Has anyone associated "officially" with any sort of miniatures company
recognized the site in any way?
Terry Adams: I have received positive feedback from a lot of the top painters and sculptors. Glyn Evans (aka ZaPhod) says I'm doing good. If I had to vote for a President of our little universe it would be him.
Hasbro has never asked me to speak at a budget allocation meeting. *laughs*
RPGNet: Uh-huh. So, what did you think of the new Chainmail game?
Terry Adams: Wouldn't it be neat if every RPG module contained stats for nearby troops that could be levied, complete with tips on how to escalate a role-playing adventure into a short one-hour pitched battle? "Shut up you sniveling fool! Those tents outside your walls are filled with men that are coming tomorrow to kill you!" Hasn't worked out for me with my group though.
RPGNet: So, what do you think of Mage Knight?
Terry Adams: When I saw it I thought "Man, I wish they had this when I was a kid". Then I carried a tower to the cash register. I think it got a little warped by the collectable concept. There is no Wizkids mini that will be as collectible as this: http://www.coolminiornot.com/index.php?id=35612
RPGNet: Hmmm, it lifts and seperates. Which reminds me: The big barrier for me and miniatures is cost, time, and skill -- I don't
have the time and energy and money to paint. Any advice for me? Any game
line or miniatures line, other than Mage Knight, that strikes you as
particularly good for an interested novice?
Terry Adams: I think if you like miniatures as miniatures, pick three dynamic minis that look good even unpainted, and a basic paint set. Get on the Yahoo Mini-Painter group. Follow one of the many tutorials online and paint them one at a time as best as you can. You will be amazed how good the third one is. You will then be infected with Figmentia or you are immune.
For just a game I think the Lord of the Rings game is pretty accessible. The price per fig is okay, they go together pretty easy, and they have a nice "How to Paint the Model" in the box. The rules are simple and the games are short. Even non-gamers know about the movie, so you can usually get someone to at least try it.
RPGNet: Any paint job or army you're particularly fond of?
Terry Adams: I am really impressed with what Jarret Lee has been doing with armies and what CJ Cummings has been doing for 40K armies.
Favorite Single Minis? Yikes! Here are three to whet the appetite:
1. THIS is NMM Non Metallic Metals. There is no chrome.
2. This chick is red hot, but those lighting effects are just painted on.
3. This Jade isn't really transparent.
Anything at Jenova.dk, dragon-miniatures.com, minizilla.com, minivault.com or fellshadow.com.
RPGNet: Do you have a particular system for miniatures that you prefer? What do
you like to see in a miniatures game?
Terry Adams: I guess I still like Warhammer Fantasy the best. It helps to have opponents. I like the challenge of creating the list of "My Guys" and going out to crush "The Enemy".
RPGNet: Do you play RPGs, and, if so, how vital are miniatures to the RPG
experience? Why?
Terry Adams: Everything I need to know, I learned playing Dungeons and Dragons.
I was always the DM and always had all the minis. Sometimes it would take players longer to pick a mini for their character than it would take me to paint it. We all have visions in our heads of our favorite character, and minis help make them real.
RPGNet: What games -- especially including those that don't use miniatures -- do
you enjoy and play?
Terry Adams: I am a DM at heart with deep roots in Dungeons and Dragons. I think MMORPGs are going to make it into something in a couple of years. I try 'em out now and then. NeverWinter Nights shows a lot of promise. I love all the D20 proliferation. I think Paranoia is one of the most fun games I have played. Champions. GURPS for a long time. Car Wars. Masquerade. Cosmic Encounters ROCKS! Pass the Pigs to while away DM sidebars. Magic. Mech Warrior. I have never played Cthulhu but I have all the modules. *laughs* Traveller. Birthright. Mostly my DnD campaign though.
RPGNet: That's quite a list. Any final thoughts?
Terry Adams: I like the recent trend in boutique miniature companies: Small shops that are built on the skills of the sculptors. Werner Klocke, Steve Buddle, JasonWiebe Reaper, I-Kore, Dark Age, Crocodile Games -- stuff like that. But I am also glad Rackham is out there as a big competitor for Games Workshop. I'm happy to see an expanding base of GW stores in the US. CoolMiniOrNot.com and the mini-painting group at Yahoo have really helped shape the online community of mini painters.
One last word for the lurkers: Speak.
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