(This is a dead category anyway it seems. Wargaming could have stayed in the Sci-Fi category)
Scale Creep is the thing when the miniature model getting bigger and bigger over the the release of the same model at the supposedly same scale. So recently, on the Warhammer 40’000 table top, they released new models for the Imperial Guard, normal human soldier, that are now the size of the old Space marine model (super soldier). Their fan base is separated into faction that like and dislike for various reasons, some are funny, like costing more to paint. The 28mm was from heels to top, then to eye level, and now to shoulder level, they don’t even know anymore.
As Kitmaker members often about object scale (vehicles and gears) and the character as trivia, we never run into this issue. You just can’t scale creep 1m at 1/32.
I take it this is separate from the issue of new models that are bigger because everybody wants to dominate the table? I’m thinking the Primus Space Marines, who are even bigger than a normal one. And tanks - it started with the Baneblade, a giant among other IG vehicles…
In the “scale world” it is less of a problem, but we still have too many figs that are advertised at 1:35 but scale out at 1:32 etc. And sometimes vehicles are mis-scaled due to some kind of design error.
Well, yes, however it is easy to understand the unhappiness when thing is not done correctly, since we don’t argue how long 1m at 1/32 or 1/35. I got that problem from some mini as well. If it’s wrong, it is wrong.
The Primaris Marine model is still dislike by a part of the table top community either for gameplay, design, or scale problem such Game Workshop calling the new line “true scale” despite it isn’t.
I care about it much as I don’t like the size of table top mini, I just find it amusing.
It’s almost a built in brand loyalty system, every manufacturer seems to measure differently. Lots of people will ask “how does x brand of figures match y” and base their purchase on it even though few companies make all the minis for a period. I mix-match freely on my table so it’s not an issue, they’re tokens after all. I have some 28mm sized minis from etsy and those are almost like my old true 25’s, I’ll have to get 32mm sized ones to match the new moderns I have.
Me, at 6´4´´, would come to 55 mm (foot sole to top of scalp)
while a 5´7´´ soldier would reach all of 48 mm. A whopping 7 mm difference.
Our previous building maintenance guy was 6´9´´ …
In Martin Caidin’s book Flying Forts, on the development and history of the B-17, he mentions two individuals of stature. One, at 6’6", decided he was too big to be a pilot and wound up as a waist gunner. The other, who was a pilot, was 6’8". I’m 6’5", and having been in the Collings Foundation B-17 “Nine-O-Nine” before it crashed, I find it difficult to believe that someone three inches taller than me could fit in either of the pilot or copilot seats in a B-17; they’re tiny inside. All of the war movies where you see the cockpit of a B-17 with lots of room for the pilot, copilot, and dorsal gunner with lots of room to move around lie to you.
I thought that I had another similar illustration that compared table-top gamming figures in a similar manner. However, this one was all that I could find. (The other may be “misplaced” in some backup drive…)
This does show, though, the problem of not just accounting for actual biological variations, but the influence that artistic “vision” also has on the physical size of figure models. At any rate, this might also add a bit to the discussion.
Note that this comparison is based just on the ratios of head size, and there is not any attempt to state the measured height of the figures shown. It’s all about proportion.
One factor to consider is that tall people have longer legs in proportion to the whole height.
The difference of length of the spine between a 6’6" and a 5’8" man is less than an inch,
the rest of the height difference is legs. The arms are also longer.
The shortarse on the far left in the figure above has too long legs and too short spine.
The others have almost the same spine but significant differences in leg length.
The required size of the figleaf does not depend on height.
The main reason for size discrepancy in 1/35 figures, and 54 mm figures is the issue of measuring a figure from ground to eye-level, or from ground to top of head level (in standing figures). Ancients with decorative helmets, and Napoleonic’s in foot-high shakos, and miter hats are difficult to determine where the top of head is, but eyes are always visible, and easier to determine height. Therefore, 54 mm figures have become up to 60 mm tall (minus headgear), while 1/35 figures remain, generally, around 2 " tall, which would represent a figure about 5 ’ - 10 " in height.
Gaming figures, on the other hand, when they were 25 mm tall, usually had exaggerated heads and hands, and really ugly weapons. The bodies gradually got taller to compensate for exaggerated features, and also made for better details, and ease of painting. So, the 25’s have grown to 28 mm, or to 32 mm., sometimes referred to as Perry Scale, or Heroic Scale (slightly smaller heads relative to their bodies to make them look more like comic-book super-heroes).
I find this a bit confusing, as I regard figures by the Perry twins as “True” 28mm, this being the case with their sculpts for GW, Wargames Foundry or their own ranges. AFAIK they no longer master figures for the two companies mentioned. “Heroic” 28mm I understand as originally being of similar height to “True” 28mm but of more exaggerated proportions; the growth in stature occurring after the Perrys ceased their work for GW.
The Minifigs “Thick Spear” era ended in the two or three years prior to 1975 when I left the area, other manufacturers took longer to give up on telegraph pole spears, I suspect some never did.
I am not a gamer so I can only conclude from what I read online, or from a friend who does play D&D. However, I have seen that modern gaming figures can go from 28 mm to sometimes 35 mm. And the “Uglies” are a thing from the distant past. There was a line of metal, pre-primed, figures from “LOTR” some 15 -20 yrs ago that were really nicely proportioned, about 34 mm tall. I noted the height because they were almost 1/48 scale. Unfortunately, they all had VERY noticeable mold seams.
