Question on best way to post 'Fill In' custom guides?

[Navaan]

So, *IF* Minimates are done (for now, or forever), I had previous brought up an idea to make threads to 'complete' or 'fill in' gaps in said brand. While I want to eventually get to the point of printing stickers for people, and being an 'on call' source for them to help people with their own Minimate custom needs, for now, I was thinking about the idea of 'Fill In' threads.

There are some options...

One is take existing threads, where able, and just put them there. For instance, I have some PAC and MJF Minimates I can post up with recipes, and could do that in the AEW thread, OR I could make an AEW Fill In thread for just these, and continually aggregate any others people add. We could do this for other brands, which may be needed as if you look at Marvel, it is very spread out for different waves.

GI Joe, AEW, Star Trek are brands that could easily be placed in the former category, but namely Marvel becomes its own whole issue.

Obviously, some folks have wonderfully taken a lot of efforts and made a lot of threads, but some have moved on or have not posted in a while, and I am hoping to get some momentum in these areas. 

Before I jump in on trying, I thought I would ask folks their thoughts, or if there are people folks think I should poke at or anything to go forward with the best start on all of this?

[cylonchaney]

I worry that you are overestimating the size of the collector and especially the customizer pools. No harm in trying.

I would suggest trying to revive the existing thread for QC recipes. Then at least some of the history continues forward. I don't think anyone has problems sharing QC recipes. At a minimum, find the old thread and point to it in the intro to your new one.

However, decals could be different. I don't know if you've read though the history of some things here. But the decal thread was quite active and Luke had a site where you could download a lot of characters from various customizers and read how-to articles on various aspects of customizing.

People started finding their shared work for sale at a profit on eBay. I believe that was the beginning of the end of shared custom work. There are a number of free ones still in the decal thread. But I don't think there is a solution to the above problem. If anything it could be worse now.  You might have to come up with some kind private sharing model to get artists to participate. Aside from that, I don't even have time to make what I want to make. I think most customizers are scratching their own itch. You can put up wishlists, but who is there to fulfill them? I guess you don't find out if you don't try. But that is my thoughts on shared decals / stickers. BTW, I don't care about my stuff and share pretty much everything. If anyone wanted any of mine I'll add them to your thread. Not the ones that are just direct rip off of DST work though. LOL

You seem a lot more young minded than I am. Have you thought of training an AI to produce output in Minimate custom style? I tried messing around a little but it's like watching my grandmother trying to use Google in my day.  I had no luck. But it would be an amazing tool if you could ask an AI for custom decals to create character X as they appeared in medium Y and get back a set of stickers in Minimate style. I feel like if I was young and motivated, I could get it done. I couldn't even get it to omit noses when I tried.

With the size of the current audience, I'd suggest starting small. One general custom request thread or whatever should be enough. If it starts to get busy enough, you can split into subtopics.

One last comment, it would be bad forum etiquette IMHO to hijack existing topics to add custom requests and replies. If you're not the OP you should stay on topic. If it's a thread already about custom assistance then you're on topic. If not, start your own. I think one catch all is enough for now and won't be busy at least to start.

Good luck.

 

[Navaan]

On 7/6/2025 at 3:55 PM, cylonchaney said:

I worry that you are overestimating the size of the collector and especially the customizer pools. No harm in trying.

I would suggest trying to revive the existing thread for QC recipes. Then at least some of the history continues forward. I don't think anyone has problems sharing QC recipes. At a minimum, find the old thread and point to it in the intro to your new one.

However, decals could be different. I don't know if you've read though the history of some things here. But the decal thread was quite active and Luke had a site where you could download a lot of characters from various customizers and read how-to articles on various aspects of customizing.

People started finding their shared work for sale at a profit on eBay. I believe that was the beginning of the end of shared custom work. There are a number of free ones still in the decal thread. But I don't think there is a solution to the above problem. If anything it could be worse now.  You might have to come up with some kind private sharing model to get artists to participate. Aside from that, I don't even have time to make what I want to make. I think most customizers are scratching their own itch. You can put up wishlists, but who is there to fulfill them? I guess you don't find out if you don't try. But that is my thoughts on shared decals / stickers. BTW, I don't care about my stuff and share pretty much everything. If anyone wanted any of mine I'll add them to your thread. Not the ones that are just direct rip off of DST work though. LOL

You seem a lot more young minded than I am. Have you thought of training an AI to produce output in Minimate custom style? I tried messing around a little but it's like watching my grandmother trying to use Google in my day.  I had no luck. But it would be an amazing tool if you could ask an AI for custom decals to create character X as they appeared in medium Y and get back a set of stickers in Minimate style. I feel like if I was young and motivated, I could get it done. I couldn't even get it to omit noses when I tried.

With the size of the current audience, I'd suggest starting small. One general custom request thread or whatever should be enough. If it starts to get busy enough, you can split into subtopics.

One last comment, it would be bad forum etiquette IMHO to hijack existing topics to add custom requests and replies. If you're not the OP you should stay on topic. If it's a thread already about custom assistance then you're on topic. If not, start your own. I think one catch all is enough for now and won't be busy at least to start.

Good luck.

 

Sorry for the delay in reply, I did not have too much time with the start of the work week.

You raise a lot of good points. I had considered, at least, perhaps a 'Marvel Quick Customs,' a 'TV/Movies/Video Games' thread, just to spread them out, but one thing I thought about doing is sitting down with coffee and grabbing EVERYTHING still there in some of the previous threads, including who made what, photos and links. Something to make sure we could 1) credit folks, 2) keep their work preserved, and 3) honor their efforts but also pass on the baton. However, you are right; it was one of the reason I really want to dive into things, as I want to see the toyline renew in popularity, and hoping that if we work together, drive up engagement and investment, we might see some more/new activity from folks who may have gone quiet or never joined in.

As for the decals- I read through the thread when I was glancing, and while I can't or shouldn't say I read every comment/reply, I saw some of that on there.

Yikes. 

I know we may not have too many people doing decals and the like right now, but I may have some resources, there. I run a VERY large gaming community, filled with a lot of weirdos, goobers, goofballs and jokers, but they're amazing and creative and we have so, so many artists. I know a few of them would love to try their hand with the templates and the like.

I appreciate you saying I am young minded; sadly, not quite. I am a high functioning Autistic (since Aspergers got listed as Autisim Level 1- seriously, guys, there is no boss fight at the end, I don't level up, 'levels' aren't needed here, but I digress), and I am stubborn, and energetic. It just means I want to try, I suppose; while I don't know too much about trying to get an AI to make decals, it's not a bad idea but I would rather reach out to my artist friends, first, and offer them game stuff or cash and see if that gets some bites, just for sake of ease if not a 'good excuse' to try and throw some green on some folks who could use it. But the AI is not a bad call. 

But overall, you are correct; we're a small group, here. All the more reason to try, perhaps, in my optimistic mind, in hopes to preserve and grow. 

I genuinely appreciate your thoughts. A custom request thread may be the way to go, a 'help me make X' thread down it the custom channel. Thanks, Cylon!