Also. With the current 3d tech, your models would look like the crap the Hero clixs puts out. Might as well support the game that you love?
Sure, but it would cost you 2k just for the printer. And then what? How much would the materials cost?
People complain about the prices and I can't figure out why. It's more affordable than a *lot* of other hobbies. Take paintball for instance. Even if you only rent and don't buy, you are spending at a minimum 25$ for rental and field fees for a single day, not to mention the paint used. If you play the way I did when I was playing, you go through a half-case to a full case of paint for every game, so there is another 30$ per game (speedball, woohoo!). Not exactly cheap. And nothing after you are done other than some bruises and memories. Skydiving? Yeah.. not cheap. Mountain climbing? Have you priced mountain climbing gear? hint: It's not cheap. Shooting? also not cheap, weapon, upkeep, plus the rounds themselves.... not to mention range fees if you don't live out in the country. Hunting? See above. combine with the costs of a butcher. Skiing? Pft. But computer games are cheap! Not really. Keep in mind you need somethign to play them on, so we'll chalk up 1500 for a decent rig and set-up, not a top-of-the-line, just decent. Then you need to buy the game itself, and most likely you'll want an internet connection, so 2K is reasonable. You'll also need a new computer every few years.... Anyway, GW's prices really aren't excessive, it's a matter of perspective, I suppose. I mean, for the cost of a single coke every day this month, you too could own a new land raider!
Printing anything you need for a tool or model is becoming common. Basically it mean that you don't need to buy some product and that means companies feel threatened. It is a money thing so yeah.
1500 for decent rig? You can do a decent rig for 1.2k or less, I think. You're thinking of ready-made, not custom made, which wouldn't take into account brand pricing. Looking at upgrading (a CPU can last you for 5 years, I'd say, if you get an upper mid-range one right now)... I mean, really, if you go all AMD, you're going to be saving a lot of money and upgrade capacity. You won't need a new computer every few years, just some new parts which would likely never exceed $400-$500 USD a year, probably less because it's rare for a casual gamer to upgrade every year. The only hitch is internet cost and how many games you buy. Otherwise it's roughly comparable to buying a new codex/supplement every year plus maintaining/buying units and paint/new units every year for TT.
