Quote - For even more fun, have a look at their whole RO store and see even more center-parted, shoulder-length, straight-hair models with only the slightest deviations that could be just as easily done with the inclusion of an extra trans-map....

I understand your point.  But, most of those "different" designs would require some mesh work.  Simple stuff, really... Actually, the mesh tweaks would be easier and faster to do than a new transmap. :)

Quote - Look, nobody is forcing me to buy anything, I get that, I just think it's skeevie.  And if they would only focus their attention on making NEW, different and UNIQUE items, they might actually get some money from me.

Well, the particular producers you've exampled do have a reputation for quality hair products.  I own several, as a matter of fact.  Some of the most popular hair products have been produced by that team.  So, with their history of creation, I can cut them some slack even if they used the same base mesh.

HOWEVER, I do want to point out that it is not really possible to make a judgment regarding these products without having the mesh in hand.  No amount of "looks like" equates to "evidence."  That's circumstantial and just an anecdotal judgment.  Don't get me wrong: I think it's quite possible you are right and the same base mesh could have been used to sculpt the models.  After all, if you have a stock base you can work with and edit to produce a number of models, it would save you a lot of work - People do this all the time... Look at M4.  DAZ3D is guilty of the same crime....  As a matter of fact, every barber and hair salon stylist does the same thing - Works with a base model to produce an effect that, no matter how many times it is done, is going to have similarities simply because.. it's all growing out of the same head.

But, the point is that while I think your suspicions are true, I can't say it is proper to claim they are true based on the evidence at hand.  We'd need the meshes and would have to open them up and compare them.  (There are ways to check for such things even if the mesh was cut/spliced/rearranged/etc although I don't have the program capable of doing that.)

But, if we are going to cry foul at an accomplished artist using a "Base Mesh" to construct models that are similar (IF they used their same base model) then shouldn't we point fingers at DAZ3D for v4-m4, v2-milkids, v3-a3 etc as well?  After all, this would be the same type of thing.  And, even then, is it really that bad?  If the customer likes the product and likes one style a little more than the other even though it was developed off the same mesh, what's the problem?

We're all made from the same base mesh.  We have two arms, two legs, a head, torso , neck.. etc..  Some of these components are in various stages of disrepair or may even be missing.  But, that is a rarity.  The point is, how many combinations of naturally occuring variables can we come up with before repetition?  What are the differences in resolutions of these variables before the human eye can not distinguish between them?  How many leather bomber jackets can there be? :)