Here's an interesting one for you.  As some of you may know I've been doing a lot of freebies lately, trying to get my modeling skills down.  Up until now, I've concentrated mainly on real clothes for Miki4 and Anastasia. So my question to you is this: which would sell better in the stores, realistic outfits or fantasy outfits? I haven't done much fantasy stuff for either Miki or Anastasia, but I'd like to know where the greater interests lie.

Also, I don't know whether the slut clothes category falls under fantasy or real life, but do you think either Miki or Anastasia needs more of that kind of clothing as well. Seems to be real popular for V4.

Both types sell well, but.....

Try to do something that hasn't been done to death. There are only so many skimpy space leotards etc. that people will go for.

A bit of research in the store will give you an idea of which way to go, check the whats hot section for ideas.

I don't tend to buy much of the so called Slut ware, as I have no use for it.

Good consistant modelling, a good variety of material zones are what I look for.

I like making add on textures and if something takes my eye, then it's mine, but......

I always think about how many different variations I can do with that item?

If it's a bodysuit, then thye skys the limi for me as I will chop and change textures, make hide zones etc. to extend the use of that item.

If something comes with just a single texture mat, with hardly any mat zones, then I tend to stay away from it.

As I said, before doing anything (Easier said than done, I know! lol), do that bit of research and you will see where you can go. Just because everyone is doing the same thing, does not mean that you have to do it as well.

All the best.

Graet Uncle LROG

I don't have Miki4, but I'm a fan of the sci-fi or Fantasy style like the wildenlander outfits, Val3dArt or the Xurge3d stuff.  Would be more interested for Miki I guess, if there was a really cool outfit for her like one of those, I would probably grab her, as well, to give her a try.

I could never get Anastasia's face to change expressions without it being scary, so I sort of gave up on her.  I fault my own abilities there...  :( 

I am not a big purchaser, and very picky, so don't take my word on this.  Its just some feedback.

EDIT: ...or you can target a fan-base, like Lara Croft or somethig else.  I just thought of that noticing "Eiryn" in the sidebar, which is obviously targeting the Guild Wars crowd.

Real, retro clothing might be a good start:  Tie-died shirts, a flapper dress, etc.

I love the freebies you  have been making for Miki4. I like both types of clothes, real and fantasy. Yes of course I also like the slutty clothes as well. I go more towards outfits that someone would wear in the everyday environment though. Maybe you should just make a outfits from every area. It would be nice to have a balanced wardrobe.

I prefer realisitic clothing myself - If I need slut wear, I can always convert with either Xdresser or WW.

What I am looking for is 50's style clothing for both - pencil skirts, capri's etc. (I am working on a 50's horror novel.

Browsing through all the stores and seeing how fantasy is offered so much more and how so many vendors complain about realistic clothes selling so badly, I'd say fantasy clothes sell better..... but real clothes may be much more appreciated. But that's purely going by what I'm picking up.

I don't make much clothing myself, but I know for props it doesn't really matter, my more realistic items, if you can even talk about that when doing toons, sell just as good as my less realistic items.

We desperately need clothing for M4.  Realistic clothing.  There's plenty of fantasy stuff out there, but very little "normal" clothing for M4.

Here is my take for what it's worth. Many people ask in the forums for everyday clothes. Look at the galleries and you see plenty of fantasy stuff. So people seem to like that, though maybe it's just people using what they have available. Since neither Miki or Anastasia have much clothing at all, anything of quality (and reasonable price based on forum comments) probably would do decent.

Also as a side note vendors have said that while stuff for Vicky get lots of interest to start, it doesn't have the staying power of other models.

I'd agree that quality and versatility trump the genre thing. The DAZ Morphing Fantasy Dress might be a good example. Look through Mamomamo's clothing - often complete outfits, incl. shoes so you don't need anything else but you can mix and match pieces; a lot of 'contemporary,' but stylish things …

Juat a couple of thoughts on the requests for everyday real clothing.  A lot of requests because there is so little of it available, and the market for it would be probably small.  Fantasy and slutware, the market is large, and so is the number of vendors and choices, therefore, not many requests, they don't have to ask, just choose.

There are a few vendors that consistently make good everyday stuff, Poserworld is the prime example, and usually, that's where I look first.   But what you've been putting out, this is great and dynamic is a huge improvement over conforming.  Miki and Anastasia don't have a huge amount available, they both could use a lot more.  (Have them both, but almost never use an asian character, so maybe just curiosity and wasting money there.)

Shoes, I get so bored looking at hundreds of different ways to break the ladies ankles with those ridiculous high heels, and search for hours to try to find something that real people would wear, other than the other glut of jogging shoes. 

Just my thoughts YMMV.

Doric.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated Doric. Frankly, there's still a lot of the everyday clothes for both Miki and Anastasia that I'd like to make. Unfortunately, I'm still learning how to model well, so I'm going to need a little time. I REALLY want to make some frilly skirts for both Miki and Anastasia, but my skill level is sub- par in that area right now.

I used Silo and Zbrush (just learning Zbrush).

Something I made just as a test. Yep, I know it's not Miki or Anastasia (V4 and my Pixie mode.Lol

I started off doing small items and gradually got my confidence and started doing more complicated.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

Both shown untextured as I only did them to test out a few things.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

Nice work. I like Blender myself.

I've seen a lot of great stuff done with Blender, but it sometimes gets put down because it is free. Never understood why?

The main thing I always tell people is start off small, work up gradual.

The amount of people that go out and buy the latest and greatest and then try and do a full mech suit with their first go, and fail, is quite high. Lol.

Making things can be fun, frustrating at times (come on folks, we have all been there!!! Lol), but ask questions and enjoy what your doing.

Everything you learn is of use, even the bits that didn't work, at least you learn not  to do that again. Lol.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

I really respect that you can work in Blender. I have it and can't do much with it at all. Forget modeling, I just learned how to import a mesh and use the shrinkwrap modifier a couple months ago.

Keep up the good work.

For what it's worth, I started on this about a week ago, and this thread reminded me that I had it. I may or may not finish it. What's your take on it?

Looks pretty good. What modeller do you use? I know you said Blender, but did you make that with it?

I'm also of the opinion that most people use V4 for a number of reasons, but chief among them is the amount of clothing made for her. I figure why add to that glut? Plus if I'm the only one making stuff for Miki or Anastasia, then people who like to use them are more likely to seek me out and buy my stuff. Granted, there may only be a hundred or so people buying stuff for Miki, but if thry're all buying from me... well, I can live with that.

Complete your project as it's worth it.

Gain in experience and admit to yourself, "Yes, I can do it!!!".

The amount of people that want to have a go, but have this odd idea that you have to be an expert in this or that, have the latest and greatest program etc. amazes me.

The only thing that holds people back is, a modeller, a mesh suit and clear instructions on how to do it.

Most of the modellers can cost, but the free ones are just as good, plus watch out for older versions going very cheap, they can still do the bits you need to learn.

A mesh suitstarter suit can be easy to use:-

LOADS Of SUITS HERE!!!!!

LOADS OF DRESSES HERE!!!!

The above two links give great free items.

I learned a lot with them, and then went on later to use the Fugasi1968 Digital Tailor series.

Check John's Items

Nope, I don't get paid by him!!! Lol. But I do use SIlo and the tuytorials are Silo based. Plus John's meshes in his tutorials can be used as a basis for making free items or those for sale. Good series, well worth having.

There are a lot of great free tutorials out there in cyberland, or even.... Shock horror... forums to ask questions in!!! Lol.

Once people start learning how to make things, they realise, you don't have to have X amount of degrees to make things, plus it's fun!!!!

The one thing that cannot be given is imagination. This is up to individuals. If in doubt, look at images in magazines, the web etc.

All the best.

Great Uncle LROG

Quote - Looks pretty good. What modeller do you use? I know you said Blender, but did you make that with it?

Nahhhh, I work mostly in Wings right now. Still trying to figure Blender out.

Full speed ahead, Sir.  Anastasia items, I'll download as soon as they're available, Miki, if they're interesting for a character I have yet to really use.  But I download them anyhow, someday, maybe, I might use Miki.

Doric.

Quote - Full speed ahead, Sir.  Anastasia items, I'll download as soon as they're available, Miki, if they're interesting for a character I have yet to really use.  But I download them anyhow, someday, maybe, I might use Miki.

Doric.

I will start another thread if I do any more work on that costume. I still can't figure out what genre it fits into: Period clothing? Fantasy? Something made up in Rokket's sick little mind? Oh well... I guess if I could figure that out, I could decide on the little details.

Can only speak for me, but I'm not interested in everyday type clothing. I buy Xurge stuff and similar sci-fi/fantasy clothing. I like sets that have lots of bits and pieces I can use to mix in with something else when I need them. I'm not very interested in long, flowing skirts and dresses coz I can make my own dynamic ones. Tail Gunner is great - bits of that turn up all the time in my renders. That's the kind of stuff I want.

Quote - Can only speak for me, but I'm not interested in everyday type clothing. I buy Xurge stuff and similar sci-fi/fantasy clothing. I like sets that have lots of bits and pieces I can use to mix in with something else when I need them. I'm not very interested in long, flowing skirts and dresses coz I can make my own dynamic ones. Tail Gunner is great - bits of that turn up all the time in my renders. That's the kind of stuff I want.

I know who Xurge is, but what is Tail Gunner???

Quote - I know who Xurge is, but what is Tail Gunner???

Here:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/tailgunnera2/96203

I love ElorOnceDark's stuff. The Privateer for M3 is another one of my most used sets, converted for just about every other character.

Actually, right now, I'm trying to give Miki and Anastasia the same outfits. So if I make a dress for Miki, I'll usually just convert it to fit Anastasia as well. Like this Scoopback dress I just made and posted for Miki. I converted it to fit Anastasia and that will be up in a day or two as well.

Uncle LROG - slut ware, lol I like that term. 

I'm only a content consumer, and still new to Poser.  IMHO, I'd say the recommendation is good as to looking at what's in the what's hot section.  I'd just add that you balance that with what you like to do - after all, you do have some freedom to the content that you create - to the extent that if you're counting on revenue, there has to be demand for it.

If it's stuff that you like to do, you'll probably be better at it. 

As a content consumer, like others here I also go for quality over quantity.

Quote - > Quote - Full speed ahead, Sir.  Anastasia items, I'll download as soon as they're available, Miki, if they're interesting for a character I have yet to really use.  But I download them anyhow, someday, maybe, I might use Miki.

Doric.

Actually, right now, I'm trying to give Miki and Anastasia the same outfits. So if I make a dress for Miki, I'll usually just convert it to fit Anastasia as well. Like this Scoopback dress I just made and posted for Miki. I converted it to fit Anastasia and that will be up in a day or two as well.

Most excellent!  It's very good to see someone not concentrating on some V  character, giving those that like other figures something to put on them. 

Doric.

Yeah, another thing I'm trying to do is give them complete outfits. So that usually means a dress or pants, Shirt, jewelry, and shoes. Not saying I'll put that in every package I upload, but every one I can.