Site updates
File Search
It's been requested since the repo opened and we finally got around to implementing it. You can now search for files on the files page. It's not Google so if you mispell something or call a model something different from how we listed it, it won't come up in the results so be sure to check the category in the store for the model you want to make sure we don't have it listed in a differnt name.
Improved Rating System
As many of you know, we used a file rating system we developed a few years ago when there were no such things as 3D scans - everything was a sculpt. But eventually most of the files we got were scans and so the rating system became confusing. This new rating system let's you know if the files are scans or sculpts and what the quality of the files are rated so you can make more informed decisions.
Virtual Currency
We've introduced a virtal currency called Gelts (https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Throne_Gelt) that you can use to purchase files. These gelts are really designed as a way for us to give you bonus credits - we're not going to replace everything with virtual currency.
Here's how they work - about once a month or so (or whenever we feel like it) we'll send everyone a gelt to use on whatever you want - each gelt equals $5 so if you have 1 gelt, you can purchase anything on the site up to $5. Most of our single character models are $5 so you can grab one of those if you want. If you have 2 gelts you can purchase any 1 item up to $10 - you get the idea.
In addition, for every $100 you spend in a single purchase you'll get three gelts (worth $15) - that's like getting a 15% discount (sorta).
Gelts can't be used as a discount on your overall cart - they are for purchasing single files outright.
Quick note - gelts can't purchase bundles but bundles can go toward the $100 benchmark.
We thought this would be a fun way to get you to come back to the repo from time to time and maybe encourage you to make some purchases to support the repo. Remember - most of the funds we get goes directly back to the creator - so no one's getting rich here.
What is NerdEmpire?
First: NerdEmpire is NOT a store! This is a shared repository.
Any money collected for access to the files on the repo goes directly back to supporting the creators, producing new scans, or paying for basic site costs.
Where do the files come from?
We always try to purchase files directly from the creator.
Why can't members have full access to all the files for one flat fee?
Let's be honest, most people will just pay one time and download everything and we wouldn't have the ongoing revenue we need to keep the files in the repository growing. Paying per file ensures that members are only downloading files they will actually use, it keeps revenue flowing into the repo so we can use that to support the creators and pay for other costs, and it prevents leaks of files onto the public internet.
Also, paying per file gives us feedback about what you guys actually want so we don't spend the money on files no one cares about. An example of that is oldhammer 40k stuff - it's clear from the stats that you guys aren't really interested in Space Marines from 1994.
What's popular on NerdEmpire - what's not popular?
About 80% of the interest is in 40k. About 15% is directed towards Sigmar. The rest (about 5%) is split between Horus Heresy (2%), Old World(1%), Necromunda(1%), Legion Imperialis(.5%), and Middle-earth(.5%), in that order. There are so many files in that last 5% that have never been downloaded and never re-couped their costs of acquisition. If this was a store, we would've stopped purchasing files for those categories to increase profits, but - as a repository - it's nice to have them available if someone decides to start playing one of those games.
Why keep the number of members low? Why not add more people to drive costs down and generate more revenue?
We purposely keep the total membership small - only to a few trusted like-minded individuals willing to support the repo and the creators we work with. When we add more people, we make more money and that would lower the cost of the files - that's true - but adding new people creates more headaches and introduces potentially bad actors to our community - people who use stolen credit cards for payment, people who want to resell or distribute the files publicly.
What about leaks?
In the early days of the repo - a couple of years ago - we had a few people leak the files publicly - but back then our repo was largely full of public files that had been removed from strikes by GW and were only available through private repositories like NerdEmpire. But that taught us a lot about how to manage the repo to detect and prevent leakers.
Proof of that is obvious - a vast majority of the files on NerdEmpire are not found publicly. The leaks we see of duplicate files we have in our repo are always from another source - not from our achives. We have ways of determining if the files found publicly are from our archives or not. And since our community is small, it's not difficult to figure out who the leaker is when we check the database.
Needless to say, leaking files will get you banned and you'll lose access to the this incredible repo - but you guys already know that.
Can I get a discount if I purchase a bunch of files?
You can contact us if you want to do that but, in general, we don't have a big incentive to discount anything. Less money coming in means less money to acquire new files for the repository. Again: this isn't a store where the goal is to make money - it's a shared repository. Our responsibility is to curate the repo and your job, as a member, is to help support it financially where it benefits you.
We also cap large purchases - single or over time. It looks suspicious if you're trying to purchase more files than someone can reasonably print.