Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Cherno on September 23, 2012, 08:47:30 PM
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*** Note: A thread detailing all my cardboard miniature projects can be found here (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=40650.0)***
Horse D!ck! You are the Blade... Blade Runner.
- Gaff
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3510qauhc.jpg)
Time for another cardboard project. After quite humble beginnings (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=44154.0), I somehow got bit by the Blade Runner bug and decided to combine both projects. This meant completely scrapping the narrow-focused 40s Film Noir-approach with only the most basic scenery and going full-out for a glorious near-future city with buildings, vehicles, pedestrians and whatnot. All in cardboard, of course.
I decided early on that I would keep two things: The Pure black & white look and the Standees I already made. As for rules, I ordered a copy of "The Department" (http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/), a game that pretty much is Blade Runner without stepping into intellectual property infringement territory (try saying that three times in a row); Replicants are Fabricants, it's not 2019 but rather the 2070s (I think), and the role of artificial beings is different: While Replicants are designed solely for off-world use in colonies and such, Fabricants are more like humanoid androids that threaten to replace all human workers because of their cheapness and reliability.
(http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/uploads/8/1/8/5/8185995/3924515.jpeg?3206020)
What I needed was an urban landscape with lots of buildings and vehicles for cover, as well as lots of Standees for simulating crowds of random people on the streets.
I had to decide between two different ground tile styles: The normal modern look from World Works Games "Streets Of Legend" (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php?view=product&product=37) set as seen here:
(http://www.abload.de/img/scene1b1pm2.gif)
And a more "noisy" look from "Streets Of Titan" (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php?view=product&product=37) with details like water puddles, parking spaces and weird "NO VTOL ZONE" markings. Because I knew I had to convert every single image manually to black & white, having all that detail meant that it would just show up as random shapes instead of anything recognizeable after desaturation. I ultimatively went for the future look because, you know... It's Blade Runner!
For buildings, I discovered (well, I knew the before, but never considered making them) WWG's excellent line of SwiftScenic structures, boxy buildings that are easy to cut and glue and that fold flat for storage. Never being one that is satisfied with the vanilla options, I heavily modified the files so I wouldn't be restricted to 6x6 inch buildings. Now I'm able to create structures that have walls of 3, 6 or 9 inches length, a big improvement when trying to achieve a non-uniform look.
In the middle of churning out SwiftScenic buildings I thought to myself "Gee, high office blocks sure look nice in a downtown setting, but what about actualy playing the game?!?" The problem with high buildings is that they block player's line of sights, it soon becomes awkward having to stand up and bend over the table to see the action. Moving figures in narrow alleyways also becomes next to impossible without bumping against the scenery. In the end, I limited myself to one-story buildings, just imagining that most of them are actually higher. If you have ever played X-Com, you will probably have "cut off" all uper levels as well when in BattleScape view.
Next stop: Vehicles. there aren't too many choices of slightly futuristic civilian vehicles available in paper, but again, World Works Games got what I need. Paper model designer Mel Ebbles created a nice range of paper vehicles for WWG, and I pretty much used everything that didn't look too militaristic. I also got hold of two cool paper model trucks from other sources. Again, everything had to be converted to black & white, which in the case of the Ebbles / WWG vehicles meant editing every detail like headlights, windshields, bumpers etc. seperately.
On a side note, doing everything in black & white meant I wouldn't have to worry about edging anything because white paper showing through could just be counted as further details or outlines. This fact helped speed up the build process.
The Standees where again made from the vast archive of suitable 28mm miniature photos I have assembled so far, with (among others) miniature images from Arkham Horror and Vampifan's (http://vampifansworldoftheundead.blogspot.de/) collection re-purposed for my future noirish needs.
That sums up the basic project overview, In the coming days I will go into further detail concerning the buildings, vehicles and Standees.
Enjoy!
P.S.: Things I learned from this project: Future motorists apparently need to be reminded every 10 meters that they are in a NO VTOL ZONE.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg349229umk.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3494eeulh.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3497tnupy.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3501o4uqq.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3504wsuck.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3507lvup8.jpg)
A table full of TLX tiles
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3486gbudl.jpg)
SwiftScenic Buildings
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3487xhu99.jpg)
Standees examples
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35170oua1.jpg)
Future additions will be featured in the following placeholder posts.
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Update: Vehicles
DMC Northstar / HL-300 from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
A big hover limousine, perfect for the future corporate executive!
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3526s9ucf.jpg)
Taxi Variant
Grimy and with hose-down artificial synth-leather interior, but at least thh cab driver sits behind armoured glass ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3523kluje.jpg)
Veloce Brio, tomorrow's commuter! from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
A nice little model. This is what most commuters would prefer, an affordable vehicle that fits in all spots.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3520niux1.jpg)
Interceptor (a.k.a. Not-Spinner ;) ) from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
Also available in unmarked variants for more subtle police work.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3529cwud9.jpg)
Large Truck from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
This thing is huge! It also looks simple but was actually not that easy to build. Water and chemical/oil tanks are available as well.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3535nhu46.jpg)
SGS-27 Mehari Small Truck from Wargamedownloads (http://www.wargamedownloads.com/item.php?item=205&pics=)
I had to re-do the complete upper parts because they were painted in a desert camouflage theme I really didn't like, that's why it looks too clean now. Still a cool model.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3532g5uqx.jpg)
Samsara Medium Wheeled Utility Vehicle from Toposolitario (http://www.toposolitario.com)
This is one huge vehicle! I printed it at 75% and it's still a monster, but a very cool and detailed model. It was fairly easy to build, the hydraulic arm was fiddly though. The model comes with multiple options and add-ons for different roles, such as missile launchers, communication arrays etc. I chose a construction yard theme but didn't add the optional support pillars and I put a magnet into the arm so that it can be turned and removed.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35382lujr.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3541lgula.jpg)
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Update: Standees
So here are a couple of the Standees I created. Most were just converted from stuff I already had. Thanks to all who made their images available to me, much appreciated!
Characters have their last names on their bases, while support NPCs have different symbols to better see who they are from a distance: A police star for state police, riot helmet for riot officers and a chemistry glass (?) for the lab technician.
The minor and major suspects all have a question mark on their bases but I haven't built any yet :)
There's also three rioters with a flame symbol. They are used in one particular scenario in which a mob protests outside a manufacturing plant and generates rioters.
The Fuzz! Most have names taken directly from crime films. Bonus points if you can recognize them ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3544nmc51.jpg)
Support NPCs
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3547rccg6.jpg)
Rioters
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3550xqelt.jpg)
Suspects, actually some kind of hardened street gang or criminal posse
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3553ixenp.jpg)
Random civilians, can't have enough of them!
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35564xebi.jpg)
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derpy
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*Added Nov 4th 2012*
Last wednesday we finally got around to run our first The Department session. We managed to play five scenarios and stopped only because I didn't have the required terrain for the sixth one ready (abandoned warehouse).
Let me write a few things about the game itself and what I think about it.
The Department Homepage (http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/)
(http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/uploads/8/1/8/5/8185995/3924515.jpeg?3206020)
Game Overview
First of all, The Department is not your typical sci-fi skirmish game. It is meant to be played as a campaign of about five to ten scenarios, trying to collect evidence to unlock the last scenarios which is typically a raid to capture or kill the prime suspect, typically a terrorist cell leader or other dangerous criminal.
The game is set in 2070s U.S.A. where humanoid robots, so-called Fabricants, have largely replaced all menial labour in huge factories, leaving jobs that require creativity or initiative to humans. With this evolution of course came new problems for law enforcement agencies. Fabricants could be stolen, reprogrammed to commit crimes, go haywire and run amok, and other things that do or don't involve human criminal masterminds. Investigating all these crimes is The Department of Fabricant Management, aka The Department.
The game is played cooperatively. Players create characters who can have different strengths and weaknesses, one may be a crack interrogator, a firearms expert, close combat specialist, and more. It's important that a certain range of skills is covered by the investigating team. I created six sample characters from which we chose three:
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg36077jpip.jpg)
1. Stone, based on rutger Hauer's character Harly Stone from the British 1992 sci-fi film Split Second, a firearms expert with a grudge against Fabricants, armed with an unpermitted Assault Rifle, a cigar and a bad temper. He's also adept at intimidating perps.
2. Lebrowski, based on Billy Zane's character Jo Dee Fostar from The Silence of the Hams. He is a rookie officer with not much experience at working with evidence or booked supsects, but he's a natural athlete who can bring down any foe in close combat.
3. Tanner, based on Crystal Steele from the 1997 Blade Runner videogame, interrogations specialist and good at combining different pieces of evidence back at the station.
We just chose the first prime suspect, a terrorist cell leader who uses Fabricants as mobile bombs and equips them with a very lifelike synthetic skin job, making them extremely hard to distinguish from humans. Before we could get to him, we had to collect enough evidence though, so we played through the first five scenarios trying to solve a murder, meeting with an informant amid crowds ready to riot, arrested a drug dealer and his bodyguard, broke into a nightclub to install wiretabs, and other things.
Each scenario is played on a 4x4 table (for 28mm), with buildings and streets layout however feels right. I just laid out a portion of the city beforehand and we played four of the five missions on the same table, turning it after the first two so we had to change starting positions. Two things that make The Department special are the A.I. routine used for all suspects, which determine how they act based on how many officers they can see, among other things, and a special kind of "terrain" which are crowds of peope that affect movement and can turn hostile or dissolve if there's a fight nearby. After each mission, the investigators return to the police station where they may interrogate arested suspects, combine evidence to get new kinds of evidence (there are five different types), ask for more budget, heal their wounds, and so on. The Budget is set before the campaign starts and each weapon that is used, each additional station action, and most scenarios costs budget points. Characters can also gain Internal Affairs Points (IAP) if they do things like gun down innocents, beat up non-hostile suspects, fire their weapons near a crowd, etc. The scenarios play pretty quick, so you can possibly make it through a full campaign on an extended evening, or split it amongst two night for more casual play.
As for the rules written by Joseph Dragovich , they are based on the GoalSystem rules by Scott Pyle some may know from Goalsystem Delves which also saw a successful kickstart fund drive. Basically, for each test, a certain number of dice are rolled depending on attribute and skill value, and all 4s, 5s and 6s are goals (6s count double). If the required Theshold number is reached, the test was successful. It's an easy to understand system that allows for good granularity and can be used for pretty much every situation that may arise. The rulebook has a few errors that slipped through playtesting, but there's a FAQ on the official website so be sure to head (http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/) there to get up to date :)
What I learned from five games of The Department
- The Department is more RPG-Lite than skirmish game (although it can just be played as a straight head-to-head combat game without the campaign framework).In five games, not one single shot was fired, and only one melee attack was made (after which the offending suspect was quickly arrested).
- The A.I. could use improvement if you want a deadlier or more interesting experience. They mostly just seem to flee once they see an officer or stay put, only seldomly turning hostile.
- Prepare to spent some time planning your campaign, I strongly suggest using premade characters. I will also cough up some random events on the table and while in the station to spice things up.
- You need lots of civilian models for the crowds (one scenario has six crowds!) to achieve that nice future street look. Each crowd has a radius of 6 inches at 28mm, although you could just use a flat marker instead of actual models. I suggest having at least 20 civilians, with 30 being ideal.
- The skills relevant to subduing and arresting suspects and combining evidence are extremly important, make sure your characters cover those sufficiently!
I liked the game a lot, it has a strong RPG flavor and is very thematic. It's really like playing a crime procedural drama such as the various CSI series. My friends had a lot of fun as well, alhough I would have liked a little bit more combat (or rather, combat at all! :D ). I'll probably change the A.I. routines a bit so that suspects become a bit more short-tempered.. I blame it on rampant drug abuse in future America!
Enough talk, let's look at some photos.
[SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION]
The first thing one of my gaming buddies said when he saw the table was "Ohhh, that looks good!"
[/SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION]
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3583mfqpz.jpg)
A drug dealer and his two bodyguard loiter around a street corner (dunno why they do it in front of a police spinner, but hey... as I said above, can't reason with those junkies!). Lebrowksi sneaks from behind to apprehend the suspects.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3586ncr1x.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3589mjqmn.jpg)
Stone and Tanner investigate a murder scene in front of the White Dragon Noodle Bar. Nobody has seen anything... of course.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg359183rnq.jpg)
Looking down main street.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3595v4oe1.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3597efo73.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg36015hqtt.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg36047qpvj.jpg)
Birds-eye view
You may notice some some stuff on the table next to the actual play area. I made pre-generated character sheets and also equipment reference cards. If anyone is interested, the reference cards are available for download on the Department homepage, while the sample characters will hopefully be uploaded too as well (hint hint, Joe! :P)
Comments & Questions welcome, of course. 8)
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Those look great. I love the moody feel to them!
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The orange tint comes from the apricot-coloured walls in my living room, it somehow looks good ;)
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Those look great. I love the moody feel to them!
Yep. Moody was what came to mind here also.
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Fantastic. You are the King of Paper Goodness 8)
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Looks beautiful! I'd love to play on your tables, man!
For myself, I'd add little grace notes of color - all the neon signage that bedecked "Ridleyville"(as the Blade Runner crew called the L.A. street set), maybe have the "star" standees in color while all the extras are rendered in B/W. After all, this is the future, deocrated in "grime and neon", as Sid Meyers put it in an interview.
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Good call, a little color for accentuation would enhance the impression. Unfortunately, I can't use the business signs that come with the SwiftSceniccs because they only work on buildings higher than one story :D
And I also need more cars and civilians :D
Edit: I think you mean Sid Mead ;)
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Update: Vehicles
DMC Northstar / HL-300 from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
A big hover limousine, perfect for the future corporate executive!
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3526s9ucf.jpg)
Taxi Variant
Grimy and with hose-down artificial synth-leather interior, but at least thh cab driver sits behind armoured glass ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3523kluje.jpg)
Veloce Brio, tomorrow's commuter! from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
A nice little model. This is what most commuters would prefer, an affordable vehicle that fits in all spots.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3520niux1.jpg)
Interceptor (a.k.a. Not-Spinner ;) ) from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
Also available in unmarked variants for more subtle police work.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3529cwud9.jpg)
Large Truck from WorldWorksGames (http://www.worldworksgames.com/store/index.php)
This thing is huge! It also looks simple but was actually not that easy to build. Water and chemical/oil tanks are available as well.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3535nhu46.jpg)
SGS-27 Mehari Small Truck from Wargamedownloads (http://www.wargamedownloads.com/item.php?item=205&pics=)
I had to re-do the complete upper parts because they were painted in a desert camouflage theme I really didn't like, that's why it looks too clean now. Still a cool model.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3532g5uqx.jpg)
Samsara Medium Wheeled Utility Vehicle from Toposolitario (http://www.toposolitario.com)
This is one huge vehicle! I printed it at 75% and it's still a monster, but a very cool and detailed model. It was fairly easy to build, the hydraulic arm was fiddly though. The model comes with multiple options and add-ons for different roles, such as missile launchers, communication arrays etc. I chose a construction yard theme but didn't add the optional support pillars and I put a magnet into the arm so that it can be turned and removed.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35382lujr.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3541lgula.jpg)
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It's a good project and I don't want to sound negative, but it really needs to be done in various shades of grey rather than strict black and white.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/BigComboTrailer.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/StrayDogShadows.jpg)
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Very nice, looks like sin city!
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NO! Donīt add colour! Donīt add shades of grey! IT IS PERFECT!!!
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I like pure b&w, it is more stylized and unique in my opinion :) And I love Sin City :-*
The stark contrast helps the eye making out what each thing is supposed to be.
To each his own :)
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One of the best paperworks I've ever seen, that's impressive! O.O
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Update: Standees
So here are a couple of the Standees I created. Most were just converted from stuff I already had. Thanks to all who made their images available to me, much appreciated!
Characters have their last names on their bases, while support NPCs have different symbols to better see who they are from a distance: A police star for state police, riot helmet for riot officers and a chemistry glass (?) for the lab technician.
The minor and major suspects all have a question mark on their bases but I haven't built any yet :)
There's also three rioters with a flame symbol. They are used in one particular scenario in which a mob protests outside a manufacturing plant and generates rioters.
The Fuzz! Most have names taken directly from crime films. Bonus points if you can recognize them ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3544nmc51.jpg)
Support NPCs
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3547rccg6.jpg)
Rioters
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3550xqelt.jpg)
Suspects, actually some kind of hardened street gang or criminal posse
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3553ixenp.jpg)
Random civilians, can't have enough of them!
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35564xebi.jpg)
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Amazing! Photoshopping and printing pics of miniatures, never even thought of that!
There are masses of back catalogue figs on Solegends.com that could have this treatment! (40K pirates, 2000AD perps, 1980's cyberpunk figs of various makes and what not)
The strong black and white contrast works very well for the comix look. Possibly counters with splashes of red for more graphic effects might work?
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Thanks :)
Yes, I am still trying to figure out how and where to include some color for accentuation, I have a chalk outline marker that is used in on scenario, that has a large blood pool on it, but otherwise it's not easy! ;)
It has been suggested to do any neon sings in bright colours, unfortunately I can't use them because the buildings are only one story high ;)
I am currently going through the Department rulebook and writing down each roll, check, test to see which stats a character needs to fit a specific roll. I'm also busy building more vehicles, and today I finished to last of my Standees, but I might still need more civilians for that crowded look! Furthermore, I'm desperately looking for any sci-fi street props, so far I only got custom-made street lights, but I'd love to have some comm arrays or market stalls, maybe even that fast food vendor booth from beginning of Blade Runner.
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"If you want something done, do it yourself."
- Unknown
After desperately searching for sci-fi street props, I resorted to make my own. These are the first papercraft models I ever made, but luckily I already had some experience in 3d modeling so this wasn't too difficult. I'm still no artist though, so texturing is always a problem. Having everything in b&w certainly helps ;)
Bus Stop Shelter
This is actually from WWG's Street Props set. I just added two custom posters, bonus points to you if you can make out the homages, at least the one visible here should be obvious to all cyberpunk fans :)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3557jtsjf.jpg)
Street light
I'm very happy how this turned out, with nice gritty textures and the warning stripes that every sci-fi scenario seems to have in abundance! ;)
The design is also pretty ingenious (shameless self promotion here), it breaks down into three parts for easy storage, and most importantly, a small magnet can be inserted (and removed too) that slied through the pillar to the base, this way the whole streetlight can be attached to another magnet which is inserted into the ground tile. Should someone bump into the prop during play it will not fall over and in fact the tile with attached prop can be tilted 90 degrees sideways without coming off. Maybe I'll detail this system further in the future.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3558zzsuh.jpg)
Fast Food Vendor & Garbage pile
I took some inspiration from the asia food vendor from Balderunner when designing this, but it came out generic enough that it can be used in modern scenarios as well. It needs texturing of course, and I plan to add a big chinese dragon sign on top.
The garbage piles are my favourite prop, it helps clutter up the scenery and they look great in alleyways or just besides a building. Container is from Mega Miniatures and garbage cans are customized WWG items (the original ones are far too large).
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3559jwsbc.jpg)
Billboard & Power Converter
The billboard is meant to have a concrete or metal base and a big holographic projection with a possibly animated advertising. Works great as cover!
The Power Converter is just something I made up, I wanted to have an interesting looking mdeisum sized structure. It could be anything really.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3560i1sqx.jpg)
Info Terminal
As seen on various Shadowrun rulebook (2nd and 4th edition I think), this is supposed to be a small computer terminal or ATM machine mounted to a central column with a small roof for protection from the acid rain. More terminals can be mounted if desired. It could also be a telephone/vidphone, but I have some dedicated phone booths in the works. Still needs texturing ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3561lls4e.jpg)
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Very cool. I really love this project.
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Another small update :)
I textured some props and modified the Diner, it now has the White Dragon neon sign above it from Blade Runner. I also coloured the bases of my Standees blue for cops and red for suspects. This should help quickly identifying figures on crowded tables.
Another advertising billboard, the image comes from the cover of Cyberpunk 2020's chromebook one. The telephone booths are from WWG.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3562bwk43.jpg)
My textured terminal, I'm pretty happy how the computer looks ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3563ylk4b.jpg)
A small kiosk, from WWG's Mayhem Services set.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3564sxjtk.jpg)
The White Dragon Diner, the structure is pillshaped and has a small roof of corrugated sheet metal and a big neon sign on top. Inside, I glued a "noirified" photo of a bar to the backwall and put a Standee of a chinese chef in there, it amlost looks like in one of those fold-up books, or a theatre stage with 2d props.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3565wxj2e.jpg)
Now for something different, I mentioned that I use neodynium magnets to hold props in place, here's how it works.
I drill holes to the underside of the tiles in all places where I want "anchor points". I insert the round magnets (they can be removed) into the holes.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35663lj6t.jpg)
Most props have either magnets inside or small pieces of metal on their undersides. The streetlights and terminals can be disassembled into three parts. A magnet can be inserted that will slide through the pillar. When everything is assembled again, the magnet can't fall out.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3567vck8o.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3568jhkub.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3570e7je7.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3569i2jwk.jpg)
The prop just snaps to the anchor point and will stay upright in place even when bumped against.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg35717sjxp.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3572gtkqh.jpg)
As you can see, magnets are very useful for basically everything that should be removeable after or even during play. So far I have only seen it used with lager model's weapons (Warjacks in particular), but the possibilities are endless and the magnets are cheap enough that they can be used en masse... Depending on size, or course ;)
Here's another, older project that I used a lot of magnets in (it's now in possession of Vampifan).
Oldschool Mayhem City: Fun with magnets! (http://www.worldworksgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10340)
I hope you enjoy reading this and maybe I can inspire some fellow hobbyists to try something like this too. I'd certainly liked to be surprised by what others will do with thosestrange little metallic things!
F*cking magnets, how do they work?!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs
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Im quite inspired to do something similar now.
It looks the mutt's nuts.
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Absolutely gorgeous.
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I'm enjoying this thread; a lot!. Brilliant stuff!! :-*
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that's sooo elaborate! The final effect rocks! Love the magnet part
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Cheers 8)
Hopefully I can get some games started soon!
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(http://1389blog.com/pix/tiny-smiley-eating-popcorn.gif)
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Just got here, and hate to sound like a broken record, but...
Oh
My
Gawd.
Doug
PS Every paper/card thing I touch goes all wobbly and deformed. I'm in awe of anyone that can tame that beast. :o
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Protip: Use superglue on everything but the largest of tabs ;)
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...
PS Every paper/card thing I touch goes all wobbly and deformed. I'm in awe of anyone that can tame that beast. :o
Protip: Use superglue on everything but the largest of tabs ;)
I'm talking about before I even GET TO the glue/paste/whateverItry...
Doug
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Better stick to resin then... Or try not to build your paper model out in the rain ;)
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Hello, fellow Blade Runners 8)
Last wednesday we finally got around to run our first The Department session. We managed to play five scenarios and stopped only because I didn't have the required terrain for the sixth one ready (abandoned warehouse).
Let me write a few things about the game itself and what I think about it.
The Department Homepage (http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/)
(http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/uploads/8/1/8/5/8185995/3924515.jpeg?3206020)
Game Overview
First of all, The Department is not your typical sci-fi skirmish game. It is meant to be played as a campaign of about five to ten scenarios, trying to collect evidence to unlock the last scenarios which is typically a raid to capture or kill the prime suspect, typically a terrorist cell leader or other dangerous criminal.
The game is set in 2070s U.S.A. where humanoid robots, so-called Fabricants, have largely replaced all menial labour in huge factories, leaving jobs that require creativity or initiative to humans. With this evolution of course came new problems for law enforcement agencies. Fabricants could be stolen, reprogrammed to commit crimes, go haywire and run amok, and other things that do or don't involve human criminal masterminds. Investigating all these crimes is The Department of Fabricant Management, aka The Department.
The game is played cooperatively. Players create characters who can have different strengths and weaknesses, one may be a crack interrogator, a firearms expert, close combat specialist, and more. It's important that a certain range of skills is covered by the investigating team. I created six sample characters from which we chose three:
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg36077jpip.jpg)
1. Stone, based on rutger Hauer's character Harly Stone from the British 1992 sci-fi film Split Second, a firearms expert with a grudge against Fabricants, armed with an unpermitted Assault Rifle, a cigar and a bad temper. He's also adept at intimidating perps.
2. Lebrowski, based on Billy Zane's character Jo Dee Fostar from The Silence of the Hams. He is a rookie officer with not much experience at working with evidence or booked supsects, but he's a natural athlete who can bring down any foe in close combat.
3. Tanner, based on Crystal Steele from the 1997 Blade Runner videogame, interrogations specialist and good at combining different pieces of evidence back at the station.
We just chose the first prime suspect, a terrorist cell leader who uses Fabricants as mobile bombs and equips them with a very lifelike synthetic skin job, making them extremely hard to distinguish from humans. Before we could get to him, we had to collect enough evidence though, so we played through the first five scenarios trying to solve a murder, meeting with an informant amid crowds ready to riot, arrested a drug dealer and his bodyguard, broke into a nightclub to install wiretabs, and other things.
Each scenario is played on a 4x4 table (for 28mm), with buildings and streets layout however feels right. I just laid out a portion of the city beforehand and we played four of the five missions on the same table, turning it after the first two so we had to change starting positions. Two things that make The Department special are the A.I. routine used for all suspects, which determine how they act based on how many officers they can see, among other things, and a special kind of "terrain" which are crowds of peope that affect movement and can turn hostile or dissolve if there's a fight nearby. After each mission, the investigators return to the police station where they may interrogate arested suspects, combine evidence to get new kinds of evidence (there are five different types), ask for more budget, heal their wounds, and so on. The Budget is set before the campaign starts and each weapon that is used, each additional station action, and most scenarios costs budget points. Characters can also gain Internal Affairs Points (IAP) if they do things like gun down innocents, beat up non-hostile suspects, fire their weapons near a crowd, etc. The scenarios play pretty quick, so you can possibly make it through a full campaign on an extended evening, or split it amongst two night for more casual play.
As for the rules written by Joseph Dragovich , they are based on the GoalSystem rules by Scott Pyle some may know from Goalsystem Delves which also saw a successful kickstart fund drive. Basically, for each test, a certain number of dice are rolled depending on attribute and skill value, and all 4s, 5s and 6s are goals (6s count double). If the required Theshold number is reached, the test was successful. It's an easy to understand system that allows for good granularity and can be used for pretty much every situation that may arise. The rulebook has a few errors that slipped through playtesting, but there's a FAQ on the official website so be sure to head (http://www.departmentoffabricantmanagement.com/) there to get up to date :)
What I learned from five games of The Department
- The Department is more RPG-Lite than skirmish game (although it can just be played as a straight head-to-head combat game without the campaign framework).In five games, not one single shot was fired, and only one melee attack was made (after which the offending suspect was quickly arrested).
- The A.I. could use improvement if you want a deadlier or more interesting experience. They mostly just seem to flee once they see an officer or stay put, only seldomly turning hostile.
- Prepare to spent some time planning your campaign, I strongly suggest using premade characters. I will also cough up some random events on the table and while in the station to spice things up.
- You need lots of civilian models for the crowds (one scenario has six crowds!) to achieve that nice future street look. Each crowd has a radius of 6 inches at 28mm, although you could just use a flat marker instead of actual models. I suggest having at least 20 civilians, with 30 being ideal.
- The skills relevant to subduing and arresting suspects and combining evidence are extremly important, make sure your characters cover those sufficiently!
I liked the game a lot, it has a strong RPG flavor and is very thematic. It's really like playing a crime procedural drama such as the various CSI series. My friends had a lot of fun as well, alhough I would have liked a little bit more combat (or rather, combat at all! :D ). I'll probably change the A.I. routines a bit so that suspects become a bit more short-tempered.. I blame it on rampant drug abuse in future America!
Enough talk, let's look at some photos.
[SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION]
The first thing one of my gaming buddies said when he saw the table was "Ohhh, that looks good!"
[/SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION]
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3583mfqpz.jpg)
A drug dealer and his two bodyguard loiter around a street corner (dunno why they do it in front of a police spinner, but hey... as I said above, can't reason with those junkies!). Lebrowksi sneaks from behind to apprehend the suspects.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3586ncr1x.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3589mjqmn.jpg)
Stone and Tanner investigate a murder scene in front of the White Dragon Noodle Bar. Nobody has seen anything... of course.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg359183rnq.jpg)
Looking down main street.
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3595v4oe1.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg3597efo73.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg36015hqtt.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/rimg36047qpvj.jpg)
Birds-eye view
You may notice some some stuff on the table next to the actual play area. I made pre-generated character sheets and also equipment reference cards. If anyone is interested, the reference cards are available for download on the Department homepage, while the sample characters will hopefully be uploaded too as well (hint hint, Joe! :P)
Comments & Questions welcome, of course. 8)
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It looks really good... Lot of atmosphere in the looks.
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Wow. This, in my opinion, is pure art. I would stop to look at this if it were put in a museum.
I love the brightly colored bases of the characters. Especially the bright red on the tape-outline. It might sound a bit serial-killer-y, but any b&w painting with bright red blood gets my artistic heart pumping.
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Thanks :)
Joe Dragovich told me he will upload the rest of the game aids shortly.
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Very, very cool!
Some one should hire you to make something like this for a board game! :-*
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This is just genius! :-*
The "looking down main st" shot looks like Ralph Bakshi directed Blade Runner via Sin City! Love it!
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Getting seriously tempted by this rulebook now............
- You need lots of civilian models for the crowds (one scenario has six crowds!) to achieve that nice future street look. Each crowd has a radius of 6 inches at 28mm, although you could just use a flat marker instead of actual models. I suggest having at least 20 civilians, with 30 being ideal.
Anyone got links for suitable 28mm civvy models?
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Why yes, Megaminiatures has 20 different 28mm civilians for a great price :)
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Just need to chime in and agree with everyone else that this looks stunning.
I'm tempted to try it myself, but who am I kidding.
Like I got time for another project, let alone one of that scope.
Kuddo's
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Thanks for your comment.
I agree that it may seem daunting, even more so if you plan to use metal and plastic miniatures and resin terrain! Of course, it would look much better, especially if you look at that Shadowrun project around here that uses "real" neon signs and lights... Projects like this really lend themselves well to being realized as a visually striking and stylistically unique... thing :D
Speaking of which, I am currently already half-way to the next project, a Shadowrun boardgame that recreates the corp runs from the Sega Genesis game... More to come! ;)
(http://www.abload.de/img/predatorivenjl8.jpg) (http://www.abload.de/img/roomsweeperiuk7r.jpg) (http://www.abload.de/img/pantherx8kz6.jpg)
More info here:
http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=9031.0
(By the way, I'm still looking for a scan of those nice Shadowrun DMZ and GM Screen paper standees... Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? ...)
The floorplans featured in the link are still available if you own Left 4 Dead 1 or 2, check the following link:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=33844.0
Building the game pieces themselves, without the time it took to make the custom paper models and "noirify" all elements, was probably a week or two of intensive work sessions... But in the end, I guess it's worth it ;)
And of course, it's still not finished :D
Edit: Also check out this free to print and play game called "Zaibatsu" which has a similar art style, I only found out about it after I had finished the pieces featured above.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/94493/zaibatsu
(http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic939732_lg.jpg)
(http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic939710_lg.jpg)
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I love this project! It's so well done (and it does remind me somewhat of Sin City too)! :-*
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Thanks! This friday we will continue our campaign, I have a lot of stuff to prepare for it 8) o_o
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This looks amazing! Fantastic work and amazing style!
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:o Wow doesn't quite cover it! Nice!!
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Very impressive. :-*
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Thank you all for the kind words ;)
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Had another two games yesterday night. Two straight combat missions which ended our campaign successfully and left the mastermind behind the Fabricant Bombs dead in his underground compound.
Since I didn't want to build a ton of scenery for the indoor missions, I just made some floorplans and had them printed.
(http://www.abload.de/img/fi3x4f.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/ggjbuk.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/hp2lfl.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/itwzmd.jpg)
Raiding a synth-skin lab, trying to neutralize all suspects before they could destroy and evidence.
(http://www.abload.de/img/elwbp6.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/dxhxcp.jpg)
My personal highlight: Private Lebrowski forgot that all suspects could potentially be walking bombs and blow up if shot when he emptied his shotgun in a suspect at point-blank range... Of course it was a bomb and the explosion promptly K.O.ed him lol
(http://www.abload.de/img/bbsx05.jpg)
(http://www.abload.de/img/c31ltf.jpg)
The "Bolivian Army Ending (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BolivianArmyEnding)" straight from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid... We tripped the alarm in the first turn and just when we tried to get out of the compound after eliminating the main suspect no less than 21 guards with Assault Rifles rushed from outside... While we were caught in the center elevator. We barely managed to escape. Epic!
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Just reading through the rulebook again, I'm wondering if anyone else has played this game? I haven't heard a lot about it, maybe it's too niche :)
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Brilliant stuff! Love seeing Joe D.'s Department so lovingly and capably handled! Wow!
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Just reading through the rulebook again, I'm wondering if anyone else has played this game? I haven't heard a lot about it, maybe it's too niche :)
Read the rulebook for about 4-5 times now...but I still first need to finish my Cyberpunk table (which is taking ages...). But it WILL HAPPEN :P
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Read the rulebook for about 4-5 times now...but I still first need to finish my Cyberpunk table (which is taking ages...). But it WILL HAPPEN :P
Whatever happened to the miniatures line and the Ghosts of Hefei line that followed? Glad I got a pack of investigators when I did as they were lovely models.
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Still incoming...it had lots of delays but the delivery is now closing in!
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I have been working on Doom mods for the last several years and recently I decided to convert some of the Future Noir stuff I made back :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2157gwQrVcw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2157gwQrVcw)
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Absolutely brill!!!
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I especially like the artistic approach of this project. Inspiring.
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Wow, that's very cool! :)
What are you using for the mod? Apart from your own artwork, of course.
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Wow, that's very cool! :)
What are you using for the mod? Apart from your own artwork, of course.
I'm not sure I understand the question ???
The mod was created by me and runs on the GZDoom source port.
The vehicles and city textures come from WorldWorksGames.
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I'm not sure I understand the question ???
The mod was created by me and runs on the GZDoom source port.
The vehicles and city textures come from WorldWorksGames.
Oh, i thought you were the author of the textures!
Yes, i meant the engine behind it all. GZDoom is the answer, thank you for the tip! =)
Jack