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Author Topic: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?  (Read 2933 times)

Offline lethallee61

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 274
Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« on: February 02, 2018, 02:43:59 AM »
Inspired by the many wonderful AARs posted here, I've finally decided to take the plunge into the Pulp Alley world as my main personal gaming focus for 2018. Rules, cards and the first (of many) miniatures have already been purchased and are now making their way to this far flung colony.

In our small band of gamers I am the resident terrain maker, so thoughts have now moved towards what will be required terrain-wise. Given that I am currently semi-retired (or "between jobs") I don't have an unlimited budget, so most of the terrain will be home made, supplemented with the odd bit of commercially produced MDF.

Multiple viewings of "High Road to China" has lead me to want to base my initial campaign setting in China in the period between the two world wars (with later sojourns eastwards into the Pacific or westwards into the Back of Beyond). Given those parameters, what would fellow Pulp gamers suggest as suitable locations/terrain pieces for that region/timeline?

I already have plans for a small mission, a larger China Station type of location (re-using some of the elements from the mission), a generic airfield and maybe even some entombed terracotta warriors, but would love to hear other suggestions, not only for terrain and locations but potential adventure ideas.

Thanks as always.
Enjoying the game is ALWAYS more important than winning the game.

Offline NickNascati

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2187
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2018, 03:02:10 AM »
I don't think you'll have any problem at all playing Pulp Alley games in a Chinese locale.  Just re-envision the details in the PA books as being more Asian in character.  Watch the otherwise awful last movie in the Mummy "trilogy", Tomb of the Dragon Emperor for ideas aobut Asian horrors.

Offline warrenpeace

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1497
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2018, 03:29:47 AM »
You have some good Chinatown MDF buildings in Australia. Although designed more for San Francisco, they would add some  variety. Get some plastic toy junks to convert and scratchbuild a couple. You can buy cheep plastic miniature bamboo in mass packs from sources in China. Build a Royal Australian Navy gunboat (can be fictional). Build some Hutong. Buy an MDF pagoda. Buy some Chinese aquarium pieces, such as dragons and little bridges.

Watch the Sand Pebbles, Lust Caution, The General Died at Dawn, and any movie you can find on Shanghai. Read the old comic strip Terry and the Pirates by Milton Caniff. Read Bartle Bull's two books set in Shanghai. Look up the website China Gunboats.

Good luck!
Sailors have more fun!

Offline WuZhuiQiu

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1198
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2018, 12:00:18 PM »
I'm thinking of a Shanghai setting, myself. With various international factions, Communists, Nationalists, and gangsters, there are a lot of possibilities.

Offline Ricco

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 97
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2018, 04:07:40 PM »
Look at Bob Murch's Pulp Figures page-gallery for inspiration. The Good the Bad and the Weird is wonderfully entertaining.
Shit Keith ... Not another stinkin air war game!!!!!

Offline Codsticker

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    • Kodsticklerburg: A Mordheim project
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2018, 04:38:42 PM »
I thought that a dock/wharf in Macao would be a good location. The water can be done cheaply, the docks built with popsicle sticks or coffee stirrers. A few buildings would have to be made; they may bre time consuming but foam core or cheap MDf could be the basis.



Offline SotF

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 962
  • Shadow Of The Future
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2018, 07:05:32 PM »
One thing that can be done for a relatively cheap look for China would be to look at the "wooden architectural puzzles" as there's a few chinese buildings that are right for 28mm. Sure, they'd be far older looking buildings (in that they'd be older chinese structures), but they tend to be rather cheap to buy when they pop up and quite detailed. Most of them also have the interior available if you want to do them due to the way they're built you have them designed to be openable.

Offline tin shed gamer

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Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2018, 07:42:47 PM »
Personally I'm taking a slightly different (more generic too). I've been plodding away sculpting some figures and vehicles for a very similar project.
For scenery I'll be scratch building paddy fields.and a railway. But for ease.I'll be using this building as a waterfront with only  minor modifications.
The junk is a 3D puzzle I've ordered two and including p&p to the UK it came in at just shy of $27(us) roughly £18.
You can find them on the Russia -best website. Quite a few members here swear by them for war gaming . .

Offline Traveler Man

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1553
    • The Hetzenberg Chronicles
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2018, 10:21:09 PM »
The opening of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom begins in a Shanghai nightclub, the Club Obi Wan (see what Speilberg did there?). Worth a look for atmosphere.
"It's amusing, it's amazing, and it's never twice the same: It's the salt of true adventure, and the glamour of the game."

Talbot Mundy, The Ivory Trail.

http://ajstable.blogspot.com
http://hetzenberg.blogspot.com

Offline joekano

  • Mastermind
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    • My blog: Major Thomas Foolery
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2018, 10:52:28 PM »
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room." -President Merkin Muffley
http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/

Offline lethallee61

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 274
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2018, 11:39:24 PM »
Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. Some great ideas. I've already started construction of some simple houses and will blatantly steal everyone else's other suggestions as I progress.

Joekano - I'll certainly look at the paper option for the more elaborate buildings, as I have already drooled over your work in its own thread.

Tin shed - I've visited the Sarissa site a number of times but hadn't considered the potential of the style of building you show here. Would be perfect as the main building for my band of female aviators home airfield.

Feel free to keep them coming.  :D

Offline d phipps

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    • Pulp Alley
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2018, 04:22:04 PM »
Great thread, with lots of cool ideas.

Our next Pulp Alley campaign book is planned for Asia -- China, Manchukuo, maybe even Mongolia.

Offline The Red Graf

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 374
  • Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2018, 04:34:48 PM »
As Warrenpeace suggested The Sand Pebbles is great inspirational stuff. To movies that might be of interest are The Good, the Bad, and the Weird and Let the Bullets Fly. Set in China in 1939 and 1926 respectively. I haven't had a chance to see either but they are on my list.
Semper in excretum sum sed alta variat

Offline lethallee61

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 274
Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2018, 12:32:56 AM »
Great thread, with lots of cool ideas.

Our next Pulp Alley campaign book is planned for Asia -- China, Manchukuo, maybe even Mongolia.

I think I love you.  ;)

Offline tin shed gamer

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Re: Pulp Alley in China suggestions?
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2018, 09:43:45 AM »
Here's a few more images and musings.
Chinese architecture is more diverse than you'd first think.
Here a few pictures of communal living buildings that have been built from roughly the 12th - 20th century.

I'm not suggesting you go to scale . A little scale compression and down to two stories they'd work well.

You could also tweak existing models . Adobe buildings by adding a new roof and eves. A simple nod or change architectural features by adding doors and surrounds window shutters etc.
The same applies to courtyard houses.
You can use some of the Roman villas and town houses that are on the market  you just adjust the painting and the detailing. As there's very little difference between the two once you start to view buildings as just a collection of shapes.that are defined by a layer of detail.(in the context of gaming).

 

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