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Author Topic: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 240203: Why 15mm gaming is best  (Read 140711 times)

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #300 on: November 19, 2018, 07:59:14 PM »
Burek Panko by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

Why do citizens choose the colonist life? Some do it to escape - escape war, famine, poverty, environmental disasters or perhaps crushing debt. Others are in pursuit of something - adventure, wealth, glory or just a different life. Others still haven't chosen the colonist life, but have had it forced upon them. Soldiers might get ordered to garrison a colony, criminals and dissidents might be sentenced to penal transportation, while individuals unable to repay debts to a Megacorp might find themselves in indentured servitude.
With the "right" combination of colony inhabitants, things can get pretty ...interesting.

Logistics Officer Burek Panko had lived his entire life in the carved ice tunnels of Ro-Ban V, a frozen planet in the Winkle system. Tired of the perpetual winter, the darkness, boredom and always being cold, Panko decided to use his savings to emigrate to Golgotha Prime. He'd heard rumours about the planet being rife with lost technology, alien artifacts, untapped Illuminum deposits and other wonderful things. And even if he didn't find any of that, people would always need individuals who could move things from one place to another. And it certainly would be warmer and more ...interesting.

He withdrew into the alley as soon as he saw the NeoDyne Security officers advancing down the street. He had suspected that something was awry with the package he just had delivered, but that would be the recipient's problem now. She had looked capable of handling trouble, and so had the mercs she had surrounded herself with.
A trio of Spectral Systems Spider drones came scuttling down the alley, ready to join the fray unfolding in the street. Burek Panko didn't know which side they would be supporting, only that he wanted to be somewhere safe when the shooting started. Golgotha Prime sure wasn't cold or boring, but sometimes life there could be a little bit too ...interesting.


___

He's painted in Vallejo Heavy Orange, but the true colours are hard to get right. Here's a picture taken in the early morning light:

Burek Panko, morning light by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

And here's the original, unedited picture of Burek Panko:

Burek Panko, original by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

Offline Oldben1

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1148
    • My Terrain Projects
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #301 on: November 20, 2018, 02:49:19 AM »
Well done, I have noticed your painting has improved as well!  I still love your little town.  Great color choices.

Offline number1section1

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 93
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #302 on: November 20, 2018, 07:44:50 AM »
Another great colonist! And you have painted the drones as well!

Offline Ultravanillasmurf

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 9302
    • Ultravanillasmurf
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #303 on: November 20, 2018, 09:05:32 AM »
GReat painting and background.

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #304 on: November 20, 2018, 11:39:54 AM »
Well done, I have noticed your painting has improved as well!  I still love your little town.  Great color choices.

Thanks, Michael!

I'm glad that you noticed my improvement, I've been implementing some techniques that I've read about (using a size 0 brush with a good tip instead of smaller brushes (except for insane details), thinning my paints, using reading glasses, higher contrasts when highlighting, but also loads and loads of practice and training).

Another great colonist! And you have painted the drones as well!

Thanks!

I'm in a new situation where I paint faster than I can write stories for my miniatures. I'm working on a story for them as well...

GReat painting and background.

Thanks!

My current problem with story writing is that I want to include snippets that allude to the greater universe (it started as an adaption of the universe from Five Parsecs from Home, but now it's something else) and my campaign world, Golgotha Prime, as well. But it's getting harder to find areas to explore, or that I want to explore.

Offline gamer Mac

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8207
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #305 on: November 20, 2018, 12:15:57 PM »
Very nice setting :-* :-* :'(
Keep up the good work

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181119: Logistics Officer Burek Panko, NPC
« Reply #306 on: November 20, 2018, 01:11:06 PM »
Very nice setting :-* :-* :'(
Keep up the good work

Thanks, friend! I'm glad you like it!

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181127: Spectral Systems Spider drones
« Reply #307 on: November 27, 2018, 08:06:50 PM »
Spectral Systems Spider drones in an alley by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

Reinforcements. Perhaps a crew has suffered casualties and needs to fill a gap. Perhaps a team has taken on a job that's a bit out of their league. Perhaps a unit needs a special asset, something they don't have at the time.
One can try to search for new crewmembers, recruit henchmen or hire mercenaries. Even if there's no shortage of possible recruits, there usually is a shortage of loyalty. Loyalty to stick to the agreed upon plan, to not bail at the first sign of resistance, to not betray the crew for a fistful of credits.

Drones are loyal. Droids, with their motivations and free will, might decide to do a tactical withdrawal or change allegiance, if that's advantageous to them. Drones, on the other hand, do what they are told (almost to a fault). Although a new high-end model might be pretty pricey, a crew can often afford to rent a drone (or three) for a limited time. Crafty crews with skilled mechanics might try to repair drones defeated in combat - although results might vary.

One of the older and more widespread drone models is the Spectral Systems Spider drone, also known as the "Spooky Spider" (before Spectral Systems became a part of the military-industrial complex, the corporation sold stealth units for entertainment purposes under the name Spooky Stuff Inc.).
The first high-end models were equipped with stealth units, deflector shields, EMP shielding and variable ammunition cannons. Nowadays, most Spider drones found in action are the "bare-bones models", eschewing high-maintenance features for toughness and endurance.

Pictured here is a trio of rentable drones in pristine condition (still in untarnished factory default painting) stalking through the streets of Golgotha Prime.

Spectral Systems Spider drones in wait for mission by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

Spectral Systems Spider drones in line by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

Spooky Spiders by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

If one takes the route of repairing damaged drones, please remember to clear the orders from cache.
It's fairly unpleasant to reboot a repaired drone only to find it in search and destroy-mode.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2018, 09:06:19 PM by Ockman »

Offline Oldben1

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1148
    • My Terrain Projects
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181127: Spectral Systems Spider drones
« Reply #308 on: November 28, 2018, 06:20:11 PM »
Awesome painting and cool models.  I can imagine their legs and heads folding up while they recharge.  Nice work.

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181127: Spectral Systems Spider drones
« Reply #309 on: November 29, 2018, 02:41:21 PM »
Awesome painting and cool models.  I can imagine their legs and heads folding up while they recharge.  Nice work.

Thank you!

I like your vision of them folding up while they recharge. I envisioned two scenes while painting them:

1. Showdown between two rival gangs. Both show up with a rented Spider drone. Law enforcement arrives. They bring yet another rented drone.

2. After a dastardly sneak attack, only two members of the hero crew are on their feet. The rest are in the infirmary, floating between life and death.
While out looking for a job to be able to pay the medical bills, the standing crewmembers are spotted by the bandits responsible for the last attack. The crewmembers are chased into a blind alley, it seems as if their last moment is here, the bandits leer menancingly and ...the stack of crates in the end of the alley explodes as two Spider drones emerge from hiding.
The bandits look at the drones and realize that they are outgunned. They turn to run, as a third Spider drone de-cloaks at the mouth of the alley. The bandits are caught between a rock and a hard place...


Offline Ragsta

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 366
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181127: Spectral Systems Spider drones
« Reply #310 on: November 30, 2018, 01:08:17 PM »

These paint jobs are really lovely and the storytelling is nice too - I do like having some background to my figures too, even if it’s just in my head!

You mention Vallejo Heavy Orange - how does this one work for you, does it need loads of layers? Hard to find a good orange!!

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181127: Spectral Systems Spider drones
« Reply #311 on: November 30, 2018, 01:48:57 PM »
These paint jobs are really lovely and the storytelling is nice too - I do like having some background to my figures too, even if it’s just in my head!

You mention Vallejo Heavy Orange - how does this one work for you, does it need loads of layers? Hard to find a good orange!!

Thanks!

When it comes to painting, Vallejo Heavy Orange is painted on a grey undercoat. Then I apply a wash of Reikland Fleshshade, then everything except the folds are painted heavy orange. That's a good enough coat in 15mm. I add highlights with white + heavy orange on, a couple of layers before it's finished.

I find Heavy Orange to be more like peach in colour, though.

Offline Ockman

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1798
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181202: Thoughts about GZG
« Reply #312 on: December 02, 2018, 10:24:39 PM »
So, like many others, I'm filling a cart on GZG's home page. I've always loved their terrain stuff and I really like the miniatures, but I've always hated that the infantry packs are 8 minis, 4 poses. I prefer to not have duplicate poses.

Now, while painting colonists, I've had an epiphany. With duplicate poses, I can be a bit more daring while painting. I can test new methods and if things go wrong, I can always paint the backup.
I've also realized what a difference a paintjob can make. Duplicate poses doesn't have to be boring, as long as the paintjobs are different enough.

Offline Jagannath

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1653
    • Blades and Blasters
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181202: Thoughts about GZG
« Reply #313 on: December 02, 2018, 10:42:39 PM »
Also - get a razor saw and some paperclips for pinning: loads of the poses can be 'reposed' by changing where the head is facing. Little tidy up with greenstuff and you're away!

Offline Oldben1

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1148
    • My Terrain Projects
Re: [15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 181202: Thoughts about GZG
« Reply #314 on: December 03, 2018, 03:00:14 AM »
If you can remember my Star Trek miniatures, there are really only 2 poses.  I think if you paint them differently they will look fine.  You can even change the bases or add little greebles the base for added effect.  Science officer, demolitions expert etc.

 

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