Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Predatorpt on 22 May 2013, 01:24:27 AM
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Spartan goes for the laser-cut/mdf way:
Buildings
(http://www.spartangames.co.uk/wp/wp/wp-content/spartanimg/grass-3.jpg)
Scenics
(http://www.spartangames.co.uk/wp/wp/wp-content/spartanimg/med-bay-2.jpg)
Big ship/dropship
(http://www.spartangames.co.uk/wp/wp/wp-content/spartanimg/space-ship-both.jpg)
More info here:
http://www.spartangames.co.uk/building-better-battlefields
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Not going to lie, those all do look pretty cool
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Not going to lie, those all do look pretty cool
And they look ideal for any Infinity table
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There are heaps of sci-fi MDF kits available...and while I can't state if any of them are better than the others - the amount of choice available is staggering. I like the looks of this Spartan stuff quite well.
Sci-fi stuff should be easy enough to spray and paint up too.
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I'm really happy about this because Spartan has some good distributors here in Portugal.
There's at least 2 stores who sell and stock Spartan stuff, so I just need to pick this scenario at one of them, instead of buying them from abroad :-*
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Yep, MDF is definitely the new black of the scifi terrain making. Which is why it's actually sorta refreshing to see the likes of Mantic and Maki Games doing things in good ole plastic for a change.
SG terrain does seem to have some keen ideas and while it was already pointed out on TMP that "you can make the same stuff on shoestring budget" (regarding specifically their door set), I'm not sure if it's overpriced for what you get in the sets. Not quite sure about the size of everything they have on offer tho so I might have to revise my opinion at some point.
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Yep, like with most things...you can always theoretically make any of this yourself. Heck, it seems half of the guys on LA are capable of sculpting their own figures. At the end of the day, you're paying for convenience, and ease of use. I like making my own terrain...I do about 30% of my Old West stuff by myself, but I still prefer to buy quality buildings and terrain when I have the chance.
lol
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So far SG's approach to SciFi terrain has to be my favourite. Not the least since it seems pretty inexpensive for what you get and considering the company's reputation for quality. However, it's just another set of these modular "colony building" designs which seem to dominate the MDF market at present. For a change I would rather prefer a more "near future" setup, either ragged versions of recent architecture or more elegant designs. Something along the lines of modern animes like Ghost in the Shell perhaps.
But maybe that just isn't likely because such releases are aimed at gamers, and gamers want "tactical terrain" – lots of sight blockers, different levels and accessible rooms. A setup, which's "exciting" in this regard, might not be up their alley, so not viable in economical terms.
Well, you can dream… ::)
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What i like most is the combination of resin and lasercut: Usually lasercuts buildings cannot be taken serious, because everything is incredibly flat. Now, with some additions, everything changes.
and, well... 80 pounds for all this stuff isn't that much ;)
https://shop.spartangames.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SGSS01
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It does seem reasonably large, seeing as the doorways are the same size as in the doorways set.
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But maybe that just isn't likely because such releases are aimed at gamers, and gamers want "tactical terrain" – lots of sight blockers, different levels and accessible rooms
Well, "accessible rooms" is certainly a major point of contention in our group. In fact the very idea of "cereal box buildings" is in the no-go zone. The net result being that basically all that is allowed for buildings are open ruins or constructs of platforms and walkways @ Necromunda. So a big part of Spartan stuff won't go down well either, I assume, at least if build in the way that the examples like the ones for the "starter set" show.
As a medium, MDF isn't too conductive to what I'd want either, which is to say "far-out futuristic".
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Looks like cardboard scenery to me. Unless its horribly cheap I think its a dump. :?
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I've had the good fortune to see this in the 'flesh' so to speak, and I can confirm it's fantastic stuff :o :o
CG
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I'm afraid I'm with the (not so) Crazy Viking on this one.
It comes unpainted and will look like all the rest of the MDF terrain already on the market.
Yes, this has it's appeal but I think they're slogan of 'Building Better Battlefields' is a bit tosh :?
The resin bits will prove more useful and look OK :)
cheers
James
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It looks pretty much in line both price and stylistically with other MDF kits out there. You definitely can't get distracted by the studio paint jobs and have to try to imagine what it will look like out of the box. If I pick some up it should fit in quite well with my Sarissa and Micro-Art stuff.
The resin bits will prove more useful and look OK :)
They do look nice. Are you sure they are resin? I looked all over the pages and didn't see what material it was.
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Yep, the set-dressing sets look decent value, and while you can scratchbuild doors etc, I for one would rather not spend hours and hours replicating (badly) one door over and over again. And don't give me the stock 'cast it yourself' answer - not practical for me, and I can't afford to have it cast up either, sadly :-(
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Finally Spartan does something even they can't mess up with poor rule systems, and they look nice, I want the ship, just for the heck of it.
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On a side note, rumour has it that the minis displayed in some of the terrain pix e.g.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600952_501018173301401_1529773225_n.jpg
are from Studio Sparta's Planetfall 28mm range. Not quite sure where that information is from but OTOH I don't immediately recognize the troopers either so could be true. I'm concerned that they'll go Dystopian Legions on us tho and the human troops of the range end up in the "we say 28mm but mean 35mm" scale. Certainly the trooper standing in the doorway in the above pic looks somehwhat tall, given the door frame is about 2" high.
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That tank is awesome. I like the troopers too, but yeah, if they turn out to be above 28mm, I'll lose interest in a hurry.
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In reference to what I said earlier about "no cereal box terrain, ever", here's one setup build with Spartan components that our gaming group would as a whole endorse -- provided enough room was left to actually get your minis inside the stairwell towers, of course:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/983591_501018179968067_902836653_n.jpg
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But why does it exist?
My issue with builds like that is the structure serves no purpose unless it's been built for some kind of game show.
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But why does it exist?
To make them money ;)
cheers
James
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Wow that is cool looking stuff!
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The tank is awesome ;D
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But why does it exist?
Totally beats me. Not sure if it even exists IRL actually, it looks plenty like a render. I just linked it by the way of an example of the kind of terrain I was rather idly musing about previously.
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Wait, wait, I just realized Spartan is launching laser cut MDF terrain without a Kickstarter! The fools, they are just leaving money on the table!
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Honestly I've never understood the laser-cut kickstarters...unless the designer doesn't have access to an actual machine and is sourcing his work out. But the one big advantage of laser-cut stuff...it's just a computer file. You don't need to "stock" it. You just cut it out per order. They only take a minute or two for most kits.
So you're essentially kickstarting some computer files...again, unless they are trying to fund the purchase of an actual machine themselves (the cheapest heavy duty ones are about $25K).
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But why does it exist?
I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess the terrain exists to....umm...oh, maybe you play on it?
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I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess the terrain exists to....umm...oh, maybe you play on it?
Odd that.
Totally beats me. Not sure if it even exists IRL actually, it looks plenty like a render. I just linked it by the way of an example of the kind of terrain I was rather idly musing about previously.
Oh it's clearly just a render, I meant the design.
As far as I'm concerned buildings on a battlefield need to have a purpose, even a spurious one. In the above example you'd need to add huge pipes and cylinders etc to perhaps make it into a refinery area, or a rocketship to make a launch frame. Or a make it into a construction gantry for a large walker robot etc. By itself however it's a pointless tower of bits.
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Honestly I've never understood the laser-cut kickstarters...unless the designer doesn't have access to an actual machine and is sourcing his work out. But the one big advantage of laser-cut stuff...it's just a computer file. You don't need to "stock" it. You just cut it out per order. They only take a minute or two for most kits.
So you're essentially kickstarting some computer files...again, unless they are trying to fund the purchase of an actual machine themselves (the cheapest heavy duty ones are about $25K).
totally agree. It's just kind of advertising.
The whole kickstarter thing is a little wrong, but that's how it is. I just hope people will get tired of that funny money trap asap.
beside, i quite look those lasercuts. And as i said, i respect the combination with resin pieces!
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Not for me.
As a few of the chaps have said, too similar to all the other 'colony' stuff out there.
The only MDF kits that I am considering are the Old West type as they are perfect for the material used.
Anything else I have seen so far just looks flat.
This:
But why does it exist?
,,,sums up these type of systems for me.
If there is no character and/or point to a 'building' you may as well just chuck a cardboard box on the table.
It would serve the same purpose.
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And there's more stuff to come:
This is only the beginning. Over the coming months we will be adding more to the Spartan Scenics range, including extra rooms, buildings and accessory packs not just for the sci-fi series we have launched with, but for whole new ranges.
Watch this space for sprawling future-cities, Dystopian Wars compatible terrain features and much, much more!
This was taken from their FB page ;)
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(http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp186/Mr-Marx/268923_501899369879948_370207122_n_zps4b705a76.jpg) (http://s410.photobucket.com/user/Mr-Marx/media/268923_501899369879948_370207122_n_zps4b705a76.jpg.html)
They just posted this up on their facebook.
"We've had a few people ask how strong our Spartan Scenics scenery is. Well, it's quite strong..."
lol lol lol
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"We've had a few people ask how strong our Spartan Scenics scenery is. Well, it's quite strong..."
lol lol lol
Bonkers!
Who cares how STRONG a bunch of otherwise useless MDF is?
"I know, I will buy this piece of scenery because I can stand on it!"
Said the numpty who bought it.
:o
I dont think I will be allowing that kind of person anywhere near my scenery!
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Bonkers!
Who cares how STRONG a bunch of otherwise useless MDF is?
"I know, I will buy this piece of scenery because I can stand on it!"
Said the numpty who bought it.
:o
I dont think I will be allowing that kind of person anywhere near my scenery!
lol
Well said mate :D
cheers
James
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It looks fragile and therfore hard to transport or store. This demo clearly demonstrates that it isn't fragile.
A usefull demo imo.
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It looks fragile and therfore hard to transport or store. This demo clearly demonstrates that it isn't fragile.
A usefull demo imo.
I want to see how sturdy it is after it has some liquid spilled on it...
~Eric
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As far as I'm concerned buildings on a battlefield need to have a purpose, even a spurious one. In the above example you'd need to add huge pipes and cylinders etc to perhaps make it into a refinery area, or a rocketship to make a launch frame. Or a make it into a construction gantry for a large walker robot etc. By itself however it's a pointless tower of bits.
Or add a 28mm Richard Hammond for an Argentine game show....
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I like the sloping walls on the corridors... handy for quite a few SF settings but thinking especially of either Daleks or Stargate.