Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pulp => Topic started by: lethallee61 on February 02, 2018, 02:43:59 AM
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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.
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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.
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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!
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I'm thinking of a Shanghai setting, myself. With various international factions, Communists, Nationalists, and gangsters, there are a lot of possibilities.
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Look at Bob Murch's Pulp Figures page-gallery for inspiration. The Good the Bad and the Weird is wonderfully entertaining.
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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.
(http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/c33cd60cbb4442f8ab33a159255b0219/very-old-houses-falling-appart-macau-china-an7xcc.jpg)
(https://static.businessinsider.com/image/50c20807eab8ea1245000002/image.jpg)
(https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/78/fc/9f/filename-img-4360-jpg.jpg)
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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.
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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 . .
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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.
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I'm going the paper and foam route for my Chinese buildings:
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8CltvBIsI9o/WGleHZ9yOgI/AAAAAAAAEbo/OnyolzwtpgkOqtl_fe-kiEiMw_jV_cz1gCLcB/s1600/Hutong%2BBlock%2B1a.JPG)
If you need any Chinese architectural details, I have a bunch of door, window, and sign images on the blog:
http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2017/07/hong-kong-shop-and-restaurant-signs.html (http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2017/07/hong-kong-shop-and-restaurant-signs.html)
http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2016/12/more-architectural-details-for-28mm.html (http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2016/12/more-architectural-details-for-28mm.html)
http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2015/11/architectural-details-for-28mm-back-of.html (http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2015/11/architectural-details-for-28mm-back-of.html)
Chris
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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
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Great thread, with lots of cool ideas.
Our next Pulp Alley campaign book is planned for Asia -- China, Manchukuo, maybe even Mongolia.
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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.
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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. ;)
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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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Now I'm getting flashbacks to Kung-Fu Hustle. ;D
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You should also look at the 1989 Hong Kong movie directed by Terry Tong called SEVEN WARRIORS. It's not very good, but it shows Chinese village architecture and clothing and weapons in the 1920's and 1930's. It's based on Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI. It's set in the interwar period of banditry and clashing warlords. Seven soldiers band together to help a village defend against bandits. Copplestone figures are perfect for this.
Note that the LUST CAUTION movie that I recommended above is about a Chinese resistance plot to assassinate a Chinese official who is collaborating with the occupying Japanese. It's set in Shanghai and Hong Kong, as best I recall. Pulp Figures has several suitable miniatures for this situation.
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You should also look at the 1989 Hong Kong movie directed by Terry Tong called SEVEN WARRIORS. It's not very good, but it shows Chinese village architecture and clothing and weapons in the 1920's and 1930's. ...
Very cool! I have been looking for more of these.
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I think I love you. ;)
I'm not going to go that far (after all, I hardly know you) but I would be jolly keen to add this to the collection.
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The Virtual Armchair General's Mean Streets sets have some nice Chinatown pieces for printing. http://www.thevirtualarmchairgeneral.com/610-Mean-Streets-Main-Page.html#Chinatown%20Header