(KICKSTARTER) Worldsmith Industries Wrecked Vehicle Markers

[JMGraham]

Hi, all -

I just launched a Kickstarter, in an attempt to kickstart a terrain and gaming aid company that I've been dreaming of for a while. For the KS campaign I'm creating a series of resin wrecked vehicle markers suitable for use in a "dark and gothic science fiction miniature wargame of the far-far-future", albeit in a non-IP infringing kind of way. I'm starting with "Galactic marines", but have stretch goals planned for just about every suitable race you could imagine (in the dark future of grimness, that is). If it sounds like it would suit you, please take a look (and please feel free to spread the word!).

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/48375726/worldsmith-industries-wrecked-vehicles-for-sci-fi

[Elbows]

I understand not wanting to infringe on IP's etc...but I don't see the "vehicle" in the wrecked vehicle pieces.  I just piles of...stuff.    (not that those aren't worthy terrain too of course)

Maybe the addition of some generic turrets, or tracks etc. would help me visualize that it's a vehicle?

[Elk101]

I'd agree with Elbows on this. I don't 'see' the vehicles and it looks a touch 'unnatural' if that can be said in a future sci-fi context. No intention to have a go here, by the way, just an attempt to help with some honest feedback. It's great to see guys doing stuff like this 

[superflytnt]

Yeah, I'm third-ing that. It looks like beautiful rubbish piles with no tires, no turbines, nothing to identify them as vehicles. Maybe cast some half tires from resin and glue them to the existing stuff so it looks like a half buried tire, plus giving some terrain to duck behind and whatnot.

AH, mates, go to the KS page....you can see more there. Still, not quite "vehicles" but a hell of a lot more like them. In any event I need terrain for my junkyard, so I just backed him for 24$.

[CptJake]

And a little more criticism, hopefully taken as constructive, since it is intended that way.

I've seen vehicles that have been blown up/destroyed and even just wrecked in collisions.   What you show, partially due to the paint jobs and terrain/basing and partially due to the vehicle 'pieces' just look too nice.  Like they were cleaned up and freshly painted then laid out neatly in a rocky field.

I would expect the grass to be burnt, the metal mangled and showing fire/blast damage, and larger chunks with jagged edges.   

Just my take...  I do hope your intended customer base make this a very successful project for you.

[fastolfrus]

Maybe you should make some wrecked WWI tanks?
It wouldn't infringe on IP unless someone admitted that they based their products on WWI vehicles.
Look at 2 - 6 -14 on here (although there are others too):
http://military.discovery.com/battles-history/busted-tank-photos.htm

[JMGraham]

Cheers, gents - thanks for the feedback! I've never taken any feedback I've gotten from LAF as anything other than constructive.

I agree that the wreckage markers don't look like exploded vehicles as much as they look like pieces of wreckage. The game for which I reckon most folks will use them is one where the rules state that, after a vehicle explodes, it should be replaced with "scattered wreckage" ... "roughly the same size as the vehicle". While I think that the burned-out hull of a tank would look cooler, I wanted to address concerns for tournament players, as the wrecks aren't supposed to block line of sight. The wrecks aren't as pretty as they could be if you were just focused on the narrative, but they are a thousand times better than what most folks would use.

As for them not being painted like debris - that's totally my fault. I'm a cartoony, unrealistic, no-grime kind of painter. The grass has been pointed put before. My reason for adding grass? I wanted another color and texture. Purely aesthetic (and unrealistic) decision.

With that said, the initial wrecks have been funded and the "Human Corps" wrecks are being stretched towards. Thanks for your help, all!

[Elbows]

Additional question - are there plans for more 3D models too?  I like when burning vehicles etc. become cover, or obscure line of sight.  I know this is more dodgy on the IP side of things, but some generic boxy shaped hulls with road wheels and some track links strewn about could be fun.  Even more awesome if you could get into the vehicles (perhaps a tank with an empty or hollow turret ring, allowing it to become an ad hoc bunker for a heroic last stand?).

Lots of potential here.

[JMGraham]

Not for the Kickstarter (which is just focused on the wreck markers, and will hopefully help me get the equipment I need to start the company in earnest).

Post-Kickstarter, yes, yes, and yes again. My plan is to make larger terrain pieces that can be put together into themed tables (steampunk distillery, sci-fi shipping yard, etc.), or used piecemeal. The thing with the flat-ish wreck markers is they allow players to place models on top of them (which is needed for the rules of the game most would use them for), but they don't create particularly interesting or evocative tables. Think of them more as gaming aids, rather than terrain. I'm really hoping they'll provide a springboard to allow me to do some of the larger-scale terrain ideas I've got bubbling around.

[Sangennaru]

Your start is nice, even though i second the other criticism, i also note that gw is evil, and sculpting that looks like one of their vehicle is dangerous for any company!

We'll see your next pieces! At the moment i'd never buy junk vehicle-shaped, but that's because i don't play 40K...
And keep on with scenery making! If you'd ever need a hand in something, drop a PM! ^^

[JMGraham]

The Human Corps models are below.

[Commander Vyper]

Sorry but nothing like any vehicle wreckage I've seen. Comments are as per everyone elses.

[Conquistador]

Well, I don't need any but I just wanted to encourage your efforts, say i am hoping you succeed beyond expectations, and look forward to seeing your next efforts.

Gracias,

Glenn

[JMGraham]

Sorry but nothing like any vehicle wreckage I've seen. Comments are as per everyone elses.

YMMV, for sure - these are designed for a very specific ruleset (to be compatible with the exploded vehicle rules for Warhammer 40k), and I reckon they'd be of limited interest for folks who don't play that game.

@ Glenn - Thanks for the encouragement!

The $1500 stretch goal has been reached, and next up are the "Space Elf" wrecks:

[fastolfrus]

I don't want to sound negative, but all the bits look to have landed "butter side up".

They all look like external panels, no interior details, if you catch my drift.