[Kickstarter] Laser-cut Pirate ships and terrain

[carlos13th]

Yep, Jigsaw puzzle sums up MDF kits for me.

There are some nicer kits out there that dont look like Jigsaws but there are a lot of MDF kits that do look just too artificial and jigsaw like and these certainly fit into that description.

As others have said I wouldn't buy these myself but I imagine they could be fun to play on.

4 grounds buildings seem to do a decent job of hiding the joins in their MDF stuff.

[cacofold]

I like laser dream works, they even have the same barque "la belle". Cheaper too.

[CptJake]

I like laser dream works, they even have the same barque "la belle". Cheaper too.

I love my Laser Dream Works ships.   

[fastolfrus]

I like the treadmill crane.

Hate the pub sign.

[beefcake]

If I had them I'd be glueing them, then sanding down the joins and painting the whole thing.

Me too.
And filling any extra gaps with GS,
I quite like the tavern and the admin building but wouldn't fork out that much for them.

[axabrax]

Is this the same company that did the Asian terrain? Has anyone from that kickstarter gotten their stuff yet?

Also, if this is supposed to be for Renaissance pirates, why is the only large ship they are doing the HMS surprise?

[Sangennaru]

I don't know.... apart of the jigsaw puzzle (which for me is a pain to see, being a building sculptor!) the overall look gives me a good feeling. But yes, that's a toy city, that seems coming out from Disneyland. I like the non-historical look, and i could see it as a TERRIFIC gift for a young wargamer... the point is that it's not that cheap! If you would go for resin models the whole table could cost two times more maximum! Which sure is some money, but it's not enough to justify the obstrusive use of laser-cuts!

Cheers

Jack

[OSHIROmodels]

Is this the same company that did the Asian terrain?

It is and I still feel ill when I look at it 

cheers

James

[3Dgeek]

Is this the same company that did the Asian terrain? Has anyone from that kickstarter gotten their stuff yet?

Also, if this is supposed to be for Renaissance pirates, why is the only large ship they are doing the HMS surprise?

All 240-odd backers have their stuff.

"Renaissance Miniatures" is the name of the company - "renaissance" means "rebirth" not just a period in history.  They clearly state that the pirate series spans a wide range of time.

[3Dgeek]

And this statement...

  There are Norman Churches all over the English-speaking world - and there are many of them in the Caribbean.

Really made me puzzled, I never knew the Normans were so well travelled  

Norman churches aren't made by the Normans any more than Victorian houses are made by Queen Victoria.  It's a style of church.  St Micheals in Barbados is a classic example of a Norman Church and it dates back to the 1700's - so it's perfectly in scope, both in time and place...there are MANY Norman Churches in the Caribbean due to the British influence there.

[OSHIROmodels]

Maybe they should say 'Norman style' then instead of the misleading statement that it is.

Victorian house were made in the Victorian period the same as Norman churches were made in the Norman conquest period (and a little after).

I'm not getting into a protracted debate about it. In my opinion the product is awful, expensive and not as well thought out as it could've been 

cheers

James

[Too Bo Coo]

Norman churches aren't made by the Normans any more than Victorian houses are made by Queen Victoria.  It's a style of church.  St Micheals in Barbados is a classic example of a Norman Church and it dates back to the 1700's - so it's perfectly in scope, both in time and place...there are MANY Norman Churches in the Caribbean due to the British influence there.

'Norman Church' is referring to an architectural style, like a 'Georgian Mansion'. 

[1MaGiCBeAn]

Hi all,
I found this thread because of the KickStarter, I'm not up to date on modeling skill levels of posters here or what you all find useful in terrain pieces.  But I do have a bunch of the kits, mostly from the Village KickStarter so I thought I'd offer where I think they work best.  I also have 4Ground, Flying Tricycle and some handmade stuff.

Most obvious thing is the puzzle piece construction.  If you're building a museum display piece then it's a distraction.  If it's gaming terrain where you want to repeatedly change building shapes, then big plus.   For RPG gaming, I can set up a single or multi level building, maybe throw on a burned out upper level and rooftop for that session, and not need a specific model just for that encounter.  Can also throw a stone wall into a wooden room etc.  I wouldn't say Lego like, but I get the comparison.   Modularity is the main advantage of these over other laser cut terrain imo. 4Ground makes great looking buildings that break down into sections but they aren't easily recycled into something completely different unless I use my RM Village kit  pieces.  So I use both.  

Right now everything is 90 degree grid based, hopefully they'll make a 45 degree room section soon.

The generic look helps when combining different kits together, ie. fishing docks can become open deck patios, catwalks etc. and still retain similar color and feel but on the flip side of that unity is lack of organic "realism".  I ended up making my own street signs, torches, foliage etc. to help soften the look of everything.

I guess there is no way around the puzzle aspect.  I like that I can take the floor out and have an exact 2d pattern with no walls, next to a 3d building with the same floor plan, but if the interlocking puzzle look is offensive then any utility is probably lost because most everything is interchangeable.

and for price, obviously I bought them.  The wooden structures look great and the paint jobs are clean.  If someone hasn't got the skills or time to create a town from scratch these models are quick and easy, and look really good together.  I'll try and check back if anyone is interested in the product.   I'm not affiliated with Renaissance Miniatures.  I'm just backing the KickStarter and more backers is always better.  Cheers.

[fastolfrus]

Not heard of Flying Tricycle before.
Which side of the pond are they based?

[Elbows]

Flying Tricycle is an old and now defunct company.  I don' believe they produce anything any more.  I got one of their kits from a guy at a convention (for free actually).  I think it was late 90's.  Laser-cut wood.  Nice kit, way too many piece, but it was reasonable.  Not on part with today's stuff so much.