[15mm] Ockman's Sci-fi, update 240203: Why 15mm gaming is best

[CookAndrewB]

Great to see you back, Ock!

You really can't trust those Fraternal Workers' Commune pigs. I hear they secretly hold Employee of the Month luncheons where very productive workers are celebrated as superior to their Comrades. The Collective Brotherhood of Workers knows that all efforts are important to the lasting contentment of all. Every hovel within the CBoW territory has a poster of the Grand Father standing on the balcony of his golden palace, encouraging all of his children to work hard and make a better life for all in the Brotherhood. Yes, the Grand Father feels strongly about equality.

[Ockman]

Thanks Andrew, love your addition to the story!

I've moved back to my hometown, which has seriously impended my hobbying, due to less space/everything stuck in boxes. (We moved from 105 m˛ living space + a 20 m˛ garage and a small storage unit to 76 m˛ apartment with 2 m˛ storage unit).

Hopefully I will be able to play some Five Parsecs from Home games when I recieve my copy from Mophidius...

[CookAndrewB]

It just takes time to get everything sorted out and stored away. Moves are just disrupting no matter how you slice it.

I'd like to get the modiphius update to Five Parsecs, but I may need to wait until they nail down a US Distributor. The real draw for me is in the physical product so I can upgrade my wonky 3-ring binder full of printouts.

[Metternich]

Remember Comrade: the walls have ears, and loose lips sink spaceships.

[Ockman]

Remember Comrade: the walls have ears, and loose lips sink spaceships.

Loose lips implodes spaceships?

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Talking about spaceships: after reading the third edition of Five Parsecs from Home, I really want to build a spaceship. There are two ways to go forward:

1.) The terrain piece spaceship. It will be smaller, quite detailed but with no playable interiors. Will look absolutely smashing.

2.) Go the CookAndrewB way and build playable interiors of ships. Will remind me of one of my favourite PC games, FTL, but won't have the same visual precense landed on my current terrain boards...

[Billchuck]

Loose lips implodes spaceships?

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Talking about spaceships: after reading the third edition of Five Parsecs from Home, I really want to build a spaceship. There are two ways to go forward:

1.) The terrain piece spaceship. It will be smaller, quite detailed but with no playable interiors. Will look absolutely smashing.

2.) Go the CookAndrewB way and build playable interiors of ships. Will remind me of one of my favourite PC games, FTL, but won't have the same visual precense landed on my current terrain boards...

You left out option 3:  Do both. 

[CookAndrewB]

I agree, you don't have to pick one or the other. That said, here are my thoughts on the subject:

Large ships (no playable interior) on the board may look cool, but they take up space and effectively create a black hole. I love the look of a downed transport plane on a modern warfare map, but they almost always remove over a square foot of playing space. Maybe even a couple of square feet. That could be a couple of turns' worth of movement just to navigate something with that much bulk. When I play, I really try to avoid this dead spot in my playing time. That could just be me, but I find that terrain should be something that can be hidden behind, moved through, and shouldn't slow overall gameplay.

I would also say that any interior playing space that is not large enough to hold scatter terrain of its own is not worth creating. What is the point of putting two figures in a house/ship/cave only to have them effectively standing in the open? If I can't squeeze in some boxes or a dividing wall, I typically don't bother with playable interiors. So, something like a Star Trek shuttlecraft would NOT be worth making with a playable interior. It fits 6-8 people in seats with a single passageway that is entirely open on the inside? Pointless. If it gets big enough to be something like the Millenium Falcon, then my preference is to go with playable interiors. Lots of rooms and hallways. Space for cargo scatter, etc.

I think that is basically my crossover point. With all of that in mind, you COULD build something larger that has a removable roof so that it can fill both roles. I've been considering this option for some of my house pieces with interiors. There is a compelling reason to be on a roof AND inside a building. I'm not sure that the same thing exists for a large craft in space, but I think most sci-fi series have some element of space walking to repair/destroy a vital component. There could well be a good reason to create a roof on a ship.

[Oldben1]

I'm sure the Space Jacker tiles with some consoles might do the trick for the interior.

[Brummie]

Loose lips implodes spaceships?

---

Talking about spaceships: after reading the third edition of Five Parsecs from Home, I really want to build a spaceship. There are two ways to go forward:

1.) The terrain piece spaceship. It will be smaller, quite detailed but with no playable interiors. Will look absolutely smashing.

2.) Go the CookAndrewB way and build playable interiors of ships. Will remind me of one of my favourite PC games, FTL, but won't have the same visual precense landed on my current terrain boards...

Nice fluff as usual Ockman! Good to hear you've finalised the move, I'll be contemplating similar soon but hopefully somewhere with more space so I can store all my daft stuff.

I really enjoyed FTL, but could never beat the final boss. I'm also wondering about interiors or terrain piece ships, would like to have a mini spaceport with various ships scattered about. I've seen 3D print ships in 15mm that have interiors but they're probably quite expensive 

[Ockman]

I like your input, Andrew, Michael and Brummie!

I want to have smaller ships/craft/shuttle in full 3d, like the one I already built. They look great and I want to be able to build landing pads where they can land. I can use other manufacturers craft (like my Ion Age Mark I Skylark or mod a GW flyer), but they won't take up as much space as you describe, Andrew.

On the approach towards a Golgotha Prime starport by Oscar Falk, on Flickr

On the other hand, I would love to have larger starships with playable interiors. Perhaps even shuttle bays where I can land the smaller craft. I'd love to make those similar to the ones you've built, Andrew. Do you have measurements for your ships?

I would love to have inserts that could depict modules/components (like sick bay, workshop, kitchen/mess, shield generator, teleport, and so on...)

[CookAndrewB]

Overall dimensions are easy! Every segment is made from an 8x10 sheet of foam board.

Here is the link to the product I used: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07944652H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

While some segments are shorter than 10" (Bridge 1 and engine room 1 are 10" in length combined, but both are 8" wide as they are cut from the same sheet), this is the max possible size. From there I work out floor plans, cut, and place walls. Moving forward, I think I have some other plans as a 2.0 version of this, but that will be unveiled once I get closer to being done 

[Ockman]

Nice fluff as usual Ockman! Good to hear you've finalised the move, I'll be contemplating similar soon but hopefully somewhere with more space so I can store all my daft stuff.

I really enjoyed FTL, but could never beat the final boss. I'm also wondering about interiors or terrain piece ships, would like to have a mini spaceport with various ships scattered about. I've seen 3D print ships in 15mm that have interiors but they're probably quite expensive 

Well, I've finalized one move. This is just a stopgap apartment, until they've built our new one. Hopefully I will be able to get some hobbying done before everything needs to be packed down and transported again...

The last boss in FTL can be a bit tough, especially if you play the enhanced version. Target the missile system to avoid shield defying missiles. Attack the stealth system as well, to hinder the ability to repair and recharge the shields. And remember to laser spam, all at once (no continuous shooting). At the later stages, use your own stealth system to avoid the special attacks...

[Billchuck]

The last boss in FTL can be a bit tough, especially if you play the enhanced version. Target the missile system to avoid shield defying missiles. Attack the stealth system as well, to hinder the ability to repair and recharge the shields. And remember to laser spam, all at once (no continuous shooting). At the later stages, use your own stealth system to avoid the special attacks...

Do your best to get a cloaking device, but you don't need to upgrade it.  On the first fight, use it each time the flagship fires missiles until you kill the missiles.  2nd fight, use it when the flagship drone spams you.  Third fight, when the super gun fires.  Only allocate 1 power to it and it will be recharged about the same time the attacks go off again.

[Ockman]

Do your best to get a cloaking device, but you don't need to upgrade it.  On the first fight, use it each time the flagship fires missiles until you kill the missiles.  2nd fight, use it when the flagship drone spams you.  Third fight, when the super gun fires.  Only allocate 1 power to it and it will be recharged about the same time the attacks go off again.

This is the way. 

[War Monkey]

Glad to see your are Back!

It is still a great little flyer. It's not too big and yet not too small. and with in a hanger can be it's own terrain scatter. You could have a flight of them in a hanger or on the ground much like in the show "Battlestar Galactica" as to how they use their "Vipers".

I should really breakdown and make a couple myself however currently I am working on another project.