Hey all, I'm new to the forums and have an interest in getting into Future War Commander, since the 10mm scale minis from here are so affordable and pretty. As such, I've got a few questions.
First and foremost: I'm not itching to get minis on a table and have them start blowing each other up, since I'd probably be the only player within an hour drive. That means I'd be buying two armies and bringing them to demo... Eventually. Since I'm not in a rush, should I wait for the FWC2 rules to release? I saw that they're in development, but I know from experience that that doesn't, and shouldn't, set a timeline.
Next question: do the different armies play differently? You don't need to go into the rules of it all - I don't want to step on any toes. I'm looking at Human Theological as my main force, but I do want to know if I need to worry about if the second faction I get for demos might matter.
Next next, and feel free to say "that info is in the rulebook": what size bases, and how many models to a base, are used for 10mm scale minis? If I'm waiting on FWC2 to release, I'll likely be being my minis before the rules because I really want to paint them, but I'd also like to base and assemble them so they can be used with the rules.
Finally, for the rules-related questions (again, feel free to gloss over it): is there anything preventing me from using other minis with this game? I've got a resin 3D printer and my eye on a (some) designer(s), so it would be neat if I could use their models, too, but not the end of the world if I can't.
Now, for the rest of the questions: are there any good content creators out there with longform how-to-plays or battle reports, or general FWC content
What do you all use for terrain? I know that N- scale stuff is 1:160 and someone mentioned that Pendraken's 10mm stuff is closer to 1:150, but most of the N-Scale stuff I see is modern or historical anyways. I saw Warcradle has some modular "Dystopian Industrial" buildings that look good, except that I have no idea where to get them in the States.
Is there anything else I should know about? A subreddit or Discord Server, game finder, online client? That I don't get email notifications from posts here unless I tick a certain box in my settings? That I should avoid [blank] like the dickens because [blank]?
Thanks for your time reading! And doubly for any time answering!
Welcome Octo :D
FWCII has Q2 2025 target release date (fingers crossed) but you might probably want to buy a copy of FWCI asap (whilst stocks last) to start getting your head around the way things play. Whilst FWCII is an upgrade of FWCI the core mechanisms will remain constant between the two sets.
Also FWCI will have some army lists in them that wont necessarily appear in the FWCII universe (as the manufactures and minis are now sadly OOP) but that doesn't mean you cannot continue to play with those lists.
Unlike other more prescriptive sets of rules, FWC was originally designed to allow players a huge amount of flexibility when creating and deploying armies. So, yes, you can use other sets of minis and apply the FWC mechanisms to them. That is one of the great beauties of FWC as a rules set (& all the Commander rules sets as a 'family' of rules).
You can use FWCII with any sci-fi minis, although Pendraken are, of course, our preferred option :D :D :D
If you have other old minis from other games or rules sets - such as Dropzone Commander for example - they will play equally well with FWC - some might say better ;D
The trick will be converting the DZ stats across into FWC stats, but there is a long and highly successful tradition of FWC players doing just that themselves, and submitting the lists for publication on-line.
The different armies can play very differently and that is based around two key sets of factors:
1) Tech.Level - so all armies are classified as either Primitive, Contemporary, or Advanced. Primitive units are generally cheaper to buy, but any advanced 'tech' cost you more. The opposite is true of more Advanced factions.
2) Tactical Doctrine - all armies must be assigned a Tac.Doc. there are 7 to choose from.
These two primary factors are supplemented by technical upgrades applied to units by way of different armour & defences (shields), weapons, camouflaged and methods of movement. For example, there are also 11 different types of movement that can be applied to units - ranging from 'Foot' (walking) at one end through to 'Teleportation' at the other. Units are not restricted to mechanised vehicles - biological entities are also catered for - think of the winged flyers in the film Avatar or a massive Kaiju or the 'bugs' from Starship Trooper - all will work on the table-top with FWC mechanism!
All of these various combinations offer a player an abundance of alternative armies and troop types to play with. Building armies can be addictive. We have a unit and army list calculator that will allow you to model your own factions. List for all the Pendraken 10mm sci-fi ranges will be available plus many others.
There was an old FWCI website that contained a lot of the Q&A and old lists on it. I'm not sure if it is still accessible, but I'll get back to you on that :)
I'll let others on the forum answer about terrain etc.
But I hope that the above is helpful?
Again, welcome to the forum
Cheers
Mark
Aight, lemme see if my forum-fu still works on Mobile lol
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMWelcome Octo :D
-
bows- Thank you!
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMFWCII has Q2 2025 target release date (fingers crossed) but you might probably want to buy a copy of FWCI asap (whilst stocks last) to start getting your head around the way things play. Whilst FWCII is an upgrade of FWCI the core mechanisms will remain constant between the two sets.
Good to know. Q2 is just long enough away that I think it'll be worth it to pick up FWC1, yeah. I might just get the PDF, though, because color pictures and searchability. Let me know if that's misguided, though.
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMAlso FWCI will have some army lists in them that wont necessarily appear in the FWCII universe (as the manufactures and minis are now sadly OOP) but that doesn't mean you cannot continue to play with those lists.
Unlike other more prescriptive sets of rules, FWC was originally designed to allow players a huge amount of flexibility when creating and deploying armies. So, yes, you can use other sets of minis and apply the FWC mechanisms to them. That is one of the great beauties of FWC as a rules set (& all the Commander rules sets as a 'family' of rules).
I do love a "model agnostic" game, like OPR.
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMYou can use FWCII with any sci-fi minis, although Pendraken are, of course, our preferred option :D :D :D
As they should be. The pictures do them great justice, even in grey-with-black-wash, and they're super inexpensive. An entire army for 50 currency? A tank for 5? I'm sold.
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMIf you have other old minis from other games or rules sets - such as Dropzone Commander for example - they will play equally well with FWC - some might say better ;D
The trick will be converting the DZ stats across into FWC stats, but there is a long and highly successful tradition of FWC players doing just that themselves, and submitting the lists for publication on-line.
I do have a small army each of Scourge and Shaltari somewhere in deep storage. The game was too "suddenly, localized war, drop your dudes in and fight" for me, personally, and I didn't like the sheer number of flyers lol
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMThe different armies can play very differently and that is based around two key sets of factors:
1) Tech.Level - so all armies are classified as either Primitive, Contemporary, or Advanced. Primitive units are generally cheaper to buy, but any advanced 'tech' cost you more. The opposite is true of more Advanced factions.
2) Tactical Doctrine - all armies must be assigned a Tac.Doc. there are 7 to choose from.
These two primary factors are supplemented by technical upgrades applied to units by way of different armour & defences (shields), weapons, camouflaged and methods of movement. For example, there are also 11 different types of movement that can be applied to units - ranging from 'Foot' (walking) at one end through to 'Teleportation' at the other. Units are not restricted to mechanised vehicles - biological entities are also catered for - think of the winged flyers in the film Avatar or a massive Kaiju or the 'bugs' from Starship Trooper - all will work on the table-top with FWC mechanism!
All of these various combinations offer a player an abundance of alternative armies and troop types to play with. Building armies can be addictive. We have a unit and army list calculator that will allow you to model your own factions. List for all the Pendraken 10mm sci-fi ranges will be available plus many others.
Suddenly info! I'm probably going to pick up two factions' army bundles and build the lists with what's included. Let me know if I should buy more of one or another if Theological will cost drastically more or less points than an opponent faction, but I suppose I'll find that out when I get the rules.
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMThere was an old FWCI website that contained a lot of the Q&A and old lists on it. I'm not sure if it is still accessible, but I'll get back to you on that :)
I'll let others on the forum answer about terrain etc.
You do those, I'm not in a rush.
Quote from: Big Insect on 23 September 2024, 07:55:50 PMBut I hope that the above is helpful?
Again, welcome to the forum
Cheers
Mark
Very helpful, yes!
Now to hope that formatting worked lol...
And to figure out how to get notified that there was a reply.
Welcome to the forum
This is the old FWC site
http://www.blitzkrieg-commander.com/Content/Forum/default.aspx (http://www.blitzkrieg-commander.com/Content/Forum/default.aspx)
There are loads of AARs on my blog covering FWC and FWC Bootcamp, an annual weekend of FWC gaming
https://twomarshals.blogspot.com/search/label/future%20war%20commander (https://twomarshals.blogspot.com/search/label/future%20war%20commander)
Thanks, Shedman! I'll be taking a look through those links soon.
As an aside, I just bought the PDF of FWC1 from Wargame Vault, and it's... not in color? That's not the end of the world by any means, but the description does say it's full color. Might want to get either of those fixed. Maybe, I dunno, I'm not your boss. ;D
I'm not seeing any guidelines regarding what size bases to use, or how many minis are to a base. In the pictures, I'm seeing maybe 2 for heavy weapons, 3 for "elites", and 5 for infantry. I could see an argument for a number of minis equal to the number of hits they can take (maybe modified by profile) or attacks they can make, though. Good to know I don't have to go full "madman" and magnetize each mini's tiny base to remove them on hit.
Finally, I have little clue which army Human Theological is supposed to be, here, so I suppose I'll have to either figure out what the bracketed letters mean (which I suspect represent the manufacturer of the mini line the army is expected to use) or see if someone around here has a custom list lol. I only just bought the book, so maybe more time with it will reveal its secrets.
I have spotted this post (https://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,23118.0.html), which shares much of the same concerns as me, but it's months old and I'm hesitant on what constitutes "thread necromancy" here lol
Anything up to the foundation of the forum.
Hi there - Leon is 'the boss' and keeps an eagle-eye on this forum - so I'm sure he'll pick up on the black & white v colour issue himself. Other answers below:
Quote from: Octo on 24 September 2024, 05:05:45 PMThanks, Shedman! I'll be taking a look through those links soon.
As an aside, I just bought the PDF of FWC1 from Wargame Vault, and it's... not in color? That's not the end of the world by any means, but the description does say it's full color. Might want to get either of those fixed. Maybe, I dunno, I'm not your boss. ;D
I'm not seeing any guidelines regarding what size bases to use, or how many minis are to a base. In the pictures, I'm seeing maybe 2 for heavy weapons, 3 for "elites", and 5 for infantry. I could see an argument for a number of minis equal to the number of hits they can take (maybe modified by profile) or attacks they can make, though. Good to know I don't have to go full "madman" and magnetize each mini's tiny base to remove them on hit.
> glad you've found the previous thread - TBF in most instances I only base Infantry and Infantry Support units or Low Profile units, all to make them easier to handle. You arnt required to remove individual infantry or infantry support units to represent casualties - units are either Knocked-out or Suppressed in the game and we use marker dice to indicate hits and suppression, with whole KO'd infantry units being removed from play
Finally, I have little clue which army Human Theological is supposed to be, here, so I suppose I'll have to either figure out what the bracketed letters mean (which I suspect represent the manufacturer of the mini line the army is expected to use) or see if someone around here has a custom list lol. I only just bought the book, so maybe more time with it will reveal its secrets.
> the new Human Theological range are not from any specific book or film. They are from the mind of the designer :) You wont find any of the new Pendraken figure ranges in FWCI or the old lists online - as they are newly created and the lists will be out with FWCII. Not much help I know, but it might stop you hunting around to find them online.
We might choose to release some of these new lists online ahead of the release of FWCII, but it will depend a lot on how we progress with the whole project.
FYI - there is a PDF on the old site that tells you which army lists represent which manufacturers ranges - so DR for example are the old Dark Realm 6mm ranges - which are currently OOP - although there is a rumor that the masters have been 'found' and sold to somebody who is planning on bringing them back into production.
I hope that is helpful (sort of)?
Cheers
Mark
As it says on page 1 of FWC 1st edition:
"Your miniatures can be based or unbased as this makes no difference when playing
the game. One stand of figures represents an infantry squad and one model represents one item in real-life, whether
that be a tank, dropship or massive walker. Alternatively, one stand of miniatures can represent a platoon when playing
at a higher level of command. One figure represents one man when playing skirmish games."
Quote from: Octo on 24 September 2024, 05:05:45 PMAs an aside, I just bought the PDF of FWC1 from Wargame Vault, and it's... not in color? That's not the end of the world by any means, but the description does say it's full color. Might want to get either of those fixed. Maybe, I dunno, I'm not your boss. ;D
I'm not quite sure why it says in colour as the PDF has always been black and white, but not to worry, colour version uploaded now!
Quote from: Leon on 25 September 2024, 04:11:18 PMI'm not quite sure why it says in colour as the PDF has always been black and white, but not to worry, colour version uploaded now!
Absolute legend! You could have just changed the description to say it was Black and White, but you went the better road.
Quote from: Octo on 26 September 2024, 10:32:08 PMAbsolute legend! You could have just changed the description to say it was Black and White, but you went the better road.
No worries!
QuoteHi there
<Lots of helpful stuff>
I hope that is helpful (sort of)?
Cheers
Mark
Yes, very helpful! I've just picked up the one army for now. Gonna base the infantry, and if there are mdf cases included in the bundle for tanks I'll probably base them, too, so if I decide to get anything that hovers (or if HumTheo has hovering tanks like I kinda imagine they do) I can base them on an acrylic rod bit to raise them up a few mil.
High-five the tank designer for me lol. The tanks are great. I'll try to find that PDF so I at least know what analogs I can draw lol
Quote from: dylan on 25 September 2024, 12:25:10 AMAs it says on page 1 of FWC 1st edition:
"Your miniatures can be based or unbased as this makes no difference when playing
the game. One stand of figures represents an infantry squad and one model represents one item in real-life, whether
that be a tank, dropship or massive walker. Alternatively, one stand of miniatures can represent a platoon when playing
at a higher level of command. One figure represents one man when playing skirmish games."
I'm aware of what the rules say, I was hoping more for a "best practices" sort of thing :D . Like "the people I play against do X and I kinda wish I did it that way" or "the 6mm crew does X, but it doesn't work well for 10mm". Have a discussion, y'know? :)
Quote from: Octo on 26 September 2024, 11:18:54 PMI'm aware of what the rules say, I was hoping more for a "best practices" sort of thing :D . Like "the people I play against do X and I kinda wish I did it that way" or "the 6mm crew does X, but it doesn't work well for 10mm". Have a discussion, y'know? :)
I know a lot of players base your Infantry and Infantry Support units on the 'Pill' type bases - (e.g. squares or rectangles with rounded corners). I base my 6mm infantry on 30 x 30mm bases as that allows me to easily fit them in boxes. I also usually base 8-10 6mm infantry per base. With 10mm you may want to fit less on the base - but I tend to like mine to look more 'dense' as a formation.
I also base all my vehicles - but again that is personal preference - as it allows me to customize the base terrain to suit the army. But also - as it states in the PDF by matching the front-edge base width of the vehicles to that of the infantry bases, when the infantry debus they will fit in-front of the vehicles.
But as you say, it would be interesting to hear what other players do.
I know that at one point, at the club I was at, at the time, we prohibited infantry on bases smaller than 30mm frontage, as you could just end up with a massed firing line otherwise, but that had its downside, as it just meant more units under the artillery or air-strike templates.
Generally, with Grav or Hover vehicles basing is essential, and as you state adding a small bit of clear rod or a block of MDF under the vehicle to lift it off the base is also esthetically pleasing.
I also always base my Massive units, but again I customize the shape and size to fit the unit.
For example, I have a few very nice Star Wars AT-AT walkers that need rectangular bases, whilst their accompanying 'chicken' walkers are on round bases.
I also put all my aerials on wire or clearer plastic rod on weighted flight bases. And I have drop-ship/drop-pod models both in flight and on the ground.
So there are lots of options available.
But as you say it would be interesting to hear what others do.
Cheers
Mark
QuoteBut as you say, it would be interesting to hear what other players do.
I like the Flames of War basing standards, detailed here (https://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=5583&kb_cat_id=29).
For 10mm I use homemade bases at 70% of the size.
A small base is 23mm wide by 18mm deep.
A medium base is 35mm wide by 23mm deep.
A large base is 35mm wide by 45mm deep.
The original Flames of War bases are listed here (https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=3723).
If you are starting from scratch, I'd certainly consider what other people around you, who you might play against use for basing. Epic or Legion Imperilais being likely the most common. Epic varied for infantry, 12x40mm strips for infantry or 25mm squares. LI goes with 25mm circles.
But if you are going with 10mm figures, then go with what you want. I quite like circular bases for Sci Fi - stops stuff looking regimented and lined up. Around 30mm (round or square) is good for 10mm figures.
If opponents mass their stands, then you need rules that have template or areas affect weapons!
Vehicle basing - I tend to base vehicles, but not always.
Quote from: Raider4 on 27 September 2024, 10:02:31 AMI like the Flames of War basing standards, detailed here (https://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=5583&kb_cat_id=29).
For 10mm I use homemade bases at 70% of the size.
A small base is 23mm wide by 18mm deep.
A medium base is 35mm wide by 23mm deep.
A large base is 35mm wide by 45mm deep.
The original Flames of War bases are listed here (https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=3723).
I really like how that looks on their site, so I may steal that convention lol
Quote from: Big Insect on 27 September 2024, 09:37:56 AMI know a lot of players base your Infantry and Infantry Support units on the 'Pill' type bases - (e.g. squares or rectangles with rounded corners).
<Lots of great ideas>
Cheers
Mark
Sounds like the Dropzone Commander infantry bases, which I like the look of, personally. The issue would be sourcing them. I could try to 3D print them, but I'd need to make the STLs myself. Not the end of the world.
Quote from: fred. on 27 September 2024, 11:40:41 AMIf you are starting from scratch, I'd certainly consider what other people around you, who you might play against use for basing. Epic or Legion Imperilais being likely the most common. Epic varied for infantry, 12x40mm strips for infantry or 25mm squares. LI goes with 25mm circles.
Unfortunately, I'm likely one of the only FWC players within an hour's drive, at least. I live in Connecticut, which I "lovingly" call Nerd Purgatory for the lack of LGS variety. Feel free to prove me wrong, I'd like to be wrong here lol
Quote from: fred. on 27 September 2024, 11:40:41 AMBut if you are going with 10mm figures, then go with what you want. I quite like circular bases for Sci Fi - stops stuff looking regimented and lined up. Around 30mm (round or square) is good for 10mm figures.
I've got a bunch of standard 25mm wargaming bases that I
could dip into, but as mentioned earlier, I do like the aesthetic of the FoW and DzC bases
Quote from: fred. on 27 September 2024, 11:40:41 AMIf opponents mass their stands, then you need rules that have template or areas affect weapons!
Vehicle basing - I tend to base vehicles, but not always.
I don't know what "mass their stands" means, and if I'm setting the standard around me, I'll need to figure all that stuff out lol
Great thoughts all around! Shall we tackle terrain next? (Feel free to keep weighing in on previous topics, though!)
I'm spending all too much time on a sci-fi rail project that can fit N-Scale trains, because I loved the idea of the DzC Monorail missions. At some point I'm going to print out a few test pieces to see if anything needs to be changed...
Quote from: Octo on 27 September 2024, 02:54:57 PM<snip>
Sounds like the Dropzone Commander infantry bases, which I like the look of, personally. The issue would be sourcing them. I could try to 3D print them, but I'd need to make the STLs myself. Not the end of the world.
<snippety>
I don't know what "mass their stands" means, and if I'm setting the standard around me, I'll need to figure all that stuff out lol
<snip, snip>
Great thoughts all around! Shall we tackle terrain next? (Feel free to keep weighing in on previous topics, though!)
I use MDF bases, several of the companies who do MDF bases will do pill style bases, including our very own Pendraken.
"Mass their stands" just means clumping bases together to get maximum fire on a target. Smaller bases can concentrate more fire than bigger ones if they huddle up close. If there are weapons that use templates they will conversely hit more smaller stands but few bigger stands if those stands are huddled together. It's why I also base vehicles, easier to work out if they are a target or not.
Where possible, it is easier if both sides' bases are the same size.
Terrain, where to start? Hmm. How about with packaging of all sorts. An up turned yoghurt pot, suitably based, painted and embellished can make an excellent building.
For the FWC starter sets that we're selling, we're including:
50x30mm rounded = For all units except artillery and command
60x60mm rounded = For artillery
40mm circle = For command
Quote from: Leon on 27 September 2024, 03:18:11 PMFor the FWC starter sets that we're selling, we're including:
50x30mm rounded = For all units except artillery and command
60x60mm rounded = For artillery
40mm circle = For command
Great to know!
Quote from: Ithoriel on 27 September 2024, 03:11:00 PMI use MDF bases, several of the companies who do MDF bases will do pill style bases, including our very own Pendraken.
"Mass their stands" just means clumping bases together to get maximum fire on a target. Smaller bases can concentrate more fire than bigger ones if they huddle up close. If there are weapons that use templates they will conversely hit more smaller stands but few bigger stands if those stands are huddled together. It's why I also base vehicles, easier to work out if they are a target or not.
Where possible, it is easier if both sides' bases are the same size.
Thanks for the info on terminology (and strategy)! I mentioned that I was planning on basing my tanks to futureproof basing hover tanks, and I'm sticking to that. I'll be basing all of my armies the same way, since I'll likely be running demos, so I'll probably write up a document on that for people who are interested.
Quote from: Ithoriel on 27 September 2024, 03:11:00 PMTerrain, where to start? Hmm. How about with packaging of all sorts. An up turned yoghurt pot, suitably based, painted and embellished can make an excellent building.
Wait, we're a DIY terrain hobby? Are there no affordable at-scale kits? Like, I know Warcradle has a 10mm modular Industrial Dystopian kit for $55 US (on average), but I have no idea how many buildings it makes or if it fits the aesthetic. TTCombat puts out the DzC buildings, but they're not cheap, either. Everything else I've seen is MDF, and I have no idea how well that stuff paints up. Some of it looks like it hides the nature of its construction well while the rest of it... Doesn't.
Guess I'm going to have my work cut out for me lol
QuoteTerrain, where to start? Hmm. How about with packaging of all sorts. An up turned yoghurt pot, suitably based, painted and embellished can make an excellent building.
I totally agree about recycled plastic packaging - the plastic inside packaging for certain chocolate biscuits (a while back) when turned upside-down, made fantastic light industrial units. However, some of the plastic can be quite flimsy, but I just fill them with DIY filler or mix-up some plaster of paris and pour it in. It strengthens them significantly. Very often I spray with black undercoat, even before putting in the filler, as it give you a much better idea of what the building might look like.
I think the thing with buildings is consistency. I paint all my windows black, and gloss varnish them for example. I tried using a light-blue previously, and painting on highlights, but as my standard go-to building colour is a light blue-grey it just didn't look right.
I also try and avoid putting distinctive terrain around my building - such as snow drifts or tropical plants - as without these I can use the same building in a variety of terrain settings. Generic rubble or street furnishings works ok.
In fact its also worth remembering stuff like power pylons, street lamps etc. as they can really make your table come-alive.
One word of caution though, regarding DIY terrain.
I once build a series of roads on an embankment. The embankment was made from a strip of polystyrene ceiling coving/cornice. I carefully made the roads up by using wide strips of masking tape, and created a central reservation using match-sticks and balsa wood strips. Then........
I made the terrible mistake of spraying it with a matt black undercoat - :'( :'( :'(
Of course the polystyrene dissolved :o
What I should have done is given the areas of polystyrene a thin coat of DIY filler to protect it from the spray paint. Hey-ho - you live and learn.
There is a lot of sci-fi terrain on Etsy - I had some 12mm stuff (a large oil/chemical refinery) reduced down to 6mm scale by the seller. However, I find a lot of the 3D print stuff is just not robust enough. The thin bits will snap-off really easily. There used to be a lot of 6mm cast resin sci-fi terrain around, but that;s no good to go with 10mm.
Quote. . . TTCombat puts out the DzC buildings, but they're not cheap, either. . .
Gosh, they're not cheap, are they?
Luckily they still provide downloads (https://ttcombat.com/pages/dropzone-commander-buildings-us-paper) so you can print & make your own. Use cereal box card, perfectly acceptable. There's an instruction sheet (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0965/1274/files/Downloadable_Buildings_Info.pdf) available. They are quite a big footprint though, so I generally cut them down to 3x1, 2x1 or 2x2.
They also do roads (https://ttcombat.com/pages/dropzone-commander-roads-us-paper).
Quote from: Raider4 on 27 September 2024, 04:09:03 PMGosh, they're not cheap, are they?
Luckily they still provide downloads (https://ttcombat.com/pages/dropzone-commander-buildings-us-paper) so you can print & make your own. Use cereal box card, perfectly acceptable. There's an instruction sheet (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0965/1274/files/Downloadable_Buildings_Info.pdf) available. They are quite a big footprint though, so I generally cut them down to 3x1, 2x1 or 2x2.
They also do roads (https://ttcombat.com/pages/dropzone-commander-roads-us-paper).
I've got some of their cardstock buildings from their starter kit, but I personally think they need more depth. I might actually print out the buildings a couple more times and layer them up if I don't find or make something I like the look of.
@Mark, sorry to hear about your misadventures. Luckily, I'm an avid watcher of Boulder Creek Railroad on YouTube. Elle, nee Luke, does a great job of explaining her process plus any potential pitfalls one might run into. I'm pretty sure she does HO scale dioramas, rather than N, but the techniques are still applicable.
As for going to Etsy, I do have my own resin printer, so I try to get the STLs where I can. I might splurge on a new FDM printer for printing scenery, but that'll be a few months down the road at least.
I'm visiting a dollar store now, gonna look for anything that screams terrain lol
There is a lot of GW terrain for Adapatus Titanicus and Legions Imp - but that really will set the bar for not cheap!
With MDF buildings - they are great as the base structure - and adding a few little extras can really lift the building by adding a bit more 3d to the look - eg window sills or door lintels, just made from card. Adding roofing tiles to sloped roofs. For modern flat roofs there are some resin packs around to add ventilation units or 'chimneys' to them - and I'm sure plenty of 3d printed options.
Looking on eBay (a few minutes ago) there seems to be a fair amount of 4Ground and TT Combat MDF stuff available. Prices don't seem that bad (excluding P&P from the US to UK - not a problem for Octo). I particularly liked the look of the 4Ground electricity pilons, although they are starting to get dated (as the UK replaces that style with a newer version) :D
But I agree with fred - they need to be customized to improve them. I did buy a load of destroyed MDF buildings - large sky-scrapers and rows of houses - of a chap a few years back for a 'Woken Furies' FWC scenario game at a BootCamp. It was a c. 12foot by 6foot urban cityscape with a lot of rubble and destruction. But sadly I think the chap may have now gone out of business - but they were the business.
Commission Figurines do a lot of damaged buildings in MDF - I think mainly aimed at WWIi eastern front but a big bombed out building is a big bombed out building!
I've made some strides with terrain - namely, I made some terrain. Initial test prints are successful, so I'm going to support everything again, test them once more, and then likely upload them to Cults3D for sale. What I like to do, however, is offer the community I'm a part of a coupon code for 100% off, so when I get to that point, I'll likely make a new thread showing it off.
In the meantime, I was looking at the rulebook to determine the table size. It says it's designed around a 6'x4' table (and change the number of turns based on increases or decreases in size). That got me thinking about scale and movement and stuff. A turn is supposed to be 30 minutes, right? Randomly choosing an infantry unit, it moves 10cm (per command issued).
Now, if that unit is in 32mm (1:57.2) scale (WH40k, for example), that means they just moved 572 real-life cm in half an hour. That's 18' 9".
Alternatively, if that unit is in 10mm scale (1:150, per Leon elsewhere, iirc), that means they just moved 1500 real-life cm in the same amount of time. That's 49' 2".
In 30 minutes :-\ Yes, I'm sure some of that time is dedicated to reading radar and consulting maps and experts, but that isn't the point here. The point is that there's a large difference in distance traveled. The same goes for command and weapon ranges. Now, there can be some hand-waving regarding effective weapon range vs actual weapon range, which would support the new headcanon that the smaller the miniatures are, the more elite they are. To that effect, if you're playing with 54mm scale minis, they're basically walking 10' and shooting effectively within 30', and their most advanced command tech's range is a whopping 25'. So, like, "Hey Steve, run over there and shoot at the squad across the hall" ;D
I'm not suggesting to change the ranges and distances based on scale. Ok, maybe I am, but that's too much work. Instead, how about changing how long turns are supposed to take? Like, 30 minutes would be reasonable for 10mm scale battalions mobilizing against each other, but maybe divide that time by the number of additional 10mm in scale. 32mm scale turns would take [(30/((32-10)/10))=13.6363 repeated] minutes, and 54mm scale turns would take 6.8181 (repeated) minutes. This could explain away some of the snapshot-iness of gunplay and why you're only running 10' ;D
In wargames, the ground scale, and the figure scale rarely align - it's been a while (years) since I did some of the maths around this. But IIRC most wargames are much closer to 1 : 1000 ground scale, rather than the figure scale of 1:50 to 1:150 or so. For the very practical reasons you mention.
I have done the odd game with 10mm figures with close to figure scale ground scale. But you don't end up with many figures on a large table!