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Teach Me How To Terrain

Discussion in 'Scenery' started by sololobo, Dec 17, 2018.

  1. sololobo

    sololobo Well-Known Member

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    Hi,

    So, I've always been one to neglect terrain over gameplay; however, in this game, I've notice terrain is just as important as ones list. And, it really improves the feel of the game. With that, I would like to begin looking into amassing my own terrain. Now, I could just buy a few cool buildings and call it a day, but I feel there is more than meets the eye here. Note, I'm more of a buy store made terrain vs make my own type of person.

    Vets, what makes a well rounded 4x4 table top?

    I also drummed up few cool theme ideas:
    - Spaceport w/ honeycombed hangers referencing this as my inspiration
    - Slums w/ Strip Bar...Something like Omega in Mass Effect 3
    - Oil Terminal & Refinery w/ Railhead & Container Yard
     
  2. Ankaa

    Ankaa Well-Known Member

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    I think what constitutes good terrain practice will largely depend on your local playgroup. Generally speaking our game requires more density than the average miniatures game, but beyond that you can sort of do whatever you like. When my playgroup sets up a table we usually place the tallest objects near the center and then radiate the smaller buildings outward. When we first started playing we had some setups where missile/sniper AROS were a little too good, firing lanes that go across the whole table are ok but we settled on the opinion that there shouldn't be a spot in the DZ where the long range ARO piece can see literally every place on the map.

    Also I think you can never have too much scatter terrain, small chest high stuff that allows for interesting tactical advancement and engagement up the board. Visually speaking, a 4x4 neoprene table mat with a printed design on it can *really* spice up the visuals of the table. It's amazing how that added touch when combined with the terrain really makes the whole thing pop. Our community organizer just got some and we played our first games with them this past weekend. I wish I had pictures to share because the tables looked stunning :grinning:
     
  3. Xeurian

    Xeurian Well-Known Member

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  4. GingerGiant

    GingerGiant Well-Known Member

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  5. sololobo

    sololobo Well-Known Member

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    Sorry about the link issue. Here is the correct LINK. This is my inspiration. To make it work, I need a wire frame of a box with the dimensions of 12"x12"x8" and a detachable flat rooftop. This would give me the option to "grid" the 4x4' board and expand further themed additions on top i.e. aircraft and/or TAGs with scatter terrain. M/HDF material would be ideal.

    That link was epic! It really took on the brunt of my questions I had about terrain.

    So, I my last question is, does anyone know how I might go about building my "grid" of hangars?
     
  6. GingerGiant

    GingerGiant Well-Known Member

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    Is that the right image? I don't see any hangars when I follow it.
     
  7. Xeurian

    Xeurian Well-Known Member

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    I believe the following is what @sololobo was referring to:

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. GingerGiant

    GingerGiant Well-Known Member

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    Based on the picture, there are a few questions that pop into my head:
    • What are the most important elements to model? To me, the most evocative elements are the scaffolding and ginormous ships. The angular roof is pretty cool, but it could get in the way of moving minis around. I want to be able to fit my hand in the space, and keep my wrist relatively straight.
    • How big is this on the table? I think this scene could make an entire table, with a bank of scaffolds and space ships on each side, or as opposed deployment zones.
    • Is the scale depicted in the image playable? I think so. Based on some quick MS Paint work, I estimate that the closest space ship is about 18-20" tall, or 12 S2 Silhoueetes. To give you a sense of the real scale, though, the space ship is a little over 7 stories tall.
    • What can we use for cover on the ground floor? Crates and service vehicles like forklists are a natural fit to cover the floor, since the space ships can lift off and fly over them.
    • What can we use for elevation/buildings? The scaffolds work for providing elevation, and the large space ships can break up line of sight (and even act as buildings themselves). Figures could be places on top of the space ships, or if you're feeling adventurour, inside the space ships. I'd only allow a specific slice of each top be played in, and say the space ship walls are "infinitely tall".
    • Are there any problematic firelanes? The open space down the center strikes me as a very big, open fire lane that could be dominated by a sniper. The big space ships will limit the lateral vision of the sniper to some degree, but I think it's worth mocking up the scale and figuring out just how much an issue this is. If it is an issue, one possible solution is to have one of the spaceships fly through the space during the course of the game. Make up a big acrylic silhouette of a ship and figure out how to suspend it above the board; it starts in one third of the center lane, and advances one third to the left at the start of each subsequent round. If you're really daring, maybe this is a cargo lifter hover-platform, and models can be placed on it.
    • How in blue blazes do I make this thing? Scaffolding is a pretty common terrain piece. Find some you like. But, for the space ships, I think a 3d printer is probably the way to go to get ships at the scale depicted, even if you have to print them in parts.
     
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  9. Mob of Blondes

    Mob of Blondes Well-Known Member

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    Linking to search engines is a bad idea. The results change (with time, location, observer...) to the point of totally unstable / unreliable (not very different than "random").
    Other image I get in those results (Google was giving different things for thumb and bigger view at first) is this.
    [​IMG]
    Still not finding any obvious honeycomb here, or in Xeurian's.
     
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  10. sololobo

    sololobo Well-Known Member

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    That was the image. So, when it comes to the honeycomb//grid I’m viewing this one image and then multiplying it.
     
  11. sololobo

    sololobo Well-Known Member

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  12. Mob of Blondes

    Mob of Blondes Well-Known Member

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    It is a heptagon. The painter got distracted. *hehehe*

    But I can see doing something with hexagons, kind of multiple rooms, sometimes with walls, sometimes with doors or just the columns.
     
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  13. Section9

    Section9 Well-Known Member

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    Well, if you're working on some flavor of 'flightline', you will need ground tugs and carts/ground service equipment. I bought a bunch of 1/48 scale modern US Navy aircraft tugs (since those existed as models) and the Hasegawa 1/48 ground service equipment sets.

    I'd also add crates and barrels, because otherwise airfields are really good rifle ranges, nothing to block the shots.
     
  14. sololobo

    sololobo Well-Known Member

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    Ooo that is a great idea - sold. :D
     
  15. cory

    cory Well-Known Member

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    Matchbox trucks can also make good ground tugs and maintenance robots, especially with more scale appropriate baggage or other items added. I added a 3d printed open tool box to one for example.
     
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  16. Red Harvest

    Red Harvest Day in, Day out. Day in, Day out. Day in, DAY OUT

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    1/48 scale vehicles and such are really the way to go with Infinity. Buildings work fine in 1/50 scale. I say this because one can purchase an Engineering Ruler or Engineer's Scale readily enough, and it is already marked with a 1/50 scale, thus making measurements for scratch building very easy.
     
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  17. Section9

    Section9 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, though I actually prefer 1/60 scale for buildings. That's classic D&D map scale.
     
  18. Red Harvest

    Red Harvest Day in, Day out. Day in, Day out. Day in, DAY OUT

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    It is. But we play Infinity with Infinity miniatures, not old Ral Partha or Grenadier or even minifig 25mm figs. (Yes, I have a few Ral Partha and Grenadier minis kicking around...) Given the new scale of Infinity minis (~32mm), 1/50 fits pretty well. And bigger terrain and scatter pieces make it easier-- because fewer are needed-- to fill a table.
     
    #18 Red Harvest, Dec 21, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2018
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