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Tips for a project, anyone?

Discussion in 'Scenery' started by Renzoman, Apr 25, 2020.

  1. Renzoman

    Renzoman New Member

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    Hi there! I mostly lurk on the forums and read up on new releases, I rarely if ever weigh in on topics. Buuuut... I had an idea, and one I know I'll need all the help I can get with. I recently bought and played the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and nostalgia hit me like a truck. I've played through the first bombing mission so many times and I still can't shake that powerful feeling of being thrown back to who I was that very first time, as if it's all new and I'm seeing the badassery all over again. And I had an idea for a table - and, in theory, a custom mission.

    Mako Reactor One. That bombing mission, despite being done in the game by a terrorist cell, is almost by definition a Black-op - no warning, no fuss(intentionally, anyway) and adjusting the infiltration plan on the move with a hasty tactical retreat finish. So... Table idea occurred to me. There's a lot I'll have to cut out and re-arrange, but I wanna get that feeling of verticality with all the gantries and ladders, maybe some sort of difficult terrain or low-vis zones down in Mako storage where the Mako fumes from the reactor's core might fuck with vision and balance. But, I've barely even approached terrain before. So... Where do I start? I've got a long time to work and no reason to rush myself, so I figure if there was any time to take on a big project that I can just learn my way through, I'm looking at it.

    Any advice those more knowledgeable about this than me are willing to throw my way will be very much appreciated!
     
    Xeurian and jherazob like this.
  2. Mob of Blondes

    Mob of Blondes Well-Known Member

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    Start collecting references. Local copies, preferably, that way you can work even if the are removed, or when the network is down (it happens...). Then do mockups (with just old cardboard if you need 3d instead of sketches) to figure general shape, how walls and floors can work, etc.

    From the look of it, you will need lots of scatter. It looks like some kind of unfinished industrial place, so parts will be like a construction site. Not hard to do, just laborious if you don't have vynil or laser cutter to speed up things, or can't buy lots of parts premade. Grey and green colors and lots of grime, easy painting.

    The vertical thing is going to be tricky, as well as the staged and mostly close combat layout with big open zones somewhere. You could go for ground floor and maybe 2 levels, at best 3, maybe 3 part is just 2 over a solid ground, so highest is 30 cm or so, but really only 20 in that zone. Maybe you can do 25% table like brick zone, and the other 75% like the industrial / contruction, with multiple entry points to go from one to another. That way deployment is "equal" for everyone (left-right 25-75, and the other sees L-R 75-25), both fighting along the wall, instead of one inside and the other outside the wall.

    If you can convince the other players, industrial open zone could work with smoke "in or out but not across" rule like some use for buildings with windows, and mark infinite height vents all over the industrial ground. They could even be movable, just a rectangle with wire mesh. That would give you a visually open zone, but not for shooting purposes, making it work virtually like common tables with lots of solid buildings or hills.

    As for custom mission (and layout in that case), I will leave to others.
     
    Xeurian, Koin-Koin, jherazob and 2 others like this.
  3. Renzoman

    Renzoman New Member

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    Thank you for that - I know it's reasonably basic stuff to need help figuring out, but honestly besides putting together premade terrain I've never attempted anything like this, and didn't actually plan to, but I can't get the idea out of my head. I think layout-wise I'll have to go more for an Infinity adaptation to avoid the issues with the big open areas. They weren't there in the original game because you weren't actively running around so the game didn't need the space. I'm considering trying to effectively miniaturize the whole level so that it includes all the major beats but scoops out the filler, that way I'm only having the 'open field in the cover-shooter of tactical games' issue where I want it to be a challenge rather than semi-constantly.

    A part of me is also considering going so far as to grab the Mag-Lev train and make the train-station intro environment too. I don't really know how I would or even if I could integrate it, considering it's technically above the reactor core where most of the mission goes down, but most of my meta grew up with FF7, recreating the game's opening bombing mission would probably really make our meta's day. Be a nice surprise when lockdown ends to find a little chunk of Midgar waiting to fight over.
     
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  4. cory

    cory Well-Known Member

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    Some general guidelines for all tables
    1) Avoid copying the game map too closely. Keep your project modular rather than fixed so it can be a fresh experience each time you use it.
    2) Keep in mind the Infinity rules. Too high of ladders can become order sinks for example. A low parapet may still block a prone model but not provide cover for a standing one. Which bases can fit up a ramp/stairs or use the alley?
    3) Try playing a test game or two on a crude cardboard mock up. Better to lose 10 minutes work on a cardboard shape than several hours and a chunk of change on a nicer piece that you only use once because it doesn't work.
     
  5. Biomckill

    Biomckill Well-Known Member

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    Ok, my two cents... If there is smoke/fumes coming from some type of grills, and they will act blocking the line of sight, maybe you can think on doing some smoke markers using a base with the proper size and cotton. There are several tutorials in Youtube, usually for wargames markers, but it is quite easy. They will look like real smoke and they will really block the LoS. To try the concept you can just use some cotton to see if it works for you.
     
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  6. cory

    cory Well-Known Member

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    I f you do the grills (and you should, they are versatile and easy to make) consider color coding plumes of smoke for different effects. For example, ones acting like smoke and blocking LOS can be grey, others are saturation zones and are purple. Make sure the colors are distinct, do up a cheat sheet card to go with the table.
     
  7. Renzoman

    Renzoman New Member

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    This has all been really helpful guys, thanks! I'm notoriously bad regarding posting up photos - it's kind of a running joke among my meta that I'll build and paint an entire army and everyone'll be shocked because I'll have given no indication I'm doing it and then just turn up with a case full of them. So pictures will likely be a rarity, if at all, until I've finished something with any degree of polish. But I'm looking into things like the Odinheim terrain to ease the weight off my shoulders on scratch-builds, and also taking a little time to figure out how best to make the smoke modular. Currently thinking they'll have to be attached to a grill each and be able to slip the grill itself in and out of position, otherwise the smoke/steam will be a little too loose on the board. Thanks again for all the tips so far, you guys are really making a difference in how well this idea goes. Hopefully nobody in my group is reading this - be a hell of a shock for me to jump from 'surprise, I have an army' to 'so I built a power plant to fight in with a train station, no biggie'.
     
  8. Willen

    Willen Well-Known Member

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    All these sounds very very good! Kitbashing, especially terrain, is one thing I love.

    For the vents and smoke, I am thinking that if the vent is a rectangular pieces (think cut thick cardboard), you can easily do a wire square in its size, cover the wire with cotton and create the smoke "plumes", then glue two small magnets to the cardboard so that the wire "fixes" itself on the vent.

    I suggest stiff steel wire for the cotton "mesh" (again, just bend a rectangule and cover with cotton so nobody sees it) so that you have something firm to hold onto as a base for the cotton... you dont want to pull it off by the cotton itself or you will destroy it.

    The beauty about the above is that you can also attach the cardboard grill/vent to the side of a building with bluetac or something like that and STILL attach smoke or fumes as required. In my mind that would be a very versatily scenario widget.
     
  9. cory

    cory Well-Known Member

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    Here are some helpful videos - smoke is easy to do well with some practice. Even with the tealights I often add a large metal nut to the bottom for weight.

     
    jherazob likes this.
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