Modular Spaceship Terrain

[symphonicpoet]

So I have an actual work in progress I'm going to talk about while it's in progress! (Woohoo!) I've written up a post on it on meh blog, called Making Space for Adventure: Part I - Building "The Grid", but I'll toss up the short version with pictures here. It's pretty standard lasercut MDF stuff, but I'm going to trick it out as best as I can.

Here's what it all looked like simply assembled, before I got started adding stuff:

Step one, add full height walls:

I think that's already a noticeable improvement.

Step two, gribble up said walls:

Lastly, here's a couple of "atmospheric" shots to test the effect and see how it will work when done:

I'm actually tempted to make a ceiling with slots in it and maybe some acrylic lenses so I can actually put light behind them and see how it works. The test shot makes me hopeful.

 

[MichaelStockin]

That last image is pretty cool.

 

[Eric]

Very cool. The extra wall height does make it look a lot better. Some good bits and pieces for walls that I have are the control panels and/or ventilation set from TTCombat. Zinge Industries also have some good detailing bits and pieces. I nearly got a set of 3D MDF hulk tiles a few years back myself.

I love a good 3D Space Hulk. They have always been a fascination ever since I saw Andy Warwick's one at Golden Daemon:

I did end up building a fully modular 3D set of Hulk boards one for a Games Day many years later when GW had clubs running some of the games - we ran a 1st Ed Space Hulk since at the time Space Hulk was out of print, proved very popular actually! That one was made from foamcore bases with plaster cast grill tiles on it and the walls were thin card folded over some more plaster formers I'd cast - they were nifty because they could be used for the junction corners and the straights. All very cheap and cheerful (and finished the night before), If my brother still has it I'll get some photos. I also did a fully card one for myself prior to that, but with straight vertical walls that didn't work as well since everything ended up too cramped (I did the boards the same size/scale as the Space Crusade boards) and eventually the glue failed and it started coming apart so I don't have that any more.

Older and wiser and realising I don't have quite as much time as I'd like to build myself the perfect set of boards I indulged myself a few years back and bought the Sulaco floor tiles from Fenris Games with a plan to build and cast some 3D wall sections to complement them. I've designed the walls, but not actually gotten around to making the masters yet! About 80% of the tiles are at least painted however so that's a start!

 

[symphonicpoet]

That last image is pretty cool.

Thank you! I'm a sucker for a good corridor shot. And the high-contrast lighting makes it look moody, I think. Will be even better with paint and careful lighting.

Very cool. The extra wall height does make it look a lot better.

Thanks! And those TTCombat bits do look nice. Yeah, seeing folks 3D space hulk boards is inspiring. There was an exceptionally nice one at BOYL a few years back. But I like your phrase "cheap and cheerful." That's probably more where I was originally aiming. Using the MDF has made it a bit less cheap, but I think with some love I'll add back some cheerful and a bit of the homeiness that your phrase implies. Thanks for the suggestions and wish me luck!

 

[twisted moon]

good to see you back on the horse.
that looks like a very promising start.
i also really like that robot figure in the penultimate photo. (amongst others).

 

[symphonicpoet]

^It feels good to BE back on the horse.

And I really need to put some paint on that robot. (I just grabbed some models off my painting table. They're not quite the very front of the cue, as those are presently tacked to paint pots, but they're close to it.)

Now I just need to see if I can stay on the horse for five minutes and not get tossed by life.

 

[Loose Loser]

This will be interesting. I would feel drowsy if I glance at all those corridors and room that have to be painted Looking forward and best of luck!

 

[symphonicpoet]

^You're not wrong. I definitely have to fight the inertia. But it helps if you just accept it's going to take a while. I wouldn't expect to have this project finished for a few months at least. I'm just hoping I can beat the few years big projects occasionally take.

 

[Caradepato]

Looking forwards to seeing much from this. One thing that helps me finish projects rather that to burn out is to allow myself to do other things for a bit - I find that when I return to the project I then work with much greater fervour rather than giving it all up in frustration

 

[symphonicpoet]

^Indeed! Which is precisely what this is. I've gotten a bit burned out on miniatures, so some terrain seemed like just the ticket. And I can switch back for a while if this bogs down.

 

[symphonicpoet]

So I'm making a some slow, but steady progress with the corridors. Got a variety of them in various stages of paint.

I might try to add some color to a few spots. I don't want to go too crazy. I figure they're starships, and at least in the US Navy the habit seems to be to just slap the same color paint over everything anywhere near a bulkhead. I understand from some friends that they very up the color of the interior decks some: grey for normal areas and blue for officer country, for instance. I think I may like the uniformity, for flexibility's sake, but it occurred to me I could use hatch colors the same way, thus the blue hatch. Thought I might also maybe do red and yellow ones for different purposes. Or even green. Red for engineering, maybe, green for life support, blue is O country (of course) and maybe yellow for . . . electrical? Storage lockers? Who knows. Might slap some warning signs on stuff. I have a few Curtis from Ramshackle kindly provided.

 

[Ketil Trout]

really nice atmospheric shots

 

[Eric]

Coming together nicely. Those corridor shots are awesome. I really must finish up my Hulk boards and build some walls!

 

[symphonicpoet]

Thank you both! I was hesitant about this one, but I'm glad my friend convinced me.

 

[Loose Loser]

Superb. Ceiling light is spot on even it's not spot light.

 

[twisted moon]

I might try to add some color to a few spots. I don't want to go too crazy.

they look surprisingly good as is in your atmospheric shots.

Might slap some warning signs on stuff.

hazard stripes, you've got to have hazard stripes.

 

[symphonicpoet]

^Oh, so true! Perhaps there's a low overhead, or a surprising hatchway. Hmm . . .