Patrol boat

[Dave]

Taking what I've learned from designing the Smuggler's Rowboat, I'm going to aim for something just a bit larger. I'm going to create a Patrol Boat to give the smuggler something to worry about.

The construction should be basically the same, scaled up about double. I don't foresee any big problems designing the geometry. Once I get the lengths of the curves right (which involves a lot of trial and error) I should be in the clear. The masts and sails should be easy. I'm glad I don't need to create any benches, which were shockingly difficult to do for the rowboat.

If the boom leaves enough room, I'd like to include a quarter deck with a lift-away floor, and a captain's cabin under there. We'll see what I can manage.

It's also very very likely that I'll include a bonus rowboat, and of course some shipping crates.

Anyway this should also be a good choice for a small river merchant, which is the sort of thing my RPG campaigns always end up doing.

[Sirrob01]

Sounds Good Dave I'm hoping you end up with enough different sizes that I can use them for evil steve's pirate game. originally designed for lego but card should work well

edit hunted down the link in case peps were curious www.io.com/~sj/PirateGame.html

I've played a few times with lego but to have enough ships for 5-6 players is prohibitively expensive

[Dave]

Here's a peek at the paper test for the upcoming Patrol Boat:



I'm going to add a small compartment at the rear of the boat (which could work as a cargo hold or brig -- a mini should be able to lie down in there).

[Dave]

I've figured out how to add the small compartment to the back. It kind of works like a quarter deck! A couple of minis can stand on it, and it works as a storage space with a lift-away door.

I'm going to design a couple of crates and then take a break for today. Tomorrow I can start texturing this sucka!

[afet]

This looks excellent, Dave.
This boat will nicely fill the gap between small boats and larger ships like the FDG cog and the much larger WWG Maiden.

I'd like to see smallish boats like these, in a more medieval style, on which the stern and aft both come to a point.

[Tommygun]

What about a bow cannon, maybe with a bronze looking octagon barrel?
The wooden carriage could be done like steps.

[okumarts]

I will buy this!

[Dave]

Nov 3, 2010 7:17:03 GMT -9 afet said:

I'd like to see smallish boats like these, in a more medieval style, on which the stern and aft both come to a point.

I'm sure I'll try out some other boat styles. I can get at least a couple more boats using the flat-backed boat design, but I'd like to try out something like a Viking longship.

Nov 3, 2010 9:03:50 GMT -9 Tommygun said:

What about a bow cannon, maybe with a bronze looking octagon barrel?
The wooden carriage could be done like steps.

I was thinking the same thing today. I don't think I'll include a cannon on this one (because I'm out of room on my pages) but I can see that I'll need some eventually. I'll see what I can come up with.

Hey, do you have a decent pattern for a wooden barrel? The only ones I've seen (or tried to design myself) are either too fiddly or stupid looking. I'm stumped.

[Tommygun]

I don't think there is an easy way to make one if you want it to be curved like a real one.
I like to go to this site (linked below) for ideas and templates.
I have been looking at this shape for a SciFi container, it's a Truncated Hexagonal Prism.
With wood grain it may be usable?
The only other way I think is to look at templates for globes or Hectohexecontadihedron and modify the proportions the make a true curved barrel shape.

www.korthalsaltes.com/model.php?name_en=truncated%20hexagonal%20prism

[Dave]

That prismatic hexamagogical thing is neat, and I figured curves were too much to ask for. But I need to make some barrels. It's a glaring omission, or at least I think so.

What I was really hoping for was something that maintains the wooden barrel's wider-in-the-middle shape. I've designed that sort of barrel, but it's a real pain to build and you can only stack them on top of each other.

So I may bite the bullet and go with a simple short hexagonal cylinder, with straight sides. Hexagonal soda can. They're much easier to build and you can stack them standing up or laying on their sides. Ultimately, I think its utility as game terrain is what's most important.

What do you guys think?

[Tommygun]

I agree, ultimately it has to be easily built.
I'm sure there is a Truncated Prism of some sort that would work, but if it take 20 minutes to build each barrel, how many people are willing to spend that much time on each one.
I would suggest something with more than 6 sides.
Try making one cylinder with 12 sides and see what it is like to build.
To me, six sides does not create the illusion of roundness enough.

[Dave]

Jeez, I've been making these way too hard to build. Let me try an octagonal one, and then move up if necessary/possible.

[Dave]

Yeah, the octagonal design is fine.

[cobra]

Are you planning on making some bigger boats/ships after this one?

One type i would like to see is a river barge (cargo boat), like those from the old Warhammer Roleplay campaign.
Some pictures of the Berebeli from the WFRP campaign book:

s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll89/abrockisland/?action=view¤t=TheBerebeliShiplayout.jpg&mediafilter=images
tuckel.free.fr/images/Berebeli.1.png
tuckel.free.fr/images/berebeli.2.png

Other ships for inspiration, and to show the style of boats i would like to see:
www.igg.org.uk/gansg/00-app1/canals.htm
www.redbubble.com/people/aardvark/art/1449461-1-the-amy-howson-a-sailing-barge-on-yorks-river-ouse


/Cobra

[Dave]

Cobra, those are exactly the sorts of boats I like and probably will be designing. They're small, they have loads of character, and they come in lots of styles.

[Dave]

Here are some of the shipping containers included with the upcoming Patrol Boat.

[cobra]

Nov 5, 2010 13:59:46 GMT -9 Dave said:

Cobra, those are exactly the sorts of boats I like and probably will be designing. They're small, they have loads of character, and they come in lots of styles.

Sounds great. I played that WFRP campaign (The Enemy Within) some years ago and was fascinated by the river boat adventuring and how they described the travels and boats in the book "River Life of the Empire" that was part of the "Death on the Reik" campaign set. There were other variations on river boats in that book (including their version of a patrol boat). I cant find that book in the chaos i call home, but if anyone here has it and will scan the boat pics, i think that would be a great help for your boat designs.

I would definitely buy your Berebeli (or whatever you end up calling it) if/when you make it.


/Cobra

[mruseless]

Can't wait for the patrol boat, I buy all the ships I can find!

[cowboyleland]

I used these plans to make a pair of ships from cereal boxes. I was inspired by the wizkids ships to make them "constructable." I put tabs on the deck that stuck through the gun ports. I think the pieces are too big to scan and the models are at my GM's house right now anyway. If I think about it I'll bring them home next week. If I scanned them in someone out there might texture them or they might inspire Dave to explore the 18th century.
Edit: I bet you all said "what plans?" Here they are:

www.madponies.net/pub/FoundryShips/

[cowboyleland]

By the way, did you ever go back to the "bulging in the middle" barrel after you settled on the octagonal design. I would think it was doable, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the fiddling.

[cowboyleland]

For Mr Useless and anyone else looking for all kinds of boats, here are some cool ones

www.mmiparchive.papermakeit.com/13%20-%20Fantasy%20Naval.html

[Dave]

Nov 6, 2010 16:06:55 GMT -9 cowboyleland said:

By the way, did you ever go back to the "bulging in the middle" barrel after you settled on the octagonal design. I would think it was doable, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the fiddling.

I really isn't worth the fiddling.

The way I see it, you never want one cask, you want six. So you need to be able to build each one without too much frustration. When it comes to papercraft models, especially for games, I'll choose ease of construction over aesthetics if I can only have one.

Anyway, what I'm finding is that my eye is tricked into seeing the casks as having that bowed shape, even if they don't. The effect is even more noticeable when there a few casks piled together. So I'm happy with the end result, even if it isn't entirely realistic.

[cowboyleland]

Makes sense. You're the pro.

[stevelortz]

I'm looking forward to this patrol boat. I'm going to convert it to a steam launch for Sirrob's Victorian Bears!

Have fun!
Steve

[Dave]

I took a little break from this model to design the cargo containers, but I'm about ready to get back to work on it.

[kiladecus]

Waiting on this! It looks fantastic!!

I know that I would buy this!

Perhaps you could use your talents to make a figure for the front ot the ship that would be layered (like everything else you do so neatly), and it could be a woman (a simple "V" style figure that would mount on the bow), and it could look gold, wood and possibly greenish brass (thinking the Statue of Liberty color).

I think that this ship would be the PERFECT RPG/gaming scale because it wouldn't take up the WHOLE gaming table, but still be large enough to put a squad or crew in and have it be mobile.

I think of this as the "Landraider" of Pirate games!

Great job... once again!

David

[Sirrob01]

I to am looking forward to this one

[Dave]

Almost done with this one. I'm happy with the sail textures, and now I need to add some rigging and a few things lying around the deck. Just about all of the other skinning work is done.

Along with a set of multi-layered pages, I'm thinking about including two single-layered versions, like I did with the Smuggler's Rowboat. The first of these is looking good, with a gold and violet color scheme. For the second, I'll probably go with a more generic fishing boat sort of thing.

[afet]

Sounds great. I can't wait to see it.

[Dave]

Here's a sneak peek at the aft section and sails of one of the single-layered versions: