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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 10, 2013 9:18:36 GMT -9
Any highly recommended 2d tiles or 3d terrain that any of you recommend? Something was modularity or decent reuseability.
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Post by okumarts on Nov 10, 2013 11:42:36 GMT -9
I prefer 3D for my games. I really love World Works Games stuff. It is a ton of work up front, but really pays off in the end, especially for reuse and ease of storage issues. They seem to be going through a bit of a transition as a business at the moment. www.worldworksgames.com/store/Dave Graffam Models are gorgeous and there are so many. Storage may be an issue for some. I've been working on interiors for my buildings and am glad for it. www.davesgames.netFat Dragon Games are popular and look easy to build, but I will admit I have not tried them before. www.fatdragongames.com/fdgfiles/I am working on some terrain for my own purposes and it is really important for me to make it modular and collapsible. I'm not sure how realistic that expectation is, but we shall see.
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Post by Rhannon on Nov 10, 2013 12:17:34 GMT -9
Any highly recommended 2d tiles or 3d terrain that any of you recommend? Something was modularity or decent reuseability. I don't understand very well what you mean by re-usability ... Or modularity ( I suppose you mean modular pieces that can be used in different ways in the same set ) but in any case, imho, the two main factors are your personal tastes, every writer/producer has his own style, and what kind of gameplay you use them, for rpg I need more 2D tiles because interiors are more important, while in a skirmish wargame 3D buildings are ideal. But this is not a rule, because you can play a skirmish in a large indoor place, or a mission' part of a your rpg adventure takes place outdoors or in the city streets ... I don't really like modularity, because a loss of detail is always possible ( I'm talking about 3D buildings )... and I prefer to put together, when it is possible, models by the same author, or very compatible with each other. for 3D fantasy terrains/buildings Dave Graffam Models and Mystic Mountain Productions. For modern and near sci-fi settings the best is Finger and Toe Models. For sci-fi military vehicles and buildings the rolls royce is Genet Models ... and so on, but these are just my personal preference ... and surely I'm forgetting something and someone- With regard to the 2D terrain, even if my personal parameters are always the ones above, the question becomes more complicated because there are many more good producers. SkeletonKey Games really has a great assortment. But today I think these products are a little expensive. There are really so many good producers ... this time I use modern environments for survival-horror setting ... so "Zombie Bloody Streets" by PWORK Paper Wargame, "Tiles of the Dead" by Crooked Staff Publishing ... and all that represents modern environments, indoor and outdoor, of a city, suburban environments, country areas, rural towns ...
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 10, 2013 14:21:42 GMT -9
Thanks those suggestions are great and really give some nice options!
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Post by WackyAnne on Nov 10, 2013 14:48:56 GMT -9
I got into the paper gaming hobby through Fat Dragon's KS earlier this year, so that was my first experience. I most of his fantasy stuff, but I find that I've spent far more time on paper minis, and have tended to use 2D tiles more often. I have some outdoor tiles from Fat Dragon, but I actually prefer the detail and customization possible with Kev's Lounge new tiles. However, since your focus seems to be on present and near-future, particular zombie stuff, you might be interested in Fat Dragon's Capital City stuff for buildings and streetscapes, which can also be re-gridded for HeroClix scale. Microtactix (RPGNow) also has city buildings and the like, but I think it's time has passed, and it seems to be a slightly smaller scale. Neither line has interiors though. Fat Dragon also has some sci-fi stuff you might like (http://www.fatdragongames.com/fdgfiles/sci-fi). WorldWorks looks great, but I've yet to buy anything. They would probably be my first choice for zombie terrain though, particularly if you have no fear of ink One thing I am picking up these days are battlemaps from Pathfinder, and some great ones from Mongoose Publishing's Starship Troopers. Paizo has an awesome deal on those, particularly the Starship Troopers, which is 3 or 4 double-sided battlemaps of various terrain (beach, tunnels, lava, snow, a couple of other things), down from $20 to $2!!!! Digital downloads for battlemaps are nice to support friends and artists you admire, but the small cost for the file represents only about 10-20% of the full cost if you want to print as a single piece through a professional service. I'll stick to digital for tiles and terrain, physical for battlemaps.
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Post by Parduz on Nov 10, 2013 16:00:40 GMT -9
WackyAnne: can you pls check the preview here at Rpgnow and pls confirm that the physical stuffs are big as the last page of the full preview? What kind of material is it? Thanks
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 10, 2013 16:06:06 GMT -9
Anne thanks those battlemaps are cool too!
Im strting to think Im better of staying with 2d tiles instaed of 3d terrain. Im not sure if its worth the time and work.
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Post by squirmydad on Nov 10, 2013 16:22:01 GMT -9
I like tiles for basic terrain, but I love having 3d rocky outcops to hide behind, climb over, and crash into. One of my favorite things from WWG is the tri-fold trees in the Hinterlands and swampwork sets. I have about two dozen of those made and mounted onto sturdy card bases.
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Post by cowboyleland on Nov 10, 2013 16:28:20 GMT -9
I usually stick to 2d tiles, but I did have an encounter in a Venetian villa that had a large open middle and three layers of balconies connected by stairs. I built the balconies and stairs out of foamcore in order to be able to determine sightlines and ranges. There were no walls in the build, just floors (balconies) and stairs.
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Post by bortorama on Nov 10, 2013 19:19:57 GMT -9
This is what my group is D&D dealing with over the last and next few weeks. I snagged a pocket projector for xmas 2 years back, and that was probably the best thing I could have done for terrain. 80% of my games now are bounced off a mirror onto a whiteboard on the table. People can use markers to draw on it, adding terrain or whatever they need. The other 20% of the time, I add some 3d touches to it. I'm using Harker's Asylum at the moment and have the group exploring, but the staircases between levels are treacherous, so I built a spiral staircase out of 1 inch cubes, and just sit it on top of the projected map when they get to it. The Asylum, it's dungeon basement, and a cave level below made up of inked adventures geomorphs, are all projected(actually the caves are the 2nd map down here ) but once they've made their way through all of that... I snagged some pieces of foamcore, printed off the map Moonless Falls at the bottom level, with more geomorph caves going back behind the waterfall. Then I built some legs to hold up the next level of the map, printing out some of Vexing Sands tiles and covered the next 2 levels, editing the tiles in GIMP and adding various bits. I printed off a shipwreck and some crates, cutting the crates in half after they were folded and glued, then placing them in the water on the map so they look like they are floating. I don't have the monstrosity map in front of me at the moment, but it has a platform with some obelisks. I had printed out an aqueduct to lead to the waterfall, but I printed it from a PDF and from GIMP, so it printed in slightly different sizes. I Put it together anyways, then hacked it up into smaller pieces so it looks like ruins poking up from the sand. I also used an older version of the barrow tomb, printing it off, but then adding some 3d paper walls that I made in GIMP. There are other bits and pieces spread out around the map, since it's about 20 inches wide, 45 long, and 15 high. I don't do the full paper builds very often, but I find it's a nice touch at the end of a longer adventure, and I'm looking forward to using it soon.
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Post by Sirrob01 on Nov 10, 2013 21:12:08 GMT -9
I build/have built a mix of wwg, fdg, Daves Stuff as well as others. Anyways I find there all great quality I do notice my printer uses less Ink when printing FDG and Daves stuff and the quality doesn't seem any different on the table. I'm also not a big fan of the WWG linx stuff but I think that's a personal thing . I really like the hand drawn dungeon stuff by Inked adventures in the 2d world.
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Post by WackyAnne on Nov 10, 2013 23:29:01 GMT -9
I build/have built a mix of wwg, fdg, Daves Stuff as well as others. Anyways I find there all great quality I do notice my printer uses less Ink when printing FDG and Daves stuff and the quality doesn't seem any different on the table. I'm also not a big fan of the WWG linx stuff but I think that's a personal thing . I really like the hand drawn dungeon stuff by Inked adventures in the 2d world. I agree with everything SirRob's saying, except I don't own anything by WWG yet, partly because of all the other stuff I have, partly b/c I don't like the fiddly nature of the linx, partly b/c it's been more convenient just buying from RPGNow/etc. I also LOVE Inked Adventures - but it doesn't cover what you seem most interested in And I've not built much 3D stuff simply because my own game isn't quite up & running yet. The dungeon crawls with my son, and once with my husband were fine with a couple of Graffam buildings and Inked Adventure tiles. I have also been running low on toner for months, so I've stuck to the essentials like minis . My gaming budget has been spent on acquiring, and printing low colour stuff. My husband decided to buy digital copies of sourcebooks, then printed them off *sigh*.
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Post by WackyAnne on Nov 10, 2013 23:36:20 GMT -9
WackyAnne: can you pls check the preview here at Rpgnow and pls confirm that the physical stuffs are big as the last page of the full preview? What kind of material is it? Thanks Hi Parduz - I just ordered them this weekend with Paizo's crazy sale. Picked up some modules that I've really wanted to run (at $2 & $4 mostly), battlemaps, and even a couple of Reaper Bones minis to practice on. I won't be receiving the shipment for a couple of weeks, so I can't give you specifics on the Starship Troopers Floorplans. I searched for images on google, and found this to be the most useful review - www.900-jours-de-figurines.com/2012/12/starship-troopers-rpg.html. I believe it's the same product as on RPGNow, as the preview image matches up, and the descriptions match up from what I can recall. It's a bit of a gamble, but for $2, even with shipping doubling or even tripling that ... I think they'll be more than worth it. I'm guessing that it's glossy cardstock, much like the battlemap included in the D&D Red Box (4E version). It doesn't look as heavy duty as the Pathfinder Beginner Box battlemap that I have. But then again, I'm guessing, much like you would be.
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Post by Parduz on Nov 11, 2013 1:35:24 GMT -9
Thanks! I see it's folding paper... perhaps glossy as the old D&D miniatures skirmish game. Sure it's only 2$, but then i'll have 10.70$ of shipment and a 22% on the total (2.8$) as import fee. I was hoping they were like the AT-43 / Cadwallon tiles (strong, while thin, glossy cardboard). But for abut 16$ i'll pass. Thanks again
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Post by mproteau (Paper Realms) on Nov 11, 2013 3:17:37 GMT -9
I'm a WWG junkie. Love the quality of textures, love the versatility of the sets, and once you get used to how to make the stuff, it's (to me) neither too hard nor too time consuming - I think its worth it. The trick to TLX is starting small - make a couple tiles, posts and walls so you can start using the stuff sooner rather than later. I did one set by making a bunch of EVERYTHING and I very nearly gave up. I do a lot of kitbashing of TLX stuff, too. I bought a bundle of (at the time) all of Dave Graffam's buildings. I wish I had infinite space - I'd build them all. Really great stuff. I use them as 'filler' around the buildings I need to go inside. I have fewer Graffam buildings made than I'd like, and it'll probably always be that way. The places I have to go inside are all WWG. I know oldschooldm has done a lot of transforming things into fold-flat buildings. If I could disassemble Dave's buildings like I can TLX, and if I could have interiors, then... then... well, I don't know what I'd do, but I'd be happy while I did it. I add props from anywhere I can get props. No harm in mixing and matching from different sources! In case you're wondering, you can make 2D tiles from WWG sets, too. They have gridless, 1" and 1.5" grids, and you can print em without the TLX anchor spots on them. I've done that a couple times in order to cover my table surface while snapping some pictures.
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Post by endial on Nov 11, 2013 7:11:56 GMT -9
I personally am a Fat Dragon Games kind of guy, if you buy their delux dungeon set you have the modularity that you need for any dungeons. Their EZ dungeon tiles set up allow for you to create a Dungeon building toolkit that can quickly be pulled out and make the dungeon on the fly. I love it! Bonus points if you mount your 2d floortiles to foamcore board.
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Post by WackyAnne on Nov 11, 2013 7:57:28 GMT -9
Thanks! I see it's folding paper... perhaps glossy as the old D&D miniatures skirmish game. Sure it's only 2$, but then i'll have 10.70$ of shipment and a 22% on the total (2.8$) as import fee. I was hoping they were like the AT-43 / Cadwallon tiles (strong, while thin, glossy cardboard). But for abut 16$ i'll pass. Thanks again Oh, I totally understand how it's not worth it with all the additional shipping/customs charges. Shipping alone, even with $10 credit, added 50% to the cost of the shipment. But I got some undisputed bargains, in addition to a couple of modules & maps that I can't get elsewhere. I don't know how much customs will be... this will be an experiment, hopefully not an expensive one. Off topic: To my Canadian compatriots, how much duty/taxes have you experienced ordering from the US? Books, maps, minis, over $100... what kind of damage should I prepare for. So far my Kickstarters haven't incurred any additional fees, even a $90 one for a card game...
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 11, 2013 8:01:21 GMT -9
I'm a WWG junkie. Love the quality of textures, love the versatility of the sets, and once you get used to how to make the stuff, it's (to me) neither too hard nor too time consuming - I think its worth it. The trick to TLX is starting small - make a couple tiles, posts and walls so you can start using the stuff sooner rather than later. I did one set by making a bunch of EVERYTHING and I very nearly gave up. I do a lot of kitbashing of TLX stuff, too. I bought a bundle of (at the time) all of Dave Graffam's buildings. I wish I had infinite space - I'd build them all. Really great stuff. I use them as 'filler' around the buildings I need to go inside. I have fewer Graffam buildings made than I'd like, and it'll probably always be that way. The places I have to go inside are all WWG. I know oldschooldm has done a lot of transforming things into fold-flat buildings. If I could disassemble Dave's buildings like I can TLX, and if I could have interiors, then... then... well, I don't know what I'd do, but I'd be happy while I did it. I add props from anywhere I can get props. No harm in mixing and matching from different sources! In case you're wondering, you can make 2D tiles from WWG sets, too. They have gridless, 1" and 1.5" grids, and you can print em without the TLX anchor spots on them. I've done that a couple times in order to cover my table surface while snapping some pictures. Hey mproteau, I wondered, how strong are the TerrainLinx anchor tabs. From the pics Ive seen they are just glued to the tiles' surface and they are being bent and re flattened over again. I would think they would pop right off after some use. I really really want to use WWG TerrainLinx but I have my concerns how durable they are after multiple uses of dis-assembly. What glue and paper do you use for them...it should be very strong Im guessing.
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 11, 2013 8:03:28 GMT -9
Inked Adventures stuff looks great too! Thanks for everyones links and ideas...wow Im overwhelmed! I've made some tiles using rubber cement on 30ply chip board and those are amazingly hardy, incase anyone is interested. Chip board at johnny-oblick.com is great but not easy to cut
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Post by okumarts on Nov 11, 2013 8:33:12 GMT -9
I have had a few tabs pop off, but I just glue them on with super glue and they are good to go. I use them about once or twice a month (various sets) and I've used them for about 5 years adding new sets as I go. The biggest danger is pop or coffee spills. Otherwise they have lasted without much wear. I use standard card stock for printing and foam core for bases. Everything breaks down flat and stores easily.
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Post by mproteau (Paper Realms) on Nov 11, 2013 8:56:54 GMT -9
I don't pull my tiles out as often as some. I've had anchors pop off mostly from the sets I didn't make very well early on. As okumarts said, just a dot of glue and they're back in business. I might be an odd duck when it comes to glue. I use black 3/16 foamcore I get from Staples. It's surprisingly inexpensive. Sometimes they have sales on the white foamcore, so I have that as well. I use matte photo paper also from Staples. I get it somewhere between free and $2/50pk. For glue, I use white school glue for the tiles, the anchors on the tiles, and tabs on most of my models. It takes some practice to get just the right amount, but it's REALLY cheap and really strong on paper projects. For large flat things that I will sandwich (or small things, like standees) I use Super77 spray glue. Here's an example of a BIG building I made using the Thoumont's TLX set: paperdungeon.blogspot.com/2011/03/thoumonts-is-done-time-to-move-on.htmlHere's a set of Dave Graffam buildings laid out on some TLX tiles. These days when I build Dave's buildings, I don't affix them to a tile: paperdungeon.blogspot.com/2013/05/city-planning.html
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 11, 2013 9:56:20 GMT -9
Wow nice setups...both of you guys! And thanks for the suggestions and comments on your experience with TerrainLinx. I cannt decide, but it is soo damn tempting
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Post by mproteau (Paper Realms) on Nov 11, 2013 10:21:05 GMT -9
wisdomknight - If you do decide to go the WWG route, you might want to pick a set that could be generally useful as 2d tiles as well, like Himmelveil Streets or Hinterland Forests. Then you can make a couple tiles and see what your tolerance is. You can always speed-mount the tiles to make fixed game boards, make separate 2d tiles. TLX sets are < $12, and a flexible set might still see use if you don't go the TLX route in the long run. The WWG forums will provide lots of morale support if you need it, if you opt to go that route, too. It's been slow there lately, but even if noone else chimes in, I'll be there. Now, that's me pushing the format I use. I've got a personal bias against some vendors, but I don't want you to have to limit yourself based on my self-imposed constraints. If you go elsewhere for terrain, the advice probably still applies - pick a generally useful tile set, try out their way for making stuff, and see if you like it. Post some pics with some paper minis once you've got a tile or two done!
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Post by Sirrob01 on Nov 11, 2013 11:01:10 GMT -9
tlinx stuff is pretty sturdy my tlinx that popped sheared off but its a 2 sec fix. The tabs hanging around everywhere is what got me, mentally I don't like seeing things glued to the surface of flat tiles - a strange personal thing. Magnets fixs the tab on tile issue but increases fiddlyness of build by about 200%. You pretty much wont go wrong buy anything from WWG (or FDG, Dave, F & T or any of the other guys that make terrain) . I have the opposite problem insufficent $$$ and time to build it all I'd second Mp on the Himmelveil. The trees in Hinterland are great but honestly if you want a big green flat area buy a plain green bed sheet, hang it from the washing line and randomly spray some greens over it (thin layers). Wait to dry and then use, it'll foldup into a small square for easy storage and cost you about $10.
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 11, 2013 11:02:51 GMT -9
Thanks mproteau. You and the others have been so very helpful
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 11, 2013 11:06:37 GMT -9
tlinx stuff is pretty sturdy my tlinx that popped sheared off but its a 2 sec fix. The tabs hanging around everywhere is what got me, mentally I don't like seeing things glued to the surface of flat tiles - a strange personal thing. Magnets fixs the tab on tile issue but increases fiddlyness of build by about 200%. You pretty much wont go wrong buy anything from WWG (or FDG, Dave, F & T or any of the other guys that make terrain) . I have the opposite problem insufficent $$$ and time to build it all I'd second Mp on the Himmelveil. The trees in Hinterland are great but honestly if you want a big green flat area buy a plain green bed sheet, hang it from the washing line and randomly spray some greens over it (thin layers). Wait to dry and then use, it'll foldup into a small square for easy storage and cost you about $10. Yeah the tabs already erk me as well, just seeing them LOL. Good ideas. I have a really large vinyl map with 1" grids we use with wet erase markers. Its great and you can show terrain in a jiffy, but as an artist I like seeing nice aesthetics and color artwork to play on.
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Post by WackyAnne on Nov 11, 2013 20:14:21 GMT -9
Yeah the tabs already erk me as well, just seeing them LOL. Good ideas. I have a really large vinyl map with 1" grids we use with wet erase markers. Its great and you can show terrain in a jiffy, but as an artist I like seeing nice aesthetics and color artwork to play on. I agree about the tabs sticking out, that's part of what's put me off. Hearing others talk about it, it doesn't seem so bad... I'd like to pick up Hinterlands for the trees, and perhaps the Pathfinder garden one. I'll see if they have another sale this Christmas before really diving in, but I've picked up a freebie set to try out once I get some more toner and cardstock. I keep blowing my hobby budget before I get around to replacing those supplies
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Post by okumarts on Nov 11, 2013 20:25:50 GMT -9
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 12, 2013 4:50:22 GMT -9
Very very nice Okumarts! Perfect for a zombie run too
Those pics show that they look nice and thick. Do you just use cardstock? Im assuming they are double thick for the corners/supports?
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Post by wisdomknight on Nov 12, 2013 4:59:02 GMT -9
Yeah the tabs already erk me as well, just seeing them LOL. Good ideas. I have a really large vinyl map with 1" grids we use with wet erase markers. Its great and you can show terrain in a jiffy, but as an artist I like seeing nice aesthetics and color artwork to play on. I agree about the tabs sticking out, that's part of what's put me off. Hearing others talk about it, it doesn't seem so bad... I'd like to pick up Hinterlands for the trees, and perhaps the Pathfinder garden one. I'll see if they have another sale this Christmas before really diving in, but I've picked up a freebie set to try out once I get some more toner and cardstock. I keep blowing my hobby budget before I get around to replacing those supplies Anne, you should really get an Epson Artisan and refillable ink cartridges. I know from experience that toner lasts long but when your're out its one hell of an expensive replacement especially with color (4 toner cartridges). And I didn't realize how far ink jets came. I was shocked when a Staples worker in the printers department told me that the Artisan would be way better qaulity than even their laser printers I was buying prints from. I took a chance since he said I could bring it back no problem, and it was the best investment I made in a while. The quality with a 300 DPI image is 100% professional print quality. And the cost with refillable ink is 1/10 of the normal cost is just as good. I have a guy on ebay and its the best quality, I tried another which was ok but the one I use now is as good as Epson ink. I can give a link incase anyone is interested.
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