Sci-Fi Billboard update!

 I knocked out a couple billboards from the trading card display protectors I picked up.  I glued the protectors to some cheap shaving razor guards to make bases for them.  I'm even thinking about gluing them to magnets so I can stick them to metal railings and signpost.  I've used parts from these cheap razors in a number of projects. 

 I found some "Futurist Fashion" images from a quick google search then made a simple logo for the fake fashion design company "Alejandro of Titan" in photoshop.  This isn't my most futuristic set of buildings and I know that these ads in particular look a bit out of place but you get the idea. 

I printed these out on some luster photo paper then cut them out and slid them into the protectors.  I made two "posters" for each billboard.  In the future I plan to glue the images together to make them a little easier to deal with and look a little cleaner but These are just test subjects.

One word of warning.  You need to be very careful that you keep your work surface clean when using these card display protectors or any other clear plastic items.  I messed up one of my heavy duty protectors because I accidentally laid one of the pieces in a small drop of super glue that I got on my work table.  I think I can salvage it as a distressed display or I might set it up to be one sided and mount on the side of a building or something. 

Sci-Fi Terrain bits

 The Station 42 project has all but spiraled out of control which was to be expected.  Instead of doing one big spaceport project we are doing one big spaceport project and a number of other locations around the spaceport creating a mini setting.  I guess this is to be expected and it's kind of a cool thing.  After all the big project is coming along nicely but it's still a 5x12' table so it's not the most practical thing to have regular games on.  Still because of the modular nature of the designs we are working with it is providing us with a lot of use.  One of the things we have been needing to work on though are detail bits.  We have managed to put together a lot of buildings but we don't have a lot of smaller detail bits or furniture for those buildings.  We have some that we have purchased and scratch built but we need more.  The goal is to make these bits as modular as possible too. 

 We have a number of these smaller adobe structures we built out of cork tile we are working on.  We plan to use them for a lot of different locations.  They are very plain however and we were looking to spice them up with some tech bits.  Here is an example of some tech bits made from junk.  We built little platforms that we can slide right up against the building so it will look integrated and be highly modular.  Also we can put these pieces out as stand alone terrain bits.  On larger buildings they can even be set on top. 

 Here are four that I made that have identical construction.  I often use the design principle of unity and variety when thinking about miniatures and terrain. 

 Here is a shot of a number of our adobe buildings with some work in progress modular tech bits as well as some of the other storage/chemical tanks and other smaller terrain bits we have been working on. 

 Stage one of the painting.  I hope to make a large number of these for use with my terrain sets.  I want to make some larger and some smaller sets to add to the versatility of my terrain.  Little projects like these can add a lot of detail without adding a lot of storage problems.  It's easier to make one building with several modular bits than make 10 buildings that only look one way when you set them on the table. 

 Here are some simple wooden tables we made.  All of our buildings open up for play so we need a lot of furniture.  There are several lines of pre-made furniture out there but we are going to need a large volume of furniture so we are going to have to resort to scratch building to fill in the gaps.  These are for a sci-fi setting even though they are wood.  They could represent either nicer actual wood furniture or fake wood furnishings.  That brings up another thing.  Don't discount any fantasy or historic furniture you might have in your collection for Sci-Fi settings.  You can find uses for it because furniture designs have a long life span.

 Another detail I'm working on is signage and billboard advertisements.  I was looking for a way to make them highly modular and easy.  I got the idea to pick up some cheap acrylic photo frames and some plastic trading card sleeves.  I plan to make adds using photoshop and them sliding them into the frames.  I'm going to use different methods to attach them to my buildings and also make some stand along billboards.  Being able to change out the art will make them highly modular. 

Here is a detail shot of the two types of card protectors.  The one of the left came in a pack of 35 for less than $3.00 and the acrylic one was $1.29.  They are designed to hold collector cards like sports cards. 

Legends of the Gold Sea Costal town tavern WIP

 We started working on the "Legends of the Gold Sea" project.  The first project will be a small costal town.  This is the tavern we are working on.  It will have a small staff. 

 It measures about 8x6" and it's about 3" tall.  Most of the buildings in the town will not be overly large.

Next up will be a small temple. 

Reaper Dwarf Fighter

This is the first fantasy miniature I've painted in quite some time.  The figure is a dwarf fighter from Reaper Miniatures.  I took a little more time on him since he is going to be a well known npc in the region we are starting out fantasy campaign project in. 

Fantasy Project "Legends of the Gold Sea"

We are starting a new Fantasy project similar to the Station 42 project.  We are going to focus on a geographic area called "The Gold Sea".  Our first project will be a small coastal village but we will also be building up to a large port city.  This is going to be a pretty generic fantasy setting with a very Mediterranean feel. 

The Gold Sea is named not for it's color but for the massive amount of trade that goes on along it's coast.  It is the richest area in the world and a cultural melting pot.  All manner of fantasy races and monsters will be a part of the setting.  It will be a place of wealthy city states, pirate kingdoms, and clashing empires. 

We plan to create the setting in several different ages.  We will have an Ancient Age, a Dark Age, a Medieval Age, a Renaissance, and an Age of Exploration.  We will accomplish this by making terrain that can be changed out in each location to show the changing times.  We will likely start in the late Dark Age or early Medieval Age. 

This will of course be a long running project so we are starting with a coastal town terrain set that we plan to fit on a 4x4' or 4x6' table. 

Look at the size of that thing! Is this toy too big?

 I recently picked up a "Victorious Mission" military play set from a local Dollar General for $8.00.  Actually I got a couple different ones.  One of them had this large AFV which looks a bit like a Stryker.  I want to used this for 28mm games but it's pretty large.  About 8 inches long and 3and a half inches wide.  It's clearly meant for larger scale figures.  The figures that came in the set were the typical 54mm sized army men. 

It doesn't really look that bad to me and there are larger sized tanks and troop transports on the market right now like the new Land Raider from Games workshop.  Also "Super" tanks and AFVs are common in many sci-fi settings.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up using it because it's just such a good deal even though it's a bit on the large side.  I'm just looking for some feedback from other gamers. 

Maxed Out Episode 4 "Hopless Causes"

 

Late May 3031

There have been a number of strange things going on around Station 42 in the last few months. A number of hydroponics farms near the station have been attacked by well armed mercenaries. The government of Titania seems to be backing their claims that their farms have been purchased by an unnamed buyer who has every right to evict them. Many of the farmers and other locals have banded together to form a militia to fight these mercenaries. The “Militia” is being lead by Carson Boon. A well known local militia leader and trouble maker.

General Drake the leader of the Planetary Guard has resigned his commission and a number of Planetary Guard members have gone missing with their equipment including a few tanks. It is believed that at least a company of men have gone missing. General Drake was reported to have said that he “Can not let this kind of thing stand” as he departed the capitol building in Titania City.

In other news Mr. Biggs of the Venture Star Prospecting company was kidnapped a few weeks ago along with his Secretary and one of his scientist. Rosie from Station 42 salvaged the mercenary hover tank that was destroyed during an recent battle between the mercenaries and the militia near the Ghost Compound. Vinnie, one of the Blood Born pirate leaders, was also recently captured by Rocky Tomson and Jennie Tam and turned in for a bounty.

After capturing Vinnie Jennie Tam and Rocky Tomson hadn't had much work. They were doing alright for themselves but they were starting to run short on funds. The “Hell Knight” mercenaries had put out a bounty on Carson Boon for $4,000 and Rocky was tempted to start looking for him despite his recent status as a local hero. Boon was certainly not her favorite person and he didn't care for her much either. Still he was fighting the mercenaries who had been attacking the locals so now wouldn't be a good time to go after him.

As they were having lunch in the “Close Encounter” Rocky received a com from a man who identified himself as Lt. Jefferies formally of the Planetary Guard who had a job for them.

Meeting Lt. Jefferies

 

Rocky and Jennie decided to check the offer out so they traveled out to the meet coordinates. The meet was at some ruins outside of the Station. Lt. Jefferies was there with nine other men who were clearly members of the Titania Planetary Guard.

Lt. Jefferies explained that his men had arms and equipment but very little ammo. They needed some crates of ammo that had been given to Carson Boon at Bunker #1138 that had been lost when the mercenaries took that bunker over from the militia. The mercenaries had destroyed most of the Militia's supplies but the ammo was labeled “Property of the Government of Titania” so they mercenaries hadn't destroyed it. The renegade planetary guardsmen needed that ammo before they could mount an offensive to take back the bunker.

Jefferies had a file of false information about Carson Boon that they were to turn over to the mercenaries to gain their trust. He also wanted Jennie and Rocky to find out what kind of forces the mercenaries had at the bunker and what they were up to. The pay would be $2,000. Jennie and Rocky accepted the offer

Jennie decided to “muck up” the engines on the Maxed Out a bit so that they might have an excuse to stick around they bunker while she “repair” their ship.

Bunker #1138 under the control of the "Hell Knights" mercenaries.

 

As the Maxed Out approached Bunker #1138 a warning beacon on their instrument panel lit up warning them that a battery of anti aircraft missiles had locked onto their ship. “Maxed Out you are entering a restricted air space. What is your business for being here?” came a voice over their com system. Jennie explained that they had information on Carson Boon. They were allowed to land but were advised not to make any unusual maneuvers or power their weapons on their approach.

As they landed they noticed the anti aircraft missiles as well as another “Sky Sweeper” class attack craft similar to the “Maxed Out”.

Unfortunately Jennie had mucked up the engines a bit too well and they damaged one of their landing struts when they touched down too hard. Now they really did have a need for repairs.

The well guarded bunker.

 

Jennie and Rocky entered the well guarded bunker and met with Sargent Jones who seemed to be in command. Jones was impressed with the file on Carson Boon but said that they were have to wait around for a while so his men could check out the information. Jones also told them he would pay them $500 for the information if it was worth anything. He also offered them work providing air support for the mercenaries if they could get their ship fixed up.

Rocky chats with the mercenaries.

 

While Jennie worked on the ship Rocky decided to chat with some Mercenaries resting near some tents. One of the mercenaries was quite chatty and told Rocky a number of interesting things about their operation. His friends were upset with him but didn't seem too concerned.

Jennie meets Freddy the pilot of the other Sky Sweeper.

 

Jennie was working on the ship when a man approached her. He wasn't dressed like the mercenaries and he introduced himself as “Freddy” the pilot of the other Sky Sweeper. Jennie had heard of Freddy. She had seen him a few times at the “Close Encounter” back at Station 42. Freddy told her how the mercenaries hadn't expected any resistance so they hadn't really brought a lot of air support on this operation. They were paying him well to enforce their no fly zone around the bunker and the farms.

Jennie's map of the bunker.

 

Jennie and Rocky were at the bunker for several hours. Jennie managed to repair the landing strut but she wasn't sure how long it would hold without a better repair. In that time she managed to draw up a map of the bunker and camp as well as put together a report with the information they had gathered.

The two could not however figure out a way to steal the ammo crates. They decided to head back to Lt. Jefferies and give him the report.

Sargent Jones came out to talk to them before they left. He said their information had turned out to be helpful. They had even captured a few suspects. Jones payed them and again offered them a job after they got the ship patched up.

Lt. Jefferies was pleased with the report. He told Jennie and Rocky that the people the mercenaries had captured were plants who would be spying on the mercs and feeding the resistance information. He also suggested that they take up the mercenaries offer to fly patrols as a way to get back in and steel the ammo.

Jennie and Rocky came up with a plan. They went back to Station 42 and has Rosie help them repair their ship. They also purchased 200 ft. of cable and a wench from her which the attached to the bottom of their ship. While they were there they saw the hover tank Rosie had salvaged from the Ghost Compound. When they asked her what she was going to do with it she responded that she would most likely sell it back to the mercenaries. She didn't care about a bunch of “dirt farmers who didn't pay their bills”.

Back at the bunker.

 

The Maxed Out returned to the bunker. Jennie and Rocky again met with Sargent Jones to sign a contract with the mercenaries to provide air support. Jones told them that it would take a while to process their contract but that he would soon have an assignment. He told them to make themselves comfortable at the base.

Having "lunch" at the ammo crates.

 

Jennie and Rocky decided to take the opportunity to go check out the crates of ammo. The crates looked heavy and they knew it would take some time to hook them up. They decided to “take lunch” using the crates as a table. Jennie went back to the ship and carefully reached under to pull the cable out from the wench. As they were having lunch they hooked up the cable to the crates. A couple of the mercenaries noticed what they were doing but didn't say anything because there were now “part of the team”. When they finished lunch they went back to the ship and waited.

Sargent Jones came out a bit later with their first patrol assignment. Jennie and Rocky made their pre-flight prep.

The heist!

As the Maxed Out lifted off they slowly wound the cable back in with the wench. When the cable became taught the crates of ammo began to lift off the ground. Sargent Jones screamed at them over the com to land their ship or they would be shot down. The take off was rough with the extra weight of the ammo crates but Rocky didn't have much trouble with it. Again the warning beacon for a weapons lock flashed on the panel. An anti aircraft missile barely missed the ship.  Jennie returned fire and damaged the battery.  Another warning beacon lit up. The mercenary mech shot at them with it's AC5 Autocannon. The mech did not miss. Two rounds hit the ship. One tore through a wing and another damaged engine number one. Several other small arms shots came up as few of them deflected off the armoured hull of the craft. Rocky “punched it” and they made their escape!

They met Lt. Jefferies at the ruins again and dropped off the ammo. The guardsmen loaded the ammo into their truck. Jefferies paid Jennie and Rocky and directed them to a location where they could get their ship repaired. The heist had been a success but they would have to lie low for a while especially since the mercenaries had almost immediately taken out a bounty on them.

   

Notes: What happened to Episode 3? Good question. We played that session before our last move and lost our notes. I have pics of the action but I can't remember the details. I may post the pics and what we do have soon but I wanted to get this episode up since it leads into the next battle in our Station 42 War campaign.

There wasn't a whole lot of fighting in this session. Mostly a bunch of information gathering and role playing. That's okay some times. Of course we used the Savage Worlds role playing rules for this game as we have for the other “Maxed Out” episodes. Using the different systems is really working out well especially since we aren't trying to over lap them much. Each game provides another chapter to what is going on around Station 42 which is just the way we planned it.