The Veteran Posted January 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Thanks Pete! I've got to concur though it's a thought I'm also having as I have no grout equivalent to absorb inconsistencies in the brick size and even in my crappy images you can already see ups 'n' downs. I'll have a think about it as there's always a solution. One possibility would be to construct the layers one at a time on a dead flat surface by gluing at just the ends. This would maintain each layer as as near to perfectly flat as possible and then the whole row can be laid as one component. There are of course other ways to do it but I'm going on holiday tomorrow so I'll think about it then!!! And if I have enough land then I'd be building me a terror site right now Imagine I could even rent out the shops and warehouses. 'What's that big 20x10 area of empty grass over there for?''That's where the Skyranger lands''What's a skyranger?''That's something you never want to find out' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Holy sh!t! I've just had a crazy image pop into my brain of a themed X-COM paintball arena thingummy. Think all those themed wild west towns in America, but obviously with X-COM'esque shops and houses, with a small park at one end of the street. Paintballing is played in the fading light - humans versus aliens - with a few dark-grey Chrysalids creeping about in the dim light creeping up on people. With the right outfits that would be awesome. Sorry for the slight deviation from the topic, but I think I've caught whatever X-COM bug you've got Vet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted January 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Sounds great Pete! Don't think I have the funding for that right now though Are you perhaps a secret millionaire? We can take our pots full of crazy and make pots full of money together We can have different terrain and mission types and the UFO battlefields can be modular so we can remove sections of wall/roof/power sources etc to make it landed/crashed. A smoke machine inside would even replicate the smoking PS! When we've made enough cash we can even make up an assortment of human and alien base components so we can have an infinte supply of different maps for people to play. It really would be endlessly replayable! OMG imagine the tanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Yay! Raiding mortuarys for alien base components! Wait, what?! ;) Alas, not a secret millionaire When I am though, I'll be sure to do something X-COM related! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NKF Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Cardboard boxes and printed facades! Nerf guns or water pistols and rubber masks for the bad guys. And photocopied 'rulebook' tomes for the players detailing concepts like time units and turns. This isn't Apocalypse, so there's not going to be any trouble like getting people to pause in mid-air during mid-leap. Once it catches on... - NKF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 This isn't Apocalypse, so there's not going to be any trouble like getting people to pause in mid-air during mid-leap. That means we have to worry about having the buildings float in midair when the ground floor is gone though lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 I'm back from me hols! Yay! So here's an update. A bunch of stuff I've bought and what I've done with it so far. Though I've been pretty busy today so more will probably follow tomorrow... Here are my goodies that I got while I was up Norf. The wood there was a 12x36" sheet but I've already resized it in this image. The grid pattern you can see is 100mm squares so you should already be able to deduce where this is going! The 2 bags at the front are ballast for model railway enthusiasts. Or me. The brown one is my soil and will also be used to fill the gaps in the paving. The grey one is slightly more coarse and will form the only piece of scenery which is completely fictional (ie never existed in the game gasp!) Also got myself a bunch of glue, super, craft and plastic to suit all of my sticking needs!https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs262.snc6/179025_10150131294881763_626026762_7760953_6832134_n.jpg Below is a pic of the floors with the finer brown ballast sealed in place. It was a very messy job and I was convinced at one point that I'd ruined all my hard work but thankfully it's turned out ok. It'll take a little longer to dry thoroughly and then I'll thin it down ever so slightly so the slabs extend above the soil and it looks a little better. https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs760.ash1/165141_10150131294961763_626026762_7760958_1665480_n.jpg The images really don't do it justice but here are both buildings showcased individually.https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs799.ash1/168901_10150131294986763_626026762_7760960_7949265_n.jpgI kept the gaps in here by temporarily placing some scraps of wood in the gaps while I filled and sealed between the slabs. I've also now extended the lower edge of the walls on the small shed by adding a horizontal row of 3x1mm planking so it now fits perfectly into the slab floor while retaining a full 20mm of headroom which should be ample for my 15mm scale!https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs270.snc6/179841_10150131295006763_626026762_7760961_3613700_n.jpg Also been busy with a few other bits but I'm not going to share them for a few more days. I am keeping a worklog of it elsewhere though so I'm hoping to reveal all in the next few days. In the meantime you'll have to make do with my filled in floors but tomorrow I'll be starting on the brickwork on the big shed and stairs too. Ready to finish the small shed now but not been able to find a stain that I'm happy with as they're all coming out too high gloss and I want a darker matte finish. Will post pics as I progress though. More soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 As cool as it gets! Looks really good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Thanks SV Managed to lay down another row of bricks last night so only another 9 or 10 to go! Between 6-700 bricks in all! Started the doorways already to save me having to make them later but the windows I'll cut out once I finish the whole wall I think. Going to work on something else today I think but it should still give me something to show off a bit later so wish me luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Been doing loads on this lately but will be a bit longer before you lot see most of it Been on '2 rows a day' with my brickwork this week though so I now have about 500 down! Just managed to get an adequate colouring of the woodwork using a brown ink from Citadel Colour (the games workshop ones) so I've fitted the ground floor walls in the large barn and raised the stair support. Took a few pics but they're in poor light and with the crappy webcam so don't expect much! You should definitely be able to see the resemblence by now of I've been seriously wasting my time!!! Anyway here you go, once the brickwork is finished it'll take no time to finish the first floor as it's all wood! Haven't coloured the small shed yet but will do that soon and then can get the roof on and that'll be done! Need to weather the corrugate roofing before I lay it though so will see about doing that too. Pics now!First the typical isometric view!https://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs277.snc6/180528_10150133832171763_626026762_7795007_505234_n.jpgAnd here are the stairs made from bricks on their side. Just perfect height to reach the first floor in 9 steps!https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs311.snc6/181932_10150133832156763_626026762_7795006_3659963_n.jpg Won't post again until the walls are done so don't expect it any time soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Wait. You're actually building from small bricks?! https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/xtreme.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NKF Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Scale modelling. A hobby that requires an obsession for detail. - NKF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Wait. You're actually building from small bricks?! https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b348/SpaceVoyager/Smiley/xtreme.gif Everything is scaled as closely as possible to suit 15mm miniatures (though I still haven't found any good ones yet) The scale is based on 1:108 but is now generally accepted as anything between 1:120 - 1:100. Based on the number of planks and bricks used in the actual in-game sprites of UFO:EU the scales are way out with only 6 bricks to the height of an xcom operative. I've always based the real-life size of XCom maps on a tile size of 1x1x2meters but visually they aren't that tall in the game (or the head through floor bug would not occur) as each operative is almost exactly the same height overall as the top of each level. Regardless, I'm not about to build a wall that's 2meters and 6 bricks tall when a real wall is a standard of almost 30! I've ended up using a 1:48 scale brick which is twice the size I should be using fo real scale but it still gives me a finished wall height of about 15 bricks so it's fine by me. It's also good in that it's a dramatic improvement over the detail of the ingame sprites and the fact that real scale bricks would have cost me about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Voyager Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 It'll be mid next week though as I'll be drunk tomorrow Why, it's not your birthday. Than again, yesterday wasn't mine either. Seriously cool, this modelling of yours. Takes quite some dedication... I used to have a fantasy that I'd build a model ship from real wood, carving each piece etc.. I waited it out, it went away soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Haha, I'm currently building the Victory and Titanic from wood Also building a smaller wooden model of the Captain Morgan and got the Bismarck and Hood underway in plastic too Then there's my engine that I've disassambled but not got round to reassembling yet and 3 other projects that I'm yet to even start. Honestly this is the most focussed I've ever been on a build and I've got so much of the hard stuff already done it'll probably be the first thing I finish too!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Simply fantastic work, it must be said, Veteran. Love how the look is coming together! :: By the way, what are you going to do about door hinges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 By the way, what are you going to do about door hinges? Ugh don't, doors in their entirety are a mytery to me right now. I'm loathed to use any interior ones at all right now as they'll only serve to conceal even more of my hard work!!! Even going on in-game images though I'm finding it rather hard to even determine their construction. If they're meant to be wooden then they have a very strange composition and the dark black colour suggests painted metal to me but no barn in the world would use those doors! I have to decide on at least 2 doors anyway as the large building will need a front and back even if I do decide to omit the others. The toolshed needs a door too so it's something I could use a bit of advice on if you're up to it Thor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NKF Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Painted wood then? They would have to be wooden. As for inges, I was thinking a brass rod (painted) down the side of the door and a small hole drilled in the base would make a functional hinge for a door at that scale. - NKF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Me and my big mouth... :: I do think you may be right about the doors (strangely) being metallic, given the kind of noise they make when aliens traipse about opening them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hmm... haven't got the game or sound files on this comp so trying to run them through my mind I think (if I'm drawing from the right part of my brain) the sound they make could be described as a latch or something... Image on the right of the bottom left image here seems to show some similarities...https://thumbs2.modthesims.info/img/2/6/2/7/7/MTS2_pixelhate_626978_Metal_DOOR_1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Disaster! Well, several disasters really, had a bad start to this week (or end to last week) Only got 1 row of bricks down yesterday so I still have 6 to do but while I should've been laying my second row I did manage to get this done which I'm still quite proud of https://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs255.snc6/180305_10150134289406763_626026762_7801014_8380800_n.jpg But today I'm getting ready to start my 2 rows as although it's late in the day I had previously written off any progress for today as I was expecting to get drunk. Been stood up by my drinking buddy so can now at least get one row down to catch up with where I should've finished yesterday! Anyway I decided not to start the windows in the last row I did as it was a little low down compared to the little toolshed I've already finished. I AM ready to start them now though so I decided to mark their location before I started laying the next row. Grabbed my model in one hand and the blueprint in the other, then I cursed quite a lot... This is why.https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs285.snc6/181326_10150134673996763_626026762_7808636_6881397_n.jpgFor those not familiar enough with the terrain to spot the problem the big pencil mark should give it away... Yep the door is in the wrong sodding place! Anal as I am I just wouldn't have been able to cope with such a glaring error in the finished product so it had to go.https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs911.ash1/181978_10150134674031763_626026762_7808638_161548_n.jpgWhat was that about fully destructible terrain Cleared out the rubble and sanded off the left side of the new doorway next.https://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs275.snc6/180354_10150134674076763_626026762_7808641_1428161_n.jpgThen started rebuilding the right-side.https://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs265.snc6/179374_10150134674121763_626026762_7808644_3701398_n.jpg Fianlly got that little episode behind me now and the doors are all in the right place! Now I'm going to start on the next row which will put the bottoms of the windows in place. It'll also save 7.5 bricks per layer as I've made them about 70cm wide. Should look comparable to the in-game sprites but they're actually really quite large IMO so mine may be a bit smaller. I honestly based the size of these ones on the size of the ones in the toolshed so either way they'll at least look good together! Here's my new doorway but I probably won't post again for the sake of 1 row of bricks so it'll be later in the week.https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs782.ash1/167258_10150134674161763_626026762_7808646_6499583_n.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thinking about it, that broken wall looked rather good. You could shed a little more light on your building's interior by simulating a bit of a demolished wall I guess? But then that would rather spoil all your hard work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorondor Posted February 6, 2011 Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Correction through High Explosive... :: ...temper, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Veteran Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thinking about it, that broken wall looked rather good. You could shed a little more light on your building's interior by simulating a bit of a demolished wall I guess? But then that would rather spoil all your hard work Actually Pete you're dead right. Like I said it's the whole reason that everything is being so meticulously built brick by brick! The first floor will have crossbeams supporting plank flooring and then the wooden walls are all individual pieces of wood so should anything happen to crashland in the vicinity it might just happen to cause a bit of damage to this building in the process Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Game design isn't my forte, but I had to sneak in here and give Pete and TJ a hug. Carry on folks! (And somebody owes me an MSN chat or three.....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now