Setting up Trees

[Colt Ward]

Simple question . . .

Do you build something that looks like its Terran?

Or do you want to make trees that look alien?  For instance, red/purple trees for Nosiel . . .

[shadhawk]

I have been using model rail road trees for years. They work

[Colt Ward]

Sure, but does it say 'alien planet'?

[Cache]

I wouldn't make a tree that looks alien. If there is some sort of growth native to a planet that doesn't look like a tree, I'd make it how I want and call it something else. Otherwise, the terran trees were imported when the planet was colonized. Maybe they evolved a little different size and shape, but they're still recognizable.

[NeonKnight]

I'm going to assume you are making terrain pieces for 3D Gaming, in which case, my answers are going to be biased around that.

When it comes to 3d Pieces, and especially for Games that take place in a SciFi setting, yeah, terrain that looks the part is cool and all, but unless every single battle will be on worlds with purple trees and Red Water and green soil and pink grass, it's best to make terrain pieces be as utilitarian as possible.

But if you want to make a Diorama, then by all means, fill yer boat.

I have terrain pieces at home that are:

Deciduous trees
Evergreen Tree
Palm Trees

Sometimes I use the Pine trees, sometimes it's the Leafy Trees, and sometimes it's the Palms. Doesn;t detract from my games, depends on how easy to set them up is what I'm looking at.

[shadhawk]

Sure, but does it say 'alien planet'?

You can always hit the "normal" trees with different colors of paint.

I use them because of different games and cost.

[Colt Ward]

Hm, maybe I need to explain . . . I thinking of making different looks using pipe cleaners, cheap/discounted aquarium plastic plants, or seasonal plastic plants (someone once mentioned cutting up a fake mistletoe ball).  Using dark red/wine colored pipe cleaners, brushing plastic with red/purple/blue, or rolling the pipecleaner to get the colors at the end of the fuzz.

I have taken pipe cleaner, wound it around a toothpick to get a 'furry' trunk and had sections of the plastic mistletoe on the toothpick to get some reach for branches . . . thought about brushing a blue over the edges of the pipe cleaner and the edge of the plastic.

[Colt Ward]

Here are some pine trees using pipecleaners but I am not sure about the attempted scale-

[NeonKnight]

OK. they look good, but with 3D terrain, I find they work best with the 'Less is More' concept. I try and make them fit in the hex so we don't "forget" a mech/unit is in a hex with Trees.

And I try and 'base' the hex for Light/Heavy woods for ease of play.

[Colt Ward]

Not disagreeing but its the pic I could find at work, lol . . . I also think the scale for what is being done there- judging by how the thread & cork looks, would not work for BT.

But really is not why I brought up pipecleaner trees- it was for the very reason of not a big investment to get something that looked 'alien' for worlds with suns that do not match ours- form following function after all.

Here are a few other ideas I found-


I cannot tell if they painted or used different color pipecleaners, the picture effects make it hard to determine.


Now this one is interesting since its those little fluffy pompom balls glued together- you could make that small enough for BT and get a 'alien' look even for a yellow G-type star.


Another idea for something that would be on a world getting light from a G-type star

[Cache]

May or may not help, but maybe you could look up pictures of vegetation from No Man's Sky for inspiration. I've seen an interesting variety there.

[Hythos]

Been using these for 30+ years... (YES, I need new trees).


Also - as a side-thought on 'alien' foliage, on systems like Hesperus, plants may form to large petal / leaves, be very waxy (to retain moisture), and may be dark / black due to high solar exposure.
Though I would have to expect that, when given same-ness in climate and chemical composition to Earth, plants would still develop mostly the same, when classified as 'plants'... They'll be largely green from chlorophyll as is here on Earth, and Mars.

[Colt Ward]

Lol, I was never able to find any of those to buy . . .

But yeah, theories about different spectral color of the suns causing different color of light gathering to work best.  Nosiel being the one that comes most to mind from its Touring the Stars and Chaos Irregulars visit.  I will have to see what I can find in red/purple . . . thought about using some of the crazy aquarium plant colors.

[Colonial13]

I've seen aquarium plants and scenery like coral formations and sunken statues used to good effect to get that "alien" vibe.  One of the tables at my FLGS is setup to look like a beach on an alien planet for Legion.  The guy who made it used all aquarium scenery and it turned out pretty amazing.

For Battletech I've used model railroad scenery trees with fall themed flock colors to get "alien trees".  I've been happy with how those turned out, both as deciduous and evergreen styles.

[House Davie Merc]

I make normal Terran looking trees with an occasional
Northeastern US / New England twist .

I use Woodland scenics armatures for the trunks and their light green
foliage for light woods and medium green for heavy woods .

The New England twist ?

I have some fall foliage colors tucked away for occasional use .
Yellow ,orange ,red ,brown ,light green , purple , ETC .

It's in storage so I can't take pics to show . It adds variety and
local flavor to the game .