Author Topic: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design  (Read 10401 times)

NeonKnight

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So, back in 2015 on my winter 2 month vacation, I set about building a sort of free-from modular gaming table for ALPHA STRIKE.

I liked it...but while nice for alpha strike, it was lacking for my regular Hex play. and while I have a bunch of Heroscape tiles, they are getting brittle, and take a lot of time to set up/take down.

So, this year, my break will be working on a new modular system that is compatible with hexes. I've seen some folks using it like the following:

http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=8222.0

So, I thought, I'd do one as well.

The picture below shows (the blue hexes) the size of my current table with 1.75" hexes, so to make a modular hex table, I would need minimum 6 full hexes, and 5 full hexes cut in half/quarters to make the table.

After a lot of cutting of 11 sheets of 2'x2' pink styro (and 1 miscut  >:( of a half  HEX 10 needs to be made as I cut the half wrong), I have enough for the table.

No to flock/sand/whatever I'm gonna do and paint, etc.

I'll keep ya's all posted
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #1 on: 01 December 2017, 16:26:01 »
So, just an update...was in mexico this past week (sooooooo nice, not like this crappy rainy, foggy, damp, dark Vancouver weather)

So, will be starting next week to put some hills/rivers, etc to the boards before I start the basing.

Pictures to follow!
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

Dakkon

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #2 on: 02 December 2017, 02:20:18 »
Vancouver Canada?

You wouldn't by any chance be heading down to Enfilade! in Olympia Washington next year? I was thinking of putting on my Battletech game there.

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #3 on: 02 December 2017, 09:27:08 »
I wasn't aware of this con, but we should let the Demo Team here in Vancouver know about it, as it is close for most of us.
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Dakkon

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #4 on: 02 December 2017, 15:26:11 »
Cool, it's a pretty good convention compared to other's I've been to on the west coast. The focus is on historicals, but there are a fair number of people who host sci-fi and fantasy games. There's even a vendor there who hosts a Battletech game every year and sells IWM miniatures; the game is nothing too special though, he just puts on a battle royal.

john blackwell

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #5 on: 03 December 2017, 20:49:19 »
It was your post and link to the 6mm wargaming site the inspired me! Thank you for posting this.

I'm working on my own tiles and expanding on the idea.

Thank you again!
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NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #6 on: 04 December 2017, 13:27:41 »
So, work progresses. I spent some time trying to find a way to have the hills be on the boards so the tiles could be placed about.

I played with the idea of the hills forming pasts of the edges of the tiles, but that meant almost every tile had to have corresponding hills because of the half-hex issue. So, I scrapped that and went with Hills off the edge.

Current plans are to make up the tiles sort of as follows:
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #7 on: 29 December 2017, 12:23:31 »
So....busy time of year, had to buy new PC yesterday as my current PC decides it wants to have issues with plugging USB devices into it (hard crash and takes 5+ min of just sitting doing nothing before it lets me restart  >:()

So, now I'm doing a crap ton of transferring files to new hard drives for the NEW PC to do a fresh install and get ready before I return to work in a weeks time.

Not fun!

But, here is what I have done so far with the boards. More to come
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

truetanker

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #8 on: 30 December 2017, 15:09:28 »
Have you ever made a portable building that can be stacked with these? Or have you an idea on this?

TT
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That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
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NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #9 on: 30 December 2017, 15:29:36 »
I have buildings mounted on hexes. I'll post up once i return home.
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #10 on: 31 December 2017, 15:38:45 »
Have you ever made a portable building that can be stacked with these? Or have you an idea on this?

TT

OK, so here is an oh so small collection of my much larger collection of Buildings. All buildings are ultimately mounted on hex bases (some are multi hex buildings), and once the boards are finished, they will have hex markings on them to denote the hexes.
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #11 on: 02 January 2018, 11:56:43 »
OK, so work on the table continues. Most of the base painting is done, just two more 'boards' and the hills to go. Then some drybrushing, flocking and painting of the hexes  [blank]
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

truetanker

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #12 on: 02 January 2018, 14:58:48 »
You got a Mech-scaled Dropper to compare for sizing? Looks awesome!

TT
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #13 on: 02 January 2018, 15:55:00 »
You got a Mech-scaled Dropper to compare for sizing? Looks awesome!

TT

Nope...a couple of 'map-scale' droppers.

These will be 1.75-inch hex marked terrain, all together just shy of 2x2 regular map sheets.
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #14 on: 03 January 2018, 11:40:28 »
The first layer of Drybrushing now done. Just another layer, and the sides of the hills/hexboards and water to go ::)
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #15 on: 03 January 2018, 17:36:45 »
Nice progress. Are the hills removeable?
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jimdigris

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #16 on: 03 January 2018, 17:51:36 »
This is looking very nice.  I'm looking forward to the finished product. O0

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #17 on: 03 January 2018, 18:59:10 »
Nice progress. Are the hills removeable?

I will have some 'permanent' hills and I will also make some moveable hills. My desire was to make terrain that was variable but also did not take me an hour to set up/tear down ;)
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NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #18 on: 04 January 2018, 19:03:27 »
OK, except for two hex boards I'll need to paint with hexes by hand (cause I was dumb enough to glue the hills down FIRST), the table is pretty much finished!

Nicest aspect, is I can make more boards as time goes one, maybe a base/mech repair depot, a small town, ocean front, etc.
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #19 on: 05 January 2018, 10:46:08 »
But NEON I hear ya all askin', how does it stack up with minis and where are the trees?

Well, my trees has always been maybe they here, maybe they are there.

So, here is a small board with some trees and a couple of buildings. Ignore the Pile of manuals, they make good weight for gluing the hills down ;)

AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

OpacusVenatori

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #20 on: 05 January 2018, 11:27:51 »
Nice job!
How large are the sections and the marked hexes? From flat side to flat side, in milimeter.
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NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #21 on: 05 January 2018, 11:45:39 »
Nice job!
How large are the sections and the marked hexes? From flat side to flat side, in milimeter.

the hexes are 1.75" so roughly 44.5 mm flat-flat.

I went that scale as everything I had done prior was based on heroscape, which is 1.75, so all my terrain was already scaled for that. And I find 1.75" a good scale. Allows for two vehicles in a hex easier.
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

truetanker

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #22 on: 05 January 2018, 15:31:17 »
Any idea if you want Depth levels?

TT
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That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
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NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #23 on: 05 January 2018, 16:17:20 »
Any idea if you want Depth levels?

TT

I've toyed with idea, and maybe some later boards might have depth 1 holes or something, but for rivers and what not...easier to play with the aspect of representing depth through color. I.E., this image:

http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=59538.0;attach=43630;image

The 'dark blue' can be depth 2.

I have also contemplated maybe making some 'hill-edge' terrain add-ons to allow me to raise an entire board up a level to represent a large portion of higher terrain.

Because this will indeed be my going forward prefered method of playing (i.e., no more HEROSCAPE), it will be a continual work in progress :D
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #24 on: 06 January 2018, 12:17:08 »
Well....they be done. I have my first Home game of the New Year tonight, and WOW was set-up a snap!

Will be fun to see what my players think.

Here is tonight's game set up
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truetanker

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #25 on: 06 January 2018, 15:57:58 »
What's the objective?

TT
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

Valkerie

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #26 on: 06 January 2018, 17:05:02 »
Looks great!  8)

And along with the previous question, what era are you playing in?
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NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #27 on: 06 January 2018, 17:13:25 »
Current era us JIHAD. Doing TOTAL CHAOS. Tonight's mission is the players Merc company is attempting to clesr a drop zone of Wolf/Jade Falcon forces.
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truetanker

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #28 on: 06 January 2018, 18:29:05 »
a drop zone of Wolf/Jade Falcon forces.

Just saying it as I see it.

Clan Jade Wolf!

'nuff said.

TT
Khan, Clan Iron Dolphin
Azeroth Pocketverse
That is, if true tanker doesn't beat me to it. He makes truly evil units.Col.Hengist on 31 May 2013
TT, we know you are the master of nasty  O0 ~ Fletch on 22 June 2013
If I'm attacking you, conventional wisom says to bring 3x your force.  I want extra insurance, so I'll bring 4 for every 1 of what you have :D ~ Tai Dai Cultist on 21 April 2016
Me: Would you rather fight my Epithymía Thanátou from the Whispers of Blake?
Nav_Alpha: That THING... that is horrid
~ Nav_Alpha on 10 October 2016

NeonKnight

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Re: It's that Time of Year Again - New Modular Game Table Design
« Reply #29 on: 08 January 2018, 11:29:41 »
So game went standard way for me...I swear I must be the new HELLBIE:

ME: Ok, my Elite Wolf Forces are at medium range, firing a Guass weapon, at your mech with partial cover and in Light Woods, so: 2 (elite), +2 (medium Range), +1 (Target Movement), +1 (Partial Cover), I need a 6 -> rolls two 4's and a 5

Opponent, Ok, I need 9's to hit at long range: Rolls two 10's and a 9.

YAY!

Anyway, here is the plan for the new board I'm making, an Airfield
AGENT #575, Vancouver Canada

 

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