Hi Folks,

What happens when your compass indicates that you are slowly drifting from your set course? You adjust your rudder… When it deals with scenery making, drifting is synonym of new rules for terrain features due to new edition.

But is it really a set of new rules? Shall we look at these with attention (on the basis of the extracts of info we got so far) it is not really that of a new thing: terrain area existed prior. It is more that the rules looks like they are going more followed now that they are enclosed in the bulk corpus of rules under a standardized approach proposed to gamers. Say otherwise: you can use the proposed layout or not. But the definition of areas will remain a core game mechanics, so, even if you do not use the patterns indicated as default on WarCom (and we might get more or distinct one in the future), you will probably need to define your own areas sooner or later for all and everything that does not fit. 100% interpretation from my part yet.

Quote

 

You’ll need the following sizes for the standard mission layouts:

• Four large rectangles – 7” x 11.5”
• Two large right-angle triangles – 8” x 11.5” 
• Four medium rectangles – 6” x 4”
• Two long lines – 10” x 2.5”
• Four short lines – 6” x 2”

 

As far as I am concerned, I have been largely influenced in my approach by 2^nd Ed use of terrain; and I have not evolved that much since. My mistake. I therefore focus on narrative terrain if such a thing even exists.

This is what I have set in mind when one talk of Terrain.

As such I have built or designed all my terrain collection with that bias. This and CityFight too. My current Plodding along project does not make exception. But as it is a WIP project, it might still be the right moment for adding corrective measures. So, how does it fit now?

If I set the elements already built on cardboard templates cut at the indicated dimensions, the results are mild.

We can see that some elements are too big to fit on the 6”x4” and too small to fully occupy the 7”x11,5”. It means that, shall I go to the biggest shadow, some additional tidbits or terrain features can be needed to define better some corners and fill the voids. One in one it is a clear incentive for getting lots of smaller terrain items (crates, broken material, piles of stuff (rocks/tires…), broken wall that will be useful for getting a better visual impact than just a shadow board half occupied.

Too big or too small

Still ill scaled... but there are solutions!

Sometimes, combining 2 existing elements, such as these 2 fairy chimneys will be enough:

2 makes 1

Triangular shapes are also puzzling: these have been shown combined only on the given examples so far and help define bigger footprints. They will also remain perfect for L shaped ruins.

Some things looks designed on purpose, some other not that much

What is, however, still to be defined is the case of hills. So far it has not been really described in any publicly released info, and I wonder how it will fit into the rules. Because my hills are almost always bigger than any individual shape proposed for areas. And the smallest ones fit mostly only a combination of 2 combined 7”x11,5” rectangles. It is a lesson learned: time of large elements of scenery may be counted. Or not. Future will tell, as indeed the combinations may be more than just the 2 triangles and as the short list of sizes and number of templates may also be different in other settings than standard missions… But what is interesting too is that so far, the dimensions proposed look like they fit in (more or less) standard parcel sizes.

"Narrative" elements and hills - and I save you the 40 x 40 cm "Mine" board

So, how does this affect my Plodding along project? What has been done is done and I will not redo the material already “improperly” sized. Items bigger than templates will remain as a series of “narrative” elements, until we have more insight on terrain rules per type of terrain (mainly for hills and other “special” feature terrains). Items smaller than templates will probably be complemented by some piles of rocks, small craters or additional debris so that the edges of the areas will be visually defined. I will not change current mounted on bases to fit to the new sizes: I prefer an approach based on defining limits or, in the future, getting some clear PVC templates and putting my existing elements of scenery on these. But it is a personal position now/based on the few info available. I may change my mind latter on.

Some lines, but enough?

What will be important too is to audit the whole collection of mine as I have over abundance of some sizes while other templates are eventually underrepresented: lines (to some extend) but mainly medium rectangles; but I must measure and check the rest of my collection for that first.

See you.