Thursday, June 30, 2016

Atomic Liquors! (Papercraft Building)

I am slowly coming back from Fallout 4.  Setting up my next game I decided something I needed was a commercial building, and I decided to make Tommygun's "Atomic Liquors" liquor store.  For anyone not familiar with him, Tommygun has made a string of very nice paper models of various buildings.  They are designed to be shells, but are very easily fleshed out.  I recommend them highly, especially as he has tons of little extra details for them as well.
It's usually taller...
As I started the build, I decided to separate the second floor and roof, to make them playable areas.  I ran into some trouble with the second floor, and until I get a chance to print off another set of walls, I am going to have a one story version of the building.  <sigh>  The best laid plans I guess.
Jack looks through the doors at Dawn
I cut out the front and rear doors, using a basic paper hinge to make them 'functional'.  For the front doors, I cut out the frames and inserted clear plastic card for a glass look.  Overall, I am happy with the results, although the front doors do not open as well as they could.  The small frames are hard to make flexible enough to open.
A basic interior
The interior is reinforced with thick card (from a cereal box) and then lined with scrapbook paper.  I have found quite a few nice wallpaper and floor patterns in scrapbook paper.  It's a great resource - pretty cheap and the paper is usually a good quality for cutting and gluing.  I haven't finished the interior yet, I will add some various bits when I play next until I decide what the final floor plan will be with the second story.
This place needs a new roof!
So the roof is messed up.  It works. and looks okay if you squint and don't stare too long...  When I was putting it together I managed to build it backwards, and the glue was not forgiving.  I made the best of it, and I'll use it for now.

Overall I'm happy with the basics so far.  When I finish the second floor and new roof, I am sure it will look better.  If anyone is interested, I found this site with much of Tommygun's models:
Tommygun - One Drive

It's a Microsoft One Drive location, not mine, just found it on the web.

Keep wandering...
The wasteland awaits...

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Slow Times, Small Survivors

I'm still alive, but the recent releases in Fallout have taken my free time.  Survival mode is much more fun and brutal, much more like what the game should be.  Now with mods support for the Xbox One (which I am playing on) it's been like a whole new game, a couple of times over!

I did manage to clean up my workbench area, I added a couple of new lights and some shelves.  I still need to to organize a ton more, but it's coming along nicely.  As part of the clean up, I found a couple of children figs I was working on and finished them off.  I am using a play/replica plastic penny for their base (I have a ton of these type coins) as it's cheap, a bit smaller (they are kids) and once textured, works just fine.

The zombie apocalypse will be fun for kids!
Three of the figs are Horroclix, two of them are from the same miniature, Monster Patrol.  I didn't modify the miniatures at all, just gave them a wash and some dry brushing.  The first mini is the Horrorclix Little Damon, again just with some repainting.  The girl with a pistol and the boy with an SMG are both Wargames Factory survivor models, using parts from the sprues.
A Zombicide zombie meets the kids
Inspiration for the kids came from this wonderful illustration: (from Jason Chan, and well done IMHO)
That's what playgrounds are for!
At some point the Commonwealth won't need my help (as much) and I'll get back to the zombie apocalypse...
I'm a wanderer...