Re: WHQ 3D Tiles

Posted by Billiam Babble on Aug 12, 2011; 9:22pm
URL: http://the-lost-and-the-damned.71.s1.nabble.com/WHQ-3D-Tiles-tp6650145p6681798.html

This is interesting.

"3D" here can fall into different categories -

Sculptured floors
 
Raised floors/levels (to include pits and steps)

or
Walled 
(but generally on one level - including Hirst, Dwarven Forge etc.)

The impracticality of some walls sets aside (Mortis has some good comparative reviews on these - link?), my head is suddenly wanting to get back to really-basic concepts:

(Some really obvious babble thoughts follow ... humour me)  

The solidity of a game pieces and board makes it so much more immersive and special. (me can pick up fings)

I'm guessing since figures (heroes and monsters) are the movable parts to a game that they are like tactile "counters" in traditional board games (chess pieces, monopoly figures).  

In AHQ and WQ out of the box, the 3D models are mainly limited to the figures - and the doors in WHQ which are technically elaborate linking clips.  In HQ the scenery of the chests, cupboards is more of a gimmick(?)  If I remember right the there's no height related "line-of-sight" rules in HQ or WHQ (like in Warhammer, Mordheim etc).  Btw, how does this work in MortisQuest?  Is the cover provided by tables and tombs just generic of does the height of the scenery effect die modifiers on spells and missile weapons?  

I'm really seduced by 3D scenery.  In games with a modular or fixed board, slightly raised 3D sections is a great idea, as are small walls.  But for universal adaptable plans on a budget 2D printables are not a bad choice.  Of course there's a big difference between the priorities of some pen-and-paper DMs with pre-paint minis verses the loving touch of gamer-modellers, figure-modding, scenery builders - the type who'll worry about the right dry brushing of a rusty metal floor grate.

I'm a fan of rolling Doom style maps - where there's different levels but, no overhanging galleries.  This helps with 2D representation - the stairs can link to an adjacent area on the table, as opposed to a parallel level.  WHQ does this very well.

   Doom style cross section:

   ___ . ---------- . __

   (Level -steps- higher level - steps - level)

This also means that 3D stairs could be straight/flat (?) ... like Escher's steps ... okay I think I'm crossing the streams somewhere here, Bb's gone a bit mad.

   Flat steps (?) - no over-hangs or actual height change in models:

   ________......._________ ......._______
     1st Lvl - steps - 2nd Lvl - steps - 3rd Lvl


Flat steps ...?
____/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\____


Okay ... slightly silly idea ...



I love looking at 3D stuff.  I think this is partly why I like having top-down 3D-effect walls in my own printable designs - because I'm into realistic/stylised illusion, but I'm also very cheap. ;)