Friday 24 February 2012

Interior Planning

I'm in Gantt hell and need a reprieve......

Remember on Monday I blogged Gamecraft's excellent new Starship Interior system? Of course you do! One of the small touches that really elevates this product in my eyes is the pack of Starship Interior Planning Tiles (Space028). Lots of tiny little tiles with which to plan the starship interiors that you are going to build and just for $5.



But hang on! Not only can you plan your labyrinthine spaceship with these tiles, - why not use them as 'intelligence' markers. You don't have to buy miles of ship's corridors - just buy enough to have satisfy the gaming requirements for the odd corridor/room for greeblies to pop out of and plenty of corners for cover and angles for crossfire. As you race to the control room, retreat to the airlock or fight your way to the escape capsules, you can simply leapfrog your starship corridor and room sections. Use the mini planning tiles to mark your route in case you have to back track.

You know the funny thing? In HALO, Mass Effect etc you fight along corridors - some are blocked, some rooms or doors don't open and the designers simply don't design a whole spaceship. You are led along a visual story path. Yet wargamers seem to love having all the heads and washrooms aboard USSS Toilet Duck laid out in full glory on the tabletop.

To be honest, whilst often spectacular, I find this boring. Retreat Hell! Give me a few corridors and let me fight my way forward Ambush Alley style with my SPARTANS or Colonial Marines.

Cheers
Mark


5 comments:

  1. that is a genius idea Mark

    consider it nicked ;-)

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  2. Leapfrogging the scenery is a great idea, but I'd sooner save the 5 bucks and design the layout on the computer.

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  3. Oh man! Please keep us up to date on your WIP concerning that! Unbelievably great!

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