Post-Apocalyptic Rides

I have collected a formidable array of 1/50 scale automobiles. I started collecting Hot Wheels G Machines line about 5 years ago for use in a Marvel Super Heroes campaign I ran using HeroClix for miniatures.  The broadness of the 1/50 scale cars combined with the low suspension and chopped roofs made them an attractive size for use with most 28mm minis. 1/43 scale diecasts are far too tall for most minis, and 1/55 are the right height but look too narrow beside the exaggerated wideness of gaming minis.  1/50s make a nice compromise – slightly too tall but wide enough. I should note that like other cars sold as 1/43 and 1/64, 1/50s can vary in actual scale… basically they are designed to fit a package size and average to be about 4″ long.
Of course the 1/50 scale Hot Wheels line was doomed to failure – as it was quite useful.  While they aren’t made anymore I still manage to pick up a few here and there, and I’ve even found some other diecast models that scale nicely with them, including a Jada diecast that is nearly 1/47 actual scale yet labeled “1/64.” Go figure.
My thoughts are to trick out a few of these for the post apocalyptic game Atomic Highway… I’m not sure I want to do all of them, as I might want normal cars for something in the future…. Anyway these are the models I have collected and can find:

• 1969 Dodge Charger
• 1970 Plymouth GTX
• 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
• 1930 Chevy Corvette Stingray
• 1957 Chevy Bel Air
• 1971 Dodge Challenger
• 1968 Chevy Camaro
• 1966 Imperial Crown
• 1967 Pontiac GTO
• 1970 Chevy Chevelle
• 1970 Chevy Nova
• 1977 Pontiac Trans Am
• 1970 Chevy Camaro
• 1956 Ford F100 Pickup
• 1965 Buick Riviera
• 1966 Ford Mustang
• 1968 Ford Mustang
• 1962 Volkswagen Karman Ghia
• 2008 Nissan 350Z
• 2008 Dodge Challenger
• 1973 Ford Bronco
• 1995 Range Rover
• 1972 Bedford CF Van

State of DisUnion

So visitors to this blog (admittedly a very small group as I don’t think even my players pop in – so basically that means “me”) will notice that I really suck at keeping a blogging schedule.  I’m full of intention – “blog posts every Tuesday from now on” but always fall behind.  This was originally compounded by the fact that I would make separate blogs for different RPG projects… when a project was shelved the blog would go months (or years) without an update.  In my general effort to degooglfy my existence (screw your privacy agreement Google) I decided to combine the archives of my 6-7 Blogger blogs into this blog about a month or so ago.
And then I didn’t post anything for a while… I fixed some tags and reuploaded some pics that got lost in the transfer (though there is still more to fix) but that was it.
So what has been going on… well I have more interviews that don’t result in full-time employment. My son had his first birthday.  I’ve run a few Daring Tales of the Sprawl (Savage Worlds cyberpunk) games and played in a couple Marvel Super Heroes games. Been painting and collecting minis and vehicles.  Planning on a big life change in the next 6 months or so… big move back to the JPN.
At paint night I continue to start projects more than finish them – though 5 Copplestone scavengers and 7 Artizan/Foundry/Unknown western figs are waiting merely burnt grass flock. And a platoon of 12 Dust Tactics US Infantry are nearly finished painting close behind.  I still need to work on coming up with a paint scheme before I start laying color – the Copplestone troopers have been Simple Greened 3 or 4 times already as I start over – however I think I have their scheme figured now.
Purchases have been a lot of vehicles – several 1/50 Hotwheels G Machines as well as a few 1/50 diecasts from Solido, Jada and other manufactures to go with bigger scale minis I have.  I also got a number of Siku, Lledo, Jada and Majorette 1/55-ish pieces to complement my collection of more true-scale vehicles for 28mm.  Vehicle scale continues to be a multi approach deal – I pick up 1/55s as I see them and 1/50s as well.  50s I think look best with larger minis like Reapers and Victory Force, but the 55s are much better suited to most of my 28s – Foundry, Copplestone, EM4/Grenadier, Artizan, TAG etc.  I have abandoned 1/43 though – going so far as to sell of a number of my grossly large 1/43 Russian trucks and such.  Since Honorable Lead Boiler Suit has pulled the 40mm UltraModern line I really have no use for the 43s anymore. Of course Eric and Tony think 1/43 is right on – ’cause of course the average man’s chin should come up to the window sill of a VW Beetle…  Sorry guys – most cars roofs are between sternum and nipple height compared to me… my Jeep is chin height and even my wife can see over the roof of the Fit.  1/55 is the stuff.
Played the 4th episode of the SW cyberpunk game last night – it’s finally gelled into a cohesive setting of general cyberpunk rather than any specific adaptation. And up on the horizon may be a post-apocalyptic game.  With limited time left to game in the US, and other friends looking to play, a second project for off weeks seems a reasonable idea.  PA gaming has been a draw to me for a while and recently it seems that many of my friends are interested in it too.  Currently I’m thinking about game systems/setting…

1. D20 Modern: Post Apocalypse – love the setting rules – find D20 too rules heavy given the rather unrealistic feel (yeah I’m looking at you levels and hit points).
2. The Day After Ragnarok (Savage Worlds) – ’bout as cinematic (read: not-gritty) as D20 but way less rules dense.  The setting is interesting – Nazi conjure up a Norse Apocalypse that is only averted with a nuke.  It’s post apocalyptic 1940s by way of Robert E. Howard.  Pulp world torn asunder by the non-Euclidean corpse of the Midgard serpent draped over Europe and Africa, leaking chaos. Sadly most of my minis and cars are post period.
3. Hell on Earth Reloaded (Savage Worlds) – also easy to run.  Basically Deadlands moved into the future.  The Weird West has been turned into the Wasted West by supernatural/nuclear/mad science apocalypse.  Mutants, cultists, gunslingers, zombies – basically all you need in a world where the Civil War ended in a cold war between the Union and CSA. Andrew wants to play a Fist of the Northstar type and this setting seems best for that…
4. Gamma World (7e) – briefly considered but really not appropriate for campaign play – as your character will have different abilities based on the cards dealt you from game to game… also GW is rather silly.
5. Atomic Highway – Newer system based on a d6 mechanic. Rules lite, with a customizable setting that can be as gritty as Book of Eli or include mutants and monsters ala Night of the Comet. Seems to have the best vehicle rules for a good Twisted Metal/Mad Max feel.

Must say that I lean currently toward Atomic Highway or Ragnarok currently – but I’m not decided yet…
So there – a post. Maybe the next one will come in a week… or whatever. Deal with it.

Scotland Police, Fine Young Cannibals

I picked up a Heller 1/43 scale plastic model of a Leyland Rover SD1 3500. The Rover SD1 was the archetypal British police car of the 1980s, and was one of the vehicles featured in the climactic chase scene in Doomsday, one of my very favorite movies.

The Doomsday car was actually a ’78 Rover SDX 2600, a smaller engined South African version that is visually almost identical to the Heller model. It was decked out with a yellow and red “jam sandwich” stripe with a dull yellow heptagram insignia centered on the door. A number of viewings and copious frame advancing lead to the digital recreation seen below. The center featured the typical Scottish police crest of the thistle topped with a crown in a wreath with a scroll at the bottom. Around this was a band of text that was very difficult to decipher. It was three words, one at top separated from the two on the bottom by two dots. I’m very confident that the last word is “POLICE” and rather sure that “SCOTLAND” rounded out the bottom… the top word however was rather tricky. At first I assumed it was “CENTRAL”, the Central Scotland Police being a real police force. However some digging proved the heptagram to be unlike any insignia used by any Scottish police. I returned to the frame advance and was able to determine that there were eight characters in the word in question – something like “CANNIBAL.” I have no idea if this is really what the crest reads – but it makes for a rather good in-joke by the production crew, so I whipped up a graphic in GIMP to make into a decal. The idea here is for a Doomsday inspired Combat Zone force…

♫Good thing, where have you gone?♫

Personnel Files – KAT 15763

Kataishi, Edward     OF-151-096
Captain / Date of Rank: 82707.3
Commanding Officer
Assigned U.S.S. Singularity 60152.8
Starfleet Academy, San Francisco Earth 42692.9
Born 18059.9 Sol IIIa (Med File – CA-657-7)
Parents Hideki Kataishi and Alexandra Federova
Valedictorian, Starfleet Academy 40692.9
Federation Citation of Honor 46993.7*
Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry 51792.4
Grankite Order of Tactics 51914.5
Starfleet Decoration for Gallantry 52610.0
Starfleet Medal of Commendation 78731.2
Star Cross 83707.3
Average Efficiency/Coind Rating 9.3

On 47163.8 Lt. Commander Kataishi was in command of the runabout Hudson, pursuing suspected Cardassian spies in the Almatha Sector.  Refusing a direct order from Admiral Derek Haydn, Kataishi broke off pursuit when the suspect vessel crossed into the de-militarized zone.  A General Courts-Martial was convened finding Kataishi guilty of insubordination, dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and 5 other charges.  He was sentenced to New Zealand Penal Settlement.
Due in part to a petition by his former commanding officer, Captain Odane Thomas, and a dire need of trained tactical officers in light of hostilities with the Dominion, Kataishi was pardoned and recomissioned as ensign on 48762.9.  His service during the conflict was exemplary, but promotion followed slowly due to his reputation and status a a former convict.
Lt. Commander Kataishi was selected to serve as Executive Officer of U.S.S. Singularity by Commander Mara Sehteez on 61152.8 – a position he held until taking over command on 71790.4

Dates of Rank:
Lieutenant (JG) 40692.9*
Lieutenant 42897.0*
Lieutenant Commander 46993.7*
Ensign 48762.9
Lieutenant (JG) 52072.5
Lieutenant 55073.7
Lieutenant Commander 60181.9
Commander 71786.1
Captain 83079.4

*Redacted per Courts-Martial ruling 47337.5

Victory Force Miniatures: Spacefarers

Inspired by the lack of player interest in my Cthulhu and Wierd West games, finding Where No Man Has Gone Before, the release of Trek ships from Heroclix, and more than a bit of playing Star Trek Online, I converted half of my Victory Force Miniatures to look more Star Trek-ish.

The Victory Force Miniatures were always on my list for Star Trek proxies, but recent events lead me to order two packs to try them out.  Only a couple days after placing the order they arrived from the midwest.
As is the minis make decent proxies – just paint and play.  There are differences, the yoke doesn’t extend over the deltoids on the sleeves, and there isn’t a communicator.  When I ordered I planned to convert them with ProCreate to extend the yoke onto the sleeves, at a combadge and convert the pants to cover the boot tops.  But that’s a lot of work – maybe I’d just paint them up as is afterall…
Enter Star Trek Online.  The wife got a new laptop last week – which is Windows (I run Ubuntu)… which means it can run DC Universe and Star Trek Online.  Suffice it so say It has run quite a bit of both… a scant couple days later Eddie Kataishi is a lieutenant commander (level 16).  He’s based on an old pen and paper character made a decade and a half ago when we played the then new Last Unicorn Star Trek: Next Generation RPG.  The nice thing about all of the aborted Star Trek campaigns I’ve run is a plethora of character and ship names to use on STO. My first ship was Oberon, and my current is Singularity.  Mirsh Aldin is the name of my Andorian Engineer… its like a reunion.
DCU gets played too – but not as much… Foxy Vengeance and The Green Lantern Corpse probably feel a little neglected.

Anyway… I’ve long liked the look of the Sierra 1 Starfleet uniforms from STO.  It’s the one that you see in all the promo art and a version was worn by Captain Data in the Abrams’ “Star Trek” (don’t get me started on that crap) comic prelude.  I use the Sierra 1 as my crew uniform.  My tunic scheme is a black lower, charcoal under-yoke/collar whith the yoke padding done in department color (TNG/VOY/DS9 system not TOS).   Lowers are a pair of black trousers or an optional skirt of black with a department color panel down the left thigh.  This is the scheme I plan on using for my VMF Spacefarers.
Yesterday I sat down with some ProCreate and set to converting the VMF minis.  I added deltoid caps to the yokes, a plain arrowhead combadge, and a rank panel under the yoke on the mini’s right chest.  The underyoke (if done) will be represented by paint rather than modeling.  Overall they came out really well… I knocked one deltoid cap cleaning up the dried ProCreate but it will superglue back on well.
I finished 5 of the 10 last night, will try to do the other half tonight. Wednesday is painting night so I have my project planned.
After that I have some not-Gorn, not-Klingon, not-Romulan, and not-Jem Hadar minis to order. I’ve also dug out my old DS9 Runabout by Playmates, it is remarkably close to 28mm…

Star Trek Online

Been playing a lot of Star Trek Online the last few days.  Here’s the crew of my ship, the Nova-class U.S.S. Singularity, NCC-93516.

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Captain Edward “Eddie” Kataishi
Commanding Officer

Human male
Height: 186cm     Weight: 79kg
Hair: Black     Eyes: Brown
Born: Kelly City, Mars – SD 20059.9
Valedictorian, Starfleet Academy class of 2365

As a lieutenant commander in 2370, he refused to follow a direct order to pursue a Cardassian vessel into the Demilitarized Zone resulting in his conviction of insubordination by General Courts Martial.  Released from New Zealand Penal Settlement and reinstated as ensign during the Dominion War (2373-2375).

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Commander Nylla Ensereph
Executive Officer

Andorian female
Height: 180cm     Weight: 69kg
Hair: White     Eyes: Medium blue
Born: Lor’Tan, Andoria – SD 56181.5
Starfleet Academy class of 2401, graduated with distinction.

Nylla served as a combat team leader before attending Advanced Tactical Training and joining the crew of Singularity.  She advanced to the position of XO following the demise of the previous XO during an away team mission.

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Commander Mirsh Aldin Vyhr
Chief Engineering Officer

Andorian male
Height: 194cm     Weight: 92kg
Hair: Off-white     Eyes: Light blue
Born: Lok’nar, Andoria – 54074.4
Starfleet Academy Class of 2399

Mirsh is named for his grandfather, famed starship captain M’rsh Aldin commanding officer of the ill-fated USS Kaohsiung.  Singularity is Mirsh’s first posting as Chief Engineer.

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Lieutenant Commander Jolid Rhee
Chief Science Officer

Trill female
Height: 183cm     Weight: 72kg
Hair: Dark brown     Eyes: Green
Born: Starbase 39-Sierra – SD 62074.1
Starfleet Academy class of 2407.

A joined Trill, Jolid is notable for being the first host for the Rhee symbiont.  As such, she does not benefit from the wealth of life-experience typical of other joined Trill, but in exchange her strong personality is not muted by the memories of past hosts.

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Lieutenant Commander Mara Qu’vaj
Chief Medical Officer

Klingon female
Height: 197cm     Weight: 90kg
Hair: Brown     Eyes: Grey
Born: Port Emily, Sherman’s Planet – SD 57089.5
Starfleet Academy class of 2405, with honors
Salutatorian, Starfleet Medical Academy class of 2409

Mara’s family was killed during the Borg Invasion of 2381.  She and her older brother Tu’Mach were evacuated to Nimbus III, where they were raised by human friends of the family.  In 2399, when relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire soured, Tu’Mach sided with his Klingon heritage, Mara maintained loyalty to her foster parents’ culture.

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Additional crew compliment:

5 ensigns
4 NCOs
29 crewmen
2 civilians
44 total
Breakdown:
56.8% male (25)
43.2% female (19)
54.5% Human (24)
13.6% Andorian (6)
11.4% Tellarite (5)
6.8% Vulcan (3)
4.5% Betazoid (2)
2.3% Deltan (1)
2.3% Klingon (1)
2.3% Rigelian (1)
2.3% Trill (1)

Star Trek Tactics

Tonight was painting night down at the shop.  I painted up a bunch of western figures for my Wierd West game (we’ve run one adventure so far).  Of course, there is something to distract me from my wierd west plans… Star Trek prepainted minis!
Yes Star Trek Tactics Heroclix are out… of course Wiz Kids has had their unpainted starship game out for a few months now – but I can’t afford to drop the cash on that set just for the minis.  Heroclix are another matter entirely.
Cash is tight but after accounting for gas money I ended up with:

2x Nebula-class
1x Nova-class
1x Intrepid-class
1x Prometheus-class
1x Sabre-class
1x Defiant-class
2x D7 K’t'inga
1x Bird-of-Prey
1x Vor-cha

All 11 soon to be yanked off the Clix bases and drilled for Litko flying bases.  the best part is that I can sell back the bases and cards to be used for Clix conversions! Yay!