thetang22 Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I decided recently that I'm going to start working on a playing board for Malifaux. I plan to make the area 3' x 3'. I want to go with the Victorian Gothic metropolis theme to simulate the thick of the city of Malifaux. I'm investing in some Hirst Arts Gothic Architecture molds for this process. I don't plan on having everything be permanently attached. Instead I want to make some ground sections that are about 1' x 1' and look like a variety of bricks and gothic flooring tiles. I will probably try and make some streets built into it, maybe with one simulating the town square with a big fancy fountain. I want all my buildings a structures to be separate from the ground as well for added customobility. So...where do I go from here? What types of buildings and structures should I have in a Malifaux metroplis-looking area? Hirst has plans for some pretty neat looking gothic towers and cathedrals so I'll most likely utilize that stuff, but I'm also wondering what else I might need to fill the atmosphere. Any suggestions and information would be much appreciated. * just a reminder, this isn't in the Beta thread, so anyone involved with the Beta, don't give anything away if you have ideas. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregdorf Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I really do not a see the large cities of the world of Malifaux having a strong Gothic feel. There will be sections of the older cities that will have gothic elements but during this time Art Nouveau and impressionism are the biggest impact on architecture. As building suggestions you can make cobble stone streets fairly easy, it just takes some time, heavy card stock paper, and glue. Most of the cities should have gas light lamps, which should not be too hard to replicate, I think a little mod on street lights for train kits should work out well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstripe Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Just something to think about, who built the city of Malifaux is currently unknown. It's not even clear whether it was humans who built the city. New cities built on the frontier would definitely be influenced by the artistic styles of the time, such as Art Nouveau and Impressionism. That would be why there is very little gothic architecture in the real-world americas. The City of Malifaux predates these styles by a sizable margin and would have more in common with Old World architecture than to comparatively new artistic styles. I would say Malifaux has more in common with London architecture than say San Fransisco, for example. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Earth of the Wyrd universe is not the Earth we know from our own history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetang22 Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Victorian London is the time period I'm going to use for my Malifaux metropolis simulation. It has lots of Gothic architecture influences, so I think that will be ok for me as far as using the Gothic molds from Hirst Arts. I'm not really needing suggestions on 'style' so much as buildings, examples of structures and architecture that might sound relevant for the downtown metropolis areas of Malifaux. Would it be full of shops, or would it be more like buildings for authorities/government/military. And would there be any odd types of buildings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keltheos Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 You'd be safe with Victorian style. As far as what's on the board? I'd go with whatever you liked. I'm sure we'll find Mal has shop districts, government locations/residence areas, etc. Odd buildings might be the randomly placed 'Mal style' that existed before the Breach opened, or a throwback to the first opening a century ago (compare 1700 architecture to late 1800/early 1900 architecture to see how the styles might intermingle). I see some of the older buildings being entirely constructed of stone/brick (or at least the foundations/first floors) while newer construction would be mostly wooden. According to the Ezine (at the moment) Earthsiders have only been expanding the city of Mal and the surrounding areas for about 4 years, so anything constructed since then would have most likely been done as quickly as possible. I also see the city of Mal as a mishmash of architectural styles stacked one on top of the other and side by side with old construction sharing walls with new construction when expedient to do so. Oh, and plenty of alleyways... (at least that's my read). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hinton Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I'm currently working on a lay-out of the city of Malifaux. I'll get together with Nick over the next couple of days and see what ideas we can come up with as far as the architecture of the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetang22 Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Just a few extra questions: I imagine these buildings have seen some wear and tear over the years and that when the Guild came back through and started inhabiting the city again did they just try to expand, or would there have been any heavy restoration in some of the more upscale areas such as government-type buildings? Would we see all these buildings with lots of beat up architecture, or would it be back in pretty nice shape? Again, I'm referring to some of the more upscale areas (thats probably my first target for construction). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregdorf Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I just wanted to remind him that there are many other building styles during this time period and gothic is not being built anymore. Part of me has been burned out with everything GW having to be gothic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstripe Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Just a few extra questions: I imagine these buildings have seen some wear and tear over the years and that when the Guild came back through and started inhabiting the city again did they just try to expand, or would there have been any heavy restoration in some of the more upscale areas such as government-type buildings? Would we see all these buildings with lots of beat up architecture, or would it be back in pretty nice shape? Again, I'm referring to some of the more upscale areas (thats probably my first target for construction). Because the City has been abandoned for -at least- one hundred years and due to the fact that the weather in Malifaux borders on caustic, any comfortable living space would have required some restoration. The largest portion of the City is not populated, in part due to this fact, and actually exists as a quarantined zone. The Resurrectionist write-up in WC2 explains about necromancers claiming portions of this quarantined area and populating them with their brain-hungry minions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keltheos Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I just wanted to remind him that there are many other building styles during this time period and gothic is not being built anymore. Part of me has been burned out with everything GW having to be gothic. Nedz Moar Skulz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetang22 Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I just wanted to remind him that there are many other building styles during this time period and gothic is not being built anymore. Part of me has been burned out with everything GW having to be gothic. I can understand your concern with the saturated feeling of Gothic style from GW. I, however, don't really stay up on anything GW does...I've seen a few pieces of architecture they do. In WF it seems like they do a bit more of the traditional medieval fantasy architecture you'd expect, and then with 40k they do a bit of the gothic stuff, but its always gothic ruins that I've seen - not a whole intact building, or in this case buildings grouped together on a city block or at a busy intersection. I rarely ever see game tables set up in a gothic metropolis where all the buildings are still intact and suitable shape. Its always ruins. Thats not what I necessarily want to do. I want to produce a downtown area with lots of big buildings that are still in good shape - to represent the area of Malifaux where things have picked up and business is good. The closest thing I can think of that GW has done was Mordheim, which isn't too far off from the style, but still, it was lots of ruins as well. I'm not interested in the ruins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keltheos Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Tang, if you have access to a copy (at an LGS or a buddy's) flip through the Warmachine: Legends book that came out this summer. They have several photographs of models fighting in the streets of one of their large cities. It may give you some ideas on how to combine architectural styles on a playing board. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugKing Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Another thing to do to add playing interest would be to add a bunch of flying buttress walkways between buildings. It doesn't really follow any style per say but if you build a board that is intact buildings and road you will find that you are playing on the roads and that the buildings represent huge impassible areas. You need to make reasons for models to climb levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblyn13 Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 This was the kind of idea i had for a map of Malifaux and a board design. Be aware this is kind of grandiose, and if i ever get it even close to done i'll be amazed: Now for some explanation. The way this was designed was as each Tile is a 2x2 piece. Each piece is part of the whole but can be used individually. Starting from the top: The breach, this really isn't much I just figured its a nice entry point for the train. To the left of the Breach is the Beastmaster encampment, envisioned to be kind of like the Hopis and Navajo indian encampments where the caves have both the Beastmasters and there beast living, and its far enough away from the city that the guild has its hands full with other insurgents to bother with them. Next we have a soulstone mine, after all, that's why they are there and the mountain pass which the trains travels through to get to the city of Malifaux. Below that we have the Chattel Yards where the incoming indentured servants get processed, while the tile next to it is the main train station where the Gentiles are dropped off before getting to the chattel yards (the mine, chattel yards mountain pass and train station would form a little loop). Then next to the train station is the Railway Repair yard and the "Steam Quarter" (for lack of a better term) this is where Ramos calls home as well as a couple of more steampunk style shops and the railcar repair shops and refueling station. Row four is the most built out, just because this would serve as the most built upon, where we have the Graveyard(kinda self explanatory) with the Undertaker shop and body chop shops in this area, placed under the Chattel yards because he's got to have easy access for his death cart to pick up bodies. Then we have Main Street which is where you'll find your major shops and most of the populace. There there is town square, which will have the town Clock Tower, the Saloon, the sheriff's Office (read Death Marshals) and the Gallows. The the final tile will be the Guild House. This I envision as not unlike the Gentleman's clubs in San francisco in the old west, where the Guild members get together in private and as there private place to practice whatever secret rituals they have. Then we have the Red Light District this is a fenced off area where the Bordello's are going to be and like the red light district's of victorian london its a bit off the beaten path and nobody really talks about it. The next two tile I really haven't put any though into what will be there but i needed a spacer so I'm just chalking them as unexplored territory. The next row we start by having Lilith's Crèche where Lilith and her boys call home, kind of like a gothic sewer/cave which is why it leads to the Sewers. The Goblin Market is a Black Market bazaar where just about anything can be found for a price, its hidden away near the sewers to keep those not looking for it from coming across the market accidentally, I ten to view this as a bazaar built under a bridge. With another extra tile being there for possible expansion. Last would be the Hag's Swamp which is where the sewers in Malifaux dump out too. If this all ever gets built out it leave the potential for a city board being about 10ft by 14ft if all the tiles are used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugKing Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 Do you intend for the pieces to be modular or will they only attach to their intended neighbors? I would strongly suggest that you don't make the pieces modular. You will have a lot more leeway in your construction methods if you don't. Also, it will allow you to realize the sewers and mountains in a much more realistic fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblyn13 Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 I didn't plan on modularity, the reason for the 2x2 pieces was just to make it easier to break down. And easier to construct by focusing on only a few pieces at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The_Brain Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 Without having read the whole thread... I took my inspiration from "Sleepy Hollow"... The style the houses are built there is awesome imho and fits to the theme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bexley Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 I didn't plan on modularity, the reason for the 2x2 pieces was just to make it easier to break down. And easier to construct by focusing on only a few pieces at a time. I can add one note from experience on this: if you have access to the tools needed, you may wish to go with 22" x 22". Doubly so if you intend to transport the pieces at all, or build storage for them. The reason being, if you need to build something to put a 24" x 24" section into, you have to build something bigger than 24" x 24", and that means cutting the parts out of larger sheets, with a lot of waste. The other reason is more practical- places like Home Depot sell smaller panels, like 24" x 24" and 24" x 48". Some of theses stores have them manufactured to this size. Home depot is not one of them. They cut their panels down from 4' x 8' sheets. every cut they make removes 1/8" of material. So when they cut a 4' x 4' sheet in half, they either get two 48" x 47-15/16" pieces, or one 48" x 48" piece and one 48" x 47-7/8" piece. Then they further cut those down, and so the 24" x 24" panels they sell may be occasionally be 24" x 24" , or 24" x 23-3/4", or anywhere in between. If you want all your sections to line up nicely (especially middle sections) you'll either need to be sure that what you buy is all of a uniform size, or cut them all to a specific size yourself. Though, if you simply use foam without a support structure, then ignore all of that and go about your business. (Well, the storage/transport issue may still remain.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draykin Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 From the images in the E-zine I got the feeling that it would be a mix of gothic and western style builds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBugKing Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 With a healthy mix of coal dust and steampunk flavor! Do yourself a favor and build some mines! That is what I am doing! <grin> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Willem Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 I put some picts of my own buildings in the thread "hello everybody" that i 've posted in the introduction folder. All comments are welcome... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpio Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 Also, from my reading of the first two e-zines (guesses on a #3?), a lot of the "new" construction outside the old town would be pretty ramshackle affairs, with supplies not always being readily available. I'd have to imagine most lumber would be imported, as logging outside Malifaux sounds like a recipe for danger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goblyn13 Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 Also, from my reading of the first two e-zines (guesses on a #3?), a lot of the "new" construction outside the old town would be pretty ramshackle affairs, with supplies not always being readily available. I'd have to imagine most lumber would be imported, as logging outside Malifaux sounds like a recipe for danger. I can actually see a lot of the building more like the Middle Eastern/spanish type build, with a stucco exterior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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