Just a thought...

I scanned this two-page spread from my niece's kid's magazine...
(One of those learn-about-the-world types of mags. I can't remember which. She has prolly thrown it away by now.)...
and, I thought THAT'd make an AWESOME mini-chunk!!
(And, *I* typically don't even USE minichunks!)



(I shrunk the image considerably. But, it is still a very 'slow' loader. *sigh*)

Anyone ever seen any decent 25mm Ninja and Samurai miniatures out there?!!

Yeah, that would rock! I was looking for something like that to use as an APAC starionghold for my Rez game. Once upon a time there was like a 1/200 model like that in Dragon magazine, I never shredded a magazine so well, and with so few regrets. I loved that thing!

WOW! No way!! REALLY?!!!!!!
Do you remember the issue number?!!
Was it in the first 200?!

Hmmmm...
Now that you mention it...
I seem to remember issue #110 or so... having this nifty cardstock 'schooner' ship, that I shredded it, to piece together.

(Looking through my stuff)...

I don't have any of the old drag mags anymore... But, I DO have the collected Drag-Mag CD that Wizards of the Coast put out a few years back. (It has the Drag-Mag run from issue #1 to #250... I think.)
I'll look through it and see if I can find it.

I KNOW the ship is in there. (I was reading through it last year and saw it.)
I don't REMEMBER seeing a castle in there, but I WILL look for it.
(Are you SURE it was a Drag Mag? It'd really help if you had an issue number, or at least could tell me what YEAR you bought it in!)

A thought just occured to me...

If I find those items... CAN I POST them here?! (Would I be breaking the law, if I did so?!! I mean... Drag Mag is out of business... that makes them public domain, right?!!)

I don't want to do anything that will get anyone (especially *ME*) in trouble!!

I think it was under issue 100... I seem to recvall getting it during a summer trip with my parents. There was also a Euro-castle in an issue too, can't remember when that might have been.

I'll go dig out the CD, search the database, and see what I can find...

Lessee...
(To save everyone the trouble of looking on their own)...
After some.... 'creative'... searching of the Drag-Mag database...
This is what I found...a

Issue #86 had the European Castle... (Kinda small, but complete with textured mat-tiles to assemble it on.)
Assembly-instructions were included...

Issue #121 had the 'Sun Dragon' castle. (Also kinda small, and doesn't have the textured ground mat, like the first one.)
Assembly-instructions were also included in the insert.

(Both of the assembly instructions would have been much BETTER, if they had also included a photo of what the finished product was supposed to have looked like. *sigh*)
Also, accompanying each cutout was an article with 'interior maps' for DM's to use as a game aid.

Issue #113 had a small 'Cardboard Dragon' cutout. with an accompanying 'monster-folio' stat-writeup for it. (For an 'actual' IN-game dragon, of living cardboard. *SHRUG* ...must have been an April issue.)
Assembly-instructions were included. (Complete with a b/w photo of the finished assembly. Nice.)
Might be good for making 'baby dragons', for the 'Lair of the Dragon God' setup! Would prolly need to be size and color adjusted, tho.

And, Lastly,...

Issue #116 had the boat/ship cutout. I actually assembled this one...
If I remember correctly... It had a few flaws...

The mast came out kinda 'flimsy'... even though you were supposed to be able to perch one miniature up in the crow's nest. (A 'modern' BASED-mini would NEVER fit in it!)...

-AND-, the INTERIORS were all 'untextured'.
(Though, I guess, it MIGHT have been the style, back in the day, for ships to have that pure-white-and-featureless design, to the insides of the handrailings.)

It would definitely make a decent addition to any of the Seaworks sets, tho. (Harbor Master, Maiden of the Sea, Skull Cove, etc.) AND, adding some of the SAILS from Maiden of the Sea to it, would definitely improve IT. (If I remember correctly, it didn't come with sails. But, it DID have some 'glue-on' shields, for the side handrailings.)
Laslty, if you assemble it AS IS, from the cardstock from the magazine, you would DEFINITELY have an 'easier time' getting it to 'hold up' the 'Maiden's 20' standees, than any metal miniatures.

I had forgotten all about that boat!!...
THANKS A MILLION, for reminding me/ telling me about the castles, Punkrabbit!!!!

(..."Still think WorldworksGames *SHOULD* do the Samurai minichunk, tho!!")

I'm researching to create a map floorplan (that's my specialty) of Matsue Castle in Shimane, Japan.

Although not as famous as Himeiji or other Japanese castles, its not as huge with extensive moat system etc. I'm creating a printed set of maps, I don't want to have a 50 map set at D20 scale (1"=5')

Matsue Castle has 6 floors, though you couldn't tell by looking from the outside. Usually you see 3 roof structures, so your assumption is there are only 3 floors. Truth is this was a design of obfuscation - you don't want your enemy to know how floors, thus how many troops are waiting inside the keep. All Japanese castles did this.

Anyway, when I'm done with the design for print - if there's anyone willing to try to use it to help build a WWG japanese castle, I'll provide a PDF for free.

I'd love to see a Japanese Castle 3D model, myself!

Not to spoil your imaginations, but the inside of a Japanese castle was rather "bare bones". They are entirely timber structures, with a single interior staircase, built on top of "clay hills" encased in unmortared stone. They are nothing like European castles.

Extensive moat systems were later built to keep artillery away from the castle which is susceptable to fire.

That many roofed structure you see is the central keep used as HQ in war, and as the last line of defense. However, it did not serve as palace or residence. Single story structures within the inner bailley of the castle held places like "court" and "residence". The use of tatami floormats and rice paper panel walls, known in Japanese buildings were barely present in a castle.

The interiors are dark, unpainted wood floors, walls and ceilings. I've been in one and know - the guide said, this is how they were kept even in ancient times.

Matsue began construction in 1607 - so its not that old.

Sounds AWESOME! I would be VERY interested in that PDF, when you are done. Let me know when you are finished!

As to the old D+D cardstocks, well... I am working on producing copies of them, for my own personal use. (The next sets I'm going to buy are the 'Himmelveil Harbor-Master' and 'Maiden of the High Seas' sets. I'm not big into the high seas adventuring, but I have a few good ideas for some one-shot scenarios.) I figure a few cardstock schooners, would go well with my main 'Maiden' ship.
(But thats all a little ways off...)

For now, I'd like to see about getting that D+D samurai castle, pieced together, and see what I need to improve on it. (..for my mini-battles game.)

AND, now for a REALLLY IMPORTANT question...

1)If I get these files together, does anyone want me to post them here, so they can download them?

and, more importantly...

2)Will I be breaking any rules/LAWS if I do so?

I don't know who to ask, and can't seem to find anything about it in the usr agreement. (I might even be loooking in the wrong place. All this 'copyright stuff, is very confusing to me.) SO, I'm asking HERE.

ANYONE... let me know.

Ix-nay on the file sharing - no problem. My intentions were never to do file trading with other forum users. My entire goal is get ahold of WWG staff, even Denny himself.

I want the Japanese castle in WWG hands. If not interested fine.

I want to work with WWG, but I can't get ahold of anyone. I want to offer POD option to WWG and a simple "no" will suffice, but nobody ever answers.

Having Denny saying I shouldn't do something in the forums is closest I get to talking to anyone.

Denny, just a suggestion, but adding a graphic to your forum signature with the customer service email address might help. Also, on the FAQ/Contact page, the contact box gets completely lost. I strongly recommend moving that to the top of the page, sharing the same box as the staff photos, but displayed just beneath them.

I'm always hanging around here, and often forget there is another way to contact you beyond PMs...

Arabin

You make valid points, and while I am in favour of keeping it simple, that sometimes causes additional problems of it's own. The hotlink route is old, but it's very clear and understood by most... but you are right, people that wanted to contact you would jump straight to that.

It's a shame you don't have some way to hire somebody in a customer service role, to filter the emails, delete the junk, respond to most of the questions/problems/etc., and pass relevant ones (including new business) onto you. That'd probably take a lot of the pressure off you, and allow you to actively promote the "Contact Us" information... but unfortunately that costs money.

If you did have someone, you could think about adding a contact form instead of email address, with a subject as a drop down box. Anything saying "Publisher/Retailer Business Inquiries" could go straight to you, while others go to another person... or maybe that other person gets them all to filter out those few people who will intentionally choose the wrong option to get your attention.

Ah well, life is never simple is it?

Arabin

Instead of a FAQ page for my site, I've created a downloadable PDF Instruction Manual, which has the kind of information I'd normally provide on a FAQ page.

You could provide more information for each FAQ answer, being more informative - make it more readable than a simple FAQ page.

Now a user has all the information in his hands, even in printable format. Don't emphasize email support, emphasize reading the manual.

Plus a downloadable PDF is "free content", is usually keyword-rich, so its friendly to search engines - and your user won't have the excuse of not all the information - its all in their hands.

Just what I do - an idea.