Two pictures here from a recent game:



This is the tavern's common room, where the first major combat for the party took place. The inn's defenders were clued that the group was coming when they set off a trap at the door and had time to set up defensive positions, hence the overturned tables. The group is arrayed against an ogre in the corner that had just ran in from the kitchen - the inn's cook. Three goblin assistants were soon to follow.



This is the full inn after the party rampaged through it. The upsidown tables are the result of the party barricading the leftside fireplace - actually a secret door. You can see the sizable kitchen on the right-side-center. Above it, in the center of the inn, is the chamber-pot room. The goblins were responsible for cleaning that out as well. On the center-left side are three rooms that were used by the different henchmen in the inn, and the upper-left corner is the BBEG's room. Next to that is the backroom commons-room, where the evil owners of the tavern met and plotted. To the far right are the four servant's quarters.

I definately found it challenging to keep the walls straight on the long corridors. I use Scotch clear glue, an office supply glue, but either the water content is still too high, or NJ is just too humid a climate, and they tend to warp. Thumbtacks were sort of unweildy in my experiance. I've got issues with the paperclips too, and am considering experimenting with hairpins. Anyone else have an opinion to offer on these things?


-Steve

ps: tried rotating the second image in photobucket. Didn't work for some reason.

Edit: Hey! Got the image rotation fixed!

Use foamcore to give the walls strength and depth. I liked your layout BTW.

Nice build. That's a huge Inn with lots of nice props. How long did it take you to build it?

As far as keeping the walls straight, did you press them between something heavy? I have heard that pressing walls overnight between heavy books can help keep them straight.

Thanks. I didn't think about using foamcore, just because it would really really (really) increase the time-sink of the project. Also, I'm a little worried about lining the sides up right. Maybe I could use a basic template.

-Steve

I tried using books, but the walls still ended up curving.

The build took a pretty decent amount of time, probably about a week straight of full evenings building, but that's also in association with a second cavern level. The props really took a while. There were a lot of them, as you can see. The tables were probably the toughest.

-Steve

I use bobby pins. I don't know that they hold any better, but they are a lot narrower so they don't detract as much visually.

Heres some of my pics with them:
http://wormholegamer.com/photos/thumbna ... 107&page=2

Foamcore will likely keep the walls straighter, and might help keep the walls in place. But you'd have to figure out something new to use to connect the corners. Clamps, cloths pins, or foamcore clips. The foamcore clips might be hard to find, the clamps or clothes pins probably won't look good.

The best way to do it is probably to kitbash the walls to give them a bit of base. But that going to be more time consuming. Shatteredragon did it like this:


The interiorworks tables aren't very sturdy if you remove the black areas, especially P&I's. The C&K ones can be fixed free hand, by cutting off the inside face ofthe legs and putting them on the sides without legs. Leave a little of the white space on give a better glue tab.

This could also be done to tables that are already built. Simply print up some more leg sections.

Kitbashing the walls to give them a little base is interesting. Seems like it would basically turn the set into a version of dungeonworks, in which case the best solution to hold the corners and walls in place relative to each other would be to use a velcro base board.

While I have one set up, my concern is the time demands for creating something like that would be much higher


-Steve

I've got a potential kitbash on the 'to do' list to make some kind of way to hold the walls upright. This would be very helpful to those of us who already made a bunch of stuff and didn't think to put a base on the walls.

I'm still working on the actual mechanics of it but ...

Love the setup. I hope your players had fun with it!

It would take some extra time to build but not a lot. Even doing the graphics editing wouldn't be time consuming. The only 2 issues are that all the completed walls would need to be redone, and that if you used the floor tiles to make the base, you'd be stuck with only being able to use that kind of tile with it.

Edit:


This is the idea I keep playing with.



One variation for the middle of a wall, and one for corners.

During assembly the bobby pins would be taped to the inside of the brace, and it would be filled with weights, either fishing sinkers or aquarium gravel.

These ones slope up so the top is narrower. But alternatively a shape that has something a the top that can be used to lift the braces off. Perhaps the large gothic column just cutting of the decorative arm on the sides with the bobby pins.

I give thumbs up to that idea....

I remember inn as it was my first build... for a Western saloon fight... old good times ! ... and it was quite dificult also to keep them straight...and up... so anything that can do that is a good idea .

Very nice layout...Rememeber me my first adventure with the 4th 2 weeks ago. Im used an inn too for the module. Well done, looks very fun game day!

Always good to see some pics. Great stuff.

As for the clipping idea, what if you used the clips from the bottom of your weighted pice so that you wouldn't have to pick the whole thing up in order to add/remove pieces?

Thats an option. If I get around to experimenting with this I'll try that. Off the top of my head there are 2 issues.

1 doing the clips from underneath lifts the walls up, very little but some.

2 The clips create openings in the bottom of the brace that might weaken it. That could be a problem with the weights inside it.


Anyone got an idea for what to use to texture the brace? Something that would look good with multiple sets. Not that I'm sure there is one texture that would look good with P&I, C&K, gothic...

Maybe a dark stone slab style texture?

I think your braces are great ideas. If you glued a penny to the bottom, you wouldn't have to worry about it coming loose.

I used paper clips on both the bottom and top of the walls. The attachment points are fairly small, and I feel like the need the extra anchor. It did lift the wall up slightly, but not too badly. Generally what I would do is pair clips on the top and bottom, with the large and small sides facing each other.

The big problem I see with using supports like how you're proposing is that they'd make a big impediment in 5'-wide corridors like the ones I used in this model. Maybe I should reexamine using clear-plastic thumbtacks.

-Steve

Thanks, Gloriar. I really had fun setting it up. It was by far the most detailed model I did, and the first where I really got to use Worldworks stuff to full effect, props and everything. I'd say it was certainly the most immersive game experience we have had up until now.

-Steve

LD, if you made the supports into a very flattened rectangle, you could glue one or two pennies onto the side which goes flush with the wall. The small sides could be just wide enough for a bobby pin, with a little room on each side of the penny for the same.

The downside I see to this design is that it would require a lot of fine manipulation of the paper flaps on the top, or, if you forgo the inclusion of a top flap, you've got an open object which removes some of the verisimilitude.

-Steve

Foamcore corners can be made using a V-grove and then bend. There are several methods to imploy in any given foamcore build that make the work very smooth, more continuos, and durable. I'm wondering if there isn't a methodolgy book out there to describe foamcore building. There are some for mat board, which you might like to try at some point.

Whatever, you really did do a nice layout and build.

Ahhh, I might have one ... need to hunt it up though. Its very old but timeless.

Found it! Unfortunately it doesn't go into the more advanced methods of joinery or better tools, but it does go into some other interesting stuff, such as wiring your model (let there be light). It was produced by Hanley House, a dollhouse miniatures company. I'd guess its 30 or more years old. There are better ways to light up your build than described. Hmmm, definitely a 'basic' sort of book .... maybe too basic. There has to be better ones out there. I need to do an internet search on Amazon.

Yeah, in a small space these wouldn't work. But I had always intended them to be used on the outside of the layout, or in one of the dead space areas, that are in so many D&D maps. For the rooms themselves I would try a weighted prop like the fireplace.

But be it these braces or tacks something is going to be in the way. Thats why I think adding bases to the walls is the best structural solution.

The idea of a V-groove is interesting. Do you bend into the groove, or away from?

Also, how do you anchor two sections of modular walling together?

-Steve

I like the idea of using them from exterior spaces very much. I'm especially thinkging of villageworks buildings. I think the usability of a large wedge is very limited when you've got a detailed interior floorplan, however.

What about a flattened wedge with an open top and bottom? You could (if needed) use them to disguise pin-anchor points, and still glue pennies to either the side flush against the wall-section or the reverse side for weight.

-Steve

I'm having trouble picturing the flattened version you're describing. The way my version would work is to provide a base that touches the ground tile. Hopefully the weight of the brace would generate enough friction on the ground tile to keep things from sliding around. Although personally I would also be using a little bit of removable poster gum on the bottom as well as weight.

Look at the picture of your brace above. Now instead of squares at the top and bottom, imaging relatively flat rectangles, with the long portion flush against the actual wall, and the shortened section perpendicular to it. You can increase the dimensions of the base rectangle (that touches the floor) if you want to give it a more wedge-like shape, but the overall profile will be narrower, and take up less space in tight hallways, allowing more practical uses within the interiors of buildings. It still touches the ground tile, generating friction, and it still can be weighted by glueing pennies to the wide walls of the brace instead of the base.


-Steve

*edited for minor clarity

Makes me think of doing a modified Chunky Dungeon treatment. Base on foamcore (Not as hard as you may think to line up! Glue one down, cut foam, cut and glue other side. If the foamcore is black, it will cover any small issues.) with a foamcore base that it slots into. Would only lose about 1/16" on each side, leaving you room for a tile on BOTH sides of the wall. Think I may try that with Chunky Dungeons as well. Can't believe I didn't consider this sooner.

Another idea I have had is instead of mounting to foamcore is just making 1/8" thick fold-up walls. Could still attach to a base if you wanted. If you left a little section on each end of the top, you could put hairpins inside the openings to hold the walls together with no visual impact. Would be simple enough to make some internal supports so they would not squish up in the middle.

Edit: I'm talking about Subversive's description.

So generally an L shape? You know that gives me an idea for an even simpler method.

Essentially its a wall section that isn't glued with an attached base section. Mount the base section of self adhesive vinyl tile, or a bunch of pennies, or even sheet metal or wood. Then simply drop it own over top the any wall section and clip it in place. Sure the base squares would be higher, but probably not even by a 1/4". The weight of the base, or some removable poster gum would keep everything in place.

This would be quick enough to build that new ones could be made for any set.

I think I start experimenting with this now.

A very narrow wedge so... I guess so...



I'm not quite visualizing your description here. Would this be a wide section, or narrow - say - perhapse an inch in width? Wouldn't this reverse the images on the wall sections you drop over your... inner wall section? Granted, that's probably not a big issue.

You'll have to post some puctures of your trial attempt.

-Steve
This would be quick enough to build that new ones could be made for any set.

I think I start experimenting with this now.[/quote]

I'm not quite visualizing your description here. Would this be a wide section, or narrow - say - perhapse an inch in width? Wouldn't this reverse the images on the wall sections you drop over you

I'll post pics when I'm done. But what it is, is just another layer of wall dropped over the first. Only this new layer has a weighted base.

ok, that's what I thought you were describing. So I assume that these weighted over-sections would be relatively short - perhapse an inch or so in length - and dropped over the main walls at necessary or specific intervals?

-Steve

Yes. I'm just using the 2" wall piece with a base 1" wide and 2" long.

That's interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your work.


-Steve