Traveller Minis!

[hunter]

We are considering a line of miniature Adventure Class starships. You may remember that Rafm produced such a line in support of Traveller: The New Era. The scale for Adventure class starships is 1:1200 (making a 46 meter long Fat Trader about 1.5 inches long).

These ships would be in support of Classic Traveller, T20, and ultimately T5.

We consider the Scout/Courier, Free Trader Beowulf, and Close Escort as compulsory. In addition, but in addition, we are considering a total of 12 from this list below.

There are two ways to participate in this poll. One is to take the poll on-line. The other is to send us a string of Alpha letters (showing your
preference for the ships in the list below).

A. Scout Courier
B. Free Trader Beowulf
C. Gazelle Close Escort
D. Far Trader
E. Fat Trader / Subsidized Merchant
F. Safari Ship
G. Yacht
H. Lab Ship
I. Corsair
J. Mercenary Cruiser
K. System Defense Boat
L. SDB Detachable Jump Shuttle
M. Small Craft -1 (Gig, Ships Boat, Slow Boat, Pinnace, Slow Pinnace)
N. Small Craft-2 (Launch, Cutter, Modular Cutter, Shuttle, Fighter)
O. Asteroid Ship (fittings to attach to a rock you find yourself)
P. Xboat
Q. Xboat Tender
R. Packet (new armed merchant)
S. Clipper (new high jump merchant)
T. Freighter (new merchant)
U. Patrol Cruiser
V. Aslan Family Trader
W. Vargr Raider
X. Annic Nova
Y. Survey Cruiser
Z. Solomani Trader

Send your string (for example: ABCDGHKLMSRT) to

travellerminiatures@farfuture.net

In addition, your comments and thoughts as to other miniatures are invited and welcome.

Thanks for your input

Marc

 

[BetterThanLife]

Hunter,
I think the Ramada, Firery, Subsidized Liner should be on the list. The Sub Liner as it is a "Standard design and always has been. The Firery as it is used about as often as the Gazelle, and the Ramada as it is the 993 version of the Gazelle.

And since you are prodcuing the EA-ship series, the Qasar, Javelin and Lorimar. For the classics it would also be nice to have the Kinunir and the Leviathan.

 

[hunter]

This one is Marc's, I just posted it

Hunter

 

[mike wightman]

I would like to see some of the TNE ships make a return, especially after the 1248 book is released.
The Barekdoldin would now be a common sight in the Spinward Marches, the RCES ships Clipper, Fusilier/Lancer, Belladdona, Victrix...
I suppose I just want them all.

 

[Flynn]

Sadly, I do not see the Donosev on the list, as that would have gotten my vote. It's an ugly ship, no doubt, but one of my favorites.

Still, I love the possibilities of the selections that are available, and I hope this comes to pass.

Thanks, Marc and Hunter,
Flynn

 

[Jame]

Screw the poll. Just make 'em all!

 

[robject]

The new ship classes sound interesting...

 

[siefertma2]

You said the magic words... MINIS!

(Mark does a happy dance.... Not a pretty picture though.)

I assume that they minis are going to be patterned after current Traveller ship asthetics rather than the old style?

Anyway, one of ships I voted for was the SDB (a ship I think is one of the staples of Traveller). Which one would you guys sculpt: The "classic" Dragon, or the newer (cooler) "Y-wing" style that BG came up with? (Better yet, how about the Rumblefish? GIMME THE RUMBLEFISH!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!)

Oh, BTW, any chance of getting character figs down the line?

 

[Colin]

What about 2300AD/2320AD ships? I can think of some that I would like to see.

Colin
2320AD writer

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Are you serious about the asteroid ship?!

 

[Andrew Boulton]

A pet rock with delusions of grandeur...

 

[daryen]

Flynn,

The Donosev is on the list: its the survey cruiser.

Hunter,

I would say that the real mandatory list would include the Wedgie Scout, the Beowolf Free Trader, and the Empress Mavara Far Trader. Everything after that is negotiable.

Incidentally, I don't see why the Gazelle would be mandatory. It's actually a pretty crappy ship, and it doesn't even follow the rules. While I have seen some people use it, that is pretty rare. Most would rather the Fiery, anyway.

I would also love the Barekdoldin, but that's to be expected, I suppose.

 

[Swordsage]

The Fiery would be one of my top choices as well. I've been in love with that ship since I first saw it in the Megatraveller Journal #2.

As for the Asteroid ship Idea I think I like it.

 

[siefertma2]

Originally posted by Fritz88:
Are you serious about the asteroid ship?!

It shouldn't be too hard. I've been using lava rocks, procured from gas grills or landscaping stores, to make asteroids for years now. They're "soft" enough to bore a whole in them for a flight base, and they look craggy with with lots of "craters." Just superglue space ship bits to them and viola... you have an asteroid base.

 

[BetterThanLife]

Since the AHL is so pervasive in the OTU, through virtually all versions I would love to see an AHL in the same scale. Gives players pause to see something like that.

Kind of like the old Partha (or were they RAFM, I forget) Dragons that simply towered over the other 25mm minis. THat game session where I snuck one of out the box after painting it in secret for a couple of weeks, and putting it on the table in the midst of the Player's Minis.

Bring on the AHL!!!!

Are the minis scaled to work with Attack Vector Tactical, by Ad Astra Games?

 

[siefertma2]

As excited as I am at the prospect of Traveller spaceship minis, I do have one question: what is the rationale for doing ship miniatures? A lot of the non-CotI gamers I've shared this news with say they would much prefer character (PCs, aliens, infantry, etc.) over ships.

I think I know the answer, but I just want to confirm them.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Forget AHL, I want a Tigress!

 

[BetterThanLife]

Originally posted by Mark A. Siefert:
As excited as I am at the prospect of Traveller spaceship minis, I do have one question: what is the rationale for doing ship miniatures? A lot of the non-CotI gamers I've shared this news with say they would much prefer character (PCs, aliens, infantry, etc.) over ships.

I think I know the answer, but I just want to confirm them.

You mean aside from the fact that they are usually easier to model?

Or one more line of people is likely to get lost among the others where a line of ships is more likely to establish the company as mini producers?

Or when doing people you have to decide to do them in 15mm, 25mm, or 28-30mm. (Each has their advantages and disadvantages.) Since I have a huge collection of 15mm deckplans, (both purchased and hand drawn) I know which scale I would prefer. 25mm Deckplans are too big for most starships to fit on a dining table for gaming.

And those SJG Deckplans are simply ridiculus at 45mm for gaming purposes. (I have to move my furniture and the Free Trader takes up the bulk of my livingroom floor.

)

Or perhaps they already have the molds?

 

[BetterThanLife]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
Forget AHL, I want a Tigress!

Yeah but the AHL is in all versions of Traveller aside from Millieu 0. The Tigress is a single BatRon in the Spinward Marches, in an area most players don't get to game, and only in CT. (Besides it is almost 10 times the size of an AHL, which is already 600 tmes the size of a Scout/Courier. Kokirraks before Tigresses.

(At least they are more numerous and in both 993 and Golden Age.

)

 

[siefertma2]

I see this thread died fast. Sigh....