Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So my group is poised to get into Dropzone Commander, not in a big way, but I'll be grabbing 2 small armies to play and be shared by the group. Most likely I'll end up with a UCM heavy + air roping Praetorian infantry army, and a PHR army. Meanwhile a friend is taking the scourge half of my 2 player box set, and another player has been interested in Shaltari for a while, but was waiting for someone else to learn how to play to teach the others.

Thankfully, my gaming group are no longer monogamers, we've stopped playing just one monolithic game or game series to the exclusion of all others. This actually fractured our group from the old die hards who couldn't let 40k go. So plenty of people will try the game once I have it.

I had some questions for those that are currently into the game.

What do you guys use for additional terrain to liven up the cityscapes and provide additional terrain options? The city terrain provided by the box sets are nice, but it's empty streets and pristine buildings. I was thinking of finding a bunch of 10mm (or close enough) cars to paint as rusty abandoned car piles on roadways. Likewise some low or 6-8 foot walls. These could break up LoS or straightaways, making dropships even more useful and actually be difficult ground or terrain that infantry could move through without being so exposed.

Even terrain that makes cities into multi-level cities. What other stuff can be used to make these cityscapes more interesting and appropriate to the game?

From my other dropzone thread, I'm already looking for other types of terrain to use. Even some more open battlefields could be interesting.

Anyone had any luck getting into the hawk wargames forums? They're on lockdown it seems and any accounts have to be approved before posting. Well I've been waiting for approval for a month now. For a public forum that's meant to promote a game, that's not a good sign.

Likewise, how do people feel about the current pace of releases and future plans for Dropzone? Does it seem slow? Are there a good mix of army builds and units?

I keep hearing of an expansion book that will package the units released since launch, and add the new Resistance faction. But I'm wondering what else it adds, and where is it? I'm cautious that the Hawk Wargames might be getting over his head doing all this and whatever new space game he's got in the works.

 Vertrucio wrote:
So my group is poised to get into Dropzone Commander, not in a big way, but I'll be grabbing 2 small armies to play and be shared by the group. Most likely I'll end up with a UCM heavy + air roping Praetorian infantry army, and a PHR army. Meanwhile a friend is taking the scourge half of my 2 player box set, and another player has been interested in Shaltari for a while, but was waiting for someone else to learn how to play to teach the others.

Thankfully, my gaming group are no longer monogamers, we've stopped playing just one monolithic game or game series to the exclusion of all others. This actually fractured our group from the old die hards who couldn't let 40k go. So plenty of people will try the game once I have it.

I had some questions for those that are currently into the game.

What do you guys use for additional terrain to liven up the cityscapes and provide additional terrain options? The city terrain provided by the box sets are nice, but it's empty streets and pristine buildings. I was thinking of finding a bunch of 10mm (or close enough) cars to paint as rusty abandoned car piles on roadways. Likewise some low or 6-8 foot walls. These could break up LoS or straightaways, making dropships even more useful and actually be difficult ground or terrain that infantry could move through without being so exposed.

Even terrain that makes cities into multi-level cities. What other stuff can be used to make these cityscapes more interesting and appropriate to the game?

From my other dropzone thread, I'm already looking for other types of terrain to use. Even some more open battlefields could be interesting.

Anyone had any luck getting into the hawk wargames forums? They're on lockdown it seems and any accounts have to be approved before posting. Well I've been waiting for approval for a month now. For a public forum that's meant to promote a game, that's not a good sign.

Likewise, how do people feel about the current pace of releases and future plans for Dropzone? Does it seem slow? Are there a good mix of army builds and units?

I keep hearing of an expansion book that will package the units released since launch, and add the new Resistance faction. But I'm wondering what else it adds, and where is it? I'm cautious that the Hawk Wargames might be getting over his head doing all this and whatever new space game he's got in the works.

For cars, look for N-scale model railroad cars.

For the hawk wargames forums, there's a support email you can fire off a quick question to. Just remember that the company consists of something like 4 people, and they spend alot of time going to various conventions.

The upcoming faction is the human resistance. If you go to their website and browse the newsletters section, you should find a good bit of information. Also, he's hired the original designer of battlefleet gothic to create the space combat game.

Thanks for the tip about N scale cars, I'll check some local model train shops. I'll probably end up making 1"-3" zones of piled up cars, like those you see in post apocalyptic movies. That way I can just put them down where appropriate.

It also gives the UCM something for those articulated weapon mounts to shoot over.

I guess I'll have to see if they're coming to a nearby US convention. I do think they need to manage their web presence better. With a game with a scattered player base, you need things like official forums to help concentrate knowledge about the game.

Sadly, name drops don't impress me in this industry. My concerns with the fleet game are besides that anyway. And I was never into Battlefleet Gothic. I've seen friends play the latest versions recently, but it all looked like a ridiculous unbalanced mess.

The hawk forum has had losts of problems with spam bots so just give them a email with your username and that should help
With battlefield extras just search n scale stuff and go as mad as you like.
The new book as you said has the resistance it is supposed to include the scenarios for the new terrain kits and also the experimental rules will get a print with mabe some final tweaks.

 Vertrucio wrote:

What do you guys use for additional terrain to liven up the cityscapes and provide additional terrain options? The city terrain provided by the box sets are nice, but it's empty streets and pristine buildings. I was thinking of finding a bunch of 10mm (or close enough) cars to paint as rusty abandoned car piles on roadways. Likewise some low or 6-8 foot walls. These could break up LoS or straightaways, making dropships even more useful and actually be difficult ground or terrain that infantry could move through without being so exposed.

Even terrain that makes cities into multi-level cities. What other stuff can be used to make these cityscapes more interesting and appropriate to the game?

Great idea. I did the same thing, basically - you can order them pretty cheap from China on ebay, or find other sellers for slightly more (Amazon had someone carrying them, for example). I also got a set of buses for the same reason.

For multi-level, once you get on the forum there is a great thread from a guy how has made a multi-level city. I've stolen his idea. I made 2'x2' foldable boards (for modularity and portability), and I found 2'x2' foam blocks at the hardware store that are about 2" tall - I'm going to use those to make another couple of custom boards so that I can add sections that are elevated. Should make for a nice effect.

I've also purchased a couple of N-scale train buildings (mostly industrial stuff) to get some industrial scatter terrain as well as some non-cookie cutter buildings.

 Vertrucio wrote:

Anyone had any luck getting into the hawk wargames forums? They're on lockdown it seems and any accounts have to be approved before posting. Well I've been waiting for approval for a month now. For a public forum that's meant to promote a game, that's not a good sign.

All it took was a follow-up email. They're automated email seems to go into a black hole, but every time I email directly I guess a response within a day or two, even on weekends.

 Vertrucio wrote:

Likewise, how do people feel about the current pace of releases and future plans for Dropzone? Does it seem slow? Are there a good mix of army builds and units?

I like the pace of release - its not too frenetic, but its just enough to add spice every few months. I've found each faction has a definite flavor, and the releases (so far) haven't blown that flavor, although they have moved everything slightly more to the middle.

What is interesting to me is how balanced the game generally is. There is no killer list, no killer unit (well, maybe one - there is a debate on the boards about it, but it sounds like it will be addressed). Missions typically revolved around acquiring objectives, and therefore you have to have diversity in your lists in order to support acquiring and holding them.

The cheapo sets of cars from Amazon/Ebay are a great idea. I picked up a couple dozen from a US ebay seller (didn't feel like waiting a month for 60-100 cars when I needed a dozen for a demo game the next week) and don't regret the $10 purchase. They may not be exactly the right scale but they pass the arm's length test IMO. Here is a pic from the demo game (sorry, no original pics but just the ones I converted to a comic book style battle report for Heavy Gear).

Does anyone have pictures of that scenery set of cars they were gunna release? Wanted to see if any of them would fit under a janus.

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-resistance-dropzone-commander.html

If you scroll down you will find an image of the new civilian vehicle pack that is being worked on.

 Vertrucio wrote:
Thanks for the tip about N scale cars, I'll check some local model train shops. I'll probably end up making 1"-3" zones of piled up cars, like those you see in post apocalyptic movies. That way I can just put them down where appropriate.

.

Any train hobby store will have these.