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9 October 2024
We’ve got a monumental hovertrain post today as the 3DRPG team finally completed its first Passenger train car! Bodies, in any form, on The Forgotten Rails are critical as operational costs are high and profit margins are slim. So, here we go – tickets, please!
To our readers, our hovertrain progress probably seems like we’re moving at a snail’s pace. We promise you a lot is going on behind the scenes. The trick is balancing weekly content publishing (such as new NPCs and scatter terrain) with significant, ongoing painting tile work. This particular Passenger Car gets a big exhale as we get more comfortable with our color schemes! So, let’s break it down.
This particular hovertrain 3D print comes from Aether Studios’ Fairhaven Line set. We love this collection of tiles because it includes a couple of different seating car options, a cool prison car, and, of course, the classic engine. There are so many subtle details that immerse you in the setting. For example, check out the stored luggage above the bench seats. We actually inadvertently missed those details and will have to go back over them to drop in some contrasting colors. #oops.
In previous paint tests, we tried a random dark green color pattern for the hovertrain car’s exterior. Our feelings were mixed about this approach, so a teammate here suggested using a solid color across all the panels but leaving the very tops and undersides in the standard dark metal grey. We also wanted to try a darker red. Suffice it to say we’re thrilled with the results here. The car looks rugged while still pleasing to the eye. Hovertrains are a dirty business, so it was important that we still have a bit of a rugged vibe.
The interior of our Passenger Car utilizes wooden floorboards, so we wanted the planks to convey a lot of daily use. You can imagine all those constant shuffling feet will leave scuff marks here and there. The same went for the benches. We made those darker so that they would contrast with the floor. The dark red seat cushions also needed to convey some wear and tear.
We’ll certainly release a complete paint guide for this Passenger Car, but it’s nothing too crazy or expensive. Here’s the crib notes for those eager to try the paint scheme out:
Again, a fully assembled hovertrain car can quickly absorb the paint, so we tried to use cheaper craft paints and larger bottles whenever possible. We don’t mind using our more expensive Army Painter and Contrast paints for the smaller details.
Early on, we discussed our hovertrain car assembly and its reasoning in detail. Basically, a completed train car contains a “detailed side” and an “open side.” This layout is very intentional, as DM Ben wants entire encounters to happen inside an actual car whenever possible. That means our miniatures need some combat room to work with, or things could get a bit clumsy. Yes, trains are usually tight spaces, but we still need to be practical with our gameplay.
That open space also allows us to add a piece of scatter terrain or two based on the DM’s encounter intent.
Aether Studios offers a large number of train car door options — seriously, like so many, and that’s a good thing. After all, who doesn’t love a good door? We’re TTRPG gamers, so closed-door curiosity reigns supreme! We’re thinking of doing a fun post to showcase them all (even though we’re still trying out different colors). The doors sometimes initially fit a little snug in their archways, but they’re interchangeable and can easily be swapped to match the specific, planned encounter.
Pretty darn exciting, right?! Our hovertrain is only growing in length, and we’re really starting to pick up some steam (pun intended)! And just wait until we share our first freight car next week!
Until next time!
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