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Post by estarriol on Jun 3, 2014 20:32:06 GMT
I have a lovely sea of fallen stars Dnd book and an obsession with deepwars, any suggestions on how to craft a sea floor? I could just buy antimatters's vinyl mat but it seems like an easy way out and I'd rather spend my money on minis!
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 3, 2014 23:13:55 GMT
Depend a lot on what you're going for. Shore, Coastal, Deep or trench.... Most are pretty different looking. A mile out or coastal and trench the bottom is pretty sterile looking. It tends to make Mars look like a collage by contrast.
It's a bit like a dark desert. Go for the dark grays and blues. Unless you're by a vent, they you get a bunch of reds and whites. To get some ideas best bet would be to netflix or youtube some underwater documentaries. Try to search for "thermal vents" or "black smokers". The Abyss and Leviathan are two horrible sci fi movies. Seaquest fits in there with being pretty lousy too.
Rules wise for some underwater rules, if you are going sci fi and not fantasy would be to try to hit a used book store or ebay for Blue planet.
Or are you looking more for techniques?
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Post by halloweenville on Jun 3, 2014 23:26:17 GMT
I'm going to be working on a water world after I finish the volcanic planet and Hadley's hope, But I've been Thinking for Water world make a bunch of coral reefs by hot gluing wads of Tinfoil to Cardboard base covering with Tee-Pee and glue, then after dry using Hot glue and other techniques to create different coral types maybe pick up some fish toys from the store and glue them in the reefs, colors will base it in 3 different aqua colors then the coral would be various bright colors, and I'd probably pick up some plastic aquarium plants or similar item for seaweed.
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 3, 2014 23:34:56 GMT
I'm going to be working on a water world after I finish the volcanic planet and Hadley's hope, But I've been Thinking for Water world make a bunch of coral reefs by hot gluing wads of Tinfoil to Cardboard base covering with Tee-Pee and glue, then after dry using Hot glue and other techniques to create different coral types maybe pick up some fish toys from the store and glue them in the reefs, colors will base it in 3 different aqua colors then the coral would be various bright colors, and I'd probably pick up some plastic aquarium plants or similar item for seaweed. Can also just use wire (or coat hanger pieces), not glue them to get some thickness and then white glue and sand them..... Think on my sig there is a link for the instructible for making a cactus. It's the same thing just mess with the wire a bit instead of making a Y type firgure. Ut Oh OCD kicks in.... if you're going for a for a harder science feel you have to remember that the water starts filtering out color bands so at different depths you have some of the rainbow eliminated from being seen unless you have a decent light with you.
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Post by onethatwas on Jun 4, 2014 0:31:05 GMT
If you take a large section of "floor," and then layer on card stock one over another, to create a "sand dune" layering affect (use wavy edge cuts over rugged edges), then you effectively have a sea floor. As runningwolf said, sea floors are pretty dull. Until you get to rock formations, it's pretty much just settled sand (...well, mud), which makes it look like a desert.
Once you DO get to caves, rock formations, undersea cities, sunken ships, trenches, kelp forests, reefs, etc., then you have interest. That stuff is much more "craftable," and I'm certain that the only really difference between those things underwater and on land is coloration. Use bluish tones, sea greens, greys...then its an underwater sunken ship, not a regular ship.
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 4, 2014 0:35:53 GMT
Depending on how crazy you want to get making some "large scale" pieces might be killer. Some domed cities out of soda bottle and such, however that might be more of a large scale map type craft than one to actually play... If you're going to go for a strategic battle on an underwater city it would be something super killer.
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Post by beerfrog on Jun 4, 2014 1:23:22 GMT
You guys have great ideas. And way to come through for a fellow crafter. That's why it is so nice here.
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Post by DMScotty on Jun 4, 2014 5:32:06 GMT
I second that beerfrog.
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 4, 2014 10:18:40 GMT
Was sort of funny because I was looking at Blue Planet yesterday before you posted that.... I was always tossing around the idea of an underwater setting. Something of a Firefly like meets SeaQuest feel.... Lots of the space setting feel but subs instead of space ships. i could never get it off the ground that well.
That's part of the reason I get excited about seeing someone have a good under water idea.
The alien plant/coral picture would be good for the coastal regions, or if you had a fish farm inside the city. Wrecks and coral are hotbeds of life.... they've dumped the concrete road barriers (from the high way) off of beaches to deter beach erosion. Ends up that muscles, sponges, and other critters cling to them forming artificial/test tube reefs. Help with beach erosion as well as making the local fish population jump.
When I was in my early 20's I went scuba diving for a week off Cozumel. It make my like of underwater stuff turn into a love for it.
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Post by halloweenville on Jun 4, 2014 11:08:07 GMT
I've always been fascinated by the ocean it's like space sometimes with unknown mysteries hiding in trenches and dark abysses, and who doesn't love shark week on the discovery channel....lol always wanted to swim with a whale shark....lol
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dmtucker
Tool Gatherer
Looking for adventure ideas.
Posts: 64
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Post by dmtucker on Jun 4, 2014 15:17:38 GMT
I have a lovely sea of fallen stars Dnd book and an obsession with deepwars, any suggestions on how to craft a sea floor? I could just buy antimatters's vinyl mat but it seems like an easy way out and I'd rather spend my money on minis! Use fine sand on the ground and go to the beach and get some coral or really fine sponge to make sponges and coral and use grass as sea weed. Then paint over the whole thing with a darkish blue to make it look under water.
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Post by estarriol on Jun 4, 2014 19:45:00 GMT
Thanks! Lots of ideas to develope here. And that coral is awesome, runningwolf!
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 6, 2014 14:36:35 GMT
Thanks! Lots of ideas to develope here. And that coral is awesome, runningwolf! Thanks... Original concept from a cactus, and was using it for alien plants but the coral idea seems to suit it to a T as well. It's sitting in the wings waiting to be based/assembled and painted but DM Scotty's tentacles can give a coral/underwater plant look as well. Make a tentacle the same way his does, let it air dry out, and put a few random drops of white glue (dip that in large grit sand) and let dry again.Looks like a strand of sea weed or other aquatic plant. Paint the whole thing green and the sand clumps are air bladders or mess around with the paint scheme to make the "clumps" flowers or air bladders.
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 7, 2014 14:52:13 GMT
I'm watching some SeaQuest on the computer and half tempted to pull some frames to post and show you.... but that would be illegal. The show really isn't good enough for me to recommend shelling out a few bucks to get it on netflix. I would however try to find some of the documentaries on deep ocean vents and ship wrecks (I know there are a few on the wrecks in the Great Lakes). Bonus with the documentaries is that while they may be enhanced they are not total CGI. They do a good job of showing some of the deep water ocean floors. If you're looking for something more coastal try to youttube or google scuba diving Santa Rosa or Cozumel. Cozumel is a nice protected reef (second best diving reef in the world), and since it is a tourist destination there will be tons of stills and videos..... On a similar vain the cenota (sp.... underwater caves) of Mexico and Central America will have some good cave diving shots. Archaeologists have found offering in the caves kilometers away from any opening. One of the brain storming things I came up with for my unfinished underwater setting was having bases drilled into cliffs and mountains. It would be on par with hollowing out an asteroid in a space setting. It provides some adventuring opportunities.... "this base started off as a mine and we still have a few active mine shafts." You can have accidents, water leaks, gas leaks, ancient aliens, ancient demons (whatever fits your setting) pop up in the mines as a plot hook. If you play it right it can also be very claustrophobic (part of the terror of the original Aliens movie was that sense of being claustrophobic and out of touch with any other people).
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Post by Pagemistress on Jun 9, 2014 19:16:24 GMT
There's an excellent program out there (Discovery or NatGeo, not sure which) called Drain the Ocean. It goes step by step as to what the sea floor actually looks like when there is no water. They cover everything from the abyssal plains to the black smokers and the rift valleys. It's really awesome to watch just for itself, but to get an idea of what the terrain actually looks like, this is a good start.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 23:04:58 GMT
I was looking at a role of Gauze while unpacking the other day and was impressed with its texture. I think it would make for a great seafloor among other things.
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Post by runningwolf on Jun 13, 2014 10:04:00 GMT
The gauze would also make a neat "freaky" tundra texture too.
I think that series was coming on right about the time I dumped the cable tv. I can;t remember if I actually saw it or just saw the commercials for it. I have to put it on my to watch list.
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DM Michael
Paint Manipulator
Preparing for 'In the spider's web' part of LMOP
Posts: 169
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Post by DM Michael on Jul 12, 2014 19:32:48 GMT
I have a lovely sea of fallen stars Dnd book and an obsession with deepwars, any suggestions on how to craft a sea floor? I could just buy antimatters's vinyl mat but it seems like an easy way out and I'd rather spend my money on minis! Use fine sand on the ground and go to the beach and get some coral or really fine sponge to make sponges and coral and use grass as sea weed. Then paint over the whole thing with a darkish blue to make it look under water. An alternative way of making coral reefs might be to use polystyrene and spray paint it. The spray paint will eat away at the small pellets, leaving behind a nice texture. I would advise to make a small scale test first to try out the technique. Try different types of polystyrene (in regards to the size of the pellets).
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Post by Jason on Jul 12, 2014 20:21:12 GMT
I am an aquarium nut, and I have seen some made to order fish tanks with some amazing "terrain". If it were me I would look at some of those and adopt some of that stuff in miniature scale. Some of it looks pretty cool.
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Post by SteamTitan on Jul 13, 2014 18:57:13 GMT
natural sponges torn up scattered about or perhaps buy a few cheap fish tank pieces to help add to the look?
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