"OPAR: Lost Mining Outpost In The Jungle" Topic

I am really psyched about getting started on this Opar lost mining outpost terrain project.

I hope it ends up looking like a ruined version of this:

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QUESTION:

Do any of you have any suggestions on how to make a curved wall like that, using extruded polystyrene (blue/pink board) sheets?

I seem to remember a tutorial somewhere (perhaps LOTR Helm's Deep?), but can't seem to find it now.

CC
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In case anyone is wondering why a ruined version of it . . . here's the tale of that decayed society:

"I am La, high priestess of the Temple of the Sun, in the city of Opar. We are descendants of a people who came to this savage world more than ten thousand years ago in search of gold. Their cities stretched from a great sea under the rising sun to a great sea into which the sun descends at night to cool his flaming brow. They were very rich and very powerful, but they lived only a few months of the year in their magnificent palaces here; the rest of the time they spent in their native land, far, far to the north."

"Many ships went back and forth between this new world and the old. During the rainy season there were but few of the inhabitants remained here, only those who superintended the working of the mines by the black slaves, and the merchants who had to stay to supply their wants, and the soldiers who guarded the cities and the mines.

"It was at one of these times that the great calamity occurred. When the time came for the teeming thousands to return none came. For weeks the people waited. Then they sent out a great galley to learn why no one came from the mother country, but though they sailed about for many months, they were unable to find any trace of the mighty land that had for countless ages borne their ancient civilization--it had sunk into the sea.

"From that day dated the downfall of my people. Disheartened and unhappy, they soon became a prey to the black hordes of the north and the black hordes of the south. One by one the cities were deserted or overcome. The last remnant was finally forced to take shelter within this mighty mountain fortress. Slowly we have dwindled in power, in civilization, in intellect, in numbers, until now we are no more than a small tribe of savage apes.

"In fact, the apes live with us, and have for many ages. We call them the first men--we speak their language quite as much as we do our own; only in the rituals of the temple do we make any attempt to retain our mother tongue. In time it will be forgotten, and we will speak only the language of the apes; in time we will no longer banish those of our people who mate with apes, and so in time we shall descend to the very beasts from which ages ago our progenitors may have sprung."

"But why are you more human than the others?" asked the man.

"For some reason the women have not reverted to savagery so rapidly as the men. It may be because only the lower types of men remained here at the time of the great catastrophe, while the temples were filled with the noblest daughters of the race. My strain has remained clearer than the rest because for countless ages my foremothers were high priestesses--the sacred office descends from mother to daughter. Our husbands are chosen for us from the noblest in the land. The most perfect man, mentally and physically, is selected to be the husband of the high priestess."
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CC
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Here is a Helm's Deep tutorial:
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Here is a Minis Tirith tutorial:
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Regards, the Gorb

Cut out a curved card template at the top of the polystyrene, another at the base. Tape or PVA glue them on, then use a hot-wire cutter to trace round them and get your shape.

There's a bit of prep work, but it's not difficult to do, even on large projects.

My biggest fear, I guess, was that the polystyrene would either bounce back and detach in time, or that it would snap/break as I was trying to make it curve.

I will give it a shot.

Thanks guys!

CC

You can always try sintra people use it to make Storm trooper armor and they sell it in sheets. You heat and band it.

or make a thick top and bottom curve and fold layers of thin card around the shape, then texture.

I like the picture though, thats a nice Fortress.

If it works the first time I try it, then I might be able to do the double walls described in the novel:

"For an hour the little expedition rested upon the mountain- top, and then Tarzan led them down into the valley below. There was no trail, but the way was less arduous than the ascent of the opposite face of the mountain had been. Once in the valley their progress was rapid, so that it was still light when they halted before the towering walls of the ancient city.
The outer wall was fifty feet in height where it had not fallen into ruin, but nowhere as far as they could see had more than ten or twenty feet of the upper courses fallen away. It was still a formidable defense. On several occasions Tarzan had thought that he discerned things moving behind the ruined portions of the wall near to them, as though creatures were watching them from behind the bulwarks of the ancient pile. And often he felt the sensation of unseen eyes upon him, but not once could he be sure that it was more than imagination.
That night they camped outside the city. Once, at midnight, they were awakened by a shrill scream from beyond the great wall. It was very high at first, descending gradually until it ended in a series of dismal moans. It had a strange effect upon the blacks, almost paralyzing them with terror while it lasted, and it was an hour before the camp settled down to sleep once more. In the morning the effects of it were still visible in the fearful, sidelong glances that the Waziri continually cast at the massive and forbidding structure which loomed above them.
It required considerable encouragement and urging on Tarzan's part to prevent the blacks from abandoning the venture on the spot and hastening back across the valley toward the cliffs they had scaled the day before. But at length, by dint of commands, and threats that he would enter the city alone, they agreed to accompany him.
For fifteen minutes they marched along the face of the wall before they discovered a means of ingress. Then they came to a narrow cleft about twenty inches wide. Within, a flight of concrete steps, worn hollow by centuries of use, rose before them, to disappear at a sharp turning of the passage a few yards ahead.
Into this narrow alley Tarzan made his way, turning his giant shoulders sideways that they might enter at all. Behind him trailed his black warriors. At the turn in the cleft the stairs ended, and the path was level; but it wound and twisted in a serpentine fashion, until suddenly at a sharp angle it debouched upon a narrow court, across which loomed an inner wall equally as high as the outer. This inner wall was set with little round towers alternating along its entire summit with pointed monoliths. In places these had fallen, and the wall was ruined, but it was in a much better state of preservation than the outer wall.
Another narrow passage led through this wall, and at its end Tarzan and his warriors found themselves in a broad avenue, on the opposite side of which crumbling edifices of hewn granite loomed dark and forbidding. Upon the crumbling debris along the face of the buildings trees had grown, and vines wound in and out of the hollow, staring windows; but the building directly opposite them seemed less overgrown than the others, and in a much better state of preservation. It was a massive pile, surmounted by an enormous dome. At either side of its great entrance stood rows of tall pillars, each capped by a huge, grotesque bird carved from the solid rock of the monoliths."
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Otherwise, my Opar might end up being a single-wall city.

CC

I'm really looking forward to seeing this one in peogress.

I hope it is a place fitting for La.

If not, she might put a curse on me or worse . . .

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CC
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Great ideas here:

erbzine.com/mag17/1763.html
erbzine.com/mag26/2605.html
erbzine.com/mag26/2606.html
erbzine.com/mag26/2607.html
erbzine.com/mag26/2608.html
erbzine.com/mag11/1168.html
erbzine.com/mag15/1547.html
erbzine.com/mag19/1969.html
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CC

Now, if only I could read the fine print here, I would have an idea of how to position the buildings topside and how to build the vaults:

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erbzine.com/mag15/1547.html
erbzine.com/mag19/1937.html

Can anyone help? Anyone with eagle eyes out there?

Thanks.

CC

Thinking now about doing that terrain piece for 15mm.

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It would then fit on my table, I think.

These guys might do double duty, as Morlocks and as Oparian males:

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CC
PS. My latest find – for similar terrain:
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If I were to do this in 15mm, what do you guys think of using these LOTR ruin sprues?

auction

Look at how they look as facings for ruined buildings here:

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Except that, for Opar, I would have to get some sun charms to put on the top of the gates, to depict the Oparian's "Flaming God":

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Perhaps with stuff like this (minus the happy faces)?

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So, what do you guys think?

CC
erbzine.com/mag15/1547.html

You truly have a dizzying intellect.

I like it, you could probably use whatever you make as Eloi ruins for that particular project as well.

LOL.

"You truly have a dizzying intellect." That's the nicest description I've read yet for ADD!

CC

I just realized that the wall in the first link already has an "Atlantean-looking" Sunburst design over the gate.

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Works well with the Flaming God concept in Opar, don't you think?

erbzine.com/mag15/1547.html
erbzine.com/mag19/1937.html
erbzine.com/mag4/0490.html

CC

More cool art:

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CC

Some of these LOTR Osgiliath ideas may be useful:

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Lots of "Atlantean"-looking domes.

Dan

Man, I just love this look:

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That John Eaves is quite the artist.

I'd be happy if mine comes out half as nice.

Dan

I don't know about foam board, but with wood there's two approaches you can take (1) thin sheets 1/4" will bend to a curve much easier then thick ones build a jig, bend the wood to the curve you want, in the jig and laminate the next one to it, continue this till you have the thickness you want. (2) cut slots half way through the wood in the back of the wood 3/4" bend the wood in the direction of the slots the gaps in the slots will close up some what, use a jig to hold in place and again glue the next sheet in place over the first. it might work with foam board I don't know never did it with foam board.

War Monkey,

Thanks.

And, if the wall curvature process becomes impossible, I guess I can always fall back to the written description of the thing:

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Dan

There are so many cool images out there.

Just imagine this with lots of vines and tree growth . . .

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Dan

There have to be a LOT of useful ideas on how to make jungle ruins from this here:

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Dan

WOW that's really cool, what a great idea, I can see hours of fun with that. Thanks Dan

Doug

Cacique

How far along are you actually creating the terrain?

I've cut the 1/4 MDF bases and bought both cork and polystyrene for it.

I also started making a "sunburst" design for over the main gate (in honor of "The Flaming God"). It has a pyramid in the center of a flaming circle. I started with this basic logo look, and then added flames around the circle:
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Now that my arm is getting a little better from surgery I can start putting together some of the larger sections.

As soon as I do, I will start taking pictures.

Dan

I can't wait to see the final product!

Dan: "There have to be a LOT of useful ideas on how to make jungle ruins from this here:"

Damn, I'm getting really tired of the way my jaw keeps dropping. Getting gravel burn on my chin…

I just wish I'd gone to the bottom of the page first, so I could have worked my way up to such awesomeness!

Shock like that's hard on an old man.

Doug

PS Good luck on your project, too. ;->= Kinda stuff I only dream of; I salute a better man!

RE: Curved poli-sty, I've a table wire cutter, and the supplied video suggested a mounting it such that it spins on a pivot.

Say, take circle piece of MDF with a post in the center, bottom. Put a stack of foam roughly the shape you want on it, maybe clamped from the back, and turntable it slowly against a fixed wire.

Set up is a bit of a job, but ADD, er, sorry, 'dizzying intellect' gets you through a lot, right?

LOL!!!

Yes. ADD is a blessing in disguise. :)

The only problem is that the wife is getting a little tired of all the unfinished projects lying about:

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I need to really focus on one project at a time, and I think this Opar set is the one I need to complete first. I'm trying to make it versatile enough so I can use it as Opar, but also for later, as a major ruin complex for Pirates in Kong's Skull Island:

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But that related project is going to have to wait until I'm done with my Opar.

Thanks for all the wonderful encouragement!!!

Dan

That first picture is cool I just set it as My desktop wallpaper.

I may have to copy the Atlantis Resort (in the Bahamas) for ideas for stonework and the interior hallways, doorways, etc.:

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With a few "Egyptian" touches, of course . . .

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Dan

Dear CC,

I game the colonial conquest of Mars. We have had a few battles near Martian forts. One of the guys built a Martian fort out of a styrofoam insert to a new Washing machine. I wish I had pictures of his work. I will tell you that it looked very much like your first picture. His fort was built for 25mm, since you are gaming in 15mm it would be HUGE. You might at least go to a big box store and ask for some of the styrofoam inserts. He got his for free!
You might find a shape that you can use for the base of yor compound. Hope this helps.

I plan on doing the same for a either flyer base, in 25mm.

As always at your service,

Colonel Hairy Haggis

As usual CC thanks for the ideas. I have accumulated a lot of Indian bits and bobs. I was going to make a temple, but a ruined temple is easier and much cooler. The link to the ruined Buddist/Hindu temple is gong to be most helpful.

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Thanks again,

Ron aka LLC

Check out what Russ (Old Glory – Blue Moon Manufacturing) says here: "We will have alot for historicon. Tarzan characters, porters, pygmies,chieftans and witch doctors, villagers, prisoners, adventurers,missionaries, explorers.
More later such as wild beasts, several types of villages, and things for the Congo."

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Their upcoming 15-18mm African tribesmen look amazing:

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Add to that the awesome figures Rebel Minis has come up with and things are looking good for a 15mm Opar adventure game:

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Dan

Man, this artwork is inspiring:

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Dan
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More coming . . .

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Dan

Eli may have found for us the perfect 15mm Oparian males:

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Dan

Guys,

I just found this image. I think it would make a very cool Opar, if made into ruins overgrown with vines and trees, of course.

I like this door style too:

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Dan
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When I was in Ethiopia we went to Gondar. Will see if I can find some photos of the castle.
But the Emperors bathhouse, that was cool. You could really imagine Panthers & monkeys living there.

Gondar castle

Fasiladas bath

to the right of the pictures is a wall which midway along a fig tree has grown. Disney's Jungle book.

I was thinking of something less medieval-looking.

I found these, but would like to know if you know of others:

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Dan

I'm tempted to add a ruined pyramid somewhere though.

Perhaps the one in the original Alien film script:

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Or maybe something like the Meidum Pyramid, but with a dome on top:

What do you guys think?

Dan

I know this isn't meant to be Opar, but Opar was the first thing I thought of when I saw it:

barsoom.wikia.com/wiki/Horz

Dan

Guys,

Is this awesome-looking or what?

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Dan

maybe this is a bit further a field but would it be of interest?

auction

I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out, keep posting mate.

or maybe this? Very pricey I agree.

auction

On another post on 1889 high martians I saw a figure that would work well for Oparian males. I believe the company link was elementalminiatures.co.uk

A few weapon swaps and you would have one terrifying mob (squad.)

M-

Were you aware of Finger and Toes paper model of the Lost City?

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I realize this is like four years old, but I still go back to this thread for reference and inspiration.

So much good stuff here!