"MORLOCK Underworld: Think It Possible To Duplicate???" Topic

Ever since I first came across them, I keep going back to these conceptual drawings for the 2002 Time Machine film:

link

QUESTION:

Do you think it would be possible to re-create the claustrophobic feel of their lair and still have a playable area (that allows easy movement of figures)?

How do you find a midpoint between the two?

Thanks.

CC
PS. I cross-posted to Fantasy, Dungeoncrawls, etc., in the hope I may maximize input from others who have tried similar things.
TMP link
TMP link
TMP link
TMP link
TMP link

A buddy of mine saw the concept art link this morning and described it as "very steampunk".

Not sure what "steampunk" is but, if someone that games that genre has done anything like it, I would love to hear from them as well.

I am very interested in getting as much input as possible before I start buying materials and planning too far ahead.

This is the only thing I've bought so far, and it is only for short tunnel/corridor sections:

TMP link

CC

CC,

I think it can be done. I'm not sure what materials you're goin' to buy, but Dwarven Forge has some good stuff that could be used. Then there are the Hurst Arts molds to consider(if you don't mind the casting part of it). I like alot of the Armorcast stuff too and alot of it could be considered steampunkish. I think that's a great project. What rules will you be using?

Rules? Haven't gotten that far yet.

I usually try to get the figures first, then the terrain concept and execution.

Any suggestions?

CC

Hi, been giving this some thought. Table would be more of a 3D cube/rectangle, so you have access to the tunnels form all sides. If i was doing it i would probably make the tunnels from sections of coving (curved edgeing goes round the top of internal walls over here). If the coving was cut in say 3 inch strips, they could be assembled to make similar tunnel walls. An alternative would be the plastic drain/soil pipes, again with sections cut out, but they are big enough to get you hands/figures in and do some odd angle sections to make the interconnections.

Neil,

Do you mean this stuff?

link
link

CC

If so, I like that idea a lot better than using foam:

link

CC

I think I would design a modular foam block system, where each block would "cradle" a room/feature/tunnel section. The foam would give a good foundation to each piece, and allow the whole construct to be assembled/disassembled easily and quickly. The foam blocks could be hollowed out with surform, hotwire, etc, and then build up and detailed with foam strips and/or styrene. Foam strips/shapes could be cut to size on a band saw or hotwired. If durability is in question, a layer of 5 minute epoxy can be painted onto the foam to strengthen it or something like Aves Apoxie Sculpt or maybe a plaster type product could be used. Plastic products from Evergreen, Plastruct, Grandt Line, Tichy Train Group, or whatever your fav might be could tech it up a bit.

IrishSerb: "I think I would design a modular foam block system, where each block would "cradle" a room/feature/tunnel section."

Let me see if I understand it correctly . . . it is the edges of the foam that form the tunnels, rooms, etc.,?

Or do you mean for the edges to be flush to one another and the tunnels, rooms, etc. are within, as in the following pics?

link
link
link

CC

Edges would be flush, forming a big block with some holes in it when completely assembled. openings would be standardized in a couple different sizes to allow the parts to be rearranged into different configurations. The tunnels/rooms would be contained, open topped (more or less), in each foam block. The blocks could have separate styrene covers that fit over the room/tunnel to keep things from being exposed until the adventure actually reached that section. And surface terrain could be placed on top where and if needed.

Several years ago, I started making concept drawings for a modular tunnel system to make "Mount Evil". Mount Evil was going to be the home of a Victorian mad scientist, located on a Pacific island to go with my "Ponape" Victorian adventure games.

link

The idea was to have a cartoony narrow gauge railroad that lead to a mine/lab complex in the mountain containing the the laboratory and that supplied something needed by the town.

The Mountain was going to consist of the foam blocks containing the RR, main, and aircraft tunnels, a hanger, mine, labs, zoo, and dock. The basic block was going to be 12"x12"x2" with some tunnels being only 6" wide and some blocks being 24" long and up to 6" thick. On top of the underground complex would have been 4 to 6 foam terrain modules with interchangeable features. Each of the modules could have been lifted off and set on an adjacent table to allow surface play to continue, while adventurers undid the evil doctor's underground doings. The whole thing would have stood two and half to three feet off of the table been up to 6 feet long and about three feet wide.

The method of construction and detailing would have been as I described above for use in your Morlock world, though styled specifically for VSF. I know it could be made to work, just a matter of engineering the modules.

IrishSerb,

Great suggestions! Thanks so much. Now I have to get pen and paper and start making sketches.

CC

Imagine these as Morlock tunnels:

picture
picture

(Nova could be Weena)

CC

Awesome tunnels:

YouTube link

Dan

Does this look cool or what?

link

Dan
TMP link