"Traveller Interstellar Wars - Imperial Battleship" Topic

Greetings all,

I've just finished a scratch-build for a Vilani battleship from the Interstellar Wars period of the Traveller-verse. Based on the counter art and box cover of the GDW game IMPERIUM.

Pics on my blog:
link

Regards,
Keith F.

Very cool! Nice job staying with the counter style.

Warlock – thanks! It's a challenge, but an intellectually easy one. : )

KF

Love it !!!!

Very nicely done.

That's nice. It sound to be a fun project. I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Nice job! It's also reminiscent of the counter designs from Starfire.

Doug

Thank you, gents.

Doug – I've been told that before, and even searched the web/ebay for old minis. Unfortunately, the scale is off, even when I can find them. Starfire being a bit too small.

The project began back in 2007, when I picked up some DLD Attack Craft from his starship line. Something clicked, and I was soon glueing wooden craft beads to plastic bits.

The rest is Future History.

I'll see about posting a pic of the fleet in review order. You'll be able to see the size of this brute in comparison.

Best regards,
Keith F.

Just to be clear, this is the Avalanche Press version of the game, right? I don't think it was on any of the GDW versions.

Not that the imperium didn't have full billiard ball BB's.

Looking forward to seeing more!

Doug

This is a scratch built Zirukaruna (Vilani for "Grand Emperor") Imperial battleship for playing the old GDW game Imperium with miniatures

LOVE IT.

I've played the old GDW game to death. The idea of making minis for everything is GREAT. It's actually a manageable project, given the relatively low counter density. That's very, very cool.

Now, about the 5 x 5 x 5 plastic cube for battles…

Doug

Doug – You are correct; the Avalanche Press box art (which matched the original counters) provided the kickstart, not to mention their unsatisfactory space combat system.

Darthfozzy – I was fortunate in not having to scratch build the Terran Confederation ships. Reviresco's StarGuard line pretty much captures the look of the GDW counters.

Thanks again all for the enthusiastic (and somewhat surprising) reception. I'm often amazed at what strikes a chord.

Best regards,
Keith F.

That is an awesome model. I love the Interstellar Wars era of Traveller and am seriously considering running my next Traveller game set in that time.

Brian,

Absolutely GO for IT. It's a fascinating time period with a very frontier-sey feel to it. If you can get a copy of DGP's Vilani and Vargr to help you with the Vilani mindset, so much the better.

I set my campaign after the Capitulation of Ensular, when the Terrans are attempting to take over control of the Ziru Sirka. Making them work with the Vilani is an endless joy…for me. :D

Cheers!
KF

…not to mention their unsatisfactory space combat system.

I did, didn't I? ;->=

Fair dinkum, which AP admitted all too quickly(still on their website). Still, I thought the 'cube' would make a great meta-battle stage, and use some other miniatures game to work out squadron vs. battles.

By the way, Star Guard ships were unavailable, which makes your suggestion a bit of torture, if it weren't for the fact they're supposed to be, or be shortly, back in production, according to Black Widow Pilot.

Doug

Fantastic!

Doug – yes you didn't. The Cube wasn't a bad idea, it just wasn't an improvement, IMO.

AFA Star Guard being OOS, that's odd, I was just at Reviresco and thought I saw the ships as available?

link

KF

By the way, Star Guard ships were unavailable, which makes your suggestion a bit of torture, if it weren't for the fact they're supposed to be, or be shortly, back in production, according to Black Widow Pilot.

The Starguard! ships are available:

link

The trick is navigating John's eccentric webstore directory…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Keith, IMHO you nailed the Imperial battleship in style and execution. Bravo.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

If only there were more published designs for the period compatible with the GURPS Interstellar Wars rules … or anything, really.

@Kyfye – I have almost all the old Traveller stuff ever published. Also have a copy of GURPS Interstellar Wars which is a pretty good resource.

Traveller has been my 'solo rpg' for years. I have so many sectors, ships and npcs mapped out it is not funny.

Recently I was playing with 3D Traveller maps – I mean who hasn't?

link

That ship is weirdly cool, I like the base too.

Ed McK, I'm not sure I follow you. Are you regretting the lack of anything new for GURPS Interstellar Wars, or GURPS Traveller?

Brian – I have a lot of the GURPS Traveller material and I don't really use GURPS. I use it for the background, which I think is very well done. I think I might agree with Ed McK that the GURPS Traveller Line could use a pep pill.

HZCMc – metal base is from an old Amarillo Star Trek metal mini (Regula 1?). I wanted something with a bit of weight.

There has been nothing for GURPS Traveller for years. I also use it mainly as a resource. I really, really like the GURPS: Traveller Starships design rules though. I have the GMV software and it makes designing ships a breeze. Saying that, HG2 is still a go to book:)

Very nice work Keith! You've captured the feel of the Imperium counter.

I don't play enough power projection, mostly because no one else plays and I divested myself of my starship collection a few years back.

AFA Star Guard being OOS, that's odd, I was just at Reviresco and thought I saw the ships as available?

Right-o, but were un for awhile. BWP announced the re-release in another thread.

Pretty certain ADB never did a Regula 1 or anything else movie or later. Does look like a FASA base, but don't recall those in metal, but a lack of recalling on my part is hardly unusual.

I have some original Traveller art languishing in the store's basement. Marc Miller was unloading old GDW files a few years back on eBay; they included some from Supplement 9.

I really thought my co-owners would have seen framed gaming 'historical' art would classy the place up. *sigh*

Doug

Doug – you are correct, that's a FASA base. Regula One came with a metal base, probably because it was a heavy piece and canted at a slight angle. My Reg 1 is long since gone.

The FASA Romulan battleship also came with a metal base. Bear in mind, though, that this could vary between production runs.

That's a shame regarding the art. I suppose they wanted the wall space for product.

G-Dog – that's a pity. Power Projection is not only an improvement on High Guard, it's an improvement on Full Thrust (IMO). I still use FT, but the massed missile fire and scenario generator from PP are simply neat.

If you want to play Power Projection, come to TravellerCon in Lancaster PA this October. I'm going to announce this on the conventions board later today, but here's a sneak preview:

travellercon-usa.com/info

Regards,
Keith F.

Assuming that I'm "Ed McK"…

I was bemoaning the lack of additional ships for the Interstellar Wars era, particularly converted to the ship combat system that comes in GURPS IWs. There are too many lacks of match-ups.

There's been a lot of discussion of the Imperium board game over at BoardGameGeek.com, BTW.

E=McK ;)

I could post my designs and conversions, the question is, where? JTAS has been on a draw-down for over a year.

GURPS needs a new assistant Line Editor to help Loren W as he recovers his health. Major surgery and what is probably a mix of recuperative pharmaceuticals can't be giving him much energy.

New energy could only stimulate the GURPS Traveller line.

Regards,
Keith

OK, this inspired me to pop into a local dollar store and buy a six pack of ping pong balls….

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

For an AAR with the Imperial Battleship as the objective, visit my blog: link

Best regards,
Keith F.

Why, you old thread-necromancer, you…

Damn your eyes! It's AAR's like that that will get me to dig out my copies of PP again. *sigh*

"Some readers who play Power Projection may have noticed an absence of nuclear missile markers – in fact, I forgot to deploy them, so the game was played with standard missiles. Maybe both sides were out?"

Rules of Engagement based on local ordinances, and nobody wants to ruffle local feathers, at the moment… ;->=

Doug

"Why, you old thread-necromancer, you…"

Well, I didn't think the update warranted a new post – seemed like more of an addendum. Guilty as charged. : )

PP is a wonderful rules set that is only hobbled by not enough support on the part of the author and especially BITS.

"Rules of Engagement based on local ordinances, and nobody wants to ruffle local feathers, at the moment… ;->="

That'll do. :D
K-

Call me the 'Great Rationalizer…'

I can do even better.

'The Imperial sector duke, knowing the local abhorrence to fissionables, ordered their omission in the fleet's loadout.

Even a debacle could be used to keep the citizens rabidly loyal.

The Solomani intel caught wind of this, and placed the same restrictions on their own ships.'

Doug

You're The Great Rationalizer, Doug.

Now, about 2014's TrashBash, in honor of Keith's brilliantly rendered Imperial battleship, how about we all push Brian to make the required bit of junk a ping pong ball? You can get a half dozen at the dollar stores here in the colonies…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Doug, excellent rational premise – tho' to make the history a bit clearer, the Ziru Sirka is the First Imperium and Terran Confederation is much smaller than the Solomani Sphere/Confederation.

First Imperium fell around 2300 AD (or abouts) while the Solomani Rim war was around 5225 AD – roughly year 990 IR (Imperial Reckoning)- and fought against the Third Imperium.

Probably unnecessarily Byzantine time line – it is what makes Traveller so much fun for armchair historians.

Now that you've mentioned them, I'll work on trotting out a Solomani Rim War scenario.

Leland – you're too kind. I'd like to see someone try making a Tigress-class battleship using a ping-pong/table tennis ball.

Best regards,
Keith

Roger that; I'd forgotten about the 1st Imp ref. I assumed Solomoni was the common Vilani term for Terrans from the beginning.

Oh, wait, I'm rationalizing again… ;->=

Doug

The standard histories suggest that the term arose just after the Interstellar Wars period, as the Second Imperium was replacing the First.