Question re miniatures for Traveller

[viper1]

Hi all

I'm new to traveller and was thinking of getting hold of some miniatures to represent characters and for combat etc. Just wondered if it mattered what scale miniatures were used?

I was thnking of buying some of the 28mm 2000ad miniatures by foundry for the new judge dredd expansion

 

[tneva82]

Well since you don't need miniatures I doubt it makes much of difference. However I would go for 15cm as that allows for ranges that aren't literally within spitting distances as 28mm would be ;-)

 

[Brutorz Bill]

I also recommend 15mm
Here's a great blog that has lots of pictures and links to alot of the stuff out there for 15mm.
http://dropshiphorizon.blogspot.com/

 

[Sevya]

I've used 28mm, 25mm and 15mm, and I strongly recommend 15mm. They're less expensive, easier to store, easier to transport and take up less space on the gaming table. I find them easier to paint too, but I've heard some debate on this issue...

Sevya

 

[tneva82]

I find them easier to paint too, but I've heard some debate on this issue...

I would cast my vote on them being easier to paint as well. In my experience smaller the model, easier it is to paint. Reason? Less details to worry about! Less pouches, cigarettes and whatnot to paint. Less need for fancy highlighting to make them look nice. Simple base colours in place + wash does wonders.

15mm is reasonably large still compared to my favourite scale(6mm) but still quick to paint(well compared to 28mm. Compared to 6mm painting takes ages ).

 

[Golan2072]

As others have said before, 15mm is relatively cheap and it fits small tables too (like my own 100cm by 60cm table).

 

[wombatzoner]

I also recommend 15mm
Here's a great blog that has lots of pictures and links to alot of the stuff out there for 15mm.
http://dropshiphorizon.blogspot.com/

Seconded. There seems to be a lot of really good 15mm sci-fi stuff out there these days.

 

[FreeTrav]

The thing to be aware of, if you choose 15mm figures, is that most of the deckplans that are already out from previous versions of Traveller are for 25mm.

For plans from Mongoose that have already come out, you'll need to do enlargement anyway, so it's less of an issue.

 

[Infojunky]

Hi all

I'm new to traveller and was thinking of getting hold of some miniatures to represent characters and for combat etc. Just wondered if it mattered what scale miniatures were used?

Not really.....

I prefer 15mm, as it allows more room on the table top than larger figures do.

But it is really personnel choice. And all the classic figures for Traveller are a might bit pricey on Ebay.

The good news is that 15mm SF is undergoing a renaissance right now so the selection is expanding nearly every day.

I was thnking of buying some of the 28mm 2000ad miniatures by foundry for the new judge dredd expansion

Oh and 15mm is way cheaper than 28mm on a figure by figure basis...

 

[Infojunky]

The thing to be aware of, if you choose 15mm figures, is that most of the deckplans that are already out from previous versions of Traveller are for 25mm.

Er?

All of CT was 15mm or 1/2 inch squares (AZH, Snapshot, FASA's adventure class ship's)

Seeker did both 1 inch and half inch.

SJG's did 1 inch, but the scale was 1 inch = 3 feet, thus they where larger than seeker plans by about a third.

Dragon Forge <i think, the guys doing the laser cut ones> are doing both.

And Loren Wisemen is producing through SJGs deckplans in 1/2 inch grids also.

I might be missing some but mostly it looks from here that the field is split or leaning towards the 15mm fold....

 

[FreeTrav]

The thing to be aware of, if you choose 15mm figures, is that most of the deckplans that are already out from previous versions of Traveller are for 25mm.

Er?

All of CT was 15mm or 1/2 inch squares (AZH, Snapshot, FASA's adventure class ship's)

Seeker did both 1 inch and half inch.

SJG's did 1 inch, but the scale was 1 inch = 3 feet, thus they where larger than seeker plans by about a third.

Dragon Forge <i think, the guys doing the laser cut ones> are doing both.

And Loren Wisemen is producing through SJGs deckplans in 1/2 inch grids also.

I might be missing some but mostly it looks from here that the field is split or leaning towards the 15mm fold....

We need an icon for raising an eyebrow like Spock did... In IRC, I'd just type "/me spocks".

I'll concede that I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that the squares for most plans were quite large - my gaming group often used quarters or NYC subway tokens (about the same size) to represent figures when we needed to illustrate a situation. (We were too cheap to go out and buy molded miniatures, and we didn't actually need them all that often.) Two squares to 1 ton displacement, with an assumption of 3m vertical, so one square was 1.5m, or (roughly) 5ft. Sounds like 25mm scale to me...

Some plans that I recall - don't ask for specifics; I'm working from memory, and I've said more than once that I'm up to the 'Z' - used half-inch squares, but did so at eight-to-the-ton, making them the SAME scale, just with finer granularity - the stateroom that was two squares wide with big squares became four squares wide with the little ones.

Of course, these days, with multifunction home "printers" also being able to act as magnifying/reducing copiers, it probably doesn't matter much; to go from 25mm to 15mm, set the scale to 60%; to go from 15 to 25, set it for 165%, and push "START". If I'm going to use cheap "miniatures" like the SJG "Cardboard Heros", I'd probably prefer 25mm; real minis (molded metal or plastic) would be OK in 15mm. Improvised, like I used? Go with what fits for items you end up using, whether they be coins, buttons, Icehouse pyramids, go stones, or whatever.

Side note: SJG actually did Traveller ship plans two ways - ISTR both square and hex gridding on the plans, and you selected which ones you wanted by flipping the plans over. Couldn't swear to the scale, though.

 

[G. K. Zhukov]

I use true 25mm miniatures because back in the eighties I laid my hands on the Grenadier miniatures. And it was great news when Mega Minis released their limited series of 25mm Vargr, K'kree and Bwap.

But I must admit that the astonishing amount of 15mm goodies being made today are very tempting. I only wish some manufacturer got the license to make 15mm Traveller aliens...

Side note: SJG actually did Traveller ship plans two ways - ISTR both square and hex gridding on the plans, and you selected which ones you wanted by flipping the plans over. Couldn't swear to the scale, though.

At 1-inch to the yard they are appropriate for your 54mm soldiers (1:32 - 1:35 scale)! Even the huge AT-43 figures (35mm tall or pretty close to 1:48 scale) would look dwarvish on those maps.

Seriously, GURPS Traveller deck plans are way too big to be useful for most players! Anyway they are interesting enough - if only because of the 25mm cardboard heroes they included!

 

[Infojunky]

Seriously, GURPS Traveller deck plans are way too big to be useful for most players! Anyway they are interesting enough - if only because of the 25mm cardboard heroes they included!

To be quite honest I bought those plans for the Cardboard heros....

Then someone gave the 15mm Cardboard Heros from the 80's....

 

[Vile]

If you're starting out, 15mm is the scale to go for. Like many others I ended up with 25mm just because I sort of drifted into it, but they do make SF ranged combat a bit tricky on a smaller table. Two threads on SFRPG that you might be interested in:

http://www.sfrpg.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=33

http://www.sfrpg.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=844

 

[Sturn]

If you're starting out, 15mm is the scale to go for. Like many others I ended up with 25mm just because I sort of drifted into it, but they do make SF ranged combat a bit tricky on a smaller table.

I also use true 25mm. But, like Vile said, if I had to start anew I would use 15mm due to cheapness, not necessarily scale. 15mm also goes well with 1:72 models if you want to go with plastic instead of resin vehicles.

I don't find a table being too small very often for 25mm battles in Traveller. Most battles are in a building, a camp outside, a ship interior, etc. True 25mm does just fine. Of course truly long ranged battles in Traveller would get too big even at 15mm. That's what range bands are for when action goes way beyond your small map.

I still like painting 25mm minis over 15mm. 25mm also seems to have more support overall on the internet, but 15mm is a close second.