Anyone else use papercraft for terrain in their games?

[dclunie]

I've built some terrain in the past for use with gaming, especially since I picked up a paper cutter/robocraft that hooks up your computer and does all the tedious work for you.

In general what are some of peoples favorite resources for creating these pieces of terrain? I recentlly came across on kickstarter a pop-up terrain kit http://www.d4d6d8d10d12d20.com/2014/06/kickstarter-pop-up-miniature-terrain.html

I had this similar idea when I first got my paper cutter but hadn't really explored the idea and mostly just created
permanent objects which then i stored in a box.

I think you could totally "kick it up a notch" so to speak, by flocking ,painting/shading, and even adding 3d elements, say pop sticks for trudor buildings, etc., and still keep the compact ness of the fold up if not increase it just ever so slightly.

Anywho if anyone else has some good resources for papercraft buildings for gaming (any genre) please include them here in this thread!

thanks,

-david c.

 

[amerigoV]

I've been interested in it. I do not mind the cutting and assembly. I have always like putting together models but I hate painting. Here, I can print and assemble. Kinda scratches two itches.

 

[Stormonu]

I found that I really like Worldworks Games, they have even made a game you can print out and assemble (Wormhole).

I used their Maiden ship model for the pirate campaign I ran a couple years back, and have used other set for various things (villages, pub interior, various dungeons).

Though I love my dwarven forge stuff, papercraft is just so much easier to store and carry around from place to place.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Though I love my dwarven forge stuff, papercraft is just so much easier to store and carry around from place to place.

Really? I bought a Worldworks set and partially assembled it. It did look really good and would have been fun to use, but I couldn't answer the question how to store the stuff. I mean, our house isn't really small, but storing paper models? Searching through this sensitive stuff to find the things during preparation?

Or do you disassemble the models for storage and transport? Doesn't it take a long time to set it up again? And some parts of my set had to be glued anyway.

I'd really love to love it, but deny me this on practical purposes.

 

[Lwaxy]

I do, from different resources. Have to cut myself though which kind of limits the amounts I can make.

 

[Stormonu]

Or do you disassemble the models for storage and transport? Doesn't it take a long time to set it up again? And some parts of my set had to be glued anyway.

I'd really love to love it, but deny me this on practical purposes.

I can't disassemble the Maiden, but most of the other stuff I got was geomorph-style that could be folded flat. I store that in a plastic tub, organized in manilla envelopes or tabbed folders.

It can take some time to ready, so I usually have things set to go before the game - put off to the side on a small workbench and I can just put it on the game table when ready. Overall, its faster than pulling out my dwarven forge stuff, but slower than using a battlemat. About on par with using Wotc's dungeon tiles.


<Edit> Also, I use rubber cement to hold the items together - holds it in place for the game, and makes breakdown feasible between uses. Bluetac also works for this purpose.

 

[gamerprinter]

Papercraft as its own hobby is fine thing, especially since you can use such in your tabletop games. While printing maps also has a cost, for me at least, I find it cheaper the cost for papercraft settings. Most anytime I need a given constructed terrain for a given encounter the map is unique. I seldom use the same map for every tavern I need, rather I create a separate individual tavern for every instance a tavern is needed for an encounter. It would probably be cost prohibitive to attempt to create a separate papercraft object for every differing tavern, or other scaled structure.

In the past, whenever I used the same map for a different encounter, the players' first response was "we're using that map again?" Since its no problem for me to design a new map everytime, it easier for me just to avoid the situation, by providing fresh setting content every single encounter.

 

[Cherno]

I have used a lot of Papercraft terrain in the past for my miniatures games, in fact I exclusively use cardboard scenery and even standees/miniatures for a unified look and because I can edit everything in Photoshop.

I wrote some reports on my experiences here and on other forums, I'll just link to the threads on the Lead Adventure Forum because I can't find the ENW links

The Future Noir project uses customized World Works Games Swift Scenics Terrain which can be folded flat.
http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=46259.msg537935#msg537935


The Strange Aeons terrain utilized a hybrid approach of TerrainLinx and semi-permanent structures along with normal models for smaller objects like sheds and trees. Still, the larger buildings can be used to store the small bushes etc. because the roofs come off, so in the end everything fits nicely in one medium-sized box.
http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=43781.0


Hub thread with more projects:
http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=40650.0

 

[ephemeron]

I have a set of dungeon walls and corridors that stand up by themselves, bring a selection to the gaming table in a cardboard box, and set up encounter areas at the beginning of each fight.

That means a little pause before the beginning of combat, but I'd rather have that than try to build an entire dungeon level or whatever before the game. It also makes it easier to have only what the characters can see visible to the players.