Author Topic: Questions about getting the game ready to play  (Read 11492 times)

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Bobsalt

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Questions about getting the game ready to play
« on: June 04, 2015, 05:11:07 PM »
I’ve got some questions for you guys.

How did you make the really sturdy counters (airbases, damage) for the first edition game? I’d like my counters for this game to be sturdy like those. I know you said you made the counters for this game by gluing the counter sheets to thin Styrofoam sheets, but I’d like something heavier than that. If I can’t duplicate the counters from the first edition I might try gluing the sheets to some matte boards.

What program did you use to create the counter pages? I have already come up with additional units and I’d like the counters for them to match yours. To do that I either need to come up with a way to create new counters or edit the existing counters.

Miniature painting is going slow, so we’re going to start out by just using the counters and add miniatures as I get them painted. Hopefully we’ll get to start playing in the next couple of weeks.
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John D.

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2015, 02:22:02 AM »
Counters - I mount them on thin polystyrene sheets - can buy through most online hobby stores. I print the counters on high gloss adhesive sheets photo paper. After uou print, peel the whole sheet and adhere it to the polystyrene. I use cutting guide with a rotary blade (bought at staples) to score the counter edges - then you just snap them apart.

I use photoshop for counters

Bobsalt

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2015, 02:58:22 AM »
I was afraid you were going to say Photoshop. My understanding is that it has a rather high learning curve.

Can you print on this photo paper using a standard color printer? Will it print on the entire paper, or is it going to want to insert margins?

You may have guessed that I'm not the most technical of people...
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Mark

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2015, 03:47:22 AM »
Bob -

You will want to use a thicker polystyrene sheet than the most thin plastic in order to use as a counter.  John may know the exact thickness to buy.  The plastic is much better than standard cardboard wargame counters.

Best to go to like a Staples and buy standard 8.5x11 printing paper with an adhesive back.  You can print out a counter sheet, peel off the adhesive backing and paste it right to the plastic styrene sheets.  You'll want to minimize the margins as much as you can (maybe .5 inch on all sides I think is the smallest you can go) and then when you print size the page to fit to one page.

Then best to score the plastic sheets with an exacto knife or a scoring wheel and snap the counters apart.

When I first made counters for the game I just used the Microsoft paint program.  The resolution is not very good, but good enough.  I never bought Photoshop, but there are free online downloadable programs that allow you to make high quality counters.  I downloaded and used PhotoFiltre 7 to make good quality counters.  It is not as simple as paint, but I don't think as complicated as photoshop - and it's free.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2015, 04:04:59 AM by Mark »

Wolf

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2015, 03:47:49 AM »
I actually use counters from here: http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/Facilities-Acrylic_c_184.html

In particular, the acrylic airfield and naval port markers are very easy to see, use, pickup.

Also, the acrylic damage markers fit under the ship units quite well.

Wolf

Bobsalt

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2015, 08:03:29 AM »
Just took it all to the printer. Should be able to play next week using the counters. I need to step up the pace on painting.
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Bobsalt

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2015, 03:55:14 PM »
Got everything mounted. We plan to play with the counters until I can get significantly more miniatures painted. In the meantime I would advise anyone about to mount the counters that they need to be blown up - I'd say about 50%. Otherwise, any miniatures mounted on them will cover some of the information on the counter. I'll need to have all of these redone when I'm ready to mount the miniatures - which, at the rate I'm going, will be about 10 years from now...
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Mark

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2015, 02:08:24 AM »
Hi Bob - I wonder if you tightened up the margins too much? All the pics on the forum are with minis mounted on the counters at 100% size.  I hope you get some good games in - post some pics and play-by-plays once you get it going!


Bobsalt

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2015, 12:56:23 PM »
Hi Bob - I wonder if you tightened up the margins too much? All the pics on the forum are with minis mounted on the counters at 100% size.  I hope you get some good games in - post some pics and play-by-plays once you get it going!
Mark - I printed them at 100%. Going back and looking at some of the photos that folks have posted I see that all of the counters are pretty small. I don't like having units overhang the edges of the counter. Maybe I'm just OCD. At the point down the road where I'm ready to start mounting stuff I think I will blow them up a bit and reprint them. Will definitely post once I start playing. Other than cutting out all of them it's ready to play (Europe only).
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John D.

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2015, 02:44:06 AM »
Looking forward to seeing your game posts!

Bobsalt

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2015, 02:49:09 PM »
Looking forward to seeing your game posts!
You are? Umm... you DO remember how our games usually went, don't you? And the headaches from all of the resulting rules questions for all the situations that never happened to anyone else?
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John D.

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2015, 07:08:21 PM »
98% has been resolved - give or take a percent ;)

Bobsalt

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2015, 03:27:19 PM »
Another question - what is everyone doing for storage of these units once they're mounted on the bases?
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georgemak1

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2015, 07:23:33 PM »
I personally use plastic containers with small compartments in them, you can find them at Harbor Freight in a very reasonable price.

John D.

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Re: Questions about getting the game ready to play
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2015, 01:32:10 AM »
Same with us - you can also find them at craft stores - we also use cut out bits of bubble wrap for planes.