Just reviewed the Welles and Baxter books - both set the tripods at 100 feet tall which gives us 8.33 inches in 1/144" scale . . . Ares is how tall on the tallest?
Just reviewed the Welles and Baxter books - both set the tripods at 100 feet tall which gives us 8.33 inches in 1/144" scale . . . Ares is how tall on the tallest?
Last edited by clipper1801; 07-16-2019 at 10:09.
Dave/flash has the actual height of the MkIV Cuttlefish - the tallest of the Martian war machines - as 10cm...so a little less than half the 'real' height. He has started a thread of Martian war machine characteristics and traits that looks like it will be quite handy...
All the best,
Matt
Most likely their height is to keep it in the range of 3 to 4 altitude pegs . . .
I think you are likely correct, Dave - if I remember correctly, it also seems that Black Smoke affects planes at 1 or 2 pegs but not at 3 or 4...so there is a benefit to flying higher vis a vis that sort of attack. At four pegs, a plane is relatively level with the taller tripods...
All the best,
Matt
Given that the whole thing is Science Fiction, who really cares anyway.
Too true, Gary! Although 'scale' always creeps in when models are concerned, somehow... The other 'issue' involves using the same tripods with WWI 1/144 planes and WW2 1/200 planes...and , as you say, it's sci-fi, so 'anything' goes (up to a point, I would add). I certainly am not going to quibble about a few inches - the models look great in and of themselves, and they look nice on the table with the planes. As I think I've mentioned elsewhere, the only jarring 'look' I find with them is the tripods on the newer Ares mats - somehow the groundscale on the mat looks odd with tripods walking across the surface...again, that 'scale' issue rearing its ugly head seems more obvious vis a vis the ground than when compared to a plane...
Regardless, I think the game is really pretty nifty
All the best,
Matt
Haven't read the official rules, but when playtesting, I suggested that Black Smoke rules include altitude comments. They may have been too late to change the typeset. Anyway, depending on the designer's intent, I considered that the Martian pilot would select the altitude at which the Smoke would be deployed on launch. An altitude marker or number would be placed on the template to indicate the altitude, and it would affect planes on, or about, that altitude only. This could still be house-ruled, if people are using altitude, and this option didn't make it into the official rules.
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
Just had a chance to check the official rules - it states that "when playing with Altitude rules..., a black smoke cloud has no effect on airplanes at altitude 3 or 4". The game I ran at Origins did not use altitude, so the smoke always had an effect.
But I think Karl has probably a very good point about packaging and cost, too... I imagine it all rolls into the equation somehow...greater minds than mine have determine what's best!
All the best,
Matt
I like the idea of black smoke being limited in height, as per the book it roiled along the ground and only effected ground based objects, so aircraft should get a chance to fly above it.
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
Andrea & co evolved the the original idea of ground effect black smoke to its being deployed in air-burst weapons against aerial targets - the height restriction is the same as aamg if it helps to recall it.
Anyway, it's good to get over the top of the smoke - careful level selection may prove vital.
Sapiens qui vigilat "He is wise who watches"
I've no doubt that you are right there Dave.
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
Ahhh yes .... the Funderbolt! That might give those pesky Martians cause to regret their hasty invasion.
spreadin the BBBBBRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTT one tripod at a time.
Crickets chirping for everyone regarding actual shipping from Ares to your actual address (US)? Not particularly impatient, since Im in the Sierra Nevada mountains (the thin air might be welcome to the Martians) at the moment, just checking in (looking in email box...nope).
Anyone have an update on the U.S. shipments....?
1,125 miles from Phoenix myself, in the mountains overlooking Boise, will be descending into the heat of the city tomorrow evening, wondering if the invaision will be on or not . . .
Never mind looking in the mail box you mountain folk! If them Martians like the thin air .... have you checked the back yard lately?
Last update July 1st -If that all went as planned it shouldn't be long for you chaps now Eric.The US/Canada shipment has cleared customs and crossed the continent. It's in transit in Chicago, IL now, and we expect to see it delivered to our warehouse in Ft. Wayne, Indiana before the end of the week (normally, depending on trucking schedule, the time required for this last "jump" in the trip is 2-3 days).
Sapiens qui vigilat "He is wise who watches"
So with the Fourth of July holiday (on Thursday) it could be that things arrived on Friday to the warehouse...? If so, and they spent the weekend repackaging whatever they needed to, things should be shipping this week... Hopefully, it won't be long now...
All the best,
Matt
Tripods expected this weekend at Paris
Bastille Day seems to be a perfect time to strike the French when they least expect it .
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing
Well I have an order for the Starter from here and another place. At the other place I ordered a Rumpler which will not be out until next month and they hold PRE ORDERS. I will get the one from Keith first which gives me time to get to know the game.
It seems odd. In Australia, we're used to getting things weeks or months after they are available in the US and Europe. Sometimes
Years. Often not available at all.
So to have things in stock here but not elsewhere is.. disconcerting. Against the natural order of things.
It does mean that we have a great deal of sympathy though for those still waiting, as it's something we just take for granted, we know how it feels.
May your Tripods arrive soon.
Not always Zoe. Sometimes you guys get things that aren’t allowed here. I’m thinking of cool auto accessories and parts. My younger son is drooling over the cool looking Mazda pickup you guys get that isn’t shipped here. Or the Mazda 6 wagon the EU gets. Or, a decade plus ago, BMW and Porsche accessories and go faster goodies and tech that we had to smuggle into the States!
Yes, it was time for one last taunt. Here it is Friday, the goods have been in their warehouse for over a week. Nothing. Not a bean. Silent running. So, this appeared on their Kickstarter doorstep. A forget me not. ;-)
*****
“We will sell no Tripod, before it’s time...”
Orson cursed. “That doesn’t rhyme. And why the hell am I in this? What does wine have to do with...tripods? What’s that you say? War of the Worlds? H G Wells? He can’t even spell ‘Welles’ correctly. I bet it is that damn computer game designer trying to creatively whine (oh, I see what you did there, you nerd) that the supplies have been in the warehouse for a week with nary a peep about actually pushing them out the door for final delivery. Ares, this guy has no respect for the departed, and he will undoubtedly continue to exhume the dead one last time. What?!? You *enjoy* reading these things? You are doing it just to get a rise out of him! I will Citizen Kane you If my eternal slumber is disturbed again. He must be dead out of Martian connections if he is stooping to me.”
*****
Or does anyone besides me remember the Paul Masson wine campaign in question? There are probably some confused Italians wondering to what obscure lengths that I will go.
Okay . . . wondering how to react to the latest message . . . repacking stateside . . . UPS . . . heard they were going to merge with FEDEX to form FED UP . . . sorry, best I can do these days, this topic . . .
New update posted, sigh, US on way to distribution center......... Europe...... still in customs, extra paperwork needed from China
Basically, they were saying the service they are using provides tracking numbers for the US, but the time difference between Indiana and Italy may have that information coming in after office hours. The shipment to the Canadian distribution center should not be a big delay, because everything is sorted and prepped to go already. Europe is just plain screwed for the moment by continued customs delays.
Just this minute received an email from Ares with my UPS tracking number!!! There is light at the end of the tunnel May you all receive the same information shortly, too.
All the best,
Matt
3:36 PM - just had a chance to check the tracking number - it shows a label has been created (on 11 July, actually...) and the package is just waiting to be picked up to start its journey. The box weighs 13 pounds... Come on, UPS folks, let's get it in gear!
Last edited by matt56; 07-15-2019 at 12:37.
With Customs and the Chinese involved the whole invasion could be over before or contingent of Martians ever gets to land. War of the wars trilogy . Part three. EU Customs thwarts Martian Invasion. Please have your passport ready sir.
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
Yeah, I'm on the same coast kinda. Will wait till I see the red of their rays . . .
Can't wait!!!!!!!
Trip up the Tripods by tying red tape around their legs.
Aaarrghh!
Remember the above map? The one I posted on the 14th of June?
And now this:
Kickstarter Update #38 - 15 July, 2019 (Excerpt):
Universal Distributing is in Montreal, PQ! OK, there is a distribution point in Vancouver, but you know it will go to Montreal, first.Canadian rewards are currently in transit to our Canadian fulfillment partner. They were pre-assembled at our US warehouse during the past week, so we expect the fulfillment to be very fast once Universal gets them.
Just in case you don't know Canadian geography well, let me show you this:
Gack! This is just crazy. My Kickstarter is going to do almost as many road miles getting to me around this continent than it took to ship it across the Pacific Ocean. The stuff passed by my house (approximately 388 miles away) a month ago. Straight-line distance from Prince Rupert, to Fort Wayne, to Montreal, and back to me is 5,200 miles.
I just did the straight-line distance from China to Prince Rupert, and it is 5,500 miles. OK, that's a lot of sea miles.
But, still! The land detour is still just completely crazy. And I haven't gotten an email, yet, about my stuff.
Hmmm... No customs charges, or Canadian Border Services fondling fees, if it comes from Montreal? Perhaps worth the wait? Ooohh...
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
And I am on the opposite side of the coin from Mike - the North American distribution site in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, is quite close to me - about two and a half hours away. I just checked my tracking number again, and it is showing that I should be invaded by Martians by the end of today... I shall post pictures, assuming their attack doesn't destroy my camera...
All the best,
Matt
That’s the way it is these days with modern logistics, Mike. I’ve watched stuff I’ve ordered from the US go by way of London, UK (probably went overhead on the way). It’s never the actual movement that takes time. It’s the transitions (moving from one type of transport to another) and the processing (customs, etc.). If it were shipped from China to each backer by mail it could be much longer - much, much longer - as some mail from China takes months to go through customs (checking for opioid?). A few of times I’ve had some stuff mailed from Italy and the UK take months - once from the UK an order took 6 months. All those big companies like Amazon have massive centralized processing centres for a reason - it is actually more cost effective. It’s just that in the past you couldn’t watch movements on internet.
Waiting here just like everyone else except our down under folks.
I ordered a book once from Amazon and when I tracked it it was sent from Hanover,MD, about 50 miles from me. Then it went to Harrisburg,PA, about 110 miles away. From there it went to York PA, about 80 miles away then to Washington DC, 30 miles away. After 6 days it arrived. Two weeks ago, on a Tuesday, I ordered another Osprey book from Amazon. It came the next day. Couldn't believe that.
Yes, it is fascinating to watch the wanderings of our orders with tracking info....sometimes it seems there's no rhyme or reason to it. Would be interesting to 'look under the hood' of their logistics.
FYI - I'm a backer to the latest Forged in Battle KS which closed in March 2018. Paid for the postage and handling this March and still waiting for the production to be completed and product to start shipping - and China isn't even in the picture. I have a feeling that the company took on too much but it's okay. I couldn't possibly paint all that I've order in a short time anyway.
My order arrived on the doorstep at 7:15, just as I was in the middle of making dinner. It sat on the dining room table until we had finished our meal. Then I moved it to the kitchen table to perform the necessary surgery...
Here you see the 13-pound box as it was delivered...
and here the top is opened to view the yellow storage box, the basic game set, and a spacer box...
which isn't so much a spacer as an extra holder for extra stretch goals.
The yellow storage box was chock-a-block full of the other stretch goals and add-ons...I didn't purchase anything beyond what came in the stretch goals and the Total War package, so those of you in the same situation should be receiving all of these goodies seen below.
The last picture even has the 'long' cards that were one of the stretch goals to allow you to use Martians in your Swords and Sorcery games, should you so desire...
Now that I see what I have, I will definitely have to order several tripods from Keith so that I can do some repainting as captured Martian war machines. I really am excited to get these all opened and onto the tabletop. The long night is over - or perhaps, it is only beginning... And now I can order the other planes in the recent re-releases...
I look forward to everyone else out there getting your KS shipments soonest!
All the best,
Matt
The Invasion has begun!!!!!!
Uuuuuu! Ahhhhhhhh! Matt, we hope you have prepared proper shelter! Stay in contact!
Well that's thirteen pounds that people won't mind gaining this week !
Think the invasion of Europe may take a while longer - the delaying action seems to have stopped them on the Italian coast
Sapiens qui vigilat "He is wise who watches"
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