Fallout New Vegas – 40K Mod Progress

I decided to port my Warhammer 40,000 Fallout 3 mod across to Fallout New Vegas.  There’s already a bunch of people who have basically stolen my models and copied them for New Vegas anyway, so I suppose I might as well do my own version.  At least that way I can control how I want it to be done.

It seems the rules of http://www.newvegasnexus.com/allow people to basically use any of your models, meshes and textures without permission as long as they create a new .esp file (the ‘mod’ using the level editor) so long as they don’t include your models in their download.

Anyway, there’s nothing I can do about it so there’s no use complaining.

For the New Vegas (NV) mod, I’ve been slaving away making some new models.  In the works are new Storm Bolters, because the old ones had texture issues and new sniper rifles.   I have also made a few vehicles as seen below. The vehicles won’t move or anything, they’re basically static set decoration.   I’ll be making variations of four Space Marine chapter colours and a few variations of each type of vehicle.

I don’t claim to be a master modeler, but I do my best. I know the models aren’t 100% accurate to the Games Workshop versions, but they’re pretty close. Not owning any of the miniatures, I’ve only had to go from some screenshots and pictures from the ‘net.

Blood Ravens Rhino	Black Templars Rhino
Space Wolves Rhino	Ultramarines Rhino
Predator (Unfinished)	In-Game Test Shot
Thunderhawk

I’ve still got a lot of work to do on it, but I’ll update here. When it’s complete I’ll post it in the GAME MODS section of this blog.

Space Marine Bolter – Pt3

Previously I’ve posted about my attempt to make a model of a Space Marine bolt gun from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  I got an opportunity yesterday to work on it some more, using foam core as the modeling material.  I had previously built up the main body of the gun, but decided that the outer shell was a little too short.  I don’t really have any proper measurements or anything, so I’m making it up as I go.  Rather than being extremely accurate about the whole thing, I’m pretty much learning the tools and working out some techniques.  I’ve not attempted any of this stuff before, so I have plenty of expectations of mistakes.

So yesterday I continued the build, sneaking into work and using the big tables as a workbench.  I managed to re-build the outer shell and also put together the main part of the magazine.  I also started working on the handle and trigger, but I’m not 100% sure I am happy with my method, so I’m not showing you that yet.  If only I could get a decent toy gun to use as a base.  Alas, buying life-like toy guns in Australia is next to impossible.  Thanks bank robbers! Bastards.

Another problem, apart from the handle, is the slide on the base of the gun. I have NO idea how I’m going to do that.  I started it yesterday, but it turned out pretty badly.  I’ll have to re-think it.  Anyway, I’ll no doubt let you know how it turned out, next time.

Bolter Build Progress

Magazine

Space Marine Bolter – Pt2

Got up early this morning and went to Officeworks to buy the gear to make most of my Bolt Gun. The shell is foam core, a double sheet of plastic with a layer of Styrofoam pressed in between. It’s strong, but easy to shape. They had single sheets for $9.50, but I find on a high shelf a couple of 5 packs. I had the guy check the price and they were $9.50. Naturally I bought the 5 pack. I’m not sure what was going on with that, but I got a good deal.

I headed into work and started planning and cutting, eventually turning out the main components. Some of the cuts are a bit unsteady, but its my first time working with the foam core, and this type of thing in general. I dare say I’ll have a lot of patching up to do, but the main body is looking OK. I have no idea when I will get to do some more work on it. Maybe a couple of nights at work. I can’t do it at home, I just don’t have the necessary table space. Anyway, here’s the story so far:

Stage Two

Space Marine Bolter – Pt1

I got the idea to make a Space Marine bolter.  Space Marines are characters from the Games Workshop Warhammer 40000 universe.  Big, genetically modified humans living in the 40th millennium, the Space Marines defend humanity against the threat of aliens, and the mutated powers of Chaos.

Wearing huge suits of armour, the main weapon of the Space Marine is the bolt gun, or bolter.  A machine gun that fires rocket powered bullets, the Bolter is a powerful force on the futuristic battlefield.

Creating a Bolter will be a massive challenge for me.  I haven’t done anything like it before.  The idea is to create it from foam core, which is a light piece of foam sheeting layered with card.  It should be easy to cut and shape, and yet strong enough to hold its form.  I’ll tape it together and glue it with epoxy, then hopefully fill the insides with expanding foam or something.   Maybe once it’s done I’ll cast it in resin or something.  That’s a whole other skill set I don’t have yet, and I haven’t really thought that far ahead.

I’ve drawn up some plans to cut it out by, and made a miniature paper model to see how it all fits together. The sticking point at the beginning will be the handle.  I’ll take a look in some toy shops tomorrow to see if I can find a toy gun I can butcher to make a nice handle base.   Toy guns are pretty hard to come by around here though, especially ones of a decent size.   I might have to sculpt it out of board and shape it with putty or something.  I really don’t want to do that though.   Anyway, here’s a couple of pics of the small-scale paper model.

40K Marine	Paper Bolter
Paper Bolter Assembled

Warhammer 40K Fallout Mod

I’ve finally released the Warhammer 40K mods for Fallout 3. It took a while because, as I expected, I got burned out on it for a while. It’s just so tedious going into the game, checking it out, leaving the game, changing something and going back in. To make a mod like this, I have to use five or six programs in conjunction, so switching between them can be a pain and is a little draining. Also, I was getting a lot of private messages asking me to ‘just release what I have’. I don’t like to do things half-arsed, so that’s out of the question. When I release mods, they are complete, final and done. Unless there’s a glaring error I don’t go back and revise them again. By the time it’s final, I’m usually pretty bored of the whole thing. I’ve also had experiences before with people stealing my models and including them in their own releases without permission. It really turns you off the whole process.

Anyway, enough bitching. Here’s the final release. It includes various remodeling and re-textures of the Bolt Guns, Bolt Pistols and Plasma weapons and all-new models for Missile Launchers and the much asked-for Heavy Bolter. My favourite weapons are the custom gold versions of each weapon, each with their own name and enhanced powers. I enjoyed getting the Heavy Bolter up and running because that took forever to get right. It was so hard to make. Anyway, you can download the mod from Fallout Nexus. If you grab it, leave a comment and let me know you saw it at WordPress.

Custom Heavy Bolter

Getting Crafty

If you’ve read the previous entries to this blog, you’ll know I’ve been getting into movie props and the like, particularly maps.   I’ve found some nice frames that don’t cost the earth, and I’ve been working on some other things as well.

First is one I didn’t make.  Hell, I wish I could.  I’ve had possession of the Gold Idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark for many years now, and at the time my friend bought a replica of the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra at the same time.  The Staff of Ra is used by Indiana Jones to find the location of the Ark of the Covenant, and before that it’s carried on a chain by Indy’s ex flame Marion Ravenwood.  The Headpiece plays a large part in the movie, much larger than the Gold Idol and I finally got a hold of one that was within my price range.  When I got it, it was a bright shiny gold, and since the original prop isn’t bright gold, and actually made of brass,  I carefully used some brown and black paint to age it.  I’m really happy with how it turned out.

The second item is a Space Marine purity seal from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  The Space Marines are super soldiers living in a future universe in a constant battle against the forces of Chaos, the scheming Eldar and the Ork hordes. The Space Marines wear huge power armour and follow in the footsteps of the mighty God-Emperor of Mankind.   Each Chapter, or battle-group of Space Marines have their own unique characteristics and each fan will have their own favourites.  Originally starting as a series of board and table top games by Games Workshop, the 40K universe has since expanded into books, multiple game forms including PC and Console and soon it will hit the screens as a motion picture.

Space Marines are very devout and the technology they use is a mix of magic and machine with heavy splashes of religion.  Because it’s a little out of my league to build a full set of Space Marine armour, I decided to try making a purity seal.  These seals are worn on the armour or weapon of a Space Marine and are covered in prayers and litanies to help protect them in battle.  There are various designs and prayers, all of which do certain tasks.  To be given a purity seal is a great honour.   To make it, I used a blob of DAS modelling clay, flattened out a ball and sculpted the skull with various sculpting tools.  I think the originals are some sort of wax, or at least that’s the impression I get.   To that end I tried to make mine look a bit blobby and ‘pressed in’ like a seal should be.  I never was much of a sculptor, but it looks ok to me.  Once dry I painted it up with acrylic paints and highlighted the high parts and washed the low parts to give it a more 3d and wax look.  Once that dried I hit it with a coat of clear spray to protect it.

The parchment is just a litany I found on the web and positioned in Publisher.  I printed it out and trimmed the edges and aged it with my trusty coffee.

Finally I’ve been working on yet another map, this one is Thror’s map to the Lonely Mountain from the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  There are a bunch of versions of this map around, and the one in the Lord of the Rings movie is different to the one shown in the original book.  To that end, I decided to go with the one in the book as I think it looks more hand-made.  I tidied it up and changed the red parts to red in Photoshop, added the border and faded out the runes.  The runes are only meant to show up in moonlight or something.  On my print-out they’re still visible, but only if you look really hard.   I took it off to Officeworks to get it printed, as my computer still has no printer set up.  I think the ink will run anyway.

So, once printed I soaked it in coffee, just one application this time as it’s not as worn as the other maps, and tore up the edges and made the folds.  I used much the same technique as suggested by Jheilman of the RPF forum, but modified it a little to suit myself.  His map looks great, but it’s the one from the movie which I really didn’t want.   Once trimmed up I put it in one of the frames I bought.  No pictures yet because I haven’t make the little plaque for it yet since I have no printer.  I have some test plaques done, but I’m not 100% sure what I’ll go with. I need to see them printed and in the frame first.

I’ll show you once I’m finished.  Here’s some pics-

Sallah examines the Headpiece	My Headpiece Prop
Purity Seal	Space Marine Miniature
Thror's Map (Partially Aged)	Plaque

See you next time!

Modding – Warhammer 40K for Fallout 3

One of my current projects is working on a set of modifications to the game Fallout 3. Some time ago, a fellow named cerberos008 released a series of armour pieces from the Warhammer 40,000 universe by Games Workshop. These were massively popular, though cerberos008 didn’t make any weapon mods to go with the release.

Soon there were some bolt guns and a few other things, but nothing major. So, I went into milkshape and began to tinker around making a slew of weapons and items to complement his armour sets.

I grew a little burned out and work was heavy by then, so I had a bit of a break, but came back and released my mod at Fallout 3 Nexus. So far it’s proven popular enough, and so I’m going to add a few more bits and pieces until I run out of ideas or get burned out again.

New Bolter Texture

Heavy Bolter

The new addition will include a Heavy Bolter which people have been demanding and maybe a power fist. I’ve also updated the meshes (the models) and textures of some of the weapons released by others so that they’re cleaner and match more with the armour sets.

I’ll keep you posted with the changes.