Project : XTC Retro Laptop

Very quick update as I just posted these up in another forum so felt it rude not to share them here as well :D Been working on the detailing again, brickwork first. Been doing 2 rows a day this week and am about half way up now. Also got an acceptable result with the wood colouring with a brown ink from citadel colours (the games workshop ones) so fitted the walls and the side of the stairs which I'll complete soon.

Next post will be when the walls are up so don't expect it soon!
This image is almost identical to this building's in-game appearance. Chances are if you don't recognise it yet you never played this game :D

Finally got the walls up! Got around to staining that small shed too but it's a bit darker than I was hoping for. Still it's a step forward, if anyone can think of a way to lighten up the final look of it that'd be great though!

So here are some pics, need to lay down the first floor now and from there on this build gets a lot faster as I'm done with the bricks now and back to using wood! Managed some better quality pics with the webcam this time (I hope) thanks to having a little more light.

First the completed ground floor, just lacking finished stairs and doors!

And here's the smaller shed. It's actually even darker up close than in these images!!!

Will get on with laying the floor tomorrow but probably no more tonight. Should have the first floor finished by the end of this week so then I can get onto some real progress on the rest of the case which involves a lot of landscaping and learning as I go!!!

EDIT: Those with eagle eyes may notice that I initially built the back door in the wrong place so it's moved one and a half bricks nearer to the corner now!!! Didn't take too much remedial work and it's better I catch it now than let it bug me forever!!!

Wow, nice brick work...must have taken forever.

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Originally Posted by x88x

Wow, nice brick work...must have taken forever.

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Haha you're not kidding! Been trying to space it out a few rows at a time but based on the amount of materials I have left I'd hazard a guess at there being about 850 bricks in there!!!

Like I said, it'll be a pleasure getting back to do the wood again :p

Been lazy with this since I got the brickwork done but I had a play on sketchup today so I can finally give an example of what I'm after from the end-result. Also made a custom screen to replace the Windows boot-up sequence but it'll probably end up as a desktop background because of the poor resolution in the splash screens. Been working on the planking of the first floor too but need a bit more before that's done. Here it is anyway and there's no way anyone who's played this game before can't recognise it after this post!

First here's the planking I've been working on. I cut 4 crossbeams from the same 3x1,, wood used for the walls and made a temporary frame by glueing a scrap of wood to either ends to brace them. Then I've been using 5x0.5mm wood for the individual planks by splitting it into 3 much smaller lengths and cutting accordingly. I've removed the temporary braces now and in the image of underneath you'll see I've cut the braces in 2 positions too. That's so the braces will sit level with the top of the brickwork and the planks just above it.

Now for the first bit of the giveaway. This is my replacement for an in-game screen of the game made with a 3d model in sketchup and a lot of MSpaint!

And if you haven't guessed yet you're about to get the biggest clue there is. If the look of these images still don't help then check out strategycore as linked in the image! After that you're on your own so if you don't know it you just haven't played it. Shame on you!

Just got to finish the planking and get on with the walls for the first floor this week. It's pretty much all over after that. Although there is obviously one rather large component missing right now!

Army men, by chance?

Nope, though there is a strong focus on little green men lol

it looks a lot like a level in doom 2.

lol not Doom. Remember its squad based so forget any FPSs!

As a mini-update I finisihed planking the floor this morning and am now cutting the wood for the first floor walls. Should have them done by this evening!

Hmmm...I haven't played any mid-90's games in quite a while, other than the first Fallout. However, if I were to take a stab at it, I'd have to say the original XCOM. Then again, it has been so long since I played that game that I don't remember if it was squad-based. Long time ago + sleep deprivation = poor memory.