New convert says hello

[Patrice]

Dan Rayner wrote:

I’d been considering exploring the possibility of down-scaling from 15mm to 6mm (…) I’m mostly interested in skirmish/rpg-lite type games that are amenable to solo and co-op play

Interesting thread! I never suspected that 6mm (or even 15mm) was an appropriate scale to play RPG/skirmish games  but it seems that I have probably overlooked some game systems that I didn’t know…?

http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
https://www.anargader.net/

[Angel Barracks]

You can use any RPG style system for any scale.
Just change inches to cm or halve distances etc and it will keep the same feel?
Or keep the bigger distances if you want the ranges to seem more realistic?

[Thuseld]

The only downside to 6mm for rpg and skirmish gaming is that your characters won’t be as detailed and can be harder to tell apart. They could also lack tiny elements of detail that tell the character’s story. Terrain could also be an issue because you will probably lack the intricate detail of 28mm stuff, as sometimes the scale feels off if every character is stuck to a base that is basically the size of a normal sized bedroom and you are trying to fit a few characters in a small space.

That being said, armies and characters are cheaper and quicker to paint. Terrain can are so be quicker. You can game on a smaller surface or keep it large and make the gun ranges look better. I lack money and space so playing this in 6mm has been a god send to my sanity and the health of my marriage. I can pack it away in a couple of boxes under the bed.

Experiments here: http://inexperiencedmodelmaker.blogspot.co.uk/

Tranquil Stars updates: https://tranquilstars.wordpress.com

[Angel Barracks]

Thuseld wrote:

The only downside to 6mm for rpg and skirmish gaming is that your characters won’t be as detailed and can be harder to tell apart. They could also lack tiny elements of detail that tell the character’s story. Terrain could also be an issue because you will probably lack the intricate detail of 28mm stuff, as sometimes the scale feels off if every character is stuck to a base that is basically the size of a normal sized bedroom and you are trying to fit a few characters in a small space.

I am going to pretend you never said that!
😀

Though interestingly (or not?) that is why I oversize my buildings and vehicles so that when a based figure is placed next to them they look more in keeping/scale.

[Thuseld]

Maybe I should have written a disclaimer about my lazy, 3-4 colour paint jobs deny my characters the detail they deserve…

Experiments here: http://inexperiencedmodelmaker.blogspot.co.uk/

Tranquil Stars updates: https://tranquilstars.wordpress.com

[Rhoderic]

Yeah, I think the lack of either money or space or both is a major issue for most of us who do skirmish and RPG-lite gaming in the smaller scales. It opens the hobby up to people who simply can’t do the 6′ x 8′ table thing. One might consider it an equaliser in that way, and I think the hobby as an amalgamated whole is generally moving in this direction, toward “small gaming” and away from “big gaming” (in terms of a combination of scale, scope and table size, that is). I do also worry, however, that there’s a growing rift in the hobby scene between those who game “big” and those who game “small”… a kind of haves-and-have-nots type situation, if you will. I’d be a have-not in that world; I can afford miniatures (including some 28mm figures that get up to £10 a pop) and other hobby supplies well enough but, critically, not a home spacious enough to enable large-table gaming. I also do my 28mm gaming on small tables.

There are other upsides to small-scale skirmish and RPG-lite gaming worth mentioning, though. It has a sort of cute, self-consolidated aspect to it which is charming in its own way. And one can flit quite easily between milieus and settings: In one fairly small box I might have a sci-fi cityscape; in another, a desert environment complete with ruins and a contrastingly verdant oasis; in a third, the interior of some large spaceship, underground complex or giant arcology; in a fourth, a frigid polar environment with dramatic cliffs and outcrops; and so forth. I get to be more “free-ranged” as the imaginative world-builder that I am. I’ve been experimenting with making 2′ x 2′ and 3′ x 3′ “tables” out of sheets of 2cm cardboard (it’s cheap, lightweight, easily available, easy to work with and easy to store), using various tricks to counteract the usual problem of warping.

[Mike]

Rhoderic wrote:

Yeah, I think the lack of either money or space or both is a major issue for most of us who do skirmish and RPG-lite gaming in the smaller scales.

For me it is more about time.
A small 6mm sci-fi skirmish on a 2′ x 3′ board is set up, played, and packed away again normally within 90 minutes.
Back when I played big games, 12 hours was not uncommon…

 

[Bandit]

Welcome!

Cheers,

The Bandit

[Dan Rayner]

I think 6mm is certainly suited for rpg/skirmish games (as many posters on these boards have ably demonstrated), it’s just that for my ageing eyes it can be quite difficult to quickly idenfify individual figures if they’re all similarly dressed irregulars and civilians. I’m thinking of maybe using colour coded bases to get around this. For military games, where figures are wearing distinctive uniforms or armour, I don’t think it’s such a problem.

I’m really impressed with the detail and character that sculptors have managed to give their minis in this scale – I just wish I had the eyesight I had twenty years ago.

[Alexander Wasberg]

Welcome, enjoy your stay 🙂

As for 6mm rpg/adventure gaming, it’s not only doable, it’s damn good fun too! I’ve played both sci-fi and fantasy games with all 6mm models and I can honestly say that I don’t miss the detail of 28mm, as most of my 6mm sculpts have a lot of detail without being cluttered, something that I sometimes find is a problem in 28s. YMMV.

http://lasersandbroadswords.blogspot.com My project blog

[Author]

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