 November 15, 2008 - 6:58am | A friend of mine showed me this link for a reason I will state below. These are minis put out by Ground Zero Games, who seem to be a British company: http://www.gtns.co.uk/store1/commerce.cgi?product=FT-SUP&keywords=&cart_id=7062478.3813&exact_match=on&next=20 Note the "Glow-Worm class Free Trader (light freighter)". That's why he initially pointed me at the link. But, I thought a lot of those might make for interesting Knight Hawks minis for those of you into playing KH, so I figured I'd pass on the link. If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. -- Carl Sagan |
 November 15, 2008 - 7:32am | Those are pretty cool. Some of them would make great KH ships. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
 November 15, 2008 - 9:08am | These are great! I have yet to put my SF mini's together and paint them. I also want to duplicate them. Hopefully a friend in town can show me howto's. He makes miniatures. |
 November 15, 2008 - 8:46pm | I really like the Refinery ship. Also what is really cool is that fact that they are civilian ships. Usually it is the military stuff that gets all the glory (and minis). You can tell that these guys really believe in a full sci-fi universe if they are sculpting ships like these. |
 November 15, 2008 - 9:15pm | GZG is in the UK, more specifically England, and Jon Tuffley seems a pretty nice chap. Lots of good scultps. |
November 16, 2008 - 2:43am | Nobody's caught the bit with the "Glow Worm", then? If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. -- Carl Sagan |
 November 16, 2008 - 12:14pm | hehehe, I go tit right away..... At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
 November 16, 2008 - 3:45pm | Has anyone made note that these minis are modular. The tradewind frieghter has two types of cargo modules that can be put onto the mini. And, at the top you can purchuse these modules like the bridge only, drive units, or cargo boxes. Same thing with the space station at the bottom, It is modules that you can assemble into the design you want to have, as large as you want to make it. |
November 16, 2008 - 4:23pm | These are the same company, I just started looking around. There are more minis on this site. Go here for more ships. http://www.gtns.co.uk/store1/commerce.cgi?page=ft-fp.html&cart_id=7062478.3813 This page has their index of other minis. http://www.gtns.co.uk/store1/commerce.cgi?cart_id=7062478.3813 |
November 16, 2008 - 4:36pm | Wow, excellent military ships as well - easily ported into Star Frontiers... I wonder with what kind of colors should a starship be painted? "It's the year 2000 Silver"? Or black and gun-metal gray? |
November 16, 2008 - 6:56pm | Wow, excellent military ships as well - easily ported into Star Frontiers... I wonder with what kind of colors should a starship be painted? "It's the year 2000 Silver"? Or black and gun-metal gray? Is there a "rule" in the Frontier what ships need to be painted? Like based on the UPF Charter - Military ships = any, local militia = home planet colors, intersellar civi's ship = white and so on. |
November 16, 2008 - 7:09pm | Most of them are probably silverish as they have the Refelective Hull coating which is effectively a mirror finish. On top of that I would expect there to be some light distinquishing markings, logos etc, but not too much to cover up, and thereby reduce the effectiveness of, the reflective hull coating. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
November 16, 2008 - 7:39pm | Most of them are probably silverish as they have the Refelective Hull coating which is effectively a mirror finish. On top of that I would expect there to be some light distinquishing markings, logos etc, but not too much to cover up, and thereby reduce the effectiveness of, the reflective hull coating. Excellent point. What ship woulnd't have a RH? (Maybe a cloaked ship). "I target the 'P' in the PGC logo." Pifff on your RH!  |
 November 16, 2008 - 11:25pm | I agree that they probably would be metallic in color, silverish, greys, etc. but probably would have some accents painted on areas marking doors, hatches, or possibly black outlines on various modules and components (i.e. plating or paneling). For artistic purposes I might even throw in some conservative lines or stripes to indicate UPF or millitia ships. Kind of like how the Assualut scouts are marked with red accents on the nose and wings. I personally like the reflective white or silver paint look for millitary vessels like those used in Star Trek or very dark gritty neutral colors like those used in Firefly/Serenity. |
November 17, 2008 - 1:19pm | What about lights? Do ships have running lights and bow lights like water ships? |
November 17, 2008 - 1:41pm | I would imagine so, but probably only use them when in friendly populated spaces, i.e. near planets/stations or when a group is forming up in deep space or when a carrier is taking on fighters. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
November 17, 2008 - 2:02pm | I would imagine so, but probably only use them when in friendly populated spaces, i.e. near planets/stations or when a group is forming up in deep space or when a carrier is taking on fighters. Like a water based ship with the green/red indicator lights, would ships have the same type of lighting in friendly space? Maybe not since technology would be sufficient for tracking ship movements and objects. Hrm... collision sensors. :-) |
 November 17, 2008 - 3:18pm | GZG is in the UK, more specifically England, and Jon Tuffley seems a pretty nice chap. Lots of good scultps. In particular, GZG puts out the FULL THRUST starship combat game, for which I believe these minis were made. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
November 17, 2008 - 3:21pm | I would imagine so, but probably only use them when in friendly populated spaces, i.e. near planets/stations or when a group is forming up in deep space or when a carrier is taking on fighters. Like a water based ship with the green/red indicator lights, would ships have the same type of lighting in friendly space? Maybe not since technology would be sufficient for tracking ship movements and objects. Hrm... collision sensors. :-) Still, the running(navigation) lights come in handy when all your other sensors can't be used and all you have is the old Mark I Eyeball. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
November 17, 2008 - 7:02pm | I would imagine so, but probably only use them when in friendly populated spaces, i.e. near planets/stations or when a group is forming up in deep space or when a carrier is taking on fighters. Like a water based ship with the green/red indicator lights, would ships have the same type of lighting in friendly space? Maybe not since technology would be sufficient for tracking ship movements and objects. Hrm... collision sensors. :-) Still, the running(navigation) lights come in handy when all your other sensors can't be used and all you have is the old Mark I Eyeball. M1 Eye, eh? I decided to look it up and it's real technology. Most beings have at least two. :-) This term is actual British military slang for eyes or eye sight, derived from British Royal Navy
nomenclature for distinguishing sequential variations of a piece of
equipment (i.e., "Mark 13 Depth Charge"). Since the human eye has not
changed, it is called the Mark I Eyeball. The term is typically used
when someone relies too much on their equipment: "Use your Mark One
Eyeball!". It is used likewise in the United States military and other
predominantly English-speaking countries. |
 November 19, 2008 - 1:23pm | I've used GZG for years. I have a bunch of their ships and used the "old" stle NAC ships as Sathar - painted in a sort of tan colour to match the counters from KH, and the new UNSC ships as UPF, painted in a nice pale blue, which also means they can still double as UN ships for my Full thrust games. Jon is a top guy and they seem to have some sort of time displacment engine or wormhole technology, because their shipping and order turn around is second to none. Without a doubt the best service I have EVER recieved. They dio a nice range in 25, 15 and 6mm miniatures as well, and are just about to release a race klled the Ixx who could kibbitz for Vrusks. G. |
November 19, 2008 - 3:33pm | And, for a gaming company, that's saying a lot. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
November 22, 2008 - 2:08am | GZG is in the UK, more specifically England, and Jon Tuffley seems a pretty nice chap. Lots of good scultps. In particular, GZG puts out the FULL THRUST starship combat game, for which I believe these minis were made. You'd be right. As to running lights... probably the same as airplanes. Red on leftmost side, green rightmost side, White at tail. Strobes in red dosal and ventral. http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/electronics/q0263.shtml has a good illo... |
 December 15, 2008 - 4:33pm | hehehe, I go tit right away..... "Serenity" is what I think you meant. |
December 15, 2008 - 6:18pm | No, I meant "Tranquility", as in "Glow Worm" instead of "Firefly". You know a similar name without being the same... hehehe At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy...... |
 December 30, 2008 - 7:41am | Oh hey, I've bought from GZG before. When did Jon put that Luxury Space Yacht up on the website? Damn he's full of surprizes all the time. And GJD is correct about GZG's shipping, even across the pond he's pretty fast. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
 January 4, 2009 - 6:51pm | Personally I'm looking forward to the War Rocket miniatures from Hydra games when they release the- they're kind of Buck Rogersish and the associated character minis are in triguing. http://www.hydraminiatures.com/index.shtml I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
