# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Sci-fi/Modern Mapping >  Starship Sections Maps (Part 2) - Modular Base

## Kihmbar

I've already posted some of this material in the other Starship Sections thread, but since this material is different from what I originally envisioned for the Starship Sections I think it warrants a separate thread.  

Our Star Wars RPG gaming group has acquired a modular base (Hideouts and Strongholds sourcebook by West End Games, page 77) and I was tasked with generating a map for it.  The sourcebook doesn't give much in the way of dimensions, so I made some assumptions.  The base is not very large and consists of a octagonal frame which five modules can fit into.  Since I was already making 12x12 overlays for the Starship Sections, I went with half that size for each module - 6x6.  [Yes, I know it is actually a quarter of the size based on area but I went with half-size based on length.]  I then put a 1-square "spacer" between modules to make the octagon 20-squares across.  Here is the result:

The "corners" are sloped on the outside, they do not have a full level of clearance for people to walk through.  They function more like a crawlspace, so I made them storage and maintenance areas - separate from the modules.  I added some grass to show what was not part of the base - feel free to put whatever "outside" terrain is applicable.  Also, these are designed to link together (one modular base to the next) - so they can form a little compound with any composition of modules.

The modules are all 6x6 and fit in the blank spaces.  The Modular Base is designed to put any modules in any order (although some logically can't be in the middle - like a vehicle bay or airlock module).  I'll post more as I get them, but for now I have:
Command module (I usually put this one in the middle):


Crew's barracks:


Crew's Mess:


Here's an "empty" module in case I don't post what you need:


I'm currently working on a medical bay, a couple of cargo/storage modules, an airlock, and a vehicle garage.  I'll post them when finished.  As always, comments and criticisms are welcome.

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## Kihmbar

I had some time today to make more modules.  Here are an Armory, Cargo Hold, and Medical module:
  

And here is an example of how the modules fit into the base:

This configuration is the one I made for my gaming group.

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## MadLetter

Cool stuff. Looks nice!  :Smile:

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## Steel General

Neat stuff Kihmbar!

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## Hoel

Just as great as the ship tiles!
I have some suggestions. If you line up the exits you could put two of them next to eachother to make a bigger base. You could also make 'frames' for some different shapes (L shaped, straight corridor...)
It would be cool with a big gun, like super arty or an orbital defense or AA gun or something... 
I need to save these for my upcoming stormtrooper campagn!

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## Kihmbar

Thanks for the feedback.  




> I have some suggestions. If you line up the exits you could put two of them next to eachother to make a bigger base.


I intended to use a 2x1 corridor (shown below) to connect the sections.  It would make more sense though if the connection piece had walls as well.  That would make the adjacent bases enclosed (instead of crew being open to the elements when going from one to the other).  I'll work on a few "walled connector" pieces for this purpose.





> You could also make 'frames' for some different shapes (L shaped, straight corridor...)


Great suggestion, I'll work on some alternative shapes for the base frame.  It isn't a priority for me right now, but I'll try to get something up in the next month.




> It would be cool with a big gun, like super arty or an orbital defense or AA gun or something...


I'll put some modules together for the super artillery or orbital defense.  What I'll probably have to do is make the weapon as one module and the fire control as a separate module.  The AA gun will be easier.  Any ideas where I could get an image of a turbolaser from the top-down?  I would love to put some bigger guns on my maps, but I don't have good images to make them out of.

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## Hoel

The easiest way I can come up with off the top of my head is rendering a 3d model for it. I'm sure there's a free model of a turbo laser out there somewhere...
I got some more ideas if you like
A landing pad (to be put on top of one base module)
A room with a stair or lift so you can put in a second level (or landing pad)
A cool super room that covers the whole module area, could be a breifing room, mess hall, training room or hangar.

If you'll keep pumping them out, I'll keep giving you my ideas!

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## Kihmbar

I'll try to crank them out your ideas as I have time.  Stuff for my gaming group has priority, but the GM isn't too demanding right now.

I just finished up the airlock module which was more of a hassle than I thought.  I wanted to make it where you could see the "outside" of the airlock as well so I extended the module outside.  I also wanted the "outside" to be seen through the viewport.  Since .jpgs don't support transparency, the airlock module is a .png file.  It comes complete with changing rooms and two environmental/vacuum suits.


For access to the outside, here is a ramp [the base sits about a half-level off the ground].


And for those of you who like mega-bases, here are the connector pieces:

And an example of how they would work:


As always, comments and criticisms are welcome.  Feel free to be nitpicky, I can't see everything.

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## Redrobes

Just a note of awesome here... repped

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## icosahedron

Hi Khimbar, nice stuff there. I'm planning to do something like this myself later. Where did you get your sci-fi top-down elements, or did you draw them yourself?

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## joão paulo

this is very detailed stuff 
I love science fiction  :Smile:

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## Kihmbar

> Where did you get your sci-fi top-down elements, or did you draw them yourself?


Most of the sci-fi elements I use are from RPGMapShare, Dundjinni Forums, WotC forums, or the Holocron.  Some of the things I have drawn myself, but if someone already has what I'm looking for then I'm not going to "re-invent the wheel."  I've also grabbed pictures from Star Wars sites and cropped them to what I need.

I'm going to have to slow down some, but here are two more modules:  another cargo hold and a detention block module.
 
The detention block cells are a bit small, but detention blocks aren't known for their comfort.  However, I am considering redoing the crew's quarters to put a few less people in each room.  [It doesn't make much sense that I crammed 4 crewmen into the same space I put 2 prisoners.]

As requested, here are some stairs for multi-level purposes.

I'm not sure where exactly the stairs could go, but I imagine one of the corridors near the command module.  I see good things about the level of detail, but if you are going to make it two+ levels you may want the basic layout blank:

That will make it easier to add the stairs wherever you feel like.  Perhaps I should make a "stair/turbolift" module so that the location of the stairs aren't an issue.

Finally, here is the map our group is using for our next session - complete with grass and ramps.  It got a little grainy when I converted it to a .jpg file.


Again, comments and criticism are welcome.  I'm working on the ideas already presented.  But if you have an idea, I take requests.

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## icosahedron

Thanks for those links Kihmbar, I picked up some useful elements. I'd rep you if I could, but apparently if you ain't got it you can't flaunt it, and I haven't uploaded anything of any significance yet.

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## Redrobes

I thought you could rep with a power of 1 when you start. Still, if thats not true then I have repped you so your off the zero. What we call the "Banish the blue pip o' shame" (tm - neon holdings inc)

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## Hoel

Nice job!
I'm really getting some motivation to get my stormtrooper campaign up and running now

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## icosahedron

> I thought you could rep with a power of 1 when you start. Still, if thats not true then I have repped you so your off the zero. What we call the "Banish the blue pip o' shame" (tm - neon holdings inc)


Well, Now I have no excuse. Kimhbar is well and truly Repped.

Trouble is now I feel guilty cos I didn't really deserve my rep, so now I'm gonna have to post something - and guess what software I'm using. 

Nah! he wouldn't be that scheming - would he...?  :Smile: 

Thanks Redrobes.

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## Redrobes

It was a customary thing a while ago that all new members got repped to get rid of the blue spot and replace it with a green one. A while back nobody knew the rep score so it was all just blue and green or a few green pips if you had been here a while and done a lot. Once you had a green one then we were kind of all equal for a long time as we didn't have a lot of repping power under the hood so we didn't rep so much. It was just a kind of message to say hey that's cool. Then we got the score and we could see how far up the ladder you were so a lot more repping action took place from there on. I would admit I only rep when I feel its deserved and there have been a few exceptions like yourself because you feeling unable to do something without it. I also did a rep the next person to reply once to check out my new +x repping ability. Sometimes I rep because the score on somebody is a lot lower than I think they should be but most of the time they would have to post something to get some from me. You should post your little tower in the woods thing or show us where your at with the snow etc or the Traveller stuff too.

Completely off topic for this thread but on topic w.r.t convo... I wrote a script to generate icons for all Devins character / monster images. Wow there are so many images and such high quality too. Getting the scale right will take time as they are of mixed pixel scales I think. I guess I should ask him actually... anyway, I will probably do a contact sheet of them all too so that I can find one in a hurry. If I complete that ill start a new thread or append to the notification thread about them being available.

Edit -- Just did a search for "blue pip" and theres about 50 newbies who got rep bonked  :Smile:

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## Kihmbar

Here are two more modules, a hallway modeled after the "Life Support" module in Battlestations:


And a Turbolift Module:  

I never thought of multi-level bases, but once it was suggested I knew I would need some way to get from one level to the next.  I am currently re-doing the basic frame for the modular bases to incorporate a couple of stairwells (for roof and "undercarriage" access if there is only one level).

I've made a breakthrough with the big guns (thanks for the idea Hoel).  I'm working on putting together a Turbolaser module and a Golan laser cannon module.  Both guns are pretty big and will take up almost half their respective modules.  With a gun that big, you'll need a power supply, so I'm also going to put together a Power Generator module.  I'll post those when I have them.  I'm glad that someone besides my group is interested in these.  As always, I am open to questions, criticisms, comments, or bad jokes.

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## number7

These are great Kihmbar!  Keep up the good work!

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## Kihmbar

I've been busy recently and haven't had much time to work on modules.  Here's a vehicle bay for the modular base.

Obviously this module needs an outside wall for the vehicles to enter/exit by.  I have provided a ramp for the smaller doorways, so here is one for the vehicle doorway.

I will try to get some others up as time comes available.

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## Steel General

the 'speeder' looks great.

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## Ascension

Yeah, the whole thing looks great.

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## stuamn

awesome stuff!  When you say west end games - are you referring to the d6 rpg, I haven't played that for ages.  I wish now I'd kept my old source books.  Just got the d20 version and I'm pining for the d6 version - I think I may have to check out ebay

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## Kihmbar

Thanks.  Although I can't take credit for the speeders.  I got them off either RPGMapShare or the Holocron.  [I don't see the sense in making an object that someone else has already made.]  

stuamn:  Yes, I still play the d6 version of Star Wars RPG.  I grew up with that system and enjoy its unique flavor.  I've picked up a few of the d20 books, but since I have most of the d6 books I still use the d6 system.

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## Kihmbar

Here's a few more modules for this thread.  First, some proper quarters for the base commander or other officers:


And a conference room - for those people who feel the need to pack 30 minutes of information into a 3 hour meeting:   :Smile: 

(I've been itching to use some of the holoprojector images I've picked up - now I have.)

As always, comments and criticisms are welcome.

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## ravells

It's beautiful, but the beds look a bit...well like beds of today and yesteryear...but maybe that's a good thing that some things never change...

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## Kihmbar

I've been busy GMing a SWRPG campaign (in which I've been able to use several of the maps I've posted on this site).  The modular base has fallen by the wayside (the group left that location and probably won't go back there).  However, I like these modules because they are easy to drop into place and make a quick setting.  Here are two new modules - a laser cannon platform and a starfighter bay.

The Laser Cannon module:
 
I'm not sure which version I like better.  The first seems to be missing a certain "the gun is on top of the module" effect.  However, the second uses a lot of the modules space with the "outside hull" showing.

This one was a bit of fun to do.  I wanted to have the weapon mounted on top of the module so that the module would not have to be open to the elements.  Instead of putting all the support equipment in the module, I just showed the weapon on top.  The bottom right corner is supposed to be a holoprojector with three stormtroopers on it - they can either be stormtroopers attacking the module's occupants or on the same team.

By the way - if anyone has a good top-down image of a turbolaser battery, please let me know.  I would like to redo this module with a turbolaser battery from Star Wars.  

The Starfighter Bay module:
 
I don't know which one will come more in handy (I guess it depends on which starfighter the players get), so I made one with an X-Wing and one with a TIE fighter.  

Just in case someone out there would like to insert their own starfighter into this module:


I apologize for not updating this thread regularly.  It is my intention to produce a couple of modules each month and post them.  [I need the modules for gameplay, and the feedback is always helpful.]  As usual, any comments or criticisms are welcome.

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## fist

> awesome stuff!  When you say west end games - are you referring to the d6 rpg, I haven't played that for ages.  I wish now I'd kept my old source books.  Just got the d20 version and I'm pining for the d6 version - I think I may have to check out ebay


i have old miin stuff from them that ussing now with my rpg group  love your work

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