Ganymede

Scrap Collecting Skirmish Tabletop Game

Mule Development.

After seeing some STUNNING 3d print .stl files solwyte and seeing many free wargame rulesets turnip28, I am going to try to create a skirmish wargame myself. The idea is sci-fi scrap collecting on Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons.
I quickly designed a scrap collector mech (called a mule) that has a HUGE magnet and separating claws. This mech walks around Ganymede recycling old machinery by collecting valuable metals from mechs and vehicles used years ago when Ganymede was rich in ores and minerals.
The Mule will need a drone to be able to record what it collected and where from, possibly a buggy and a hauling truck.
The 3d modelling, for me is fun, creating and repeating themes and designs. These are created without a thought on how to best make them for 3d printing, but to come up with a really cool concept first and do the thinking later.

I attempted an animation as many of the tabletop game companies don’t have a great YouTube presence (though my animation skills are VERY rusty) and the difference between an animate-able model and a 3d printable model, to me, seems quite small.
I did not attempt at all to surface the models, and put them into a very quick environment.

I am quite happy with the result. I now have to think about how this will make a good game, and how to be able to actually 3d print some of these models. The game will include rules for models being restricted in their movement by magnets, which I thought would be fun. Lots to playtesting to try 😉
Having the images on hand I also tried to use generative AI (Kling, PixVerse also Riffusion for audio) to see where it would take the designs, and honestly I am REALLY impressed at how these AI’s can take an idea in a completely different direction just by changing the style. I LOVED the saturated anime look, and am now very interested in creating a short anime style movie.

I know many people dislike AI generated images in all of their forms, but I see it birthing ideas, projects and product that would never have been more than an idea previously.
I had the pleasure of having lunch with Nilo Rodis (Empire Strikes Back)

many years ago, where I went over my ideas for a 3d animated story.

Nilo said “Trevor, you are trying to boil the ocean” meaning I would never be able to do the amount of work needed to complete the idea.
I feel as though with AI, this has now changed.
NOTE* No AI’s were used (or harmed) in the making of the ganymede video

I know from chatGPT that you cannot really copy and paste code and expect it to work, you need to be an expert to be able to channel the hose pipe to get pieces to work and understand what is going on. I feel as though AI technology will change the relevance of techniques, but the speed and ability to channel the output, and get creative energies together to be able to get your intangible squishy thoughts into an actual direction, to me may result in MANY more directions to run in.

Please let me know any thoughts or suggestions and any interest in the models, .stl’s or rules