Read on to see how the boats from blood on the water have been changing since the advent calendar reveal!
We had a large feedback session in the office the other day where we went over every boat with a fine tooth comb, trying to make them the best kits they could be.
For the most part, structurally, they were nearly all good to go. So, we moved on to more aesthetic changes based on our own and previous community feedback. Its easy to get lost in the digital design, and things aren’t apparent until its physically built in front of you.
Take the masts for instance. They have been extended to accommodate models running around on the deck. Nobody really wants their Capo getting snarled up in some low hanging sails, right? We also saw that some people may want to hang their own sails to give their boats that personal touch. As you can see from the image below, the kits will now include loop stick-ons so that fabric can be hung there with no problem.
On to the rigging now. Parts of the ship have been altered to include loops and holes so that string can be threaded across from deck to mast, right the way through the ship. This addition really makes the kit feel way more realistic than before, as you can see from the lines drawn in the image below. It really is the smaller details that can bring things to life.
Doesn’t mean it is always so simple however. For the Rashaar ship that I’ve been working on today, I had to be a bit creative with how I add the rigging from the deck to the masts. The reason being, why do the fish people need long railings if they are really good swimmers? Therefore I had shortened a lot of the railings prior to the rigging. As such, I had very little space to connect them to.
As you can see here, we thought about adding some spools to either side so that the Rashaar can lay out some fishing nets, they need to eat too!
Space permitting the stairs were altered so that the plugs ins-don’t ruin the nice wooden board design on the exterior of the ship, this really neatens up the look of the back section.
Below you can see a full view of the Guild and Rashaar large ships with the new rigging setup.
These aren’t the only boats I have been working on, plenty more going on in the background. Let us know what you think of these new kits and if there are any changes that you think could be made to improve them!
And every time I think I’ve got all the Venice stuff I want or need, you go and do this 😀 😀
I need more Really Useful Boxes. And more shelves, and a bigger workshop….
Seriously though they look awesome. Can’t wait
I wonder if you can add a Chinese Junk to your list of ships to build (foreign noble or guild factions), or something a bit Ottoman Empire so you can start adding in new factions… A group of Ottoman pirates who become a Guild subfaction would be neat. Maybe an Egyptian Funereal vessel for foreign Strigoi?
BOATS???
These are Ships or I’m a filthy landlubber!