• Registered: 2008-12-09
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Beginner questions

I realize I'm going to have questions ... this is one complex army design set.  I figure it might be easier to keep questions to one thread.

so, here goes with my first few questions:

1. I'm trying to wrap my head around the term "frame"  is this basically a D:Vg term for "figure/model" or am I not getting it?  For example, the books suggests that a frame is essentially something that has a single set of stats, which to me would imply a figure or model that is equipped and armed in a particular way. 

In other words, every single figure that is in body armor and armed with a pistol and knife is one frame, and every figure armed with body armor but armed with a rifle is another frame .... OR, are they both the same fame with the two weapons just different options?

2. I am trying to figure out what sizes different models would constitute.  Just want to give you examples of what I think the sizes mean ... let me know if I'm correct:

Size 1 = dwarves or halfling sized creatures

Size 2  = anything around human size from smaller AT-43 humans to 40k Orks

Size 3 = mounted humans or 40k monstrous creatures; anime mechs

Size 4 = mechs such as AT-43 Striders?  or does these just become vehicles and if so, what constitutes size 4?

  • Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 101

Re: Beginner questions

I think of a "Frame" as being a "stat line". Each model has its own "stat line" and each weapon has its own "stat line".

  • Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 416

Re: Beginner questions

drsid wrote:

1. I'm trying to wrap my head around the term "frame"  is this basically a D:Vg term for "figure/model" or am I not getting it?

Like Brother Jim said, frame is essentially a statistics list from other minis games (or RPGs). The difference being that in many if not most miniature games, the stat line is introduced at unit level, while while in D:VG, a unit is a collection of Frames.

What models you use to represent the Frames on tabletop is more or less up to you: there is no need for all models of a given Frame to be exactly the same "type" of model (representing one unit as defined by a model manufacturer, that is), as long as they have recognizably similar level of equipment and can be thought to be of the same Quality (highly abstract at best).

2. I am trying to figure out what sizes different models would constitute.  Just want to give you examples of what I think the sizes mean...

Size is rather abstracted, and therefore open to personal interpretation: it's not something than can or need be expressed strictly in millimeters. The guidelines given in the book (pg. 11) however show that it's to be thought of as volume rather than height.

Size 1 is something around the size of dog, so smaller than most humanoids usually depicted in miniature. Size 2 is basically human-sized, or more abstractly the baseline model size, regardless of the species or army. Size 3 is like a very compact car, or indeed a mounted model, or a large battle suit like Terminator Armour. Size 4 would be something like a large car, and so on.

So a biggish dwarf (like Rackham's dwarves for example) would be more at Size 2 than Size 1, while in the Defiance universe the Meraxilla are still Size 2 as well, despite being clearly larger than humans (well in excess of two meters in height, judging by some pictures).

IIRC it is not very clearly stated that Vehicles need to be at least Size 4, but I've always taken it as implied under the standard rules. So ruleswise, Anime Mecha would be Size 4 and up, while a mecha suit model could be Size 3 or maybe even Size 2 Infantry, depending on how large it is compared to your baseline models.

If you look at the At-43 inspired lists on my site (http://herosgames.homestead.com/DVG.html) and compare them with the models, you can get more pointers as to how I've resolved the Size issue. But, like I said, it's not something that is exactly dictated.

  • Registered: 2022-11-16
  • Posts: 516

Re: Beginner questions

tnjrp wrote:
drsid wrote:

1. I'm trying to wrap my head around the term "frame"  is this basically a D:Vg term for "figure/model" or am I not getting it?

Like Brother Jim said, frame is essentially a statistics list from other minis games (or RPGs). The difference being that in many if not most miniature games, the stat line is introduced at unit level, while while in D:VG, a unit is a collection of Frames.

I think another way of saying this would be that a frame is the stat list for one specific type of model.
A unit might be composed of models with identical frames, or several types of models (with several types of frames).
Hopefully that just made sense.
big_smile
Kevin