I've been spending my time lately trying to perfect a set of modular buildings styled after the ruins from E:40k. I have worked on both the smaller, black plastic ruins and the larger gray plastic ruins, and they are to a point that I need to make a couple of practical decisions.

Just for clarity's sake, here’s how the system is supposed to work:
For the larger style buildings, the individual sections are a single side of a building, and these sections can be arranged into buildings by gluing them end-to-end (just like the E:40k ruins).  I have made 3 different lengths of sections with a 1:2:3 ratio, with two-story ground floor sections, two-story upper floors sections, and additional ground floor sections with entrances. Finally, there are also roof-line sections that will just serve to top the wall sections with an appropriate edge and provide a shelf to fit a roof plate (which will have to be homemade for each building) onto. This means that right now, there are 12 parts (per style).

Okay, so now the part I need opinions on. One of the goals of this project is to be able to create both ruined and non-ruined buildings from the parts. For the ruined sections, I figure that a person can just take the non-ruined section and cut it up to make it look like a destroyed building. For the non-ruined buildings, though, I have a problem. To make it easier for a person to ‘ruin’ a section, I have left out the window panes. This is fine for creating a bombed-out look, but doesn’t look quite right for an untouched structure. So, should I create two sets of sections for every style: one with windows and one without? Or, should I create window/door inserts that can be fit into the window/door frames on the open sections, probably resulting in the “insideâ€Â

I can't see the same piece serving both types really, as if you have open windows you have no floors inside the building.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Okay, the floors will have to be homemade, just like the roof plate (because there are too many variations on building layouts). These floor pieces will fit onto ledges that are integrated into each section (I haven't finished these yet, but it will be similar to how the E:40k ruins worked).

But back to the question from the OP, is it better to have 2 sets of parts, or is it better to have one set of 'open' sections, but also have small window/door inserts (which close the opening with a cool-looking window design)that look great from the outside, but look like crap on the inside? Keeping in mind, of course, that you probably won't ever see the inside of a non-ruin building.

BTW, here is an example of how the parts can go together.

Personally, I'd like to have the windows filled in (although still recessed a few mm).

I'd also like to have some roof tiles!

Would definitely purchase some.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

I'd like to see the windows filled in as well. not all windows in a bombed out building are totally destroyed anyway.

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-Vaaish

Considering how easy it will be to just glue cardboard/plasticard/etc onto the "insides" of the walls to fill in the windows, I don't see the necessity of doing two "sets".

And, those look awesome.  

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whichever one you choose i would certainly buy some.

I agree with E&C, do that and I'll be ordering some too!  

I would also be ordering some. But can we have windows open? its an easy job to stick a strip of plastic along the inside to close all the windows, its far harder to cut them all open if made closed.

*Edit: im not bothered about roofing, id just make the buildings to any shape with those bits than make the roof to fit

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I'm assuming we'd be looking at Resin here?

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put me down for a few, roof's are needed

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Model railway supplies bring you all the roofing slabs you could want. Z or even N gauge depending on what you pick up (who wishes Epic had been z gauge?).

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firstly this is a great project and something that has been along time coming, so props on that.
Id vote for open windows as apoc pointed out its much easier for people to fill there own windows as needed compared to removing them, and id be really keen on ordering some ( a fair few actually price dependent ) of these when you decide on a final layout / design.


Cheers


Tim NZ

Yeah but I'm lazy and don't like converting.  

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Open windows is obviously an easier solution and anyone can glue some plasticard on the inside much quicker than removing the windows one at a time.

One thought though would be to make these panels line up with the old plastic rooves from the card buildings (Space Marine era). I've got dozens of them in a box somewhere and I'm sure most of us would have aswell (and I'm sure there's someone on this forum who can make some more aswell...   ). Roof problem instantly solved.

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