Tuesday, July 19, 2011

This Worked For Me: ISUS.MSI ?!

Update Manager Installshield requires, from some folks, a file called "isus.msi". If it can't find this file - for whatever reason - it requests that a mystical, magical CD you have never heard of be inserted into your CD/DVD drive. The message accompanying this is usually cryptic.

"What disk?!" you scream at the uncaring monitor. Now comes the test of your webfu, frantically searching the interwebz in a quest to find The Solution.

But, before you download a questionable piece of "helpful" software, or the supposed file, or edit your register, or any other wacky, dangerous, or dubious fix: get the first installation disk of CorelDRAW X3 collecting dust in your stack/box/spindle/whatever and put it in the CD/DVD drive. You can find isus.msi in the directory :\CGS13. You'll have to search the disk if it's not in that spot. Then: just [BROWSE] your way there and click [YES].

And that's how the day was spent. Hope this helps.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Anthropomorphic Commandos!



Click on image for bigger picture!

These are way out of production (late AD1980's?) and may have been produced by Lance & Laser. Have to go by memory as the original packaging has long since disappeared. They are 25mm and were sold as a set.

Mounted on a 25mm round plastic bases.

Painting: There were all primed white.

Duck: Feathers were black and the bill was deep yellow. Eyes were white with a black dot. Boots were red leather and gloves were black. Pants were US field drab. Belt was belt leather with an ocher yellow then bronze buckle. Shirt and hat were green grey. Pistol was German grey then gunmetal. The rifle was also German grey then gunmetal, with burnt umber for the stock and lime green for the lenses of the scope.

Rhino: Neutral grey for the skin. Eyes were white with a black dot. Boots were red leather and gloves were black. Pants were US field drab. Ammo belts were yellow ocher then bronze, German grey then gunmetal and silver. The rifle was German grey then gunmetal, with burnt umber for the stock.

Chimp: Black was used for the fur, gloves and "boots". Flesh was used for the face. Eyes were white with a black dot. Jumpsuit was US field drab. The belt was belt leather and the buckle was yellow ocher then bronze. The fragmentation grenade was brown violet. The submachine gun was German grey then gunmetal.

All: The base was flat earth. The facing lozenge was green grey and outlined with black. The entire figure was then dipped with a mix of polyurethane clear gloss varnish and Ebony. The base was flocked with patches of PVA glue, then blended turf and static grass. Finally, the entire figure was sprayed with clear matte.

Review: A little less cartoony than the Team Frog offerings with a nice mix of roles: chimp commando, rhino assistant machine gunner and duck sniper. Sculpts are clearly detailed on the bodies but a less so on the weapons. The rhino's ammo belts could have just as easily done in belt leather for bandoleers. Quite good, but, again, out of print. Shame.

Suitable for Gamma World, Mutant Future, Metamorphosis Alpha, or any other Post Apocalyptic/Science Fiction game.

A bit behind schedule as we lost power on Monday. I leave you with a sneak peak of another playtest of SUNDER THE STARS which should be up later this week.



See more of my painting here: http://ravenfeast.deviantart.com/gallery/

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Barb-B of the Wastelands!


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Would you believe yet another in-production and available figure? This time from Black Orc Games - Mini-Sculpt, 100-MS-0079 "Cherry 101 Cyborg Girl" http://cart.blackorc.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80&products_id=459.

Mounted on a 25mm round plastic base.

Painting: Primed white, green blue for the skin. The visible eye was white with a dot of black. Cyborg bits and gun were German Grey, then Gunmetal, with lime green for the cyber-eye. The garb was vermilion, with yellow ocher then bronze for the trim. The hair was a mix of silver paint and purple ink. The base was covered with a slurry of ballast, sand, PVA glue and water before priming and painted with medium gray. The facing lozenge was green blue outlined with silver paint/purple ink mix. The entire figure was then dipped with a brew of polyurethane clear gloss varnish and Ebony. The base was flocked with patches of PVA glue and pink flock used for detailing the upholstery of model cars. Finally, the entire figure was sprayed with clear matte.

Review: Another selection from the Black Orc Games' Mini Sculpt line and, to be honest, I can't remember why it ended up in the collection. Impulse buy? Who knows. The gun arm was way too long and the physique, though saftig, was more "orc" than "human". The lack of any discernible neck did not help. Painting the wee beastie was easy enough, as all the details were defined, and it took the dip nicely. The only modification was the drilling out of holes on the ventilated barrel shroud, as they were a bit shallow. The figure does fill the role of a 'borged humanoid mutant with an awkwardly large gun - should such a thing be needed on your tabletop.

Suitable for Gamma World, Mutant Future, Metamorphosis Alpha, or any other Post Apocalyptic/Science Fiction game.

See more of my painting here: http://ravenfeast.deviantart.com/gallery/

Monday, July 4, 2011

Fear the Bunny!


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Would you believe another in-production and available figure? This time from Team Frog Studios - TFSCCRB01 "Rabbits Squad (4 figures)" http://www.teamfrog.com/fig-cc.htm. Above is figure "A" from the set.

Mounted on a 25mm round plastic base.

Painting: Primed white, light gray and white for fur, with flesh for nose and inside the ears. Eyes were white then a dot of black. The t-shirt and cap were green grey, and the shorts were US field drab. The knee and elbow pads were green grey and
brown violet, and the shoulder pads were brown violet. The shoes were red leather and the gloves were white. The gun had a base of German grey, then gunmetal. The base was flat earth. The facing lozenge was green grey outlined with black. The entire figure was then dipped with 1:1 mix of polyurethane clear gloss varnish and Minwax Polyshades Tudor. The base was flocked with patches of PVA and blended turf, then the rest with static grass. The entire figure was sprayed with clear matte.

Review: A bit more cartoony than I'd like, but there aren't any options as the only other rabbit-folk with guns have been out of production for about 30 years.

Suitable for Gamma World, Mutant Future, Metamorphosis Alpha, or any other Post Apocalyptic/Science Fiction game.

The vikings are still underway. Yes, they need to be done, but
I've grown to like the comparative speed and ease of painting starships.

See more of my painting here: http://ravenfeast.deviantart.com/gallery/