Short News Post - Introducing "Rad Zone" (New Contest on the Juhlin Forum!)

As quoted from the post linked here:

This concept should be familiar to Traveller players and is borrowed shamelessly from the "Amber Zone" concept.

Ok, the way this is going to work is this. Please submit a maximum of 1500 words to this thread of a developed adventure seed (doesn't need to be a full adventure). The scenario seed must be at least 500 words in length, and it must have a developed plot line, potential ideas for complications, as well as suggestions to the Referee on how to use something in their campaign. The entry may be rules agnostic, or for a specific version of Twilight: 2000, be it 1st Edition, 2nd Edition, Edition 2.2, or Twilight: 2013.

All submissions must be original, and not published elsewhere, either physically, or electronically on the web in any form.

Extra points to someone using the "Amber Zone" concept of something ambiguous turning into something rather unpleasant indeed, or at least potentially so...

All submissions must be submitted by 0000 EST, Saturday, August 15. A poll of the board membership will then decide the winner. In case of a tie, the mod staff will cast the deciding vote. Voting will be held until 0000 EST, Sunday, August, 31.

Oh, almost forgot, I am putting up a comp copy of my recent miniatures scenario book "Red Star, White Lights" as a prize!

So, flex those creative muscles! I'd love to see what you all come up with!

Post 100! What a Long, Strange Trip it Has Been!

Well folks, it's a day late, but I am ready to announce our prize winner for our first painting contest!

 Apache 6 has won with a majority of the votes for his entry:

He'll be receiving our grand prize entry, and we ask that he gets in touch with us so we can get him his prizes!

Thanks to all the contributors and we'll be running another contest in the Spring!

Now, it's post 100, and I just want to say to our 60,000+ page views, and 52 followers one word:
Wow. When I began this blog a year ago, I never thought it would have this level of support and fans that would have people clambering for more. I promise to have more of my own work up..and there is another arena I plan to be delving into soon..3D printing. My parents thoughtfully, and I mean thoughtfully got me a Photon brand 3D Printer and I am devouring the owner's manual as we speak. Perhaps a 20mm LAV-75 is finally in the offing? But I have a lot to learn about making an STL file, let alone printing something out, so I will keep you all posted as to what's going on with this as time goes on.

I've discovered Thingverse, Wargames Vault, and Yeggi, but does anyone have anything else to recommend? Bigger terrain pieces might be a challenge, unless they are multi-part, but what I am really of a mystery about is can files be re-scaled. What I am looking for is can I take a 28mm file, and rescaling it for 20mm? (One of my primary scales). Can it be done, and how easy is it to do?

Also, what's a good tutorial for STL creation for a beginner like me?

So what comes now?

1. I intend to finish my long dormant project "Blood Upon the Risers" which is a scenario pack for Ambush Alley set during the fight for Bandar-i-Khomeini in 1997. When it's ready, it will be released here. I don't think it will be playested, but it will be free!

2. We'll be seeing more from our contributors, as they've already got some articles for us!

3. More painting, more models, and more ideas!

4. 3D printing, and the joys thereof! Let's see where this goes?

Man, Have I Been Prolific This Month! And, Some News of Interest.

I seem to keep writing a lot for the blog these days, and the painting contest is currently being judged. I encourage all of my readers to sign in and make their vote known. I'd like to see more responses as we had five entries, and all of them look like the contestants did their very best.

Also, I found out a couple of months late, but Wargames Illustrated did an article about using Twilight: 2000 as a miniature wargames background! Yep, that's right. In WI 373. there's a lavishly illustrated article that includes rules reviews, figure reviews (including a few I was kinda "meh" on, but YMMV), and a good summary of the Vistula Trilogy.

Cover of WI 373, image taken from WI website.

In short, if you don't have a copy, go out and get one. It's a good read for those just getting into this as a milleu.

Come the new year, I plan on getting some forward momentum on my own Twilight: 2000 miniatures and to figure out how I am going to work things out vis a vis doing Iran during the Twilight War in 20mm. I have a fan project I have been working on for years called "Blood Upon the Risers" that I really need to just finish up, and get out to the masses. That said? I do have some other paid gigs I need to give their due attention.

The next post will be blog entry 100, and we've come a LONG way from the humble beginnings of this blog. We're now at 51 followers, and 60,000+ page views, and I know the only way is up, really. I am so excited about where this blog can go?

So with that, I'd like to take a survey, what articles would YOU like to see more of here? Let me know in the comments section!

• Scenarios?
• Product Reviews?
• Tutorials?
• More discussion articles like in the beginning?

I want to make a real splash with entry 100, so it will be the beginning of the future of this blog, and the way forward. As for a question I asked last month, I think for now, I am going to put that on the back burner. As much as I would like to perhaps move to a WordPress format, there's far too many questions about how it work for me to feel comfortable making the switch. 

That's all for now, can't wait for the BIG 100! 

Submissions are Closed, and the Voting is Upon US!

Well, everyone! Our call for submissions has ended, and we have five submissions for people to judge and vote on. Please come on down to the Facebook page, and vote. You have until midnight on December 30th to cast your vote.

Just to give you all an idea of what we got for submissions this year, I have decided to post one picture from each entry.

So come on down and vote, our submitting artists would appreciate it after the hard work they have put in.

Painting Contest Developments!

Hey all, I got prizes in from Ehliem Figures and Michael Moore (Thank You very much, guys!), as well as a couple packs of the old Grenadier Twilight: 2000 line up for grabs for this thing. And, they're the Post Apoc "Gaslands" inspired line for Ehliem, which I reviewed in an earlier blogpost, Well, having seen some of the stuff in person? I am impressed. I am still trying to lock down the Game Craft Miniatures gift certificate, but if any other manufacturers see this and want to contribute to the prize pool, it's not too late!

Remember These Beauties?

So, get your entries in, you only have until this coming Sunday, and then, voting begins on the Facebook page, so don't forget to like the page, so you can vote for your faves! (I will be also posting pics here, and Grimace of the Good Luck, You're on Your Own newsletter will also be posting your entries.)

So I forgot to mention what needs to be included with your entries:

1. Good pictures. Sadly, we cannot judge your stuff in person, so good pics are going to make the difference. This is a pretty good article on how-to, but one of the best is by Henry Hyde in his book The Wargaming Compendium (We reviewed it a few blog posts ago.) And take multiple angles, it helps!

2. Name, description of the piece and a "short how did you do what you did", we won't give out your real name if you ask us not to, but we'll need it for the prize information!

That's pretty much it. Please send all entries in either .png, .bmp, .gif, or .jpeg format. It's a lot easier to work with when we post these things to the internet.

So, you're running short on time entrants!

GET PAINTING! THE WORLD WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!!

Season's Greetings From 500 Miles! And, a CONTEST!!!

From our friends at Podcast at Ground Zero!

Well, a chill is in the air, and Cyber Monday is upon us.  Why, even the rad count is down to "acceptable levels", and the chem sniffer has taken a break from sounding an alarm. And all our happy members are wishing for gaming goodies, full stills, and of course, more ammo. But hey, on a more page related note, I challenge my readers to post here or at the FB page some of their milleu related winter stuff..in fact, let's make this a contest!

1st Annual "500 Miles Holiday Painting Contest"

Rules: Paint a miniature or group of miniatures (this includes terrain) from 6mm to 28mm scale in a winter setting suitable for Twilight: 2000. Entries can be sent to 500milest2k@gmail.com and will be judged by the members of the 500 Miles Facebook Page. They can be infantry, vehicles, or even a diorama!

It must be an original work, and not have submitted for anywhere else, online or offline.

Prize: I will put forward two packs from my stash of Grenadier Twilight: 2000 miniatures to the first prize winner. I also think I can put forward some other prizes for the other winners!

UPDATE: Due to the generosity of Michael Moore and Ehliem, we have some more prizes coming. I will let them be a surprise till they arrive, but lets just say, things are getting interesting! Also, GameCraft Miniatures is also providing a gift certificate!  

Due Date: Submissions to be ready by 16 December, judging will take place until December 30th.

Winner to be announced Jan 2nd! The top three entries will be posted here on the blog!

All other questions, to be directed at: 500milest2k@gmail.com

Also, please spread the word about this contest and let folks know far and wide. Feel free to copy the text, as I would love to see a variety of entries.

SO GET PAINTING FOLKS!!