Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

CitizenKeen · Seasoned Joined: 02 Jul 2012 Posts: 123

I see a lot of reference to grids in relation to SW, but the rules seem to imply rulers and gridless tabletop terrain.

What is the consensus of the hivemind?

SavageGamerGirl · Heroic Joined: 24 Oct 2010 Posts: 1255

I have an gridded vinyl battle map that I use, but only because it makes terrain and floor plans easier to draw out. Since it's more for my convenience than the players, I don't require that they 'count squares' to move. The map's just there for me to draw on. They can count squares if they want, or they can use a ruler.
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CitizenKeen · Seasoned Joined: 02 Jul 2012 Posts: 123

Vonether · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:15 pm Post subject:

My players have issues with the "imprecise" nature of measuring things so we do a grid. Oddly enough, we do everything else the same and just include partially covered squares when we use templates.

When we play 50 Fathoms, we switch to hexes for ship combat and allow one turn per move while using only a one-hex counter.

Clint · Site Admin Joined: 13 May 2003 Posts: 16166

Vonether · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:34 pm Post subject:

fanchergw · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject:

We normally use a hex-gridded battlemat. It's easy to quickly sketch out terrain and keep track of where everyone is.

Gordon

LegendaryBard · Novice Joined: 26 Jun 2012 Posts: 46

I don't use a grid for the game I'm running right now, but only because we're playing over Skype. When I go back to college and run Savage Worlds for my usual group, we'll most likely use a grid. It's just kind of a bother not to, I think.
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SteelDraco · Novice Joined: 09 May 2011 Posts: 61

Yeah, I use a big Chessex mat as well or a set of tact-tiles (we alternate between two locations for game). We count every other diagonal square as two - we got used to doing that in Pathfinder, so we just kept it while playing Savage Worlds.

I have no interest in using a ruler or tape measure for RPGs - I'll always either do a battlemap or just not have a map at all. Tape measures are not for me.

samuraicrab · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:37 am Post subject:

I never use grids of anykind and play by post.

Rohan · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:50 am Post subject:

We have this:

SGG's Combat Board

One of my friends bought it a long time ago and it's been passed down from GM to GM. We don't always use it, just when things get complicated or there's lasting spell effects or specific things that need to be mapped. But we do like our miniatures...even if they're just dice and coins to represent players/enemies.
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Vonether · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:00 am Post subject:

I like to use the blank side of a Game Mastery Flip-Map. It folds up nicely into an 8.5 X 11 that can be slipped into a regular sized gaming book. It also works with either dry or wet erase markers.

http://paizo.com/products/btpy8oto?GameMastery-FlipMat-Basic

They are more expensive, but the Chessex Mats are good and you can call them to get cheaper Factory 2nds, but Buyer Beware.

Amaril · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:11 am Post subject:

chillburn · Seasoned Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 150

My group uses tact-tiles, which are no longer available Sad

Another copy started making new ones (not compatible, again Sad

)
http://longtoothstudios.com/blog/battlegraph-dry-erase-boards
But they look like they're on back order.

If you can find them, I highly recommend them. They're modular (we've used anywhere from 2x2, basically 20"x20" up to 3x4, which is 30"x40"). We can also do make custom layouts, and "slide" down a map, taking tiles off of the old (no longer needed) end and add them to the new end (for long dungeon crawls, etc.)

TommyBrownell · Veteran Joined: 27 Aug 2003 Posts: 757 Location: Oklahoma

I use a grid. I think moving to a ruler would be enough of an adjustment that it would completely slow us down.
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Cryonic · Veteran Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 814

kaltorak · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:45 am Post subject:

I use Wizards of the Coasts tiles, which are quite costy, but very good for my needs.

I also have a set of Confrontation tiles (they really are art pieces).

Bhoritz · Novice Joined: 29 May 2010 Posts: 86

Mono X · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:46 am Post subject:

We've used various mats over the years.

Although personally I think it's a little pricey; recently we've been using the grid version of the magic whiteboard that one of the players bought.

http://www.magicwhiteboard.co.uk/

We've been playing in my shed for a while so we can just put one sheet down and leave it.
We found that a single sheet lasts for ages and when it got too dirty from whatever, we just binned the sheet and put out a new one. We're still on the 2nd sheet.
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J Gregory · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:35 am Post subject:

If I'm using a grid and drawing terrain on it, I prefer to use D&D-style flat tokens rather than minis, because I find the mix of 2D and 3D jarring.

If I'm using minis and real terrain, then I don't bother with the grid; I crack out the tape measures and go into full tabletop mode.

But at the moment, my Deadlands game is narrative-only...

[As an interesting aside, I find players game with much more flair when using either the narrative-only or the token option, rather than using minitures. Somehow, seeing a 3D representation of their character on the table seems to limit their imaginations... I'm sure someone must have done a study on this somewhere. Anyone else found this?]