Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[kaltorak]

I am a big fan of a tactical, miniature rich way of play.

I think that SW works better in this manner.

But, I ever use an hex map.

Anyone uses a more "wargamer" approach? No hex grid but an hex free terrain and tape misurations?

Just curious

[Magnus]

I rarely use a hex-grid, unless it is a pre-made map. I prefer the free measurement and it allows for a quick change of scale between inches and centimetres (we usually begins with inches, but as the table gets more crowded with stuff during the evening we can start using cm).
Hex-free terrain for me!

Magnus

[Noshrok Grimskull]

We also use hex-free terrain. Sometimes we even use terrain-less terrain.
Wooden gaming tokens and dice become the PCs and NPCs, and anything that is at hand at the moment (rulebooks, soda bottles, cell phones, dice cups, chocolate bars, etc.) can become terrain as needed. Doesn't necessarily look good, but it gets the point across and is FFF!
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[The Angle]

I have tons of dungeon tiles and tactical maps that I use when they fit the situation, but most of the time, I set things up on a 2x2 square of felt and use popsicle sticks to measure movement.

Steve
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[Wiggy]

I'm like the Angle--sometimes I use mapsheets and dungeon tiles, other times we just use a table and tape measure. It all depends what I have to hand and what I need


Wiggy
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Wiggy
Creative Director Triple Ace Games

[Tuesday]

I generally don't even use the tape measure. It's a table, with various objects and tokens placed for obstacles and landmarks, and we estimate distances by eye.

Sometimes w'll pull out a grid or a rollable wet-erase hex-map that we have, and just count hexes, depending on the situation.

[Greg]

We never use hexes. As a veteran gamer (of some 30 years) I've always found hexes too bizarre, too counter-intuitive. When I get up to move across the room, I don't zig-zag back and forth and I don't make turns in 60 degree increments. Why should my characters? It's just not good.
Besides, too much attention to the movement/range/terrain, and it ceases being a roleplaying game and becomes a miniatures game. Also not good.

Anyway, I bought a big pad from Office Max with 1" squares on it. It's like 30" X 30" or something. We use the squares to draw the buildings/etc. but use rulers for movement. The squares are just there to give you "distance at a glance" and make it easier to quick-draw items on the map.

[Mike McCall]

When I have pre-designed terrain, I work without measurements of any kind. But most of the time, I use my battlemat, which has hexes (since I prefer them to squares).
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The Gypsy's Lair - House Rules and Fan Conversions: http://vagabond.sasktelwebsite.net

[Patrick]

For small stuff I use a hex mat, for big stuff I use the tape measure. When Weird War II two come out I'll probably break out the ping pong table and use a tape measure for sure. Tank fights at less than fifty meters is like having a knife fight in a phone booth.

Oh, and one inch equals two meters in my games. The imperial system drives me nuts. It will be glorious day indeed when America gives it up.

[Red-24]

I purchased a hex battlemat back in 1982 and later got a gift of a square grid battlemat around 1990. Although I prefer the hex for most games, and prefer free measuring for Savage Worlds, I always seem to have the square grid mat out for gaming. I like to have something to draw terrain on, and the squares do make it easier to draw buildings.

I like the suggestion of using the mat to draw on, then ignoring the sqares and just measuring. I may try that out.

As an aside, my well used hex mat still has a faint helicoptier crash scene will a small fire from a Traveller game and the outline of Dr. Destroyer's secret island base from a Champions game. Both of these ran in the early-mid 80's and some fool pulled a permanent marker out.
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[Tuesday]

[pineappleleader]

[Patrick]

[Tuesday]

[marshal kt]

it depends on the players and scenario. most of the one shots i don't use anything but a verbal description, some minis and thats about it.
for more drawn out 'dungeons' and the like, i use a battle mat. i have it, so i might as well use it.
i've played 40k and whfp, so much that terrain is a pia.
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[Sitting Duck]

[Wiggy]

[Greg]

My car speedometer is in Furlongs per Fortnight. Makes it more challenging to drive. I just do the math in my head - 1 mph is exactly 2688 fpf.

Anyway, I never understood what was so hard about using squares. You can either count every other diagonal move as 2 (1,2,1,2,etc.) or just use a ruler/tape measure. Hell, even use a $1 bill (six inches).
It just made drawing so much easier and I HATED the way hexes wouldn't let you move in a natural manner and, unless you happened to be moving exactly away from one of the faces of a hex, you couldn't easily guess the distance.

[Tuesday]

I like attoparsecs per microfortnight, personally. It's a very useful unit. Pi of them is 1 fps, to two or three significant digits.

Just like pi seconds is a nanocentury.

[pineappleleader]

Good Lord! I've created a monster.

I thought this thread was about "Do you use a grid or just measure?".
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