Stretching Hex Maps

I think it sounds like a pretty cool idea. Can't really say much about how I feel without seeing it. :D

I believe it is meant as folows:

Lets say that the top border of the map has 20 hexes. Now imagine that the bottom border has 20 hexes too. Now you take the two bottom corners and pull them appart and strech the bottom hexes till there are only 10 hexes in the bottom-row. (there are now 5 hexes "off the board" at each side)

Under the hex-map, the image of another map is unaltered, so to cross from left to right on the bottom row, you only have to move through 10 hexes, while that same movement on the top of the board would make you cross 20 hexes.

If you move X hexes, you will have moved twice the distance on the bottom of the map as if you moved the same amount of hexes on the top of the map.

Cheese.

It sounds as if this technique is useful only if you want a rectangular board, but need more locations at one end than at the other. Otherwise a trapezoidal map with a standard grid would be the same thing. Since your board probably would be rectangular, you might fit player aids into the non-map wedges at the skinny end of the map.

Then again, if thematically you want to represent rapid travel over long distances with nothing very interesting in between, the stretched hexes might be a very good way to do it. ("These places are a long ways apart, but in your Sand Flitter you can make the trip much faster than a ship at sea could travel the same distance.")

Unless, you want to make a board with perspective, I dont think stretching the hexes is a good solution. Instead you should outiline territories of different shapes which are larger at the bottom and smaller on the top ( Ex: Axis and allies, bells of war, risk, etc. ). Bells of War use Hex on water and diform shapes on the land.

I agree,

beside that, I believe the change in the number of hexes travelled up north compared to the ones in the south will be marginal at best.

Humm, you're right! hehehe, did not see that, i thougth the map was not complete as it is.

For playability, i'm not entirelly sure but it seems to be annoying and hard to calculate movement, it seems to complicate what could be a simple hex movement mechanic: ie, easily counted and quick to deal with. It's a little confusing for my eyes and for my comprehension of available space to be moving Units from and to.

That's much easier to the eyes, but still very confusing. How about whole areas where the movement is doubled(easy and simple). Is that what you intended?

Yes it does sound good...It's also a solid advantage to the numid player:) The same technique could be used for different abilities, stronger Defenses in cities or longer attack range for long range units camping in montaineous areas, slow movement in water hexes, unless the units are agile or have special equipment (ie. boats!) etc.