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Terrain as simplified as possible

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X3M
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Thank you Kristopher

So far:

3D printing would get me simple colours. But I would use hexagons, triangles on top or even other objects that remain flat yet are added with help of a peg.
Even mountains would remain flat... We need to be able to place air units you know.

Using cardboard. I would simply use "ridges" again. But then the main hexagons would be pure.
And mixes would simply be several levels.
Grass, grass with a tree, grass with several tree's and finally a forest.

The "ridge" or connecting part of the board. Would then be half forest and half grass in all cases where one hexagon would be completely forest.

Doing this from scratch again...

But the start would be:
Barren

Either barren hexagons with rocks as objects.

Or barren, barren with a rock, barren with several rocks, entirely rocks. And of course "ridges" with barren going into rocks.

so, in your oppinion, what would be better?
"3D" printed or cardboard?

Either way, I have gotten to a point. Where I would love to see maps ranging from 2 hexagons to infinite hexagons. Just like the good old days.

Having a square or rectangle map filled with hexagons is a no go at this point...

questccg
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Here are some more ideas you can flesh out...

X3M wrote:
...Having a square or rectangle map filled with hexagons is a no go at this point...

Well just because you were thinking about COLORS (There is even a Purple Grass!) and a bunch of all kinds of colors like various greens. Dirt and mud too... All forms of "brown" colors. Seeing it in this form may be more helpful.

Another option is to see what Warhammer 40,000 Players use. They sell miniatures for the various units. Some people paint them... Others do this as a JOB: painting miniatures!

Anyways maybe this LINK is more relevant to you:

https://www.yeggi.com/q/warhammer+40k+terrain/

Although they may not have what you are LOOKING for... Again just for inspiration or give you ideas. If you plan on 3D you will need to produce STL file (Why? Because we did Starship Models for TradeWorlds and we needed the STL files to send to the Manufacturer).

Again this may (or may not) help. Just sharing some bookmarks that I've had for years now ... Once I find them.

X3M
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3d or 3d printing

The terrain would still be flat.
But it is something that i could do at home instead.

I dreamt this night about having the terrain being cardboard like a puzzle...

Is it possible to cut out cardboard as a puzzle??

The hexagons would have the females. The "ridges" the males.

questccg
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This is possible over at TGC

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/make/products/InvaderMat

That allows you to tiles a bunch of hexes together and form an interconnected matrix of "Hex" Tiles without the need to place each and every hex individually.

This is a close as I can find for "puzzle-like" game tiles. Maybe those can inspire you. Cheers!

questccg
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Or something different...

Heroscape (watch the ENTIRE video ... you'll see TERRAIN pieces):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEiMKaXanI0

These are all 3D and can be LINKED together. Plus they are so freaken durable ... The kids throw them against the wall and nothing breaks!

This is yet another direction... But again HEX-Based. Cheers @Ramon...

X3M
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Everything will start with barren as basic.

I got some runescape at home. Very durable.

But slightly different than I am looking for.
I am working out an idea that I am having in regards to use of cardboard with a print.

Either way. Right now I think that barrens is the place to be. This basic terrain is super flat. Has maximum space and vision.
Then the first objects should be rocks/mountain.
Which reduce space and vision in a linear fashion.
All the way down to 0.

Next stop would be the first water.
With.....
Ok, water will be just like the barrens in terms of vision. Space is however 0. So any space is possible with water and barren combinations.
And any vision is possible while space is 0, when using rocks/mountains in the water.

But what could be the opposite of water?
And still be found in the middle of nowhere.
0 vision but a maximum of space?
There is yet life to be found.
Let alone intelligent life that has cities.

The only thing popping up in my mind is a mist.
And there can honestly be only "1" mist.

Leave this be for now? And introduce this type of terrain when cities are introduced?

X3M
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Minimal number of terrains to start with

Barrens, Water and Rocks.

Yes, a very desolate place that most games use. Go figure...

The basic would be that we have land, water and objects on the map.
It already will give you a feeling of a complex map, right?

Land:
Barrens; 6 vision, 6 space
Barrens with a lake; 6 vision, 3 space, 3 space for water, 6 space for air
Barrens with a river; 6 vision, 3 space, 3 space for water, 6 space for air

Water:
Water; 6 vision, 0 space
Water with an island; 6 vision, 3 space
Water with a barren path; 6 vision, 3 space

Objects:
1 Rock on barren; vision -2, space -2 except air
3 Rocks on barren; vision -4, space -4 except air
Mountain; vision -6, space -6, space -6 except air
1 Rock on any barren with water or vice versa; vision -2, space -1 for the barren and -1 for the water except air.
3 Rocks on any barren with water or vice versa; vision -4, space -2 for the barren and -2 for the water except air.

***

No mixed terrain?
Then I am left with a full barren hexagon, full water hexagon and a full mountain.
But this makes the game less fun in regards to the map.

What if I build up a map with smaller hexagons? Then I only need to make sure that a rock has a barren basis or a water basis or even a rock basis.

And I am back to fractured terrain. With one major difference. I would be using pure drawings. Meaning the drawing is the symbol at the same time. So any colour blind would see a map and can make use of it.

X3M
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Grid

What would be the best to use?

For starters. Let's see what I can do with only a maximum of 2 terrain types per hexagon again. Yet using smaller hexagons for the pictures. The edges of any smaller hexagon should go to a basic grey/brownish. Water hexagons would probably have sharp edges in this regards. But the land hexagons will have more of a rounder texture. So water and ground in the mix will still look decent. And purely water will only show a grid if you like.

I am looking at this one:
https://www.mdpi.com/symmetry/symmetry-12-00700/article_deploy/html/imag...

There are 2 configurations that give a total of 4 smaller hexagons.

The grid above shows "ridges" that I always used. The other one shows a grid that I can't use at all. The corners would be the same type of terrain, meaning the entire map would end up with the same terrain as the corners of each individual hexagon.

So, the one that uses "ridges" remains once again.
The center is 1 colour and then 2 out of the 6 edges will be that colour as well.

Meaning there are 3 combinations possible this way.
What if I want 2 roads or rivers to join?
Maybe I should make exceptions. And that some hexagons have 3 instead of 2 sides to be the same colour.
Giveing me 4 combinations for a hexagon that has 2 colours. Then again, I could have it directional in just 1 direction. And then I would have a lot more combinations...

In other words, the smaller grid is the grid that exists out of the build up.

So, how to get a grid on top of the smaller grid?
A translucent hexagon layer???
A hexagon net?
Having a basis that already has this grid while the pieces are simply placed on top, in such a way that the grid is visible?

X3M
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Completely stuck?

On graphics...

Roads, rivers, bridges, shallow water and ice are a must for the tactics.

If I have these, I can't have proper graphics from one hexagon to another...

Combination terrains would have a patch in the middle. Or a "road" like feature. It would not be abnormal to have a snow path in the mountains.

But here is the thing: If I have a river comming from the mountains. It would surely get out of the mountains. But then the next terrain is different. Example barrens.
I also need mountains to barrens hexagons. There can be variations in these.

One: So I need hexagons with a river flowing through a mountain.
Two: And then the river flowing through barrens.
Tree: the river goes from a mountain to barrens. And this is where 3 terrain types are present!!!

While having only hexagons with a mix of terrain. I will be needing a gigantic ammount of different hexagon designs...

X3M
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3D progress

I am having 2 directions here to think about.
Today I did some 3D thinking with someone new to the idea's. He had fresh input too!!

So, the idea is to have hexagons. That can be connected with objects. The objects have 4 pins.
The hexagon has 4 holes in the middle, but 2 on each side. Meaning that 2 hexagons can be connected together.

Objects can be roads, rivers, ramps (with 4 holes? but then we got diagonally tree's, hahaha), waterfalls, bridges (this one is still an issue), tree's, rocks (the mountains are simply higher altitude.)
But also, grass, water, desert, barren, houses, skyscraper, etc.

I really like this idea, since i can keep it modular. But the objects seem to be the connecting pieces too.

X3M
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In addition to objects on diagonally parts

Besides of ramps, we are thinking about something that would make a little stair case. Altough the hexagons would not be connected here. And the pieces that are used to connect 2 hexagons, might be cut in half, so only 2 pegs per piece. This way, they could be turned 90 degrees to fit on that little stair case.

I need to draw things out. Make scetches the least.

although I heared no one comment on this part yet either.

X3M
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stuck at 3D again

What remains is having only 1 colour of 3D printed hexagons. (Or another form of getting my hands on 3D prints.
Also 3D printed ramps.
Ridges are always rocks, still can be climbed by certain units.

Then 2D stickers:
Full hexagons
stretched for the ramps
Rivers and Roads
stretched rivers and roads for the ramps

A streched river can be used for a hexagon with a ridge. So this would look like a waterfall.

***

Anyway.
Since I am going in circle's.
And the guys all want something else.
I think of calling it a day.

Keeping the graphics shit. Until the game is ready to be a public version.

So, the new prototype will be a 3D print with paper pasted on it (with crappy prints) Period.

X3M
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hmmm....

No one got to a complete mechanic. Yet they disagreed on my efforts.

Either way. I am still cutting.

And trying to find a way to remove the need for terrain types like grass and desert.
In other words, only space should become a value.
But how?

Objects are already halfway there. I have obstruction points. And this seemed to work well despite some weird side effects.

I think that when the space system is done. The objects will be no problem either.

Units should be able to have no problems on solid ground.
Ships no problem on water.
The space reduction factor should be due to softness.
Which is then added to water and thus again reduces space.

Only a few units, like air and hoovers will be able to ignore this softness.
Amphibious will be on land and water. But soft terrain will be problematic for them.

Objects also reduce space AND vision.
Air will once again ignore objects as well.

So, here is the list so far:

Normal; Ground
Ships; Water
Amphibious; Ground and Water
Hoover; Ground, Water and Soft
Crawlers; Ground and Objects
Air; Ground, Water, Soft and Objects

Now to make sure this is visible without colours. But with symbols instead...
But I would like to have the softness to be a level just like objects. Any idea's??

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