The number could demonstrate the Elevation Change... And the Quantity of Arrows can represent the "Negotiating Factor" ... Mean "2" Arrows is EASY, "4" Arrows is MEDIUM and "6" Arrows is HARD.
Again just IDEAS based on what I took from your post. That's pretty cool TBH. I personally like this version better too!
Anyhow ... Let me know what you think!? Is this closer to what you had in MIND?? The Arrows and Number explain different things... The Number the elevation change and the Arrows the difficulty of the transition.
Just some more thoughts. Like I said. I'm not telling you what to do... I'm just sharing my own ideas and how they translate with YOUR vision. Like I always say, it's YOUR Game. I'm just sharing some of my ideas to see if something sticks and HELPS you figure out what you need to do...
Sincerely.
Note #1: This VERSION makes way more SENSE now. Before I had not REALIZED why(?) I had split the Hex into Boundaries connecting other Tiles. Now I understand that they divide the "Connections" and allow for Ramps, Cliffs and Elevation Changes for each section of the Hex.
They don't ALL need to have an "Elevation Change" only certain sections and that explains how the tiles CONNECT and make for 3D-Like Terrain...
Note #2: I feel like this ELEVATION "Mechanic" does a good job of explaining the nature of the issue at hand. Meaning it conveys information about the "Elevation" in a simple manner which could suffice for MOST implementations. However I know you are very PARTICULAR about your game and what you ADD/REMOVE from it... So I'll just say, I THINK(!) this is what you were suggesting, no???
Place 2 hexagons together, with both that elevation... although, scrap that. If we have 2 hexagons, 1 might be on another map or a separate addition. Yeah, I think that the players can manage this info correctly.
2 arrows, pointing outwards or inwards.
Outwards means, the hexagon is lower in height.
Inwards means, the hexagon is higher in height.
But passable, since it is a ramp.
4 or 6 arrows, is a cliff. Or perhaps just a different arrow, one with a block or something. Since you...block movement.
Combining 2 sides will add up the numbers.
***
If a side has this, the total area grows smaller.
Considering the 3600 points in the hobby game (other games have 24, 60, or something else).
No matter what height difference.
Each side, -300.
Total penalty is -1800.
So, a hill with 6 sides would have room for 1800 points.
Terrain type will also cut this number in half, or a third.
So, we have 900, or perhaps 600.
Then we have the height difference.
This will have influence on movement. But only if you move up. This too goes with #/6th. So, a height difference of 5 will result that the 600 is only 100 now.
A very crowded and steep ramp allows 1 rifleman for 1 AP to go to the next location.
Going down on a ramp is always ok.
Terrain types of the ramps are only 1 or 2. A road in a mountain cuts in half. But on the 2 connecting sides, this is applied as a separate hexagon. So, having this connection between 2 open hexagons, would reduce the movement for ground units by half.
There is an attribute that will ignore cliffs and treats them as ramps.
There is an attribute that will reduce the height difference of a ramp for movement.
I should rewrite it in the document. Making the rules more clear.