Terrain for TW?

[Gray_Noton_4lfe]

I enjoy using the standard paper sheets for TW but I'm curious if anybody uses alternative 2D/3D terrain 

[Syzyx]

There is a whole forum of such folks down below under Gaming Terrain. Some really impressive stuff down there.

[Aotrs Commander]

Don't think I've ever actually used a mapsheet, myself.

[Gray_Noton_4lfe]

Don't think I've ever actually used a mapsheet, myself.

What?!?! If you never played with a map sheet how do you play then

[ckosacranoid]

You use terrain and use inches for ranges to move and fire when you do not use a master to play the game. Played with out maps all the time for the last 30 years or so.

[Daemion]

We do use maps often, and I've come up with some stuff for fun, like painted up monopoly houses, pill containers for hangars, and Monsterpocalypse buildings for other things.   It really does make the game more visually appealing when they're to scale with the map.  And, it helps when the mech minis are too.   

[Aotrs Commander]

What?!?! If you never played with a map sheet how do you play then

Like that usually.

Less elaborate and smaller while I played evening games, but on the same terrain otherwise that I play Manouvre Group Sci-fi on. (I use the same terrain for DBM/Horde of the Things (15mm fantasy) too, on rare occasion.) Even when I first started BT in the 90s, thanks to the animated show, I just played on the tabletop or the carpet with books and such as buildings with homebrew Clan mechs using LEGO men. Slightly later, I used the same terrain I played Dirtside II on (before that was replaced by Hexon II).

[Hellraiser]

You use terrain and use inches for ranges to move and fire when you do not use a master to play the game. Played with out maps all the time for the last 30 years or so.

There's also those great felt cloths w/ variable size hexes on them allowing you to both use custom terrain & still keep a "hexed" feel.

[Gray_Noton_4lfe]

Like that usually.

Less elaborate and smaller while I played evening games, but on the same terrain otherwise that I play Manouvre Group Sci-fi on. (I use the same terrain for DBM/Horde of the Things (15mm fantasy) too, on rare occasion.) Even when I first started BT in the 90s, thanks to the animated show, I just played on the tabletop or the carpet with books and such as buildings with homebrew Clan mechs using LEGO men. Slightly later, I used the same terrain I played Dirtside II on (before that was replaced by Hexon II).

Thats awesome, and you use that for TW right?

[Gray_Noton_4lfe]

I know people use 3D terrain for Alpha Strike but I didn't know how you would play TW with it.

Do you just turn Mp to inches then? 

[House Davie Merc]

Welcome to the Gaming Terrain part of the boards.

In probably over 20 years the only time I've used paper maps was as a guide to create a 3D
copy of it for a specific scenario.

I use a combination of Geo-Hex Battlescape , MKP printed hex mats, and my own custom work
for my terrain. They all use 1.5 inch hexes. These allow a little more room for terrain features
around a hex base then the standard maps while allowing a large playable map.

Here's a sample: https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=54189.0

I'm working on a new thread series but waiting on some supplies to finally come in.
The terrain boards are often kinda slow. Many of us have been there done that for so long
that we forget what it's like at the beginning and changes come slow.
Currently Hextech offers a good 3D line to spruce up existing maps.

[Aotrs Commander]

Thats awesome, and you use that for TW right?

BattleTech, Sci-Fi Manoeuvre Group, DBM... Actually, as the only other games I play are starships, that's the exhaustive list.

I know people use 3D terrain for Alpha Strike but I didn't know how you would play TW with it.

Do you just turn Mp to inches then?

Basically. Somewhere around, there's a set of official miniatures rules PDF (which used to in the main rules before Total War); but they're not really necessary as MP to inches works and mechs have hex bases for measuring firearcs.

Strictly, I use use 2" to 30m (1 hex) these days, though I did use 1 to 1 for a long while and I think experiemented with 3" to 30m, I decided that the 2" to 30m was the best compromise. (I belive I only attempted changing the scale from 1 to 1 only when I first got HeavyMetalPro where you could scale the movement and ranges for printing the record sheets - something you can now do in MML, which I think I was at least partly responsible for asking for.)

[Colt Ward]

There's also those great felt cloths w/ variable size hexes on them allowing you to both use custom terrain & still keep a "hexed" feel.

IMO, the hexes make it easier to play and it keeps things standardized.

[worktroll]

Another option is making 3D hex sheets out of polystyrene boards.







 I made these as direct copies of BT maps. The sheets are about 1" thick, which is perfect. I marked a pattern of hex dots, then 'embossed' the hex edges. Mapped & cut out the various layers, dug some out for water hexes, then glued together & painted.

They're a great mix of visual effect and the clarity of the hex map, which works really well for TW - Hellraiser's comment is exactly right. I've moved away from them as playing primarily AS now, but still keep them around.

[Gray_Noton_4lfe]

Another option is making 3D hex sheets out of polystyrene boards.

 I made these as direct copies of BT maps. The sheets are about 1" thick, which is perfect. I marked a pattern of hex dots, then 'embossed' the hex edges. Mapped & cut out the various layers, dug some out for water hexes, then glued together & painted.

They're a great mix of visual effect and the clarity of the hex map, which works really well for TW - Hellraiser's comment is exactly right. I've moved away from them as playing primarily AS now, but still keep them around.

How long did it take you to carve the hills?

[worktroll]

A couple of afternoons to do the lot.

1) Mark hex pattern on sheet
2) Use plastic edge to emboss the hex lines
3) Trace out each level of the hill in hexes - eg. level 1, separately level 2, level 3 etc
4) Cut out
5) Stack & glue.

[Hellraiser]

IMO, the hexes make it easier to play and it keeps things standardized.

Agreed,  my GM uses some big 4x6 mats w/ 2" hexes printed on them for Team v Team.

For 1v1 player we use a couple mapsheets.

[Aotrs Commander]

Guess its what you're used to. I actually find using hex maps less comfortable than not using them - but then I have 35 years of basically exclusively playing wargames that don't use hex maps (and I don't play board-games as such); even the RPG maps I play one are squared, rather than hexed[1].

That said, I have noted in the past there seems to be a discrete global divide in mindset - a lot more American sets of rules of my experience (e.g. BT, Silent Death) are hex-based than UK ones (e.g Full Thrust, and - much as I twitch to invoke it GW's rules). That may not be as true nowadsay of course, but it was fairly apparent twenty-plus years ago.



[1]Yes, you could argue that hexes are better overall for a gird if you're using one, but its bad enough trying to draw Paizo's sodding circuler and curved rooms and nearly-squar roomes-that-don't-quite-match-the-grid; trying to translate that to hexes at the same time would be a good way to send me INSANE.

[DarkSpade]

My group often played on my heroscape terrain.  We played per map sheet rules though.

I know people use 3D terrain for Alpha Strike but I didn't know how you would play TW with it.

Do you just turn Mp to inches then?

If you're playing hexless terrain, it's the last Chapter of the Strategic Operation book.   

[General308]

I know people use 3D terrain for Alpha Strike but I didn't know how you would play TW with it.

Do you just turn Mp to inches then?

Yes.  Now the rules will recomend one MP=2 inches.   But when we play it we do one MP =1 inch.  That way it eliminates the math.  The effect is  you get a larger battlefield by doing 1 to 1 in the same space