Creating your own map/terrain

[gregfp66]

Hello, just began my battletech journey with agoac box

And i want to know the option i have to expand my terrain

As for map (printable 2d one) i've heard there is megamek map editor with a random generation feature and heavy metal map, is the last one still up to date and useable? It seems a very old software

As for 3d terrain, i dont have a 3d printer nor the financial means to get one, so i've read that i can use foam to create hex level and i guess with cardbox and a little creativity i can create buildings, but i'm a loss of idea for making those buildings compatible with said hex and how to create river and forest

Would really like to know your idea if you have more

Thanks

[Daryk]

If you search for Simon Landmine's threads, he's posted quite a number of excellent maps to give you ideas.

Foam insulation is definitely a good way to create levels.  Certainly cheaper than what a friend of mine in college did (cut 2x4s into hexagonal "dowels" and cut them to length).

Buildings are always problematic on hex maps.  Unless they're quite small, you're going to have to deal with half hexes.

[Colt Ward]

For buildings the simplest thing is the paper buildings, I like the Dropzone Commander ones- they are free too.  You can also take them and improve them, I am going to print some and turn them into ruins by putting flocking and other bits on them that look like ivy/moss is growing over them.

[Simon Landmine]

If you search for Simon Landmine's threads, he's posted quite a number of excellent maps to give you ideas.

Cheers! Although it should be noted that mine are created for MegaMek, so are often larger than is necessarily wanted for the tabletop.

There are the BattleTech Map Set packs by Catalyst, which also contain additional map sheets. And there are other online map makers who produce compatible maps, either pre-printed, or as .pdfs to get printed by a print shop. Some of them also design little areas of overlay terrain features, such as additional hills or buildings in a block of several hexes that can just be placed on an existing map to modify it for a specific scenario.

If you have a graphics programme that can make hexes of the appropriate size, making some of those 'map patches' of your own can be a way to start making your map areas different.

There are also quite a few threads in this topic that have lots of good ideas for making terrain, too.

[Daryk]

Cheers, Simon! 

I only suggested your maps as idea generators.  As you mentioned, yours are quite large compared to most tables.  That doesn't mean the OP doesn't have one that's big enough, though... 

[Simon Landmine]

Yeah, if OP has a table that large, I'd love to see those battles. That would be excellent! But yeah, ideas for the map layout (as opposed to the construction) can come from pretty much anywhere!

[RazorclawXLS]

Concerning foam, extruded polystyrene foam boards should be used (XPS), not expanded polystyrene. Expanded polystyrene foam will crumble when being worked on, XPS will not.

I also intend to make terrain for Battletech out of XPS boards, and I have a question related to that - what would be the most appropriate thickness of XPS boards for modelling terrain, 2cm or 3cm (for 1 level height)?

In my opinion, 2.5cm (1inch) would be ideal, but I live in Europe, and all I can find are 1 cm incremental thicknesses.

[Colt Ward]

1 inch is ideal . . . I would suggest 2cm, it will still hide most of the mech making LOS easier to figure out, and you have the added benefit of not really losing sight on the battlefield of where a mech is located.

[SeeM]

I started by creating small buildings and trees to place on generic paper maps. It was easy and did well for several years.