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Hexomania v2

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Hexomania v2

Postby Minister X on Fri Aug 14, 2020 8:09 pm

Map Name: Hexomania
Mapmaker(s): Minister X
Number of Territories: 105
Special Features: none
What Makes This Map Worthy of Being Made: With 105 terts there would be only 20 larger, and of those only the largest, "Hive", is hex-based or geometric/abstract. Yet Hive is fairly popular. By employing a torus or donut-shape I make the trip from one end to the opposite difficult. Despite the large number of terts the nomenclature is as simple as could be and players will be able to find 14-B or 29- D in a flash. Though the bonus amounts may seem counter-intuitive at first glance, they are based precisely on the bonus calculation spreadsheet. Yellow is worth so much because it's bordered by so many potentially hostile terts. Players will have to think hard about which bonuses to pursue.

Map Image:

[bigimg]Image[/bigimg]

I've always liked the "Chinese Checkers" map. There's an advantage to a symmetrical map if your goal is balanced play and maximal elimination of luck on the drop.

This "thick circle" geometry allows for lots of free-wheeling maneuver despite that big black impassable in the middle. But it also means that bonus values are high and tactics will be based less on pathways than on other things. If we want to reduce bonus values and make navigation more difficult we can add lines of impassibility. The obvious places for these are between light blue and either/both purple and light green, and/or between yellow and tan. That would reduce the tan bonus to 2 and would probably reduce others by one as well (I can recalc).

Colors are tentative. A check will have to be made as to whether they are okay for those with various forms of color blindness.

This map is 800 pixels wide by 769 high. I can't for the life of me figure out how that's possible since there's more space above the overall hex than on the sides. Yet the big hex looks perfectly even. But it's not. I checked. The hexes are higher than they are wide. Yet if you tilt you head to, in effect, make different sides "up" it all looks the same. An optical illusion??

I'm posting this in the Melting Pot instead of The Drafting Room because I recognize that this is a pretty funky idea and that abstract maps aren't everyone's cup of tea. I'll be interested to see what if any reaction it gets.

At least the font I used for the title should get an A+. :)
Last edited by Minister X on Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Major Minister X
 
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Re: Hexomania v1

Postby HitRed on Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:38 pm

Positive response
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Major HitRed
 
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Re: Hexomania v1

Postby Minister X on Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:31 pm

I uploaded the incorrect map at first but now it's correct. If you were confused by an earlier look at bonus values they are what's changed.
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Re: Hexomania v1

Postby Otnal on Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:40 am

I like it! You mentioned Hive, well that one I find difficult to read and I'm almost cross eyed by the end of my turn :lol:
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Re: Hexomania v1

Postby Minister X on Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:15 am

I've never played Hive but I just pulled up the map again and OMG... I had to put my face practically right up against my screen to read the thing. Using a squared-off font, at that size, that has dots on the middle of the zeroes, makes it VERY difficult to discern 0s from 8s from Bs.

I have been a student of typography for decades. I've read books on theory and history, used software designed to create typefaces, collect old type sample books, and have 3,300 fonts in my PC. In my youth I set lead type the old-old-fashioned way. So I'm fairly sensitive to the way type is employed on CC maps and I mourn the poor choices that are often made.
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Re: Hexomania v2

Postby Minister X on Sat Aug 15, 2020 8:49 am

A revision simply to display one possible set of impassables. I've not recalculated the bonus amounts but clearly they would be significantly affected. I just wanted to find a good way to indicate impassability that worked visually.

Image

I think this actually improves the first impression visual impact of the map - makes it more interesting and somewhat more complex but still very easy to read.

Sort of reminds me of barbed wire.
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Re: Hexomania v2

Postby HitRed on Sun Aug 16, 2020 10:08 am

I like no barriers better. More inviting and looks like a fun kids map. Having the barbwire makes it more serious. Some won't like a NO CORNER MAP but all games do end.
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