Triplanetary-Style Map?

PeteC · 01-23-2020, 02:29 PM

Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster.

After running TFT for the first time (just a skirmish on the Melee mouse-pad map with my buddy, and then a little dungeon), I had the thought that a triplanetary-style (and sized) dry-erase map with the 1.5 inch hexes would be a great addition.

It would allow the GM to quickly draw out maps rather than dig around a box full of two-sided tiles, which was kind of awkward during play.

I would love to buy one of these from SJG with all the TFT trade-dress on it, but assuming they have better things to do, does anyone have any ideas about how someone could get something like this made through an online service or something?

Thanks

Skarg · 01-23-2020, 02:40 PM

Welcome to the site!

Dry-erase battle mats have been available for decades, and are indeed very convenient.

I prefer 1" hexes, but there are 1.5" hex battlemats available too, e.g. from Chessex http://www.chessex.com/mats/Battlema...Reversible.htm

I also like copying hex grids onto plastic transparencies, then using paper to draw battle locations, and laying the hex grid on top. This allows me to use (and to re-use) plain paper for locations.

PeteC · 01-23-2020, 03:13 PM

Oh sweet! Thanks! I think that's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for.

larsdangly · 01-23-2020, 04:52 PM

I play with a huge Chessex mat with 1.5" hexes, on which I place MH tiles as overlays, drawing in additional things as appropriate.

Skarg · 01-23-2020, 10:37 PM

Oh, another tip, is that if you do use a dry erase hexmap, and/or you are interested in recording battle positions, either to save a game for returning to later, or to record where the dead bodies and dropped weapons were lying for a forensic investigation later, or just to remember, and/or to record what you drew a location as before you erase the drawings, digital cameras can do wonders...

philreed · 01-24-2020, 05:02 AM

Have you tried using the dry-erase megahex tiles that are included in the Legacy Edition box?

larsdangly · 01-24-2020, 08:43 AM

I use the dry-erase MH tiles constantly, and, as a 40+ year player of TFT I can tell you their big scale, diversity and quality are the biggest improvement in the game. And the more of them you have the better they 'work'. But there is still a space for a big roll out mat, because it is challenging to tesselate the tiles into large open spaces. Really, anything bigger than about 4 MH on a side becomes unwieldy. For this you need folded or rolled surfaces that can open up on the table. Unfortunately, the paper maps for Melee and Wizard are too 'bendy' and thin, so they don't match up well with the tiles (also, the look on the table is untidy). You can mix tiles and rolled out rubber mats, and this makes a flat continuous surface, but also has an untidy look. For that matter, the big Chessex mat mixed with tiles is 'untidy' in this way, and the tiles you drop onto it are raised up, which isn't very nice.

But I can easily imagine a product that would solve this issue: several roll-up rubber mats of different size that have the same graphic design as the plain white MH tiles and come 'flush' to the edges (i.e., no empty margin). These would lie flat, roll up into a compact form for storage, and tesselate contiguously with the tiles, and they are nearly the same thickness. This would add a lot to the range of spaces you can create.

Also, we need something like MH tiles for exterior spaces and interiors of buildings.

BigJoe · 01-24-2020, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I play with a huge Chessex mat with 1.5" hexes, on which I place MH tiles as overlays, drawing in additional things as appropriate.

I need to try this!

BigJoe · 01-24-2020, 09:34 AM

Also, don't some of the new adventures have "keys" that show how to "build" encounter areas using the MegaHexes that came with Legacy edition?

larsdangly · 01-24-2020, 10:45 AM

Yes, they do. I don't have them in front of me, but I think the maps for all of the adventures in the hard-bound adventure compilation from SJG do this. If I'm mis-remembering, then at least look at the Postcard dungeons because they certainly do. I don't think the maps from Gaming Balistic do this.

More generally, I encourage anyone with a set of MH tiles to practice using them; once you get the hang of it your dungeon-exploration style adventures take on a quality sort of like playing with a Dwarven Forge set. The tiles are obviously less swanky than DF, but they still serve a critical function of drawing the player's focus onto a concrete scale representation of the play space. And there is one respect in which the tiles are actually better than DF-style set ups: you can lay them out piece by piece, gradually revealing (and re-concealing) only those things that can be seen by the players as they move through a labyrinth. I have found this to be a very effective way of imposing the constraints of illumination and line of sight without having to constantly make rulings. When the players move I simply lay down the new tiles that correspond to what they can now see and remove those that correspond to spaces they can no longer see. This approach introduces a level of mystery and spookiness when they hear or smell something that is out of range of their vision!

01-23-2020, 02:29 PM	#1
PeteC Join Date: May 2019	Triplanetary-Style Map? Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster. After running TFT for the first time (just a skirmish on the Melee mouse-pad map with my buddy, and then a little dungeon), I had the thought that a triplanetary-style (and sized) dry-erase map with the 1.5 inch hexes would be a great addition. It would allow the GM to quickly draw out maps rather than dig around a box full of two-sided tiles, which was kind of awkward during play. I would love to buy one of these from SJG with all the TFT trade-dress on it, but assuming they have better things to do, does anyone have any ideas about how someone could get something like this made through an online service or something? Thanks

01-23-2020, 02:40 PM	#2
Skarg Join Date: May 2015	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? Welcome to the site! Dry-erase battle mats have been available for decades, and are indeed very convenient. I prefer 1" hexes, but there are 1.5" hex battlemats available too, e.g. from Chessex http://www.chessex.com/mats/Battlema...Reversible.htm I also like copying hex grids onto plastic transparencies, then using paper to draw battle locations, and laying the hex grid on top. This allows me to use (and to re-use) plain paper for locations.

01-23-2020, 03:13 PM	#3
PeteC Join Date: May 2019	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? Oh sweet! Thanks! I think that's exactly the type of thing I'm looking for.

01-23-2020, 04:52 PM	#4
larsdangly Join Date: Dec 2017	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? I play with a huge Chessex mat with 1.5" hexes, on which I place MH tiles as overlays, drawing in additional things as appropriate.

01-23-2020, 10:37 PM	#5
Skarg Join Date: May 2015	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? Oh, another tip, is that if you do use a dry erase hexmap, and/or you are interested in recording battle positions, either to save a game for returning to later, or to record where the dead bodies and dropped weapons were lying for a forensic investigation later, or just to remember, and/or to record what you drew a location as before you erase the drawings, digital cameras can do wonders...

01-24-2020, 05:02 AM	#6
philreed I do stuff and things. Join Date: Aug 2004	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? Have you tried using the dry-erase megahex tiles that are included in the Legacy Edition box? __________________ Battlegrip.com, my blog about toys.

01-24-2020, 08:43 AM	#7
larsdangly Join Date: Dec 2017	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? I use the dry-erase MH tiles constantly, and, as a 40+ year player of TFT I can tell you their big scale, diversity and quality are the biggest improvement in the game. And the more of them you have the better they 'work'. But there is still a space for a big roll out mat, because it is challenging to tesselate the tiles into large open spaces. Really, anything bigger than about 4 MH on a side becomes unwieldy. For this you need folded or rolled surfaces that can open up on the table. Unfortunately, the paper maps for Melee and Wizard are too 'bendy' and thin, so they don't match up well with the tiles (also, the look on the table is untidy). You can mix tiles and rolled out rubber mats, and this makes a flat continuous surface, but also has an untidy look. For that matter, the big Chessex mat mixed with tiles is 'untidy' in this way, and the tiles you drop onto it are raised up, which isn't very nice. But I can easily imagine a product that would solve this issue: several roll-up rubber mats of different size that have the same graphic design as the plain white MH tiles and come 'flush' to the edges (i.e., no empty margin). These would lie flat, roll up into a compact form for storage, and tesselate contiguously with the tiles, and they are nearly the same thickness. This would add a lot to the range of spaces you can create. Also, we need something like MH tiles for exterior spaces and interiors of buildings.

01-24-2020, 09:34 AM	#9
BigJoe Join Date: May 2017	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? Also, don't some of the new adventures have "keys" that show how to "build" encounter areas using the MegaHexes that came with Legacy edition?

01-24-2020, 10:45 AM	#10
larsdangly Join Date: Dec 2017	Re: Triplanetary-Style Map? Yes, they do. I don't have them in front of me, but I think the maps for all of the adventures in the hard-bound adventure compilation from SJG do this. If I'm mis-remembering, then at least look at the Postcard dungeons because they certainly do. I don't think the maps from Gaming Balistic do this. More generally, I encourage anyone with a set of MH tiles to practice using them; once you get the hang of it your dungeon-exploration style adventures take on a quality sort of like playing with a Dwarven Forge set. The tiles are obviously less swanky than DF, but they still serve a critical function of drawing the player's focus onto a concrete scale representation of the play space. And there is one respect in which the tiles are actually better than DF-style set ups: you can lay them out piece by piece, gradually revealing (and re-concealing) only those things that can be seen by the players as they move through a labyrinth. I have found this to be a very effective way of imposing the constraints of illumination and line of sight without having to constantly make rulings. When the players move I simply lay down the new tiles that correspond to what they can now see and remove those that correspond to spaces they can no longer see. This approach introduces a level of mystery and spookiness when they hear or smell something that is out of range of their vision!