Using ODE and Minis in the same scenario

[Misplaced Buckeye]

Tried this weekend to incorporate the GITD minis besides others with ODE in a scenario. It really never dawned on me that the stacking allowed in a GEV scenario is impossible using minis in combination with ODE units.

After using them for the first time it seems like the way for me anyhow is to using the ODE boards, ignoring the hex field and must treat the overall area like a mini table to. To that end, has anyone thought of creating an all one color mapboard and then using the map mod pieces to create the field of battle abet in a much smaller scale thatn 1.5km to the hex? BTW poster putty works great for keeping the mods in place and it comes off easily for reuse.

[TheAmishStig]

Originally Posted by Misplaced Buckeye

To that end, has anyone thought of creating an all one color mapboard and then using the map mod pieces to create the field of battle abet in a much smaller scale thatn 1.5km to the hex? BTW poster putty works great for keeping the mods in place and it comes off easily for reuse.

That's an interesting take on it...you mean start with something like a green neoprene mat, and then put ODE [or the upcoming Battlefields] overlays on it? It might be grabby enough you don't need the poster-tack at all, depending on what it's covered with.

I imagine you'd need to track down multiple copies of a source of overlays to have enough, since the assumption with them is probably "modify a map" rather than "create one from scratch", but from the little research I've done it's a lot more economically feasible than the alternatives I've been looking at.

Viking Mats is in preorder, so prices are going to go up at some point...but right now you can get a 32" by 32" [good for about a green map's worth of space, which are 28.5" x 33"] for $60 + shipping. They also make 27x46 ($52), 25.5x59 ($67), and 39x75 ($117). Custom sizes are a bit more expensive, but go up to 80x50. Battlefields I'm expecting to be in the $35 range; even if it's $40, at 32x32" that's a giant neoprene mat, three geomorphing maps, and three overlay sets for less than $200.

It's an option I'll have to consider. So far I've been looking at going the other way, upscaling hexes instead of converting to freeform movement...with doing the MIB thing, it's important to me to avoid the problems with nudgers and 'come on, you're going to fight me over 1/64"?'. If people are arguing over fractions of a fraction of an inch, they're not enjoying the game, and if they're not enjoying the game they're not leaving with an interest in buying their own copy.

So far I haven't found a pre-cut hex solution I like...$300-ish per green map for Picoarmor cardboard, up to $1200-ish per green map for Litko plywood, so am now doing the research into cutting them myself or getting a 3D printer. The latter's a long-term answer [huge startup costs, just like the airbrush I was looking into], but could work nicely in the long run.

[atomic]

A solution we use for stacking is d4. Someone here on the forums suggested it, and it works great. If you you homongenous units. Just leave one mini in the hex and use the d4 for the additional units in the hex. It breaks down if you have more than two types of units, but I can live with that.

[Deimos]

Originally Posted by Misplaced Buckeye

Why not put ODE counters under the top mini? Replace with minis as they break from the stack or are destroyed.

You came up with a great idea on how to handle this back on 11/8/17 in the thread I started about assembling/stacking the soon to arrive minis.

[Ashley]

There's a market for a minis game using cloth/mouse mat maps with larger hexes, say around two inches (ideal for keeping the map width to less than four feet i.e. 22/23 hexes is 44 to 46 inches).

Maybe not much of a market, but certainly one that could be used to maximize the sales of the minis.

At the moment, you have to put the legwork in to order green terrain maps from other sources with two inch hexes on them, but it can be done.

[Misplaced Buckeye]

Originally Posted by TheAmishStig

That's an interesting take on it...you mean start with something like a green neoprene mat, and then put ODE [or the upcoming Battlefields] overlays on it? It might be grabby enough you don't need the poster-tack at all, depending on what it's covered with.

I imagine you'd need to track down multiple copies of a source of overlays to have enough, since the assumption with them is probably "modify a map" rather than "create one from scratch", but from the little research I've done it's a lot more economically feasible than the alternatives I've been looking at.

Viking Mats is in preorder, so prices are going to go up at some point...but right now you can get a 32" by 32" [good for about a green map's worth of space, which are 28.5" x 33"] for $60 + shipping. They also make 27x46 ($52), 25.5x59 ($67), and 39x75 ($117). Custom sizes are a bit more expensive, but go up to 80x50. Battlefields I'm expecting to be in the $35 range; even if it's $40, at 32x32" that's a giant neoprene mat, three geomorphing maps, and three overlay sets for less than $200.

It's an option I'll have to consider. So far I've been looking at going the other way, upscaling hexes instead of converting to freeform movement...with doing the MIB thing, it's important to me to avoid the problems with nudgers and 'come on, you're going to fight me over 1/64"?'. If people are arguing over fractions of a fraction of an inch, they're not enjoying the game, and if they're not enjoying the game they're not leaving with an interest in buying their own copy.

So far I haven't found a pre-cut hex solution I like...$300-ish per green map for Picoarmor cardboard, up to $1200-ish per green map for Litko plywood, so am now doing the research into cutting them myself or getting a 3D printer. The latter's a long-term answer [huge startup costs, just like the airbrush I was looking into], but could work nicely in the long run.

I own 4 of the ODE's so have mod's a plenty and with my Scan n Cut easy to add more.

[Misplaced Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Ashley

There's a market for a minis game using cloth/mouse mat maps with larger hexes, say around two inches (ideal for keeping the map width to less than four feet i.e. 22/23 hexes is 44 to 46 inches).

Maybe not much of a market, but certainly one that could be used to maximize the sales of the minis.

At the moment, you have to put the legwork in to order green terrain maps from other sources with two inch hexes on them, but it can be done.

Not so sure the Hexes would be needed if you're just using the minis. It's okay that they are as you could use them with the ODE naturally. Wonder if that new Terrain pdf would work to create it.

[TheAmishStig]

Originally Posted by Misplaced Buckeye

I own 4 of the ODE's so have mod's a plenty and with my Scan n Cut easy to add more.

That's a lot of Ogre! Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're covered for overlays.

[TheAmishStig]

I went back and re-read the Daily Illuminator that teased Battlefields. I very well might be off by about a dozen hexes' worth of distance, unless Drew is really going to spoil us with everything he teased plus terrain overlays...

[dwalend]

Originally Posted by Ashley

Maybe not much of a market, but certainly one that could be used to maximize the sales of the minis.

If you're willing to compromise on size (looks like 3") and color (white) I spotted white hexagon print fabric.

It's cotton, so you could probably tie-dye it with a little patience.