Useful Play Aids

[JLV]

Here's something I stumbled across while looking on BGG for something completely different...

Terrain Tiles

Something like that might be extremely useful to the miniatures enthusiasts among us... And, since they are hexagonally shaped, they would work for the rest of us too. I didn't look at price, since my game budget is tapped out this month, and this is something I'm not hard over on. But I thought many of the rest of you might be interested.

[Shadekeep]

Originally Posted by JLV

Terrain Tiles

Oh man, I could have fun just building layouts with those!

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by JLV

Here's something I stumbled across while looking on BGG for something completely different...

Terrain Tiles

Something like that might be extremely useful to the miniatures enthusiasts among us... And, since they are hexagonally shaped, they would work for the rest of us too. I didn't look at price, since my game budget is tapped out this month, and this is something I'm not hard over on. But I thought many of the rest of you might be interested.

The sets are about $20, the hexes are 2.5", and 70 per set. Bundles available - $50 for 210, and $75 for 420 tiles... in specified sets. Not Mix-n-match.

2.5" tiles are an odd choice...

I wouldn't mind seeing 3" or 3.75" tiles like that....

[larsdangly]

Something like this would be great for TFT, as a down-the-line expansion product sort of idea. I've been thinking about this for many years, ever since I ran across the terrain overlays that came in the later boxed sets of the original Squad Leader series.

[ecz]

Originally Posted by JLV

Here's something I stumbled across while looking on BGG for something completely different...

Terrain Tiles

Something like that might be extremely useful to the miniatures enthusiasts among us... And, since they are hexagonally shaped, they would work for the rest of us too. I didn't look at price, since my game budget is tapped out this month, and this is something I'm not hard over on. But I thought many of the rest of you might be interested.

nice.
but nowadays is it easy build a "virtual" board with many free programs and print it at any scale. See for example
http://hextml.playest.net/tutorial2.html
but I think better resources exist

or just buy one more professional program at a lower price than the cost of the real tiles offered.

I understand that such a board can be built step by step during the adventure, and this is fun, but I still think the GM can just limit to tell to the players what they see during exploration (checking his private map), and let the group to map the terrain by themselves

[fisherro]

Originally Posted by ecz

nice.
but nowadays is it easy build a "virtual" board with many free programs and print it at any scale. See for example
http://hextml.playest.net/tutorial2.html
but I think better resources exist

or just buy one more professional program at a lower price than the cost of the real tiles offered.

I understand that such a board can be built step by step during the adventure, and this is fun, but I still think the GM can just limit to tell to the players what they see during exploration (checking his private map), and let the group to map the terrain by themselves

Well, I’m in the market for products like this because I’ve done enough printing things out in 8.5 by 11 inch rectangles, mounting them on some sort of backing, and then covering them with a dry-erase surface. Even if it is easy, it is time consuming.

Or am I missing some way to make this quicker?

[JLV]

I'm kind of with fisherro on this one; I'm pretty much done with hand-making things if I can avoid it. One, while I've had some amazing results, it takes a lot of TIME; and two, most of the time, a professional art/printing job gives better results anyway.

And at my age, my eyesight is weak enough now that it's a major pain to do fine work and detail, and time is a lot more important to me now that I have less of it to waste! ;-)

[ecz]

Originally Posted by fisherro

Well, I’m in the market for products like this because I’ve done enough printing things out in 8.5 by 11 inch rectangles, mounting them on some sort of backing, and then covering them with a dry-erase surface. Even if it is easy, it is time consuming.

Or am I missing some way to make this quicker?

all depends on the GMing style.

I never suggested to manifacture by yourself the sigle tiles if you need them, of course it's very time consuming and, more in general, it's a waste or time given the high quality products available on the market like the one showed in the OP.

I'm saying that if a GM needs to put on the table an "homemade" full map he can easily virtually create and print it. In squares or hexes.

The hex by hex exploration, with the terrain appearing as a new tile when the party moves, while it may add fun during a RPG, does not "require" individual tiles since a good description of the terrain made by the GM, and a classic map drawn by one player on a blank paper with all relevant infos, possibily drawn by one with the literacy talent, are generally good enough.

But of course it depends on the GMing style.
I have nothing against these fine products, simply I do not see how and why use them in a RPG game like TFT.

[zot]

Projection mapping is also an option, if you have a fancy game-cave...

[fisherro]

Originally Posted by ecz

I never suggested to manifacture by yourself the sigle tiles if you need them, of course it's very time consuming and, more in general, it's a waste or time given the high quality products available on the market like the one showed in the OP.

I'm saying that if a GM needs to put on the table an "homemade" full map he can easily virtually create and print it. In squares or hexes.

Yes, it was clear that you weren’t talking about single tiles. But my printer still can only print 8.5 by 11 inches at once. And it can’t print on anything heavier than light card stock. And it can’t print on a dry-erase surface. So even if I’m not creating individual tiles, I still don’t see how I can avoid mounting & some sort of lamination.

OK, so let’s say I skip the lamination and live without that feature. Am I going to try to play on several letter sized pieces of light card stock just laid out? I’ve tried that, and that doesn’t work. The pages don’t stay aligned and—even if they did—they’re too easily displaced.

So how do you make this work?