Status: RO
Lately I have been thinking of some ideas for constructing scenarios. Before I
go much further I wanted to decide on a play area. How big is the actual play
area going to be. Well my first response was, "whatever the standard size is."
The I took a closer look and found there was no "standard" or default size. I
thought, "wow this must be an oversite." If
not I need to rectify this or I will not be able to sleep - and I do
like to sleep (the wife epsecially likes it if I snuggle).
Now please keep in mind I do not know the metric system very well, unlike the
rest of the world we in America still use an archaic system of measurement.
Why? I think we are just plain stubborn is all.
The standard map size I have come up with is a playing field 3'x 5'. Does that
sound about right? On the living room floor I have taped the outline and then
broken it down further into 1'x 1' boxes. What this does is allow for an easy
point of refernce for saving a game.
Using this system we number the boxes and desginate one of the short sides at
12.
A B C
o---o---o---o
1 | | | | 12
o---+---+---o /\
2 | | | | /__\
o---+---+---o
3 | | | |
o---+---+---o
4 | | | |
o---+---+---o
5 | | | |
o---o---o---o
Using this system you can keep track the exact location of your ships. For
example: using the designation 5B-06x7.5@07 would put the ship on grid
location 5B and using the second set of numbers as a grid location would place
the center of the ship at 6" down and 7.5" tot he right. The ships heading
then would be 7. Sounds hard but actually easy.
For those out there who are better at metric conversions can do them.
Any other suggestions on the dafault size of a map? What size do they use at
tournaments or conventions?
On Thu, 09 Oct 1997 21:19:59 -0500, ")_KriTTeR_(" <kritter@sbt.net>
wrote:
Status: RO
> The standard map size I have come up with is a playing field 3'x 5'.
That's a bit small. We use a 6' x 4' table, the standard size of the GeoHex
space mats. That's as good a default as any. The GenCon scenarios were based
on something like an 8' x 4' or 8' x 5' table, but worked out bigger than that
at the con. Closer to about 9' x 5'.
> For those out there who are better at metric conversions can do them.
Simple conversion: about 2.5 centimetres per inch, or about 30 centimetres per
foot. For small measurements (i.e. less than a house) a metre is close to a
yard.
100 centimetres = 1 metre (centi = 100 as in centurion or centipede (100
feet)) 1000 milimetres = 1 metre (milli = 1000)
> Any other suggestions on the dafault size of a map? What size do they
See above. Convention maps are bigger as you usually have a lot of people
playing a game (average of about 8 per game). Note that we've experimented
with the players setting up on the long sides to speed entry into play. The
larger table comes in handy that way, but for regular games you might not want
to set up only 4' or so apart.
Status: RO
> Lately I have been thinking of some ideas for constructing scenarios.
Ya know, this is pretty funny. On my way home this evening I was thinking
practically the same thing.
You readin' mah mind agin, bowah?
> standard size is." The I took a closer look and found there was no
If
> not I need to rectify this or I will not be able to sleep - and I do
I think the accepted size is 4'x6', or 4'x8'.
> Now please keep in mind I do not know the metric system very well,
Sadly, that sums it up pretty much. Was just talking with a friend of mine
earlier today who wants to get a rope for climbing. She knows feet well
enough, but she keeps finding rope measured in meters, and it totally
bamboozled if she should get a 50m or 60m rope. <sigh> She admitted to me in
this conversation that she will only switch to metric when they drag her
kicking and screaming, and only *after* they pull all her teeth. <sigh>
> The standard map size I have come up with is a playing field 3'x 5'.
Does
> that sound about right? On the living room floor I have taped the
I use a 4'x6' area if I can swing it, larger if I can do that. Otherwise I use
whatever room my dinky and slightly cluttered (shut UP, Aaron!) apartment can
handle (hallway, patio, living room area, laundry room next door,
etc).
> Using this system we number the boxes and desginate one of the short
[...]
> Using this system you can keep track the exact location of your ships.
For
> example: using the designation 5B-06x7.5@07 would put the ship on grid
I can see that working out fine.
> Any other suggestions on the dafault size of a map? What size do they
For tournies I have typically taken scenarios I've already run PBeM and
work an equivalent set-up from that. But that's me, and it's worked out
fine so far. :-)
But for, say, publishing scenarios onto the list here (where my original
thought above was heading), without using a grid system...I dunno. I think I'd
use a grid system and let those who want to play the scenario work it out from
there. Since my typical grid is ~100x70, that covers a good area.
:-)
Mk
> On Thu, 9 Oct 1997, Gravity is falling in a good way today wrote:
Status: RO
> Sadly, that sums it up pretty much. Was just talking with a friend of
Frankly, I don't see the problem here.
1 meter = 1 yard for most practical purposes.
Other conversions involve slightly higher math, but I truly can not see how
someone could have any problem with them other than simple ignorance, in which
case I hope such a person never travels abroad. Currency exchange rates fall
into nice integer approximations far less often.
Other simple approximations:
2 pounds = 1 kilogram 2 miles = 3 kilometers 4 inches = 10 centimeters 2 pints
= 1 liter
> Date: Thu, 09 Oct 1997 23:10:32 -0500 (EST)
Status: RO
(snip)
> I think the accepted size is 4'x6', or 4'x8'.
> I use a 4'x6' area if I can swing it, larger if I can do that.
Otherwise I
> use whatever room my dinky and slightly cluttered (shut UP, Aaron!)
apartment
> can handle (hallway, patio, living room area, laundry room next door,
This is not a push to sell product guys, but have you considered
using one of our hexed starmats? They are 4' x 6', have 1 1/2" wide
hexs and will layout on a floor or table. Using hexs you can determine all
twelve courses (sides and points) and by counting over and down give the exact
location and heading of a ship for next time.
> At 10:08 AM 10/10/97 +0200, you wrote:
Status: RO
> Sadly, that sums it up pretty much. Was just talking with a friend of
SNIP
> Other simple approximations:
> maxxon@swob.dna.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio)
Other UK greybeards may remember some of the irritating little rhymes they
used in an attempt to install metric units into our little pointy heads, eg "A
metre measures 3 foot 3; it's longer than a yard, you see!" or "Two and a
quarter pounds of jam, weigh about a kilogram!" or "A litre of water's a pint
and three quarters!"
All of the above enunciated in a tiresome and patronising voice as if to a
slow-witted 2-year old.
In a message dated 97-10-10 07:30:46 EDT, you write:
Status: RO
> The standard map size I have come up with is a playing field 3'x 5'.
Does
> that sound about right? On the living room floor I have taped the
We usually play on a 4' x 6-7' surface. Anytime I get a chance to play
on a wider table I do. Another couple of feet in width really opens the table
up for fast little guys, giving them a much better chance of maneuvering out
of the death zone of a big armed brick. On a 4' wide table, a
superdreadnoiught can ride the center stripe and have both edges just within
the medium range for beam weapons. A wider table gives you room to slip by
into the rear without taking excessive casualties...
Later
Brian
On Fri, 10 Oct 1997 10:08:01 +0200 (EET), Mikko Kurki-Suonio
> <maxxon@swob.dna.fi> wrote:
> Other simple approximations:
Status: RO
> 2 pounds = 1 kilogram
That's not bad, though 2.25 lbs to the kilo is a little closer. Your two
pounds to the kilo, though, has an advantage: it means that when you see a
price in cents per kilogram you usually don't end up short on money at the
grocery store (I did that once, when I thought the conversion was 2.5 to 1)!
> 2 miles = 3 kilometers
This tends to run you into problems in North America, though. You're
safer with 6 miles = 10 kilometres. 100 km/hour speed limit in Ontario
means about 60 miles per hour, not 66 miles per hour (actually, we all
know that he police don't blink until you hit 120 km/hr anyway; it's
the only way anyone gets anywhere on the continent's second busiest highway).
For long North American drives, your conversion will show a 600 mile trip as
900 km, not the closer approximation of 1000 km. That's an extra hour on the
trip from Toronto to Milwaukee!
> )_KriTTeR_( wrote:
Well my first response was, "whatever the Status: RO
> standard size is." The I took a closer look and found there was no
> The standard map size I have come up with is a playing field 3'x 5'.
Does
> that sound about right? What size do they use
(about 1.9 Meter by 1.25 Meter). One could claim that as a
'standard' size. I have been offline due to server problems for the past week,
and I am dismayed to see the sorry turn the disCUSSions have taken. Lets hope
all gets back to NORMAL soon. By for now,
> On Fri, 10 Oct 1997, Geo-Hex wrote:
Status: RO
...snip...
> hexs and will layout on a floor or table. Using hexs you can
Just what I was waiting for...
NOT!
No offence to people who like board wargames, but I play miniatures games
precisely because they *don't* have a grid.
> On Fri, 10 Oct 1997, Geo-Hex wrote:
Status: RO
> This is not a push to sell product guys, but have you considered
Sorry KR, but one of the reasons I like Full Thrust so much is that it doesn't
have hexes.
I recently went to a fabric store and got a 6' x 9' sheet of black fabric
(cotton twill) for less than $10.00.
On Sun, 12 Oct 1997 16:43:52 -0400 (EDT), Rick Rutherford
> <rickr@ss4.digex.net> wrote:
Status: RO
> Sorry KR, but one of the reasons I like Full Thrust so much is that it
I agree. I have a GeoHex starmat without hexes for FT and one WITH hexes for
Silent Death. A friend of mine says he'd like to play FT with the hexes, but I
prefer it without.
> I recently went to a fabric store and got a 6' x 9' sheet of black
If you're good with an airbrush or making small paint speckles, it's all you
need. However, I also so in a fabric store a set of "outer space" material,
probably for sheets for a child's bed. There were two types of patterns. The
pattern with the planets and stars was too gaudy for a "serious" space game,
but the star pattern only wasn't bad. The cost was about C$8 per metre (about
US$5.75 a yard, or 4
pounds per yard/metre). Standard fabric width is usually either 50" or
60" so this fancy fabric is still about half the cost of a space mat. It's not
the same quality material as a thick felt mat, but it would do.
> Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 09:49:54 -0700 (PDT)
> On Sun, 12 Oct 1997, Rick Rutherford wrote:
Status: RO
> > On Fri, 10 Oct 1997, Geo-Hex wrote:
wide
> > > hexs and will layout on a floor or table. Using hexs you can
We do special orders (the large mat in the photos was done specially
for Gully) and we can print 1 1/2", 2", 3" and 4" hexes on. I try to
avoid doing both sides because of problems with bleed through. See
if you can find a non-wicking agent for the ink or paint you're going
to use, craft felt these days is 100% acrylic or polyester and the colors
don't always dry or look the way you would think. The dyes used to turn the
felt black will often stain all colors a greenish tint (!?!) and some airbrush
colors will completely fade away when dry. The UV colors we use were some of
the most brilliant we found that worked, but I had to tweak them quite a bit
to make them work.
Good Luck!!
KR
> On Sun, 12 Oct 1997, Rick Rutherford wrote:
> On Fri, 10 Oct 1997, Geo-Hex wrote:
Status: RO
> > This is not a push to sell product guys, but have you considered
> > hexs and will layout on a floor or table. Using hexs you can
> > and down give the exact location and heading of a ship for next
I got a piece of 8'x10' black felt at a fabric store during a 50% off sale. I
also just finished a templete to paint on a hex grid on one side
with airbrush fabric paint (I used a different sized hex than Geo-hex).
I'm just trying to decide whether to add a nebula of some sort, or maybe just
some very light wisps of orange, yellow and red. Maybe a comet? When I'm done
I'll have a blank starscape for FT on one side and a hexed starscape for
Silent Death on the other.
KR, maybe you could maybe make a mat with both sides done up, one with hexes
and one with not? I understand it would probably cost more, but it would be
nice for those of us who play more than one system. I don't want to pay for
one of each (which is why I'm making my own). Of course, please continue
making the single sided mats as some wouldn't want to pay for extra for both.
;)
Status: RO
> 2 miles = 3 kilometers
I guess they don't have photo radar in Ontario yet. I have friends who
got tickets in the mail doing 40km/h in a 30 zone... at 4AM!!! Can you
say "money grab"?
Photo Radar, coming soon to a highway near you...
> For long North American drives, your conversion will show a
On Tue, 14 Oct 1997 12:49:54 -0800, Tony Christney <acc@uvic.ca>
wrote:
Status: RO
> I guess they don't have photo radar in Ontario yet.
Actually, we got photo radar in the province about 3 years ago. The new,
conservative government came in and did away with them 6 months later. While I
was no fan of them, I DID notice a difference in speed
along Highway 401 from an average of about 130 km/hr to about 110
km/hr. The traffic was far less frantic, and I suspect safer.