[Map] Here be Orcs!

Coastal tile problem!

I've created a matrix depicting all possible configurations of a coastline hex tile. If there were one variation of each type there would be a total of 30 tiles. If for the sake of variety and to at least avoid a possible monotonous alternating pattern, a minimum of three variations of each hex tile type were created we'd have 90 tiles! This doesn't even address more that one terrain type.

Discounting hills, mountains, deserts and forests I have fourteen tiles in my set that could use the coastal treatment. With three variations each we'd have 1,260 tiles.

This predicament is a graphic representation of the limitations of the program and the route we've taken to depict coastlines.

I don't want to give up the coastal environment that this type of tile represents. On the other hand I don't want to be bogged down with so many tiles. My suggestion is to make the water tile the overlay as opposed to a land tile.

Currently I have four water tiles but this can be reduced to two or three. If I reduce the water tiles to two, a deep and a shallow tile, we can get by with 90 coastline tiles based on the shallow water hex tile. This approach will give us the needed three variations for each coastal configuration.

La Bete's current set of coastal tiles just happens to number 90 tiles.

Of course we can make the coastal tiles all straight lines and this would reduce the number needed to 30 but this approach wouldn't add anything in the way of beauty. With 90 tiles we could address the three shallowest water tiles.

Another suggestion is to group the tiles according to the matrix I have here but with similar variations following each other. In other words there would be three variations of the top left tile in the matrix appearing in the palette followed by three variations of the next tile grouped together. I feel this approach will render a consistent pattern in the palette that can be easily scanned.

Comments? Ah which way should we go, which way should we go?

Re: Re: Rivers and roads.

Old One said:

Darraketh,

First off, thanks for the tileset! As an old grognard, I agree with you conventions above...I think it would add alot to the "feel" of the maps.

Thanks for your work...

~ Old One

Click to expand...

Thank you sir for your input, it is most welcome.

As you can see I've got some help now. And I've managed to garner a few converts as well.

I've placed a poll, "Do you use hex maps?" in the general forum as a way of directing attention here and determining how many or what ratio of hex map users to non-users there are on these boards.

AFAIK 3E hasn't addressed the use of hex maps so I'm not really surprised by the number of people who seem to be unaware of their inherent utility as opposed to a map with nothing but a scale in the corner.

Edit: BTW which one are you in your sig pic?

All of those tiles are great! I hate to be a "me too" guy, but may I add a "can I get a copy of those tiles?". My email address is jonesml@flashmail.com

Thanks,

Mike

more obsessive behaviour..

hi all,
Darraketh - you must have been reading my mind. Shortly after i distributed my coastal tileset, I started thinking i might help to organise it better. oh well, next time.

in any case, after thinking for a while about your suggestion to use the sea tile as the overlay, i got to work. My new tileset is below.

Also inlcuded are the first couple of river tiles using the same approach, as sucggested by D and others on this thread. Its late, so ive just inlcuded a taster, but during the weekend i should have a more complete setwith the following:

bends
forks
rivermouths
forking ends (into mountains)

enough talk - heres the tileset....

Re: more obsessive behaviour..

La Bete said:

hi all,
Darraketh - you must have been reading my mind. Shortly after i distributed my coastal tileset, I started thinking i might help to organise it better. oh well, next time.

Click to expand...

The saying around here is that great minds think alike.

in any case, after thinking for a while about your suggestion to use the sea tile as the overlay, i got to work. My new tileset is below.

Click to expand...

Wow, you are obsessive. hee hee

Also inlcuded are the first couple of river tiles using the same approach, as sucggested by D and others on this thread.

Click to expand...

Actually my friend, I was speaking of the rivers running along the outsides of a hex and roads running through the center. In this case it might be better if the depiction of both rivers and roads were straight line representations.

My goal is to use a hex map in a more game board like fashion.

Thanks to the poll in "general", I found this thread. I've been looking for something like this for *so* long!

Darraketh, La Bete, if you could email me a copy of your tileset(s) I would be *most* grateful. Either use the email address in my profile or alex.white@rcplondon.ac.uk

Cheers

rivers and roads

mmmph.

The problem that I am having, is that currently in Hexmapper, you cant put an overlay over an overlay (i believe). So, obviously for any river/road overlay tile, you cant have roads running through habitation (such as village) tiles. Note that the same goes for coastal tiles - anyone using that tileset, coastal settlements have to be carefully placed.

Now, obviously, there are ways around this. One way, and this is probably the best, is to use PSP to modify your map post-hexmapper. Or, merge the tiles you want in PSP, and add it to your hexlist.

However, you may find that it is easier to use Hexmappers Toggle Drawing Mode option for drawing roads and rivers - as it requires no additional hexes - and if, like Darraketh you want the rivers on the hex edges, this makes it easier to draw!

On the issue of river placement, just because im difficult, Im going to have a go at having the river components in the middle of the tile. My reasoning is based on the source of inspiration for my coastal tiles, the game Mighty Empires. In that game, you could move into a hex with a river on it, but it did not affect you unless you tried to move out of the hex to a hex on the other side of the river.

Now, of course there are other hex based war games that do it differently so.. meh. Its one of those you say tomato etc.... things.

enough babbling from me anyway.

Good lord, Darraketh, La Bete -- this stuff is, as so many others have already said anyhow, great. I'd, uh, like to get them emailed my way as well, heh. My email address is:
danielwilliams@adelphia.net

Thankee

Normally I refrain from "me too" posts, but...

Excellent work on the tilesets! I can easily envision using these in my map-making attempts... which brings us to the inevitable "Me too! May I please have copies of the custom tilesets emailed to me as well?"

Thank you in advance for sending them to me; your generosity in sharing your creations with us is surpassed only by the utter beauty of the creations themselves. Keep up the great work!

Ciao!
drowchick
drowchick@yahoo.com

La Bete, not a problem, I agree we can disagree.

I dislike the line drawing capabilities of HexMapper. So I gave it a try in PSP and to my surprise it was quite simple and I'm very pleased with the results. With the success of this little experiment I'd like to leave the style of rivers and roads up to the individual mapmakers. With that said, I don't see a need for tiles specifically depicting rivers or roads.

The tile set has nearly doubled in size and it's on the verge of becoming unwieldy. I'd like to reserve room for other possible interpretations of new terrain or overlays.

Possible overlays could include; cemetery, cavern, portal or additional resources.

At first I was racking my brain trying to come up with tiles to include in the set. Now with the more than welcome addition of the seacoast tiles I feel the need to be conservative with the real estate that's left.

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BTW I'm using Paint Shop Pro v7.04 for titles and line drawing. To create the rivers and roads, I used the "Draw" tool, the color choice is up to you.
Settings
Type: Single Line
Width: 4
Line Style: #1 Solid
Antialias: checked
Create as vector: checked
Close path: checked
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PS For the record anyone may distribute the tiles I have made in anyway they deem fit. They are for gamers by a gamer.

So go ahead put them in the downloads section of your website. Upload them to your favorite download site. Alter them, delete them, change the order, add more if you will but please share your efforts with me.