I've been thinking about making a new product: plastic interlocking terrain tiles that can be used for D&D, Pathfinder and other games that require a board with 1" x 1" grid increments.
I need your HONEST opinions and feedback on this idea. More details are provided below. Please let me know what you think of my ideas and what you'd want from a terrain product. Your input and critiques would be extremely valuable.
First of all, I know that some gaming terrain already exists. Dwarven Forge is a great example, but it's very expensive. A single room & passage set costs $119, so creating a larger dungeon could be very cost prohibitive.
Heroscape offers plastic HEX terrain pieces that interlock on the edges and are stackable.
Mageknight and Battletech offer some terrain, but I haven't seen anything that is grid-based.
Are there other pre-existing grid-based terrain products that i'm unaware of?
My product would be plastic, solid colored pieces that interlock on the top/bottom and maybe on the sides. Think of Legos, but proportioned for D&D. The pieces would probably be 1/2" tall and would come in increments of 1"x1", 2"x2", 3"x3",...,12"x12" and other sizes like 1"x5", 2"x6", etc.
Unlike legos, which have several small knobs on top, my pieces would have a single square peg on top, which would fit into the bottom cavity of the piece above it. The square peg would be wide enough that miniatures would be able to rest on top of it without becoming unbalanced.
The pieces would be stackable so that walls, towers and elaborate 3-D maps could be built. In addition to interlocking vertically, should they also interlock horizontally, like Heroscape? If so, the sides of the pieces could be shaped like a jig-saw puzzle, but that might make construction too cumbersome.
Dwarven Forge products are very sturdy and detailed, but my product would be more light-weight and simplistic, probably with solid color pieces like green, blue, red, grey, brown, etc. Would the simplicity and lack of detail/texture be a turnoff? If so, maybe textures like grass or dirt could be printed on the tops.
I was going to make the pieces 1"x1" scale so that they would be compatible with preexisting D&D products, but would you rather have a different scale, like 1.25"x1.25" or 1.5"x1.5"?
Would anybody even be interested in stacking the pieces to make 3-D maps? Would building a 3-D map be too much trouble?
I know that GMs like to make changes to maps "on the fly", so the pieces would be made from a non-porous plastic that could be written on with dry/wet erase markers and easily wiped off. Would the ability to draw on the pieces be a selling point?
The goal of my product is to provide an interactive experience, while being affordable and light weight. The pieces would be durable, yet easily replaceable. Is there a market for this product? How many of you would actually buy and use something like this? What other features would you like to see?
Before I begin making prototypes, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Don't be afraid to shoot it down or offer negative feedback. I prefer that you be honest with me so that I don't sink time, energy and money into a product that nobody wants.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to hear me out and offer your input!
PS - I probably left some important details out, but I'll post again if I think of anything else.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32
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Hmm. Me personally, the reason I don't use dungeon tiles is that they're a pain to find and put together and then disassemble and take to a game. However, what I would buy is something along the lines of a set-piece. A ready made tavern, church, cave, hut, demonic altar room, throne room, witch's hut, (maybe along the lines of Baba Yaga) or woodland glade would be something that I would invest in. As long as it was in one piece, lightweight, detailed but not exorbitantly expensive, I'd go for that.
Hmm. Me personally, the reason I don't use dungeon tiles is that they're a pain to find and put together and then disassemble and take to a game. However, what I would buy is something along the lines of a set-piece. A ready made tavern, church, cave, hut, demonic altar room, throne room, witch's hut, (maybe along the lines of Baba Yaga) or woodland glade would be something that I would invest in. As long as it was in one piece, lightweight, detailed but not exorbitantly expensive, I'd go for that.
1"x1" scale or non-scaled?
1" x 1" would be perfect. That way it'd look pretty and be useful for a game. Maybe if you even made models of the final battle scenes from popular adventures, like Pathfinder.
Cool idea, but copyrights probably prevent making products based on Pathfinder material.
My boys like playing on hexs rather then grids (I think because they look more interesting)
Michael, thanks for your great feedback! I'm glad that you brought up the topic of hexes vs squares. I wondered how many people might prefer hexes. Who else would prefer hexes over squares? Squares seem to be the standard, but it would be nice to offer an alternative.
Adding features like trees, walls, ruins that attached to the base pieces later down the line would be nice.
You read my mind! If there proves to be a demand for the basic pieces, we would definitely offer additional objects like trees, walls, treasure chests, etc.
Also it might be helpful to have a large grid printed vinyl mat that can be wet marked useable for the layer zero. The pieces can then be stacked on that where height is needed (saves a lot of time).
A company called Chessex currently makes a pretty good vinyl mat product. I own two of them and love them. The only downside is that you cannot use DRY erase markers or it will stain the mat. Here's a link where you can find them.
Laminated paper mats are also available and can be found here.
I think the big selling point will be to find a balance between flexibility (allowing the GM to rapidly move the story along with out rebuilding the blocks every 10 minutes) and being able to add to the visual enjoyment of the game and the tactical feel of the battles.
Flexibility and time are my biggest concerns. Building an elaborate set would definitely be time-consuming, but a simple field with a few rocks and trees would a fairly quick build.
Great comments. Keep 'em coming!
Three issues: I'm going to use the generic "tavern" as an example.
1) 3D set ups seem to end up being fiddly when you start moving figures around in a combat situation. When the fighter is surrounded by unruly bar patrons, maneuvering the miniatures from the top is difficult. Part of it is the fact that miniatures routinely overlap the 1" base, or have things like arms and weapons that get caught with another's arms and weapons. Thus, the advantage goes to the flat map IMO.
2) How does your product improve the current situation? Having 3 levels of flat tavern maps is pretty easy, since they can sit side by side. Packing those up is simple, and they fit right next to my game books. In contrast, my resin buildings and Hirst-Arts stuff doesn't come with me when I travel over to my buddy's house for game night.
3) How often does one need a set piece for a tavern brawl (utility)? Meaning, will I get my money out of it in comparison with current options. The Waterfront Tavern flip map is $13. Yours will likely be more expensive.
These things said, I'm a sucker for 3D terrain. I build my own buildings, I like having miniature trees for my characters to hide behind, and I love seeing a bridge over the river so I know exactly where the troll is likely to pop up for an ambush.
For myself, I wouldn't buy the product. I'm too much of a perfectionist when it comes to my terrain. I don't have any Heroscape stuff. Heck, I only own 4 prepainted minis, which I got at a fantastic discount and promptly repainted.
Ok, let's see here:
1) 3D set ups seem to end up being fiddly when you start moving figures around in a combat situation. ...maneuvering the miniatures from the top is difficult...Thus, the advantage goes to the flat map IMO.
Since the pieces would assemble like Legos, you would have greater control over how "tight" or how "open" your map is. Right now, I'm thinking the height of the pieces would be about 1/2", which would allow you to build very short walls, making it a little easier to maneuver miniatures from the top. Also, if you choose to make short walls, it might allow the minis' arms, wings, etc to clear the top of the blocks without obstruction.
2) How does your product improve the current situation? Having 3 levels of flat tavern maps is pretty easy, since they can sit side by side. Packing those up is simple, and they fit right next to my game books. In contrast, my resin buildings and Hirst-Arts stuff doesn't come with me when I travel over to my buddy's house for game night.
These blocks wouldn't necessarily be "better" than a map, but they would certainly allow people to indulge in the fantasy a little more by providing a more interactive environment. Just another option for people who like to tinker.
Resin models are heavy and breakable, so they're not well suited for travel. These pieces would be light and nigh-unbreakable, so it would be easy to throw them into a storage bin and transport them. Easy assemble, easy disassemble.
3) How often does one need a set piece for a tavern brawl (utility)? Meaning, will I get my money out of it in comparison with current options. The Waterfront Tavern flip map is $13. Yours will likely be more expensive.
Actually, since these pieces would be like Legos, you could build anything you want. These pieces would offer flexibility. You could build a tavern, but then you could tear it down and build a monastery or a boat. Since they're not pre-assembled, you wouldn't be tied to any one particular building or model.
The pieces would be purchased in sets. For example: 150 Qty 1"x1" green tiles, or 5 Qty 10"x10" grey tiles. Purchase the tiles you need and use them however you want!
Ok, let's see here:
Thanks for the reply. I can tell you've given the idea some real thought, and I appreciate that. Good luck!
I think this is a great idea, but have you seen terrain-x by world works? You'd wanna avoid something similar for copyright reasons. Good luck!
I think this is a great idea, but have you seen terrain-x by world works? You'd wanna avoid something similar for copyright reasons. Good luck!
Thanks for the heads-up. I just checked out their website and it appears they specialize in print-and-build products. Since their PDFS are downloaded and printed on card stock, I think it should be different enough from my plastic bricks.