Creative Director
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My preference also. Also, do something like the old Greyhawk maps and the rows are labeled with letters, and the columns are labeled with numbers.
We came VERY close to labeling the hexes in Kingmaker with rows of letters and numbers like the Greyhawk maps. We decided not to when I realized that the hexes we're using are more than big enoguh to hold that information right there in the map without obscuring details. It's a lot easier to find encounter area "H" when it's clearly marked on the map, after all, than it is to find encounter area "H42" by running fingers down and across hex rows.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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We came VERY close to labeling the hexes in Kingmaker with rows of letters and numbers like the Greyhawk maps. We decided not to when I realized that the hexes we're using are more than big enoguh to hold that information right there in the map without obscuring details. It's a lot easier to find encounter area "H" when it's clearly marked on the map, after all, than it is to find encounter area "H42" by running fingers down and across hex rows.My preference also. Also, do something like the old Greyhawk maps and the rows are labeled with letters, and the columns are labeled with numbers.
Did you move the trading post at the last minute, or did it get an "A" because it is the first encounter of the AP? I thought it was funny that the row with the trading post goes B, C, A, D.
We haven't set them up yet. What would folks prefer? My preference would be to have the maps without the majority of the tags (probably just tags for Pitax and Restov and the major terrain features) along with hexes. That way you can show them to the PCs and let them wander around on them; they'll get to see the terrain features ahead of time but won't know where the actual encounters are.Will the maps have all the locations on them (ie. mite cave, etc), or just have the terrain? In other words, are they something that I can show my players *before* finishing an area or are they DM maps?
-- david
Papa.DRBWe'll be printing the four zones of the Stolen Lands as poster maps in the Kingmaker Map Folio. Each one of the four posters will be a 4-panel poster.
That sounds best. I've been frustrated with map packs in the past not being player-friendly, as that is the sole reason I pick them up.
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Creative Director
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Did you move the trading post at the last minute, or did it get an "A" because it is the first encounter of the AP? I thought it was funny that the row with the trading post goes B, C, A, D.We came VERY close to labeling the hexes in Kingmaker with rows of letters and numbers like the Greyhawk maps. We decided not to when I realized that the hexes we're using are more than big enoguh to hold that information right there in the map without obscuring details. It's a lot easier to find encounter area "H" when it's clearly marked on the map, after all, than it is to find encounter area "H42" by running fingers down and across hex rows.My preference also. Also, do something like the old Greyhawk maps and the rows are labeled with letters, and the columns are labeled with numbers.
For all other maps, the encounters are alphabetized from left to right and top to bottom. For this first one, though, we intentionally set up Oleg's as encounter A because it's not just the start of the adventure, it's the start of the campaign! I wanted to start the adventure detailing Oleg's not the Greenbelt. I did push Oleg's as high up in the hex as it could get, though...
We haven't set them up yet. What would folks prefer? My preference would be to have the maps without the majority of the tags (probably just tags for Pitax and Restov and the major terrain features) along with hexes. That way you can show them to the PCs and let them wander around on them; they'll get to see the terrain features ahead of time but won't know where the actual encounters are.
I was one of the few (?) who found the original format of map folios useful. However, I can't see any use for a poster-sized DM map - what you suggest sounds perfect, imo.
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For all other maps, the encounters are alphabetized from left to right and top to bottom. For this first one, though, we intentionally set up Oleg's as encounter A because it's not just the start of the adventure, it's the start of the campaign! I wanted to start the adventure detailing Oleg's not the Greenbelt. I did push Oleg's as high up in the hex as it could get, though...Did you move the trading post at the last minute, or did it get an "A" because it is the first encounter of the AP? I thought it was funny that the row with the trading post goes B, C, A, D.We came VERY close to labeling the hexes in Kingmaker with rows of letters and numbers like the Greyhawk maps. We decided not to when I realized that the hexes we're using are more than big enoguh to hold that information right there in the map without obscuring details. It's a lot easier to find encounter area "H" when it's clearly marked on the map, after all, than it is to find encounter area "H42" by running fingers down and across hex rows.My preference also. Also, do something like the old Greyhawk maps and the rows are labeled with letters, and the columns are labeled with numbers.
I was wondering if it got moved as well. It doesn't seem to match the location given in the intro on page 6.
Yep, when ever I add a product to my monthly shipment, I am at the end of the shipping line. It has happened everytime. (three in the last 8 months or so)
I think that's happened to me 8 times in the last 8 months - always *something* to add to my order. At least this time it added up to $10 off shipping.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to shrink down the hex sizes on the map? I'd really like to add in some additional hexes of my own and give the pcs more to explore.
Perhaps one of the other ideas work for you, but if you meant you wanted to break the hexes as they are into smaller ones - you could do it like .
So what is the reason for using hexes in the map grid instead of squares? I don't mean this as a complaint, I'm just generally curious. I guess part of it is nostalgia, since I understand that the old school games loved to have hex grids on the world maps, but why did those go with hexes in the first place?
Hexes more accurately handle distances than squares do. Moving 1 square covers a different distance depending on whether you're moving horizontally/vertically or diagonally (thus the 5-15-20-30 diagonal movement cludge; it's actually ~1.4 times the distance diagonally vs horizontally). With hexes, you're moving the same distance no matter which of the 6 directions you move. The main reason hexes aren't used for interior maps is that they don't handle right angles well at all, but that's not an issue for exterior maps.
There's also the nostalgia factor, of course. Exterior maps have historically been hex-based if they had grids at all in D&D.
So what is the reason for using hexes in the map grid instead of squares?
Hexes are two-sides more awesome than squares.
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Creative Director
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So what is the reason for using hexes in the map grid instead of squares? I don't mean this as a complaint, I'm just generally curious. I guess part of it is nostalgia, since I understand that the old school games loved to have hex grids on the world maps, but why did those go with hexes in the first place?
What the previous posters said. The PRIMARY reason we used hexes is because they look neater than squares and because of nostalgia. The fact that they also easily accommodate travel in six directions rather than four helps to create the illusion of a bigger region to explore, as well—with squares, you have four choices and with hexes you have six. With NO grid (or if you start going in directions not in line with a grid, such as diagonals with squares) you suddenly have either an infinite number of choices or just one, since ignoring (or the lack of) a grid more or less removes the organization and quantitative element of breaking a wilderness area up into smaller chunks to explore.
Once you get beyond hexes, of course, into octagons or the like, you suddenly can't really create a regular grid out of them due to the way the sides don't line up elegantly. Hexes are the most sides a grid can have, and therefore offer the most directional choices a grid can offer, and therefore in a map where you can go ANY direction, they're the best choice since they offer the MOST choices but don't offer an INFINITE number of choices. Choosing one of six directions and having an area you can more or less quantify as "an area" makes for better game play when doing RPG wilderness exploration than no grid, which without computers is a LOT tougher to handle on a tabletop.
So what is the reason for using hexes in the map grid instead of squares?Hexes are two-sides more awesome than squares.
best explanation IMO
The whole point of Kingmaker is to NOT leave much barren for GM development, actually. There's certainly room for GM expansion, but we're trying VERY hard to give GMs everything they need to run a sandbox campaign in the Stolen Lands.
Thank You! As someone who keeps finding Real Life getting in the way of leisure, I appreciate it. (Of course, I'm sure I'll feel the need to add my own touch along the way.)
And I'm glad to see the reappearance of hexes. When I opened the AP, it was like a little trip down memory lane.
I do have a question though..the players charter specifically forbids them going further than 36 miles east or west of Olegs..
so isnt Olegs in the wrong place on the map there are only 24 miles to the East off it and some off the encounter areas are more than 36 miles West
I know my players will pick up on this
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Creative Director
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I do have a question though..the players charter specifically forbids them going further than 36 miles east or west of Olegs..
** spoiler omitted **
I know my players will pick up on this
Yeah; the charter SHOULD say they shouldn't go further than 36 miles south, west, or northwest. Basically, they should focus on the top half of the Greenbelt map. It's probably easier to fix the charter than it is to uproot and move Oleg's.