Strategy Gamers Community Forums

Hex Brand Discussion Area => Discuss Your Preferences => Topic started by: Peacemaker on November 20, 2009, 05:25:17 AM

Title: Hex Maps
Post by: Peacemaker on November 20, 2009, 05:25:17 AM
I'd appreciate feedback on the Hex game maps.  The World map has been used quite regularly, so on top of previous comments made in chat areas, please feel to add your opinions here.  I'm, of course, willing to consider modifications, such as the value of regions.

I'd particularly appreciate feedback o the Halloween map.  I'll go first.  It is better than I expected.  It seems very balanced and challenging while leaving a sizable variety of play options.

Thanks
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: seaellem on November 20, 2009, 05:31:36 PM
i think i shied away from the hex maps due to my own confusion with some of them and also due to the former sluggishness of the site, which is definitely resolved.

i like the old comfortable map.  the halloween map is a good idea.  if i win, then it's a good map.  *grin*
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Peacemaker on November 20, 2009, 10:06:00 PM
LOL, all of them are Hex maps.  Thanks C
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: WarrenG on November 21, 2009, 07:07:54 PM
I like the elevator level, nice touch, Keep up the creations!!
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: seaellem on November 25, 2009, 05:44:37 PM
LOL, all of them are Hex maps.  Thanks C

errr... yeah, right.  i meant "other hex maps" as compared to the world map.

"i may not be a smart man, but i know what love is."
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: seaellem on November 28, 2009, 04:15:28 PM
looking for a christmas....err... "winter holiday" theme?

saw this on lifehacker with a round-up of wallpaper and WANTED TO PLAY THIS MAP!!!

http://lifehacker.com/5412754/wallpaper-roundup-abstract-ice-and-snowy-scenes/gallery/3
(http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/1593/800x60001438digitalsnow.jpg) (http://img403.imageshack.us/i/800x60001438digitalsnow.jpg/)
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Peacemaker on November 28, 2009, 05:16:30 PM
That is very similar to the Snowflake map I am about to release.  If that is not a proprietary design for some other game systems, I will be happy to make that map for your enjoyment.

If there is specifc map or map concept you like and would like to see on Strategy Gamers, please feel free to provide a link or other details for me to review it.  I have a long list of maps that I intend to include on my site, for various game brands and I'm open to any suggestions.
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: WarrenG on November 30, 2009, 03:52:00 AM
i like the amount of big maps we have ;) with the original 1 armies per 3 spaces makes it easier to manuver threw big levels
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Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: SlugReborn on December 01, 2009, 04:52:09 PM
I like the maps. Other than a placement issue in a 1v1 game (opponent got placed like 2 hexes away from me but in a small "continent" so there was no way 4 me 2 win) I like the site and the maps :-)
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: WarrenG on December 03, 2009, 07:11:43 AM
it was odd because there were 95 % neutral, i guess with those options the game can be pure luck
Title: Re: Hex Maps - Snowflake/World
Post by: Peacemaker on December 18, 2009, 06:35:12 AM
We've got several Snowflake maps active in games now, none completed yet.  Please share your thoughts on map balance, region bonuses etc. 


Also, we've played quite a few World map games.  It is time to consider adjusting the region bonuses.  Input?
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Sir Osis of Thuliver on December 19, 2009, 12:56:58 AM
On the snowflake map, I made a comment elsewhere that I thought the region rewards might be a little too high. The center ring, while I understand the value of it and the difficulty of holding it, is only 6 territories, but awards 9 armies (although I understand that each territory there is vulnerable)... While I think that region should be higher than the rest, I think it is a bit too high... I think the spires are too high as well, maybe knocking those down to 2 armies rewards would be more reasonable...

Anyone else agree with that?


I don't have an active World map game going, so I can't see the map and region awards (is there another way to see the map Peace?), but I seem to remember that I think the Europe reward should be kicked up by 1.

All in all, I find that I really like the World, Snowflake, Halloween and Saskatoon maps, all different and unique challenges... I'm starting to play around with the starting options a little more and find there are a ton of way to make really interesting games, and I am digging the handful of random map games we've had lately.
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Peacemaker on December 19, 2009, 02:35:13 AM
To see completed games for any player, visit their(your) Gaming Profile (star icon top right), select the game brand from the drop down, and click the link (bottom center) for Completed Games Record.  Select a game you wish to view, then use the Game Review link to see the map.  You can scroll through the game turns to learn from your mistakes.

In the future I'll have the Map Guide available for referencing map workings.

Having been in the middle of the snowflake multiple times, I can vouch for the difficulty of holding it.  I assigned it 9 because it can be attacked from what is essentially 6 other regions.  This is in part hearing your (SOoT) earlier point about making Europe higher in value.  As players typically migrate to regions, the regions eseentially become synonymous with the players, thus it makes sense to assign a higher value to regions adjoining more regions.   However, and this may what you are getting at with respect to Snowflake, if the bonuses are too high, it can create an imbalance.  I was considering raising the middle to 10 but perhaps lowering the others makes more sense.  I am thinking center 7, the outer six 5, and the spires remain at 2.  This equates to a bonus armies formula of 1 per 4 areas plus 1 per adjoining region.  I know that there should be room for non-formulaic design, but it is nice to have formulas.


I may also modify the region bonus structure for Random maps to something along the lines of this formula.  Initially, it was too complex to calculate something like this for a randomly generated map.
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Sir Osis of Thuliver on December 19, 2009, 04:48:38 AM
Yeah, I do think the middle should be more than the other regions, but maybe all of the regions (possibly not the middle) could stand to get knocked down an army or two...
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: WarrenG on December 20, 2009, 12:41:14 AM
 ;D i say the bigger the better, but thats just me,  an equation/formula could be perfect, 1/2A +B
half the land of a region + the number of bordering spaces, aka for europe 3.5 + 6, something like that, a failure idea but , could maybe be improved on, all factors must be undertaken when choosing a region value, i hope i helped
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Peacemaker on December 20, 2009, 02:43:17 AM
You did not help at all.  I'm closing down the site. ;)
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: WarrenG on December 24, 2009, 06:00:29 AM
for random games, regions always seem to go straight down, could that be changed, maybe somehow have them grouped together :P or a horizontal version :-\
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: Peacemaker on December 24, 2009, 06:29:14 AM
Anything is possible, but the programming effort is not to be taken lightly nor is the web site performance issue.  The random shape makes grouping very difficult and leaves stragglers.  Horizontal is also more difficult and results in the same situation as the existing dynamic.  The present setup resolves quickly in a programmatic sense, that is, when you click Create Game, it can be computed quickly.  Other designs may make it take too long and cause an error.  In fact, this occurred recently with the Snowflake map due to the large number of small sized regions.  I had to create a new algorithm to serve out areas to players in an equitable fashion when Full Regions is not selected.
Title: Re: Hex Maps
Post by: WarrenG on September 02, 2010, 05:15:52 AM
my favourite map used to be earth... well a modified earth... it actually had antartica, hawaii, new zealand, chile, and cuba. and sri lanka ( too small, lets not include it ) so u could attack mexico to cuba, cuba to brazil, new zealand to hawaii, japan to hawaii, hawaii to alaska, hawaii to west us and well... australia, argentina and south africa conect to antartica...now even more interesting is that the bonuses were alot different and more modern. there was South america which is the same +chile, mexico was with cuba, usa was a bonus... 4 lands.. canada was a seperate region, scandinavia was greenland, iceland and norway/findland, europe was the rest of original europe, middle east was afganistan and middle east although im sure u can include india. far east was mongolia and japan and china... and russia is well/.. russia big no? australia has new zealand and siam included or now known as thailand. oh shit almost forgot africa is still africa.. now this is a kick ass map many dotted lines and complicated to make but it looks really good ( not to be done in hex ) maybe an idea that can be implemented in brand 2... just food for thought
Title: New Map - The 300!
Post by: Peacemaker on May 11, 2012, 07:24:20 AM
A new map for Hex has been released.  It is designed for 2-player play and has a scenario built for it.  Check out the new map named The 300!