Map concept

[Vilemare]

I am testing using hexes for dominion3. I have created a mapboard template with VERY large hexes with dominion area pips in the middle. For my testings I edit/create new maps insanely fast by using paintfill function to put in terrains I want and then I pre-paint hex sides with wide brush and suitable colour when I want to block the hex side. Ive also worked abit with solution to apply the hex template onto suitable maps as semi-transparent layer.

Advantages:
- fast manual map making
- map balancing
- easy manual map editing - and fewer mistakes
- its six sides, pure and simple
- there exists lots of legacy maps on hexes

Disadvantages:
- its hexes, pure and simple

[Gandalf Parker]

I agree with all your points on the pros and cons of hexes.
But it will be a worthy addition to the map tools.
(not for me since I map for anti-balance, but others will love it)

[lch]

I think I'd like non-hexagonal maps more because they're more interesting in general, but another advantage would be:
- wraparound maps easy to create

[Gandalf Parker]

excellent point

[Cooron]

I had been toying with the idea of hex based maps for a while aswell and did a small test map couple of weeks ago.

Hexadom.zip

[Vilemare]

Again just a map concept (permanent lack of personal time forces me to present these ideas again purely as a concept).

Holy City

Dom3 map which covers one large walled city and some surrounding countryside with a river and maybe a lake. Dom3 areas would be city districts, markets, forums, temples, fortifications, graveyards and palaces and such. A second underground layer map would be the city sewer system. Entrances to the city from the countryside would be limited to gate areas and some underground passages and waterways. Nations starting inside the city would be the competing city factions - each building their own temples and fighting for worshippers. One or more (evil) factions would start in the sewers (niceun!). Finally a set of factions would start outside the city - they are the barbarian hordes and enemies of the city poised to take over the holy city.

I am thinking that maybe this concept would pan out best as a 3 or 4 player map (one or two city factions, sewer faction, and barbarian horde).

[lch]

Cooron said:
I had been toying with the idea of hex based maps for a while aswell and did a small test map couple of weeks ago.

Had a game on this map yesterday. Very nice map, I don't know how much you affected the units in the provinces yourself and how much was random, but there have been lots of awesome provinces with Hoburgs, Cavemen, Gryphon Riders, even a Wyrm with a couple of Sea Serpents etc.

Nitpicks: Some provinces should get a nostart value, as they only have two neighbors. You explicitly set the provinces to either "small" or "large". You can have something in between by setting neither, so you then get "middle" pop sizes, too.