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Post by timurilank on Jun 1, 2016 13:39:17 GMT
Over the years I have followed discussions of the benefits of using squares, hexes, zones or nodes for map design.
Nodes are fine if you can give names to each junction but become difficult to identify the further back in time one designs a campaign.
Using a historical map I have found the placement of nodes a problem when one considers the time and distance to be covered by armies marching between them.
However, this factor became less a problem as better generals could negotiate these distances in less time.
Which system to use I suppose is dependent on the purpose of the map and two examples come to mind; tracking the conquest of unknown territories such as Rome’s crossing of the Rhine under Augustus and the civil war of 69 AD with competing armies utilizing a road network.
Which map system do you have a preference for?
Cheers,
Robert
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Post by sydwargamer on Jun 2, 2016 1:25:49 GMT
Zones!
As they can be any size or shape, thus taking into account various criteria.
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Post by timurilank on Jun 2, 2016 5:35:49 GMT
Zones! As they can be any size or shape, thus taking into account various criteria. sydwargamer,
I had thought about using nodes for the campaign map of Hispania but chose squares.
These could eventually become zones, but its purpose was to define an area that could be annexed by Rome over a series of campaigns. This gave a better impression of a Roman wave spreading across the map rather than use the imagination to fill the space between nodes as they changed colour. Here, each square or zone is occupied by a clan representing one of the three Spanish sub-lists (Iberian, Celtiberian or the Lusitanian). Not all clans favoured war against Rome but some did support the Roman administration and supplied mercenaries. This nicely opened the door for clan rivalry to have Spanish troops fighting one another.
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Post by cesar on Jun 2, 2016 12:40:35 GMT
I agree with Sydwargamer: zones are the best option.
A map divided in zones of different sizes and shapes will look great.
In fact: nodes could be rationalized as a center of a zone but, if you draw the contours of the zone the map will probably look better.
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Post by timurilank on Jun 2, 2016 14:38:54 GMT
I agree with Sydwargamer: zones are the best option. A map divided in zones of different sizes and shapes will look great. In fact: nodes could be rationalized as a center of a zone but, if you draw the contours of the zone the map will probably look better. I will run this Hispanic campaign run to its full conclusion of 1 year and then make an assessment regarding the map.
I can imagine Spain of the Later Roman period could make better use of a nodal system for movement prior to the invasion of the Visigoths as the economic centres would be well defined.
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Post by crazycaptain560 on Jun 2, 2016 21:09:15 GMT
In a campaign game I am playing, we used google draw, insert a map, then draw the nodes (and arrows if you want) with the shape tool. Once done we highlight it all and click the button that locks it into one image. That way we can make separate symbols of our armies and move them around live as drive allows more than one person to be looking at the document at the same time. It is going along very well and I will use it again in the future.
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Post by Berthier on Jun 6, 2016 11:06:25 GMT
Crazycaptain, that sounds interesting. Are you working off a desktop, tablet or laptop?
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Post by crazycaptain560 on Jun 7, 2016 23:41:45 GMT
On my desktop, but since Google Drive works like a cloud you can access with any sort of connection to the internet. Even mobile. I have not tried using the map in mobile, but I have been using it via desktop as I didn't lug my laptop around. We would call eachother a few hours after the game and log on at the same time to move our armies and decide the battles. Lots of fun!
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Post by twrnz on Jun 12, 2016 6:18:48 GMT
The campaigns I have run are based around nodes or zones, a node if a city and zone if an undeveloped province. I have used this for computer moderated systems such as PBM Umpire as well as manually moderated campaigns.
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Post by davidconstable on Jun 24, 2016 21:38:55 GMT
You could use a mixture of types to represent real life.
A mountain pass is a single route, it leaves to go into an arable area in hexes etc.
David Costable
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Post by timurilank on Jun 25, 2016 8:52:33 GMT
You could use a mixture of types to represent real life. A mountain pass is a single route, it leaves to go into an arable area in hexes etc. David Costable David,
That is an interesting idea.
Cheers, Robert
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Post by Haardrada on Jul 19, 2016 7:43:33 GMT
Zones! As they can be any size or shape, thus taking into account various criteria. I founds zones are a great idea as we fought a most enjoyable campaign using the old Imperal Govenor game.On the plus side the game tokens could be used as pieces.The main problem we had is that there were too many zones and we should have used a more simlplified map and the book work got pain-staking as we could not leave the map board set out. |
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