Skip to Content
 

Hexagon grid movement question

12 replies [Last post]
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 08:52
NewbieDesigner
Offline
Joined: 01/20/2011

I'm trying to figure out a way to move cubes around a hexagon grid (37 spaces) so that they get relatively evenly distributed among the spaces during the game.

More specifically, I want the game to start with a cube on each of the 37 spaces. Players will be able to clear out these spaces during the game but I don't want the cubes to be removed. Instead, they will move to adjacent spots with other cubes possibly on them. Each space will have an arrow(s) pointing to one of the adjacent spots that they will move to. Can you think of a way that the cubes move fluidly around the board throughout the game without them clumping up too much?

Top
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 10:36
#1
larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
I am not sure I really

I am not sure I really understand your request. You might need to post a picture of the grid.

One games that comes to my mind it "Titan":

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/372458/titan

It's not exactly hexes, but each side of the triangle has little arrows which determine direction that movement is allowed. If I remember correctly, the pattern creates various rings where you can move around the board and at certain points move in an interior ring. A bit like a talisman board.

So the general idea, is that you could put arrows on the edges of the hexes to control the flow of the movement.

Top
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 11:51
#2
NewbieDesigner
Offline
Joined: 01/20/2011
That does look close to what

That does look close to what I am looking for. Thanks for the reference.

Top
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 12:24
#3
Jay103
Jay103's picture
Offline
Joined: 01/23/2018
larienna wrote:I am not sure

larienna wrote:
I am not sure I really understand your request. You might need to post a picture of the grid.

One games that comes to my mind it "Titan":

https://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/372458/titan

It's not exactly hexes, but each side of the triangle has little arrows which determine direction that movement is allowed. If I remember correctly, the pattern creates various rings where you can move around the board and at certain points move in an interior ring. A bit like a talisman board.

So the general idea, is that you could put arrows on the edges of the hexes to control the flow of the movement.


I used to play that in college.. good game, except the endgame design is bad.. you can chase the player who's pretty obviously going to lose for literally 2 hours.

Top
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 12:44
#4
john smith
Offline
Joined: 06/26/2017
Stacking Limit. IF more then

Stacking Limit. IF more then a set amount of Cubes occupy one hex no more can enter, or some have to move out to make room...

Top
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 14:12
#5
NewbieDesigner
Offline
Joined: 01/20/2011
john smith wrote:Stacking

john smith wrote:
Stacking Limit. IF more then a set amount of Cubes occupy one hex no more can enter, or some have to move out to make room...

The moving is the tricky part since I want the cubes to move around the board so that each space can scatter or receive cubes during the game.

Thematically, think of a player stepping on a group of cockroaches that they keep missing.

I can't think of a method that isn't super fiddly.

This is the play area I have in mind:

https://i.stack.imgur.com/3gcDE.jpg

Top
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 20:35
#6
apeloverage
Offline
Joined: 08/01/2008
"the cubes move fluidly

"the cubes move fluidly around the board throughout the game without them clumping up too much?"

What does 'fluidly' mean in this context?

You can stop them clumping up fairly easily, by having a rule that if there are more than X cubes in a given area (a single hex, a hex and its neighbors, or another), then one automatically moves out of the area until there are fewer.

Or you could have cubes automatically move from the most crowded area to the least crowded.

Top
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 03:36
#7
X3M
X3M's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/28/2013
Do it have to be cubes? What

Do it have to be cubes?
What if they are flatter?
You could stack a couple if needed.

Top
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 08:22
#8
NewbieDesigner
Offline
Joined: 01/20/2011
apeloverage wrote:"the cubes

apeloverage wrote:
"the cubes move fluidly around the board throughout the game without them clumping up too much?"

What does 'fluidly' mean in this context?

You can stop them clumping up fairly easily, by having a rule that if there are more than X cubes in a given area (a single hex, a hex and its neighbors, or another), then one automatically moves out of the area until there are fewer.

Or you could have cubes automatically move from the most crowded area to the least crowded.

By fluid, I mean that every space on the board has an equal potential to have a cube moved to it. Not that there can't be randomness between games that make some spaces more or less likely than others. I just don't want any general rules that make some spaces less likely than others all things being equal.

For example, let's say at the beginning of the game when every space has one cube on it (17 spaces total based on the link to the pic above), a player plays three cards that corresponds to three adjacent spaces on the edge of the board. Each space has one cube on it. Should each cube displace towards the middle of the board? Some spaces have two options to move towards the middle of the board. What rule dictates which space?

Top
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 12:37
#9
larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Quote:I used to play that in

Quote:
I used to play that in college.. good game, except the endgame design is bad.. you can chase the player who's pretty obviously going to lose for literally 2 hours.

I never actually played the game, I know it's one of the few board game that have strategic and a tactical map. The strategic map movement seems very abstract and artificial. There is an app, but not for android. It's the kind of game I would not mind playing as an app. Not sure if it's on steam.

Quote:
Thematically, think of a player stepping on a group of cockroaches that they keep missing.

It reminds me of Mancala, but on a hex board. You take the cubes in one space and distribute them in the surrounding spaces.

Instead of making the board dictate movement, you could as player to start sowing in an adjacent hexes, then sow clockwise or counter clockwise. Sowing off board would remove the cubes from the board.

If cubes are too fiddly, try poker chips.

Top
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 15:04
#10
larienna
larienna's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Titan seems on Android, it's

Titan seems on Android, it's called "Titan HD". I'll take a look at the gameplay.

Top
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 15:35
#11
NewbieDesigner
Offline
Joined: 01/20/2011
larienna wrote:Quote:I used

larienna wrote:
Quote:
I used to play that in college.. good game, except the endgame design is bad.. you can chase the player who's pretty obviously going to lose for literally 2 hours.

I never actually played the game, I know it's one of the few board game that have strategic and a tactical map. The strategic map movement seems very abstract and artificial. There is an app, but not for android. It's the kind of game I would not mind playing as an app. Not sure if it's on steam.

Quote:
Thematically, think of a player stepping on a group of cockroaches that they keep missing.

It reminds me of Mancala, but on a hex board. You take the cubes in one space and distribute them in the surrounding spaces.

Instead of making the board dictate movement, you could as player to start sowing in an adjacent hexes, then sow clockwise or counter clockwise. Sowing off board would remove the cubes from the board.

I think the clockwise movement may work. I could have pieces move mancala style around the 4 hex rings and have the center spot empty/static.

Top
Thu, 10/24/2019 - 20:26
#12
apeloverage
Offline
Joined: 08/01/2008
NewbieDesigner wrote:By

NewbieDesigner wrote:
By fluid, I mean that every space on the board has an equal potential to have a cube moved to it. Not that there can't be randomness between games that make some spaces more or less likely than others. I just don't want any general rules that make some spaces less likely than others all things being equal.

Have each hex 'displace' to exactly one other hex, and each hex be 'displaced' to by exactly one other hex.

For example, you could color the 'bands' around the center hex (so all the hexes 2 spaces away from the center are the same color), and have the rule that cubes move clockwise around the same band.

This would mean that the center hex displaces to itself though.

Top
Syndicate content


forum | by Dr. Radut