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How to Mark Territory Owned without Cluttering the Board?

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Aekenter
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Joined: 01/09/2014

Hello! Thanks for taking a look at my question.

I am designing a game where the players play as the great European powers circa 1850. Each country has its own national objectives that the players are seeking to achieve. The board is essentially a map of Europe with numerous territories. However, rather than a political map, the map represents the various ethnicities throughout Europe. I have done this in order to demonstrate the ethnic divides and to highlight the high conflict areas of the board.

Here is my problem: I can't think of a good way to represent which country owns which territory without making the board extremely cluttered. I do not like the idea of having some sort of marker in each territory, but I cannot think of any other alternative. This is problematic, because it makes it difficult to quickly differentiate between armies and ownership markers.

Any ideas?

Willem Verheij
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Joined: 06/08/2016
different items for armies and territory ownership.

I gues you will need some sort of marker to show it on the board, now escaping that.

However the territory marker could be a flat round token, while the armies could be little figures. Or cubes even.

Either way a completely different shape will allow players to easily spot the difference at a quick glance.

Aekenter
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Joined: 01/09/2014
Hi Willem, thanks for your

Hi Willem, thanks for your message. My armies are 5mm cubes. I have been searching for flat territory makers, but I cannot find anything with a height or width less than 5mm. I tried printing little flags on paper, but it is too difficult to pick up the little flags. I'm at a loss for ideas. Very frustrating!

X3M
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Joined: 10/28/2013
You have 5 mm pieces? Even

You have 5 mm pieces?

Even though they are cubes. I bet you need a lot of them. That is already cluttering.

Is each army placed per region, or do you have multiple armies per region?
How big is a region?

If they belong to a player, can you simply colour code them? Or are you using different colours to represent a number of armies?

If so...
Might I suggest using a number on them instead for an army size is better?

Aekenter
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Joined: 01/09/2014
Hi X3M, yes I am using 5mm

Hi X3M, yes I am using 5mm pieces. In fact, they are dice. https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Dice-Assorted-Opaque-5mm/dp/B001NH42U8?.... Each dice represents an army and the number on the dice represents the strength of the army. Each country has its own color of dice. It is possible to have as many armies as you like in a particular region, but the players will almost certainly spread them out in order to cover the whole front.

The territories vary in size. The smallest territory 16mm by 7mm. The average territory is around 20mm by 30mm.

The smallest pieces that I am able to find that might work are the 8mm by 8mm cubes or 10mm by 4mm discs. Alternatively, I am thinking of using the 25mm by 5mm "sticks" (https://www.thegamecrafter.com/parts/stick-blue) to serve as borders, rather than marking each individual territory... It does not look as nice, though, as having a marker in each territory.

X3M
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Joined: 10/28/2013
You could still consider an

You could still consider an "empty" die in the colour of the player, as alternative.

But the need for a border means that empty territory are in play. Correct?
Has empty territory a function other than cosmetic borders?
If not, I don't see the use for borders.

There are only a few reasons why someone would use empty territory.

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