Changing Terrain Maps/Scenarios

[cavie]

I had started this thread back on hq and I'm now revisting it since we have snow & ice. The concept is to use the 'elements' of terrain to change the enviroment. For example, snow can melt and be taken off the field and/or snow can fall and be added to it, or volcanos can erupt and lava can be added, etc.

This can add or detract from the basic battle elements of HeroScape depending on what you like in a game. Personally I like adding elements that can vary basic battle patterns. Please add your ideas, comments, etc. to this post.

[cavie]

Here's an example -

I'm testing a map right now that uses snow, ice, and lava with the concept that the volcano mountain peak has snow that melts as it heats up and then erupts. Once it erupts it exposes the lava tiles as you remove levels of terrain.

Once we get LandScape 4.0 it will be a little more clear but in the meantime I'm using starter dots to represent snow & ice and blue dots to represent the glaciers.

http://upload4.postimage.org/287063/tt3Dpg.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/287063/photo_hosting.html)

Yellow dots are snow tiles (not yellow snow though!)
Grey dots are ice tiles
Blue dots are the glaciers (can't specify heights with dots, sorry)
Orange & Red are army starting positions

http://upload4.postimage.org/287078/ttoverlays.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/287078/photo_hosting.html)

Here's an example of what happens at the end of a round:
You would remove the rock tile at the end of this round simulating the top of the mountain being blown off and exposing the lava terrain (you may question the molten lava tiles appearing, I can explain that later, but these images give you the basic idea).

http://upload4.postimage.org/287088/tt4to3.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/287088/photo_hosting.html)

In addition, here's an example of 'snowmelt' in this game. If you can imagine the yellow dots being snow, you can see how at the end of a round we take the melting snow off to now expose new terrain (rock & a few lava field tiles). This will be more visual with LS4.0 (I'll update when it's available)

http://upload4.postimage.org/287117/ttsnowmelt.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/287117/photo_hosting.html)

[Jandars_Hope]

I really like the idea of elemental changes in the game and would like to try them sometime. I also would like to try, maybe, a drought...so that the water starts to dry up, or another idea, a flash flood.
if u have a lot of lava tiles you could do it so the whole of the 'flooded' areas get covered so figures would have to climb to higher ground....the one problem with that is your game may not be able to progress if neither player can move players...unless after the volcano has erupted the lava starts to flow off the board so the 'flooded' land could once again be walked upon....am i just overthinking this?

[shakey_snake]

I had started this thread back on hq and I'm now revisting it since we have snow & ice. The concept is to use the 'elements' of terrain to change the enviroment. For example, snow can melt and be taken off the field and/or snow can fall and be added to it, or volcanos can erupt and lava can be added, etc.

This can add or detract from the basic battle elements of HeroScape depending on what you like in a game. Personally I like adding elements that can vary basic battle patterns. Please add your ideas, comments, etc. to this post.There was a glyph contest on HQ and one guy's glyph turned all water into molten lava and all molten lava into water whenever someone stood on it.

[Jandars_Hope]

That sounds like a good idea aswell!

[gibberish_47]

I remember this thread from HQ. Very creative ideas, this snow melt one just scratches the surface. I like it.

[cavie]

I really like the idea of elemental changes in the game and would like to try them sometime. I also would like to try, maybe, a drought...so that the water starts to dry up, or another idea, a flash flood.
if u have a lot of lava tiles you could do it so the whole of the 'flooded' areas get covered so figures would have to climb to higher ground....the one problem with that is your game may not be able to progress if neither player can move players...unless after the volcano has erupted the lava starts to flow off the board so the 'flooded' land could once again be walked upon....am i just overthinking this?

Jandar,
We just finished our 4th run of this map and I've made some adjustments but overall it's working alright. The way this board works with the lava flow you mention does not totally seal off movement - it just makes it trickier. The idea with these terrain changes I intend, showed up in our last game. I was clearly in the lead with more characters left (after a Dead Eye Dan roll of 19 and a Morsbane roll of 20 to kill Jotun and Braxas!!) and my son knew he had to go for the win by crossing over the exposed lava fields. He made it over, found the glyph of Brandar, and returned it home to beat me. The terrain changes added an alternative strategy to the mid and end game results. I really like your idea of a drought...that could be fun suddenly having the number of movement spaces open up in game for ground units!

[Jandars_Hope]

Cavie, great to hear that the changes are working out alright!
I'm slightly envious of your deadeye dan and morsbane attacks because i never get that lucky!!!
I also had another idea about water/lava flow on glyphs. If there is a glyph on the terrain that is going to get 'flooded' it should either get washed away with the flow; by either placing it one hex space infront of the water/lava tiles or placed ontop of the tile as it flows, or removed from the game (unless you are using it in a scenario as an artifact, then you might want to do my idea from before about the water/lava flowing off the map so then the glyph will appear once the water/lava has passed over it, if you get what im saying)!
*Deep Breath!*

[cavie]

Yes Jandar, I get what you're saying and like it. In fact, one of the rules on the new tundra map we're play testing does that with the figures. If a figure is standing on snow when it melts (when you take a snow tile off the map) the figure moves downhill 2 hexes. Since the volcano is causing 'rapid snow melt' we felt this was a fair effect.

[cavie]

Here's another example of one of the first 'Changing Terrain' ideas I put into a map. This adds an 'element' of Mother Nature by using the 20 sided die to determine if sudden seismic activity happens. Here's the rules from the scenario followed by Levels from LandScape shown in reverse order so you can follow how the volcano erupts visually:

1. At the end of each full turn on Turn 1 & Turn 2(ie. after both players have completed their first turn marker), roll the 20 sided die to determine volcanic activity as follows:
A. On a roll of 5, 10, 15, or 20 the volcano begins sudden seismic activity and you will remove a level of terrain immediately(see below for Removing Levels of Terrain).
B. On a roll other than 5, 10 ,15, or 20 the volcano remains inactive until the end of Turn 3.
Any figures on a level that is blown off by the volcano(a roll of 5, 10, 15, or 20), are immediately removed from the game.
2. If during Turn 1 & 2 there were no rolls causing seismic activity, the volcano will begin eruption anyway at the end of the round (when all three turns have been completed).

Removing Levels of Terrain-

Remove levels of terrain as follows:
Round 1 - Remove Level 7 (molten lava piece)
Round 2 - Remove Level 6 (circular road & single lava field hex)
Round 3 - Remove Level 5 (bridges, & mountain/rock top)
Round 4 - Remove Level 4 (rock tiles only, glyphs)
Round 5 - Remove Level 3 & Level 2 (rock, sand tiles, glyphs. Volcano is now fully erupted/exposed. All Lava Field and Molten Lava Tiles should be exposed and hindering safe passage to each side.)[remove rock only on level 2].

Any figures on a level that is blown off by the volcano, are immediately removed from the game.

http://upload4.postimage.org/321684/ratv7_5.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/321684/photo_hosting.html)

http://upload4.postimage.org/321690/ratv4_2.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/321690/photo_hosting.html)

[Ch1can0]

Hi cavie!

Here my additions to your changing terrains ideas:

Mount Rush: adding access ways to the map while playing

1. First you have the chance to bring your figures in positions.
2. After round 1 - Three road hexes are added and the main road can be used now.
3. After round 2 - Now there are also connections to the central part from the start zones by adding 2x 2 grasshex tiles. But it will take longer to get to the big tree and various glyphs using that way.

http://home.arcor.de/fellechner/heroscape/mountrush_anim2.gif


Bridge Switch: movable bridge with brandar switches.

the graphic cyles through:
- upper brandar is occupied
- down brandar is occupied
- both brandar are occupied

http://home.arcor.de/fellechner/heroscape/bridgeswitch4.gif

[reapersaurus]

I really like those last 2 ideas - are those p[laytested and fully-formed maps yet? Lemme know when they are if not, to try em out! :)

And what to do when there's a fig on the bridge when it moves is a tough question - I'd go with keeping the fig on the bridge as it moves, and a random placement of the bridge end, so that chance dictates how the bridge rotates and connects - could be closer to his side, could be closer to the enemy's side.
And I agree that more space has to be between the opposing sides when they don't go the bridge route.

And on the first one, Mount Rush has to be a LOT higher or harder to get to - currently it seems pretty close to equal, the movement points needed to go up the road vs the uncontested "shortcut" that is put in in Round 2.

I REALLY like both those ideas. Wanna see more development.testing on these - I'd like to try these at the NorCal Gameday on June 17th! :D

[D-Dyzzle]

i love the moving bridge,chicano. pure genious :thumbsup:

[cavie]

Thanks for posting those here chicano - that is exactly what I intend this thread to be for everyone. Great maps are important but the game scenario and sequence are equally important. Nice new concepts!

[Ch1can0]

thx for your feedback, guys :)

reapersaurus:
thx for your thoughts about the scenarios and your interest in using them. This two maps weren´t playtest yet (at least, not by me ;-) ), so if you want to try them out, go ahead! It would be cool to have some playtest feedback to improve the scenarios where required.

Bridge Switch:
If the bridge moves, one side always stays on the same spot. So the bridge spins around that spot and all the figures on the bridge stay on the bridge and move accordingly.

To make more space between the two teams i would have to make some larger changs in the map layout, i will see if i can make it. Another idea would be to add some fog to the map range -2 or -3, so i think the main action will start at the brandar switches and on the moving bridge...

Mount Rush:
You´re right, the move points are pretty much the same to get up via road or the sides. But adding more height would slower all ways. And the 2 MS also are fully used.

But before the sides are connected, you have 3 turns on the road, so this alternative is still more attractive, but also more dangerous, cause there is only one road for both teams. But don´t using it you would risk that your opponent will be the first to rush the hill and would gain height and glyphs first. That was the main idea.

An easy way to slower the side access for most units would be to add some water, so that the mount becomes an island. But over the road bridge you get to the mount with dry feet and without the need to stop on water tiles.

Or just connect the sides after the third round not already after the second.

I would like to make changes to the map, but rather on playtest findings...

Chicano.

[Bixby]

Very clever ideas on this thread. Thanks for sharing.

[Kyle]

I think it would be cool to build a "volcano" with a random chance of exploding every round. Place the volcano at the center of the board, perhaps with some good glyphs placed near the peak to entice players to move there. Before every round, roll the 20-sider. On a 20, the volcano erupts, spewing lava across the board and damaging any figures in the hot zone. This also might be a situation where the Obsidian Guards' lava resistance is actually useful.