Application of Heroscape Paraphenalia to Other Games

[Finrod]

From the very beginning of Heroscape, its modular map board was been an attraction to people who aren't even interested in the game itself. in recent months, WotC has offered suggestions of selling terrain only in game stores so as to appeal to buyers like that.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss the use of Heroscape parts on other games. What other games have you used or are you considering using Heroscape maps/units for?

Obviously, other miniature games should be easily adaptable. I have a friend who uses the terrain for Battletech miniatures, for example.

Are there other hex-based map games that Heroscape can help out? I've considered building maps for Duel of Ages or Tide of Iron, but both are problematic, primarily for buildings/forest/etc.

On the other hand, I'm currently in the early stages of designing a scenario for Descent: Journeys in the Dark using Heroscape's various Vipers. I'm actually impressed at how easily Heroscape units can be converted for Descent usage, but balancing the scenario will take a lot of work.

How about you? How many games can we list that are compatible with Heroscape to some extent?

[robbdaman]

I know of at least one guy that uses Heroscape terrain for his RPG D&D games. I would do the same thing if I had an RPG group. Modular and easy to build hexes are very nice to have considering that there are no other games that do have such a thing. Having to whip out a measuring tape to play a game is annoying.

R~

[Soul Shackle]

When I'm playing Sorry, I like to use Stingers.

[Ugly-Caco]

Chess. Checkers. Monopoly. I used Sgt. Drake for a Snake and Ladder once.

[Sisyphus]

Originally Posted by Ugly-Caco

Chess. Checkers. Monopoly. I used Sgt. Drake for a Snake and Ladder once.

Heroscape Chess sounds awesome.

White:
Pawn: Venoc Viper
Knight: Knight of Weston
Bishop: Shaolin Monk
Rook: Finn and Thorgrim
Queen: Raelin
King: Sgt Drake.

Black:
Pawn: Death Reaver
Knight: Marro Drudge(think movement)
Bishop: Zettian Guard
Rook: Sonya and Iskra Esenwein
Queen: Runa
King: Taelord

[soberman]

There's a game I've seen around the Family Christian Stores chain that is based on the Angel Wars Christian cartoon. I didn't think much of it, and wrote it off as kiddie fair. Then Games magazine gave it a positive review. It is basically an abstract strategy game with a theme tacked-on. Here's the board:


This is set for 4 players, but it works with 2 as well. The idea is to move all of your angels or demons to the other side of the board for victory. You are only allowed to do one of 2 things- flip a tile to make it the color you need it to be, or move. Movement may be along as many consecutive tiles of your color that are exposed at the time. Players can block each other, or use their own pieces to open paths for their teammates. For kids, the same rules apply, but a dice is rolled to determine which actions you can take. (I think you get 3 per turn in either version.)

Obviously, this would work just great with Raelin, Kelda, Concan and Sentinels vs. Taelord, Runa, Iskra, and Minions. (I would prefer another Utgar Kyrie, but still...) Anyhow, I could also use the regular pieces when playing against my 6 yr. old nephew. He digs the cartoon. (And it only costs $16.24 at Thought Hammer, a website with great customer service.)

Alternately, I'm thinking of making the whole board out of HS terrain and using water and lava to simulate the tiles. If I could find the Angel Wars rulebook as a PDF, I'd be all set to try it. Unfortunately, BGGers don't even know this game exists.
______________________
now playing: King's X Gretchen Goes To Nebraska

[NormanJFin]

Long ago and far away (okay, not so far) I used to play AD&D, Champions, and a host of other RPGs I can't necessarily remember (including homemade stuff)

Combat was very nicely illustrated when folks had miniatures and I rember a linolium Hex map you could write and erase on.
This is kinda what Heroscape reminded me off when I first saw it.

I was very surprised that the new D&D from Wizards of the Coast is done with squares rather than Hexes.

[yagyuninja]

I'd love to try to play D&D with heroscape stuff, but how difficult is conversion from squares to hexes? Anyone have experience with that?

[ArgosCap]

Honestly, I've never really seen the difference between using squares and hexes, as long as everyone is using the same standards. There are a few minor issues where it could make a difference, but for the most part, it really doesn't.

Therefore, I think Heroscape terrain is perfect for Heroclix, Horrorclix, and Mage Knight. You could use the D&D and Star Wars minis, but they're almost a little too small. The terrain does make a little more difference when a "large" figure can still fit on one hex, and a huge figure fits on about 3 hexes...it's awkward. Similarly, you could play Epic Duels on it (Star Wars or Transformer editions).

Other "hex" based miniature games include the LOTR Combat Hex System (also used for Shaman King minis). The upcoming Warcraft miniatures game is hex based. Axis and Allies minis are hex based. And of course, the aforementioned Champions/Hero System RPG is hex based. Heroscape terrain could make all of those games a lot more fun.

A while back, I even proposed rules for playing Dreambalde on Heroscape hexes, though it's a little more complicated.

You can also play a slightly modified version of that Yu-Gi-Oh miniature games on hexes if you're really into it, though personally I'm not that impressed with it.

So, yeah, I think you can play just about any minis game on Heroscape Hexes. Here's an interesting question....is there ANY game you absolutely can't?

[markwars]

My son and I have played many a Battle Lore game on Scape hexes. Using a plain grass field as the base and adding water tiles for rivers and stone hexes for hills.

[KRUG!]

My gaming group has used hex terrain and figures from HeroScape to play RPGs like D&D and Role Master. We currently have a Star Frontiers campaign running and find the terrain & figs most useful. My son has used the terrain to play some Mage Knights games on as well.

[NormanJFin]

Originally Posted by yagyuninja

I'd love to try to play D&D with heroscape stuff, but how difficult is conversion from squares to hexes? Anyone have experience with that?

Ah, youths

Our RPGs were all mostly story telling -- The DM (or GM - "game master") ran everything behind a screen or in some other even less obtrusive manner - including dice rolls (often even keeping the stat sheets away from the players)
Basicaly - the group was jointly telling (and sort-a "living") a story - not dealing with rules, dice-rolls, all that nonsence.
Sometimes (when I GMed) I just sat across from the players (no sheets of anykind) and we told the story and once in a while, when necessary I'd roll the dice unobtrusively behind me.

The maps and figures would come in as a handy way of illustrating the movement of people in a battle situation with the grid a handy way of keeping track how far it was reasonable to move --
Played this way there is nothing to "convert" -
the GM says "the monster moves here, attacks thusly"
I say "I move here, defend thusly"
The Hexes provide more directions than squares do
though I s'pose you don't realy need either one --
Sometimes, the visualisations of combat would even evolve/devolve to actual slow-mo martial arts - forget figures