Desert Terrain Pack

[drewcula]

I'm don't understand why people are agitated about a suggested squad/figure being included in a "terrain" pack. Come on! If the figure(s) were common, whats the harm? Just a hypothetical, but if this pack were released as pictured, I'd doubt a purchase. If the set included a commom squad of say, spiders, heck! I'd consider buying two! Watch 'Arachnophobia' again. The more spiders, the better! Also, John Goodman plays an excellent exterminator...

[dra(gon)]

mmh why now that thing. the tundra set had the yetis the had power to use the glaciers. and the glaciers had only on option slow und sight down figures.
in normal terain such mointais are not usefulll . the are 100% cover

so fluying units are going a big bonus. in normal terrain such things are unfair.

[Necro]

This pack brings up an idea - why not just do 10-15$ 'terrain packs' with larger terrain items. Or straight terrain. Then have master packs include a variety of everything, and have large packs be 5-6 'terrain packs' with a discount.

[MattserTruckRally]

I kinda like the look of them as they look like mini mountains. On some maps that don't feature snow they would be more appealing as line of sight blockers.

[Velenne]

I don't have a problem with the terrain expansions, or the lack of terrain-specific figures, or the fact that it's desert.

I have a problem with it because it doesn't add anything to the game, and it doesn't actually look good.

Instead imagine:

For $20 you get a set of modular "rock" that works like the battlements from FotA only stackable. They fit into a modular base so they're steady and they can be capped either with a solid rock piece that you can't put figures on, or with a normal hex tile, your choice based on the kind of map you want to create. You could shape it any way you wanted on top of any kind of tile you wanted (except the liquid tiles of course), and make it as tall as you want. If it included some way to structurally support the tall ones internally (like the ladders can support tall-stacked normal terrain), that would be even better. You could make them incredibly tall for a "mesa" effect, or set up a maze of them with water inside for "canyon" effect, or even build a "mountain path" up the side's and have a vertical map.

Now that is something I'd pay $20 for. Repainted glaciers? Please.

[djsmith]

Now I know how to get my wife to play heroscape. All I have to do is place a bunch of these chocolate chunks around my map. She will think we are making fudge... mmmmm... fudge...

She is eating for two by the way so no jokes..

Seriously, I can't help but feel like I will be disappointed by this set if they don't come up with something NEW and well thought out. This just screams- thrown together to save a buck- to me.

Please let me be wrong...

[caravaggio]

Originally Posted by nerdcorerocks

No way does this set solve the problem of Master Set quantities of terrain without useless figures. Master Sets come with about 225 or 360 hexes of terrain + a bunch of other figs/junk for $40 MSRP. This pack looks like about 60 hexes of terrain (from the picture), 5 "mountains" and nothing else for $20. That is nowhere near the value of buying a Master Set (especially if on sale).

Now if this was a desert pack with about 200 hexes of sand, 6 mountains, and no figures for $20 bucks, then it would solve the issue that you mentioned.

exactly right. this set needs to either be 30% cheaper or sold with...

A: more sand
or
B: figures (ie spiders or one large common hero)

i still say they should do a set of each (A and B) and hit BOTH markets.

[thezandcshow]

That concept picture is awesome!
But I wanted something "more original," like something non-repainted. They can do a cliff to walk on, sort of like Leif Kicker's Nagrub Den, cacti, quicksand (like water, lava, ice, swamp water, etc.) and cool futuristic-desert terrain. Gives a cool post-apocalyptic theme.

[STAROCEAN980]

I really like this. I would definately buy 2. I do however, hope that the price comes down($12-$15?). I don't like the idea of repaints but I must admit that they look good.

I really hate hearing how there will likely not be figures in new terrain expantions. One big reson I liked the lava set was because of the awsome looking guards.

Hopefully they will think about the figures too.

[aerofool]

At first glance, the set looks far better than I initially thought it would. As for the price.. well this for $20 seems a bit better value than the tiles we got in the lava set. It also looks to be more "pieces" than the forest set. Of course when it comes to parts and pieces, for $20 I would like to see the equivalent of the tundra set sans figures. What is shown here, quantity-wise, isn't quite there yet.

What else would I like to see added to make it worth it's value? One or two more rocks... I vote for the scorpions... or just a few more land tiles.

As for quicksand (great for a jungle set).. we need to hold off begging for that one so hard. Writing rules that will not be complicated, and yet give the desierd feel is not going to come quickly. This is what I think would work for quicksand, however:

Any figure that lands on quicksand must end turn and may not attack.
At the start of each round, roll a D20 for each figure separately who is in the quicksand. If a 1-6 is rolled, the figure may leave the space during that round. If a 7-10 is roled, you must place one quicksand counter on the figures card. On a roll of 11-14, place two quicksand counters on the figures card. On a roll of 15-18, place three counters on the figures card. On a roll of 19+ remove figure from play. Once the number of quicksand counters is equal to or greater than the figures height value, remove figure (and corresponding squad) from play.

I would still need some time to balance this one out some more, make it more fair to squads. This system for unique heroes plays just like I feel quicksand should be. Albeit it is extremely counter-heavy.

[kenjib]

Originally Posted by Velenne

Instead imagine:

For $20 you get a set of modular "rock" that works like the battlements from FotA only stackable. They fit into a modular base so they're steady and they can be capped either with a solid rock piece that you can't put figures on, or with a normal hex tile, your choice based on the kind of map you want to create. You could shape it any way you wanted on top of any kind of tile you wanted (except the liquid tiles of course), and make it as tall as you want. If it included some way to structurally support the tall ones internally (like the ladders can support tall-stacked normal terrain), that would be even better. You could make them incredibly tall for a "mesa" effect, or set up a maze of them with water inside for "canyon" effect, or even build a "mountain path" up the side's and have a vertical map.

Awesome idea. I would buy a metric crapload of those. I would have to take a wheelbarrow to the store.

[hextr1p]

I'm for this set for a couple of reasons. Some of which have probably been mentioned earlier in this thread... but I digress.

1. The set is intended to make Heroscape more attractive to local game stores and online vendors. With these sets exclusive to the smaller vendors, they won't have to compete with big store prices. If this desert repaint goes over well, there may be more incentive for WOTC to start thinking about truly exclusive terrain obstacle sculpts for FLGS. Right now, it's all about getting HS into game stores at as low a cost as possible for WOTC and for vendors to see what works and what doesn't.

2. The fact that the terrain set will not include figures is GOOD. The terrain has been proven VERY versatile and compatible with other miniature games on the market. And if I were a gamer on the fence about picking up a set of terrain, I'd be more apt to do so if the set didn't have a figure that not only boosts the price of the set, but which I more than likely will not use anyway. Just because they buy the terrain and don't actually play the Heroscape game means little to a game shop owner. Making money to keep their shop alive and kicking for folks to come in and enjoy is the primary goal.

3. WOTC is thinking about the game's growth on many different levels. And the transition isn't even complete! It's not even been a week since the news was made official about Heroscape's transition to Wizards, and already we have one of the staff on our boards answering legitimate questions legitimately, giving us a display image of W8 packaging, showing off our beloved game to their distributors and getting them excited about it, and doing what they can to get Heroscape where it should have been for quite some time: game stores. And this set is just the first small attempt to do this.

There is nothing wrong with voicing one's own opinion about the set. But don't get overly frustrated about price-points and lack of figures. WOTC is working within a price structure we really know nothing about. I've said it before elsewhere: 'Scapers are SPOILED when it comes to past prices of HS sets. Especially those who purchase the game only at WM. Compare the price of our game to that of other games like AT-43 and CONFRONTATION. Heroscape is still a great value should sets cost even a little more from here on out.



Wow... my points were all over the place, weren't they.