HexScape

[Lyrgard]

Being able to play hex board games online and in 3D is a long lasting dream of many scapers. It is exactly what I'm trying to make happen with :

HexScape







Link to the latest HexScape version
Link to the User Manual
Link to the latest HexScape Server version

HexScape is not dedicated to Heroscape, but can be used for that. Ressource to play Heroscape on HexScape can be found there.

What is it ?

HexScape is a software platform that allows you to emulate hex-based board games virtually. While HexScape is currently a work in progress, the ultimate goal is to allow users to emulate any hex-based board game. You can have a map of hexagons, some decors, place and move figures on it. You can also chat, roll dice and put marker on the figures' cards.

For now, HexScape is still under developement, and don't have all the requiered functions, but I'm working on it !


Some principles

The most important principles are those tow :
- HexScape is just like your physical hexboard, only virtual.
- HexScape is intended to support any hex board game

From that, HexScape won't implement any game specific rule. In real life, if you want to take a figure and move it to the other end of the map, regardless of its movement point for instance, you can. In HexScape, you can too. In real life, there no indication on the map to how far a figure may move or attack. Neither will you find it in HexScape. Moreover, the rules to calculate a figure move is game dependent, so HexScape will let you manage that yourself. If you think about it, it is fair : in a tournament, a good player may see some advantageous but odd placement a new player wouldn't see. I wouldn't want HexScape to be unfair to the skills of players by giving them game help.

HexScape is able to read map files generated with the VirtualScape software. For now, it is the only mean to load a map in HexScape.

All datas for a game (figures models, hex tiles textures, and so on...) are stored outside of HexScape, in a folder named "asset". One only need to add or modify data in this folder to add or modify the objets available in HexScape. The easiest way to do that is to find packaged assets for the game you want to play, in the HexScape Data (.hsd) format

HexScape can read army file to load an army, in a format named HexScape Army file format (.hsa).

HexScape can work either in Solo mode, or connect to a server for multiplayer. You can either use an existing server (my open server is located at hexscape.lyrgard.fr:4242) or you can download and launch your own server (for playing in LAN, without internet, for instance), it is super easy !


How is the developement going ?


The first public beta has been release. A list of current functionnality is a follow :

• Import game specific data in HexScapeData format (decors, figures, cards, dice, markers, tile texture)
• Multiplayer games (only 2 players for now)
• Load VirtualScape maps (made with latest version of HexScape)
• Load armies in HexScape Army format
• Place, move, rotate and remove freely figure on the map
• Place, reveal and remove markers on cards
• Roll dice
• Chat
• Limited Point of View mode

A lot of additionnal features will make it into HexScape ! Some key futur features are :

• Interactive decors (like open/closed door, pickable object, and so on)
• Map creator (to cut the dependency to VS, that limits the decors avalaible, will allow custom decor)
• More than 2 players, and game watchers
• Save and replay of games
• and much more ...

If you have idea, you are most welcome to tell me ! Just keep in mind the the main principle of HexScape : no game specific mecanism.

HexScape is a Java Open Source software, and the source are avalaible on github. Contributions are welcomed.