September Entry: Newstyle hex

[RobA]

I was playing with this style a little while back, and figured I'd give it a go after someone suggested hex maps in the thread:

### Latest WIP ###
Attachment 6431

The hexmap was drawn entirely in inkscape using all cloned symbols, so I could (for example) change one tree icon and have all of them change.

The heightfield was roughed out in GIMP, then turned in to a hex heightfield using inkscape's create tiled clones feature. Pulled back in GIMP and corrected in places (i.e. get the rivers to flow downhill only) and to add the bevel to the tile edges.

The two were rendered together in PovRay.

Not sure how much more I could do with a map this style.... suggestions for other icons would be good. I was thinking of rendering up little 3D castle objects to sit on the town makers (like game playing pieces) but didn't get to it.

I don't know if it follows the coast well enough either, but I tried

-Rob A>

[Badger]

Impressive to say the least... very cool presentation of the map as well... great idea and inventive... the three D city symbols would have been cool... how long did it take, cause it looks like a long time... cept you mentioned cloned tiles... so you make one, clone it and changes made to one affect all ... something I would have forgotten about as I made each individual hex..

Great stuff Rob.. as usual

[NeonKnight]

I like the 3d effect.....and I don't

I like it because it adds a certain pizazz to the map, but I don't like it because it gets so busy in the mountains, I have a hard time determining at times which hex is a higher elevation that others. Unfortunately I cannot even use hex symbols to help out as I see Triple Mountain hexes at a lower elevation than Single Mountain hexes, and some Hill Hexes appear to have a higher Elevation than Triple Mountains?????

[RobA]

@NK - I drew the two separately. I tried to clean up inconsistencies but didn't get them all

One issue I discovered is that terrain and elevation don't line up....i.e. you can high elevation plains or hells and low elevation "mountains"... the hex symbols represent terrain, while the elevation represents, well, elevation... in my mind I was almost thinking base elevation (for mountains) not peak elevations... that might have been a poor thing to do.

-Rob A>

[jezelf]

that's a really cool, fresh approach! - I like it, though it kinda feels a bit busy on the eye - as NeonKnight mentions - in the mountains in particular.

there's certainly something there.

[Steel General]

It certainly takes the idea of doing an old-style hex map to a whole new level.

Was going to Rep you...but I gotta spread more of the 'luv around'.

[NeonKnight]

Yeah, I need to spread some luvin too

[dorpond]

*Dorpond Applauds*
You take the cake for creativity, RobA! I really like the whole idea of raising the hexes to show height! Great idea!

[Ascension]

Kinda reminds me of Q-Bert...interesting idea.

[RobA]

Any suggestions on how I could (or should I even try) to add labels, etc?

-Rob A>