Here is a very early version of a method to map out entire worlds, accurate to single BT hexes (well there is no hard coding, I've rendered 7.2 TRILLION BT hex worlds which is basically earth accurate to 100', but there are no defined limits).
The map in the upper right is a satellite view of a planet. Each pixel on that map is 12km. The map right under it is just a zoomed in version. The map below that is the same map, but showing the biomes instead of the satellite imagery. The 9 little boxes to the right determine transitions, they'll go away when I finish that code.
The big map on the left. I don't have water transitions at all yet, and my transitions between terrain types looks like crap. I need for the terrain to have little fingers that go in and out, like a puzzle, not the random scattering of both terrains where different terrain types meet up. The code isn't real optimized either. But, the overall random placement of terrrain on each region (12km is a region) is done with perlin noise, and I'm happy with the results. Each of those 9 maps that are in that 1 big window are 24 hexes across (so you can see the terrain), but in the final version they'll be 300 hexes across (I've already rendered this so it does work, but it takes a few seconds ;)). This view won't be used much, but I have to build the methods to map out an entire planet, so you can move your battalions/lances/companies/corps/etc around on the map. I'm using some megamek hexes as I simply don't have a good set of hexes to use. I need one that has all the tacops combinations, and some random variations between them to avoid patterns, but this will work for now and those can be added later. I haven't added the height code yet, but it'll be much like the existing stuff and not be too hard to implement. Algorithms really kick my butt tho so every little stupid thing takes me way longer than it would an intelligent person.
This map will allow things like persistent damage, dynamic weather, and any number of objects (buildings, destroyed units, whatever isn't terrain) on a planet to be defined and interacted with.
My MUL is now 60% complete. I've been working hard :) This is much like the official MUL, but I'll have everything about every unit, like heat sinks, weapons, armor per arc, critical slots, etc, etc. Eventually I'd like to add fluff too, but it may just be too time consuming for me. If I had the fluff added, I'd be able to print a selection of units that'd look almost exactly like the official TRO's or RSs, except hopefully without all the errors :)
I'm pretty sure this is an old blog, but it is dated recently. The whole concept of range with 250km hexes is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I've played hundreds of wargames, and never, ever, ever, at a scale anywhere close to that, do units have a "range". Blogs like this really make me question the ability of TPTB to produce a decent strategy game. This saddens me, as its the one thing I've been waiting for since I first read the 4th Succession War Atlases so many years ago.
Oh, and about Congress. I'm thinking I will forget it. It looks like I'll have to spend 2 full months, going house to house, to get anywhere close to 500 signatures I'll need. Without a dozen or so people to help me, there is no way I can get my name on the ballot. I thought about making a youtube video to see if it could help recruit volunteers, but I don't think people tend to like me much as I'm a bit abrasive, so maybe I should just find another way to help save my country :(
I like your idea of a full planet mapped out as hexes.
ReplyDeleteIt is similar to something I've been toying with lately. I thought it would be cool to have a large world map consisting of larger hexes which could be used to move your companies/regiments around on. If opposing companies enter the same hex, you then "zoom in" to the hex which is now split up into smaller hexes (maybe 10 hexes across), players would deploy and move their lances around on this sub-hex map - jockeying for position for the upcoming battle. When the lances approach close enough to each other, you zoom in again to sub-sub-hexes that make up the actual battlefield for a game of battletech.
I think it would be neat if you could use a similar system on your maps to nest hexes within hexes similar to how its shown on this page: http://fitz.jsr.com/roleplay/props/mapping.html
I think its a good way to handle the movements of larger units across the planetary surface where single 50m hex accuracy is not needed unless there is an actual battle going on in the area.