Why not hexagons?

[SnowleopardVK]

I'd say about half the people I've ever played with have expressed a dislike for the hex-grid on the battlemap. I've never seen the same reaction to the square-grid though, and that confuses me.

So I'm curious. Why does there seem to be a relatively large dislike of hexagons? Any ideas? If you personally don't like the hex-grid I'm especially interested in knowing why.

Me; I'm fine with square, hex, or no battlemap at all, any way of playing works for me really.

 

[billd91]

Squares match the grids in modules and squared off corners of rooms and corridors so easily, as well as handle cubic spell areas, I can see reluctance to go to hexes. However, hexes have great advantages in movement and spell areas that are rounded or cones that are impossible to deny.
Both have competing advantages, but I give the ease of use nod to squares.

 

[Umbran]

I guess that a large portion of it is that, on a small skirmish tactical map, squares are more intuitive. Players are used to thinking about forward, left, right, and back, and that's well-modeled by squares. Hexes don't cleanly cover those cases, what with six sides and all.

 

[Argyle King]

I usually just ditch the grid completely and measure out movement in a manner similar to tabletop war games. I get the benefits of both hexes and squares, but without the drawbacks of either.

The other thing I like is having more freedom to craft terrain and encounters. I don't need to make every room and every object into a perfect cube.

 

[Wicht]

I prefer hexes for overland travel maps. But square battlemaps are generally more intuitive for movement rules.

 

[amerigoV]

Why does there seem to be a relatively large dislike of hexagons?

Cuz hexigons remind people of bee hives. And people are scared of bees, namely wasps.

Squares are more comforting since mostly Squares play RPGs. People feel more at home among their own kind.

On a more serious note, I suspect its due to the best loot is usually in a 20x20 square room.

 

[Dausuul]

My main objection to hexes is they're a pain with Large-sized and bigger minis. It makes it substantially harder to count off movement. Also, it can make it tricky drawing dungeon corridors, and you can get the situation where characters must "hopscotch" down a corridor.

 

[frankthedm]

I'm a fan of measuring with no grid. If I had to use a grid, I'd go hex and use a 10' = 3" scale.

Darn You to Hex

 

[NewJeffCT]

I don't really like the 4E movement rules - why move straight on a square grid when you can move much further by going on a diagonal? I probably should just use a ruler or tape measure instead, a la Warhammer or other war games and ditch my Mondo Mat.

I like the hexes for movement, but it does have an effect in regards to area of effect spells, larger-sized creatures and terrain like buildings (I'm not big into dungeons, so going to hexes would not have a big impact on my games)

 

[GSHamster]

Grids are also easier to draw or make. You can draw up a grid fairly quickly with just a straight edge.

Grid paper is also easier to find and purchase. Which makes drawing up maps and dungeons a lot easier for the DM.

I also find that grids seem to work better for indoors architecture. We build with straight edges, and straight edges cause a lot of issues with hexagons.