Hexes are cool!

[mattcolville]

After years and years of using hexes, we switched to Squares with 3E. For a long time, we bitched because of diagonal movement. Eventually, we just learned not to move diagonally.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I find that hexes outdoors, squares indoors works best.

 

[Wik]

After years and years of using hexes, we switched to Squares with 3E. For a long time, we bitched because of diagonal movement. Eventually, we just learned not to move diagonally.

Alright. I'm stumped.

What's wrong with diagonal movement?

 

[jdrakeh]

We tried using a hex-grid rather than square-grid and I personally think that they worked out a lot better. No more diagonal worries!

I actually prefer hexes for tabletop combat but not in a system designed from the ground up to use squares. The re-calculating, as somebody else mentioned, is a pain.

 

[Ranger REG]

We tried using a hex-grid rather than square-grid and I personally think that they worked out a lot better. No more diagonal worries!

More power to you.

I may be an old-school wargamer, but I prefer square over hex grid. If I can understand the THAC0 formula that is already burned into my brain, I can easily remember the 1-2-1 diagonal movement on square grid. I'm that damn good.

 

[jaerdaph]

I prefer a square grid for combat, but there is something very sexy about hexes on an overland map!

 

[TwinBahamut]

I've never really used them for D&D, but I like hex grids myself. It is much easier to plot out circular shapes on a hex grid, it is more reasistic with regards to how many things can surround a target, and it avoids any troubles with diagonal movement. The only problem is that the fairly elegant scaling up of grid area according to size category in D&D doesn't work as cleanly for a hex grid, though I imagine it evens out at larger size categories.

I wish WotC would give a bit more of a nod towards hex grids, or any kind of representation other than a strict square grid. At the very least, it might reduce some of the complaining on these boards about WotC trying to turn D&D into a miniatures game.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Hexes are for cardboard squares with little numbers on them. Squares are for dungeons.

 

[Gez]

Hexes are evil. EVIL!

Yes they are. The other day I stumbled unto documentation about a hex editor, and the website, upon detecting my IP came from France, automatically gave me a translated version where the "hex editor" became "rédacteur de sortilège" (spell redactor).

This showed me the light: hexes are evil dark magic.

Besides, what do you prefer? "Fair and square" or "unfair and hex"?

 

[Particle_Man]

If it helps, Unearthed Arcana has a little section on hexes, that details what cones, spreads, and large, huge, gargantuan and collossal creatures look like. It seemed intuitive to me. The only adjustment I had to make was flanking large creatures.

And I suppose any spells saying "10 cubes" now could say "10 hexes"