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<blockquote data-quote="SpiralBound" data-source="post: 1980005" data-attributes="member: 8396"><p>While, I didn't post the pic, I too only use hex maps <em>(not due to a dislike of squares, but simply because a hex map is what I currently own)</em> and I think I can give how <u>.I.</u> would answer that question. It's really not that difficult.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: Teal">[soapbox]</span></p><p></p><p>First off, let's remind ourselves that the grid, be it hex, square, offset squares or triangles even, isn't supposed to be an actual feature of the terrain and is only meant to be a rules-based tool for representing distances on a map. Many buildings, especially historical ones, didn't exactly have perfectly straight walls or even true 90 degree corners. So the measurement problem you mention could easily occur under any type of grid.</p><p></p><p>Secondly, since the grid hexes aren't supposed to be actual hexes marked on the ground and are more of a conceptual tool, then you do have some leeway in interpreting them. For instance, were I gming a session and using a room as <strong>slaughterj</strong> has drawn, I would rule that the rooms width was equal to four hexes or 20 feet. I would count each full or almost full hex as 5 feet and each short side passed through as 2.5 feet. For the length of the room I would say that it is 6.5 hexes or 32.5 feet long. Is this 100% accurate? No, one could break out a ruler and argue that the rooms width is closer to 17 or 18 feet due to the missing hex corners down either side of the building. Is this accurate enough to play with though? It should be.</p><p></p><p>Let's face it, no grid system is a true or accurate representation of the real world. Under most circumstances two or more people can easily stand within a 5x5 area regardless of its shape. <em>(anyone who's ever been in a crowded bus or elevator can attest to that!)</em> <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Combatants in a real battle will not conveniently arrange or move themselves in a grid-obeying manner. Instead, they may stand 2 or 3 feet apart instead of 5, align themselves at 37 or 45 degree angles to one another instead of 90 degrees and so on. The very fact that in this single thread alone you can have people all playing the same game with the same rules but using squares, hexes, and offset squares, sometimes even interchangingly depending on the circumstances proves that no one grid system is intrinsically better than the other. Each comes with an inherent compromise and an unstated acceptance that we're imposing an artifical grid onto a world that isn't composed of actual gridded distances.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: Teal">[/soapbox]</span></p><p></p><p>Having <s><em>ranted</em></s> said all of the above, after reading everyone's comments I'm feeling emboldened to try experimenting with other grid systems, squares and maybe even those offset squares that <strong>Intrope</strong> mentioned... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SpiralBound, post: 1980005, member: 8396"] While, I didn't post the pic, I too only use hex maps [i](not due to a dislike of squares, but simply because a hex map is what I currently own)[/i] and I think I can give how [u].I.[/u] would answer that question. It's really not that difficult. [COLOR=Teal][soapbox][/COLOR] First off, let's remind ourselves that the grid, be it hex, square, offset squares or triangles even, isn't supposed to be an actual feature of the terrain and is only meant to be a rules-based tool for representing distances on a map. Many buildings, especially historical ones, didn't exactly have perfectly straight walls or even true 90 degree corners. So the measurement problem you mention could easily occur under any type of grid. Secondly, since the grid hexes aren't supposed to be actual hexes marked on the ground and are more of a conceptual tool, then you do have some leeway in interpreting them. For instance, were I gming a session and using a room as [b]slaughterj[/b] has drawn, I would rule that the rooms width was equal to four hexes or 20 feet. I would count each full or almost full hex as 5 feet and each short side passed through as 2.5 feet. For the length of the room I would say that it is 6.5 hexes or 32.5 feet long. Is this 100% accurate? No, one could break out a ruler and argue that the rooms width is closer to 17 or 18 feet due to the missing hex corners down either side of the building. Is this accurate enough to play with though? It should be. Let's face it, no grid system is a true or accurate representation of the real world. Under most circumstances two or more people can easily stand within a 5x5 area regardless of its shape. [i](anyone who's ever been in a crowded bus or elevator can attest to that!)[/i] ;) Combatants in a real battle will not conveniently arrange or move themselves in a grid-obeying manner. Instead, they may stand 2 or 3 feet apart instead of 5, align themselves at 37 or 45 degree angles to one another instead of 90 degrees and so on. The very fact that in this single thread alone you can have people all playing the same game with the same rules but using squares, hexes, and offset squares, sometimes even interchangingly depending on the circumstances proves that no one grid system is intrinsically better than the other. Each comes with an inherent compromise and an unstated acceptance that we're imposing an artifical grid onto a world that isn't composed of actual gridded distances. [COLOR=Teal][/soapbox][/COLOR] Having [s][i]ranted[/i][/s] said all of the above, after reading everyone's comments I'm feeling emboldened to try experimenting with other grid systems, squares and maybe even those offset squares that [b]Intrope[/b] mentioned... :D [/QUOTE]
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