D&D 4E Why Keep a Grid? Measurement in 4E

[CleverNickName]

Nerd rage issues aside (and I have them,) I prefer the hex grid to the square. It just feels more organic to me, that's all. The distance across corners vs. distance across flats helps mitigate a lot of the 1-2-1-2 stuff, and the same rules for fractional squares (say, an 8' x 6' room) would work fine for fractional hexes.

I wouldn't mind seeing a set of rules for using hexes instead of squares.

 

[HP Dreadnought]

I play a lot of miniatures wargames. 40k, Fantasy, Warlord, etc.

But a good example for this discussion would be Victory at Sea vs. Grand Fleets.

Both games are fun, big gun battleship miniatures games. Victory at Sea is played on an open tabletop, while Grand Fleets is played on a hex grid. After playing both for a while now, I've come to the conclusion that Grand Fleets is more fun. Measurements/movements/formations/range etc is all more precise than Victory at Sea and help the game flow more smoothly.

Both ways are fun, but I prefer the grid.

 

[keterys]

I'll admit that I'd be stunned to have players who would nudge the table... but there's no way I'd want to be measuring for a D&D game. That just feels like total crazy talk.

I used to play wargames a lot more, and I did enjoy them. I'd actually think that folks channeling their desire to play wargames into D&D is the thing that's been killing D&D for me lately. I would much rather just play separate games. D&D can be easier and involve roleplaying and cinematic action. Wargames can be more complex with a bevy of modifiers and tracking and explicit measurement. Moving right along.

 

[frankthedm]

I'll admit that I'd be stunned to have players who would nudge the table...

Oh, they are out there.

Anyhoo, here is another example of ''grid flanking" represented without grid involving 25mm medium, 50mm large and 75mm huge minis.

 

[Gloombunny]

Nudging the table is an extremely egregious example. Most of the time you'll be dealing with things like at what angle someone places their thumb on the map while measuring, or nudging a mini a quarter-inch to one side as they take their hand off it, or any number of tiny things that happen by honest accident all the time but can make a crucial difference in play.

Not only is it difficult to tell whether a given mismeasurement was an honest mistake or nefarious cheating, but the frequency of mistakes makes things problematic even when everyone playing is completely trustworthy.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

Another measuring device that I think works nicely is this plastic ruler that I have. It's a 12" ruler that is hinged at every inch, so that it bends either way (it folds up to a fairly small size, too). With it hinging at each inch, it makes if very convenient, since movement is measured in 1" increments. It can bend back and forth, if you need to zig-zag...turn around corners...move in an arc...etc. I like it better than string, because it is sturdier and easier for me to quickly set up.

I don't know about the availability or ease of locating these rulers, but if you can get one, they don't cost much. Try it out and see what you think.

 

[WayneLigon]

While I like a hex grid for movement, it really, really interferes with maps. They look horribly ugly and become very confusing when you lay generally squarish shapes over the hex grid. It becomes just that much harder to render a building plan onto the table map.

 

[JVisgaitis]

A grid easily quantifies everything. The last thing we need is to be measuring how far our miniatures move with a ruler and trying to draw dungeons free form on a blank piece of paper. How big is that burst? Did I make my charge? Are my party members in range for my healing burst, etc. No thanks.

If this type of gameplay appeals to you, try Mordheim or Warhammer. I love those two games, but keep measuring out of D&D.

 

[Dausuul]

Once my group has gotten a feel for how the spatial aspects of 4E play out, I want to try running gridless. No measuring, though--just eyeballing, with the DM's eyeball estimate being the final word. We'll see how it goes. My hope is that it will speed up combat and take away a lot of the "board game" feel that D&D is prone to develop when playing on the grid.

 

[krissbeth]

I'd prefer for movement to remain "20 ft." etc. so folks can grid or not grid as they please. I've played both and prefer the grid (hex or square) myself because I need the visual (not just for measuring but for tactics and flanking purposes, mostly). Making "squares" the standard is much too constricting for core rules, however.