Geoboards - ideas wanted

DWPetros

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I've been sketching several new geoboard ideas and am asking - what ideas do you think would add value to our current mix of boards?

I'd rather not get into the discussion of whether we need more boards - I've already concluded that we do and this post isn't designed to argue that point. Rather, the point of the post is that given that there can and should be new geoboards - what new boards would be good to have?

We can talk about style of board - regular 8.5 x 22, or Fort-style, or double-wide, or something other. Maybe new Korean theme, or Normandy.. or?
 

Gordon

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I've had an itch to design an old-world style walled city on a hill. With tall, thick walls, not normal walls which might need new rules. I've also thought about trying to do it as an overlay to repurpose the chateau or one of the airfield boards. Not sure how useful it would be for scenarios, but I always thought it would be cool.
 
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Justiciar

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Korea as you note. It needs terraced hill side rice paddies (which double as grain). It needs terraced hillside small village, with 'light' building look, but with many hedges in and about those in the Korean fashion. (These could be Fort style or not as you wish).

Another version of board 18, the rolling hill effect is certainly needed, and without a cross-cut gully.
 
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Mister T

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A port board, with docks, warehouses, railways, piers...

A board with a canal flowing with tree lines (orchards) along it and open fields on either side

A board looking like board FrFA because it's a pretty good one
 

Eagle4ty

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Mostly rural terrain with a hill(s) & a draw (perhaps with a stream running down it). Most draws represented on maps thus far are little more than fingers (40m wide & long) punctuated with a gully perhaps. Other ideas under represented are saddles and ridge lines (a series of saddles). Both of these types would work well for terrain found in Korea, South & Central Europe as well as SE Asia (EX: Burma, Indochina, New Guinea)
 

xenovin

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Russian steppe, none-flat desert, desert village, rubbled urban boards, maybe a factory or industrial area board, and a fortified wall board would be nice.
 

Michael Dorosh

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I've been sketching several new geoboard ideas and am asking - what ideas do you think would add value to our current mix of boards?

I'd rather not get into the discussion of whether we need more boards - I've already concluded that we do and this post isn't designed to argue that point. Rather, the point of the post is that given that there can and should be new geoboards - what new boards would be good to have?

We can talk about style of board - regular 8.5 x 22, or Fort-style, or double-wide, or something other. Maybe new Korean theme, or Normandy.. or?
Polder, as on the Elst map. This wasn't restricted to the Netherlands - the area around Carentan, for example, was laced with this kind of terrain. Could even possibly be useful for China, Korea, Pripet Marshes, etc.
 

Carln0130

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I've been sketching several new geoboard ideas and am asking - what ideas do you think would add value to our current mix of boards?

I'd rather not get into the discussion of whether we need more boards - I've already concluded that we do and this post isn't designed to argue that point. Rather, the point of the post is that given that there can and should be new geoboards - what new boards would be good to have?

We can talk about style of board - regular 8.5 x 22, or Fort-style, or double-wide, or something other. Maybe new Korean theme, or Normandy.. or?
Hi Don, When terrain combinations come up that are difficult to mirror on existing Geoboards, I ask one of the map gurus to crank up something to match the specific lay of the land. The results so far have been impressive and I think, easily reusable. I can't share any at this time, as they will be going into the next Nor'Easter Pack, which is likely not going to be out in time for this years tourney, but hopefully next. That said, they did look pretty.
 

von Marwitz

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A horseshoe-formed hill on a Fort board.

"Diagonal" hill-terrain and other "diagonal" terrain on Fort boards.

More Fort boards altogether.

von Marwitz
 

DWPetros

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Hey, thanks guys. Let me digest and respond as best as I can to these ideas. Really like some of these comments. Great ideas.
 

DWPetros

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I've had an itch to design an old-world style walled city on a hill. With tall, thick walls, not normal walls which might need new rules. I've also thought about trying to do it as an overlay to repurpose the chateau or one of the airfield boards. Not sure how useful it would be for scenarios, but I always thought it would be cool.
Yes, the idea of having large, high Wall artwork and rules is appealing. There were many such walls in Europe. This is one issue - preparing new terrain while staying within the normal rules. That seems to be a hangup, but we cannot put that upon MMP with new geoboards (HASLs - yes).

Overlay for Board 6 - always on my mind too. I have sketched below a 'sunken village' overlay for that purpose (doesn't even need to be sunken) - but provides a new generic village. Also, there can be lots of overlay ideas for the airfield board (B13?).

1547656049058.png
 

DWPetros

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Korea as you note. It needs terraced hill side rice paddies (which double as grain). It needs terraced hillside small village, with 'light' building look, but with many hedges in and about those in the Korean fashion. (These could be Fort style or not as you wish).

Another version of board 18, the rolling hill effect is certainly needed, and without a cross-cut gully.
Right, Korea. Terraces, rice paddies, broad flat farming/rural boards, crowded ramshackle villages with lots of stone walls and buildings and also lots of Hedges. All make sense. I've sketched a number of them.

Other versions of existing boards - right. I'll look at B18 and sketch something without the Gully.
Too many existing boards have too much terrain - not open enough and often have dominating terrain that only works in limited situations. One board that I think would be good to redo - B3. We've gotten too used to LOS on that board and could have one prepared that could use same scenarios (ie Rockets Red Glare) on new version of B3. Sketched one for that too.
 

DWPetros

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A port board, with docks, warehouses, railways, piers...

A board with a canal flowing with tree lines (orchards) along it and open fields on either side

A board looking like board FrFA because it's a pretty good one
I like the Port board - but what actions took place (St. Nazaire, yes, but others?) Have thought of it but wasn't sure there were enough battles. Railroad yards and RR stations - yes to that.
Canal board - again, can you give some historical battles where this happened? I don't doubt it, just am not familiar.
FrFA? Not sure what that is.
 

DWPetros

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Mostly rural terrain with a hill(s) & a draw (perhaps with a stream running down it). Most draws represented on maps thus far are little more than fingers (40m wide & long) punctuated with a gully perhaps. Other ideas under represented are saddles and ridge lines (a series of saddles). Both of these types would work well for terrain found in Korea, South & Central Europe as well as SE Asia (EX: Burma, Indochina, New Guinea)
Yes, Rural terrain, open, with hills and draws (ravines that are a few hexes wide - is that what you mean?), no buildings. This is a BIG area of omission by existing boards. We have already a lot of busy boards - and need plain, rural type boards that can go with all the busy boards. We also need more busy boards - but of other types.

Saddles - do you mean low terrain between ridges/hills? Ridges - yes, and I have made a few. They work everywhere like you say, and the differences would be shown in the fauna used (some open like Ukraine, some with dense fauna like in PTO - all needed).
 

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I like the Port board - but what actions took place (St. Nazaire, yes, but others?) Have thought of it but wasn't sure there were enough battles.
,

Dieppe?
Ouistreham?
Vaagso?

Although, I'm not sure as to how extensive the fighting was within the actual 'port' areas of these cities.
 

DWPetros

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Polder, as on the Elst map. This wasn't restricted to the Netherlands - the area around Carentan, for example, was laced with this kind of terrain. Could even possibly be useful for China, Korea, Pripet Marshes, etc.
Right, I think you mentioned this Polder idea sometime ago? I remembered it and have sketched a number of them. I had in mind 'The Crossroads' from BoB, which showed these raised roadways. Also, I've sketched the Causeway at Carentan (Fort-style board) that would be cool to have. I've basically kept the roadways at Level 0, but make the other terrain -1. Not sure this is the best solution. How would you sketch the Polder yourself?
 
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DWPetros

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,

Dieppe?
Ouistreham?
Vaagso?

Although, I'm not sure as to how extensive the fighting was within the actual 'port' areas of these cities.
And therein may lie the rub. If we don't have enough battles that designer guys would try to prepare scenarios for, then there is the risk of having the port board, but have it sit on the shelf because, though cool, wouldn't stimulate design. This is an issue. What do you think?
 
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DWPetros

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Hi Don, When terrain combinations come up that are difficult to mirror on existing Geoboards, I ask one of the map gurus to crank up something to match the specific lay of the land. The results so far have been impressive and I think, easily reusable. I can't share any at this time, as they will be going into the next Nor'Easter Pack, which is likely not going to be out in time for this years tourney, but hopefully next. That said, they did look pretty.
Hi Carl,
Yea, reusability. That seems to be the key. I try to think about making boards that can be used widely; some for all fronts (generic), some for limited fronts (Normandy, Russia, PTO, Italy, Korea). There are merits to both having more generic and specific boards - but they should all be useful for a wide variety of battles (some again within specific theaters). We don't have good Russian, enough Normandy, Korean, or PTO boards - but do have a lot of generic, too busy, inauthentic looking boards.
Look forward to seeing your releases. Can you give any hints about what they are?
 
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DWPetros

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A horseshoe-formed hill on a Fort board.

"Diagonal" hill-terrain and other "diagonal" terrain on Fort boards.

More Fort boards altogether.

von Marwitz
Fort boards - agreed. Not sure what you mean by diagonal - do you mean to run the terrain along the hexrow diagonally? Horseshoe shaped hills - yes, I have them and one for a fort board with an Italian village theme.
 

DWPetros

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Russian steppe, none-flat desert, desert village, rubbled urban boards, maybe a factory or industrial area board, and a fortified wall board would be nice.
Yes, open, flat, non-desert, that we can use for Russia. Have several sketched. Some with Balkas. Factory and industrial theme boards - yes on that too - agree we need them. As for Rubbling, while I like that, the only hesitation is that the Rubble is thereafter 'fixed'. It does add much to the visuals and there were lots of rubbled cities that would work. Would scenario designers in general want to see Rubble, Shellholes, etc.. fixed with art on the map?
 
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