LFT's new HASL map.

[Russ Isaia]

No, Russ, that brown feature is a Plowed Field. And that water in the SW corner is just a section of a river/canal.

Tom

Then mea culpa, an unfortunate choice of illustration. How about this?

 

[Tuomo]

Bad Art.

 

[Russ Isaia]

Bad Art.

Abstract Art.

 

[daniel zucker]

absurd art

 

[Xavier 658]

Hi Russ,

P.S. I am in awe of anyone with the technical skill, knowledge, and experience to produce work of this high quality. Thank you.

Have you ever drawn an ASL map? Or any other map that needs a hex grid to be applied on it?

Tom has done a great job with Inor's map, and if you don't like it, this is fine, there's no need for you to use it.

X

PS: welcome.

 

[jyoung]

Can't wait for it to turn up in my mailbox.
I hate waiting

 

[Russ Isaia]

Hi Russ,



Have you ever drawn an ASL map? Or any other map that needs a hex grid to be applied on it?

Tom has done a great job with Inor's map, and if you don't like it, this is fine, there's no need for you to use it.

X

PS: welcome.

As my post made clear (I thought), I have not made a game map of any sort. That should not bar me from having an opinion on what I like and don't like, however. I can't replicate the paintings of Picasso: that should not mean I can't opine that they suck (my apologies to any admirers of his work but I prefer more realism in my art).

As to boardgame mapmaking, it is inherently a compromise between realism and abstraction. Some degree of abstraction is imposed by the tools and technologies of graphics and display but these days, I believe, not much. In my opinion the natural terrain of this board, the elevation crest lines and woodland edges for example, is too abstracted: they regularly intersect the hexsides of their hexes at the same points. That gives a linear appearance to neighboring hexes. As God does not build in straight lines, that also gives the board an "unnatural" appearance that I don't like as much as I would something more natural.

I never let perfect become the enemy of good (or in this case, the very good). So, if I don't buy this product, it will not be for this reason. Just kidding, of course: as I'm a sucker for anything early war I'm in when it becomes available in the States.

P.S. I don't believe the hexagonal grid has not material effect on the VASL mapmaking process. It's a previously prepared graphics layer available for download to which one adds other handpainted layers of various terrain features, for example, layers of the roads, woods, hills and brush. I may not have done a map, but I have a general understanding of how it is done. And you can too: just download Ye Old Booke of VASL Mapmaking Secrets. Page 7 shows the layering involved.

 

[Maurizizio]

That should not bar me from having an opinion on what I like and don't like, however. I can't replicate the paintings of Picasso: that should not mean I can't opine that they suck (my apologies to any admirers of his work but I prefer more realism in my art).

Well, I think that having an opinion means "I don't like", while saying "it sucks" it is more an "insulting free statement" .... In my opinion

 

[Russ Isaia]

Well, I think that having an opinion means "I don't like", while saying "it sucks" it is more an "insulting free statement" .... In my opinion

Naw, a difference of degree only. "[Opining] that it sucks" just means that "I really really don't like it."

 

[lionelc62]

In fact, the map has been drawn from a 1950 map of the area (with some modifications to take into account the change since 1940). The hill reflects the elevations depicted on this map. We went on the battlefield with a copy of the first draft of the map and we found that it was pretty accurate (we changed 2-3 hexes following this visit).
And Tom did a great job to make it beautiful.


Regards
lionel

 

[Tooz]

This map will make for a good late war SASL CG too.

There have been some good scenarios designed on HASL maps that were outside the theaters of which the map was designed. This map could easily be used to depict terrain in many scenarios which feature hill assaults. You do not need to use the whole map. I'm thinking Italy, Tunisia, Balkans and Caucasus here.

 

[Brad M-V]

Naw, a difference of degree only. "[Opining] that it sucks" just means that "I really really don't like it."

By ignoring the word insult and it's fellow synonyms, it could really really free up the court system, too;

offend · give/cause offense to · affront · abuse · be rude to · call someone names · slight · disparage · discredit · libel · slander · malign · defame · denigrate · cast aspersions on · impugn · slur · revile · calumniate · hurt · hurt someone's feelings · mortify · humiliate · wound · snub · rebuff · spurn · shun · treat disrespectfully · ignore · cut dead · give someone the cold-shoulder · turn one's back on · bad-mouth · slag off · trash-talk · sledge · asperse · derogate · miscall · abusive · rude · vulgar · offensive · wounding · mortifying · humiliating · disparaging · belittle · derogatory · depreciating · deprecatory · disrespectful · denigrator · uncomplimentary · pejorative · vituperative · disdainful · derisive · scornful · contemptuous · defamatory · slanderous · libelous · scurrilous · blasphemous · discrediting · bitchy · catty · contumelious.

You might be onto something here... ;-)

 

[Robin Reeve]

Since the triangular buildings and 60° angled roads of Board 1 (simulating... Stalingrad!), I have accepted that the hexgrid imposed abstracted terrain - which is more perceptible at the low scale of SL/ASL.

 

[Russ Isaia]

Since the triangular buildings and 60° angled roads of Board 1 (simulating... Stalingrad!), I have accepted that the hexgrid imposed abstracted terrain - which is more perceptible at the low scale of SL/ASL.

I don't think the hexgrid has much to apologize for except hedges, walls and maybe cliffs (and then only because rules such as Wall Advantage, PBF vs. TPBF, no entry of enemy-occupied hexes), etc. might have a difficult time with hedges, walls or cliffs that were within a hex, rather than on its hexside(s)). Nor is any apology needed from anyone when regularized buildings, roads and other manmade terrain are employed: that is the way man builds, both on the ground and on a representation of the ground (i.e., a map). It's the natural terrain where the mapmaker has to be careful not to regularize the terrain too much or risk a less pleasing result. IMO of course.

BTW, sure wish we could have hedges interior to a hex. The Chateau on Board 6 never made sense to me without extensive formal gardens at least to the rear instead of those orchards (so plebeian!).

 

[Robin Reeve]

Board 6 is so wrong on many aspects.
The Chateau is about 200 meters wide, the gardens are huge (you have the impression that the 40 meters wide woods represent a tree each).
Only nostalgia (recalling the CoD famed scenarios) saves it.

 

[Russ Isaia]

Board 6 is so wrong on many aspects.
The Chateau is about 200 meters wide, the gardens are huge (you have the impression that the 40 meters wide woods represent a tree each).
Only nostalgia (recalling the CoD famed scenarios) saves it.

Not so. I am thinking more along the lines of the formal gardens seen in the rear of the great houses of Regency England, with manicured trees and hedges, fountains and statutory on acres of land. Forty meter wide regularly spaced copses of trees is not enough. But maybe that was not so much a Continental thing by 1940.

 

[Tuomo]

Board 6 never made sense to me without extensive formal gardens at least to the rear instead of those orchards (so plebeian!).

LFT's Warsaw map has a few of those, around the Palace. (Teaser!)

 

[Thunderchief]

Board 6 is so wrong on many aspects.
The Chateau is about 200 meters wide, the gardens are huge (you have the impression that the 40 meters wide woods represent a tree each).
Only nostalgia (recalling the CoD famed scenarios) saves it.

Good use of overlays helps the appearance/"realism" of bd6.

 

[Cpl Uhl]

In fact, the map has been drawn from a 1950 map of the area (with some modifications to take into account the change since 1940). The hill reflects the elevations depicted on this map. We went on the battlefield with a copy of the first draft of the map and we found that it was pretty accurate (we changed 2-3 hexes following this visit).
And Tom did a great job to make it beautiful.


Regards
lionel

Wait, did you say "we went on the battlefield"? Toktong is in N Korea. Do tell us about that visit please.

 

[TopT]

Wait, did you say "we went on the battlefield"? Toktong is in N Korea. Do tell us about that visit please.

Uhm..., they are talking about the France, May 1940 map (Inor, France)