Fria Ligans forum

Has anyone run combat using maps without hexes?

I'm not a fan of hex-based combat as it is too subjective so I plan to use the alternative suggestion on p54 of the Player's Manual "Maps without Hexes". This will allow me to set up 2m square maps on Roll20 and so allow the players to make more use of specific cover (e.g. a particular tree or the corner of a building) rather than the more generalised version that happens with hexes.

Has anyone tried this approach before and have you encountered any issues with it?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

I have, for very large scale fights where frankly hexes became a visual/technical hurdle. But that's my solution to an almost opposite problem: hexes being very literal when in fact the world at that scale is full of quite a lot of detail not represented on a map (what you could call, I guess, "subjective").

It would work easily. I am a baffled by the design decision not to put everything in metres and then just use the hex map as a handy aid - I would think it’s easier to do that vs the other way round where everything has to be forced onto a hex

Hexes really are faster. But as we've been discussing in the travel thread, there are some downsides when it comes to fidelity. Personally it bothers me a lot more there than in combat.

I have, for very large scale fights where frankly hexes became a visual/technical hurdle. But that's my solution to an almost opposite problem: hexes being very literal when in fact the world at that scale is full of quite a lot of detail not represented on a map (what you could call, I guess, "subjective").

I think that at that point where range is extremely long then I would just switch to theatre of the mind. The function of a battle map (in my mind) is to help with player immersion where they are trying to make use of the terrain. If that becomes irrelevant because of range then I'd just abandon using a battle map for that encounter.

Hexes really are faster. But as we've been discussing in the travel thread, there are some downsides when it comes to fidelity. Personally it bothers me a lot more there than in combat.

I haven't read that thread yet but I will do so. Thanks for the insight.

I'm running this online in Foundry so I am sticking to the hexes. I think if I was running it on the tabletop I would do it hexless with miniatures and a tape measure!

I like your idea of 2m squares though. I may have a play with my maps and see how it feels.