Project Chthonic (New Heroquest-Based Board)

[knightkrawler]

On a side note, how awesome would doors be that are one piece with modular tile connectors?

[sorcerersapprentice]

If it isn't expensive to make, you can always make just a few to gauge interest and if it turns out there isn't much interest, you won't be out a whole lot. Hopefully there will be though.

Hello, I will definitely make some, just crunching the measurements atm.

[sorcerersapprentice]

There's also square size to consider. Several make their own board from the images so they can size the squares to their choosing. I generally do 3cm squares printed on vinyl. Super durable, easy storage and great price.

In my humble opinion, Teldurn was right when he recommended Heroic Maps, awhile ago. That's the perfect method, they churn out a ton of hi quality graphics maps, then you print it how you like.

You're right about that, HQ boards are 28 squares wide and 22 squares high. So the board is roughly 616mm (61cm) on the longest side or 24 inches.

Squares are approx 0.80 x 0.80 in (22mm) and they are a bit small. For instance, it is difficult to put two monsters side by side such as fimirs or gargoyles.
So immediately, and unfortunately the size required throws out the opportunity for a single piece template as my manufacturer does not supply that size.

However: a 3cm board measures roughly 840mm (84cm) on the longest side or 33 inches. I could do it but it would have to be on two separate 18" x 18" quad-fold boards.

These boards are square - meaning I would likely extend the measurements so the boards were symmetrical in row and column and measured 28 x 28, not 28 x 22, giving six additional rows of squares for more rooms and passages. (there's an exciting prospect...)

Or, if I keep it 28 x 22, With the excess 3 inches I could either make the board slightly larger (i.e. add two more rows), add a decorative pattern around the edge, or maybe some placeholder spaces for treasure cards, artifact, wandering monster cards.

[sorcerersapprentice]

What you could do with that size would be a labirynthine structure like a cave with hallways alternating between one and two squares wide. I would buy that if a square is at least 30 mm.

I think that could be worked in without too much problem given the extra space.

[sorcerersapprentice]

Or you just generate overlays.
An overlay that is covering an entire quarter of the Hero Quest Board: That leaves enough freedom to play with larger rooms, Hallways in odd places or odd sizes, labyrinth structures.
You can have some which would cover also the adjacent Hallways to allow for more design freedom, and some that leave the adjacent Hallways free.
And it allows for reuse with the original Board. You can sell it in two modes:
1. With rubber underside for shift-free modularity,
2. and as digital copy like Heroicmaps, as High Quality PDF: then everybody can print them fitting to their Board Size / Material.

The argument could go: "You can do that with modular single room tiles on the original Board, too".

Sure. But if you surpass a critical mass of modular cardboard tiles, at some time, it will start to shift around, losing coherency.

I recommend looking at the Forum Board/tile section, for "Prison Block"; that shows the principle pretty good.

Another Idea, if you want to go into production:

Modular Tile fixing door Counterbases. Some kind of clamp that would clamp modular tiles so they don't shift, but other than the plastic tiles you find everywhere, don't damage your cardboard because they'd have a soft inlay. They'd have a as-thin-as-possible underside so they don't lift the board too much, and a flat upper side that serves as base to place a door on it. With a door placed on top, they are more or less invisible.
I wouldn't do them, but if someone picks this idea, i'd spend some bucks on it. This my idea is under the lesser gnu license - you may reuse it to make money with it, but you're not allowed to reserve it for you alone.

Hello Anderas. I could do overlays but unfortunately as a start-up venture I can't supply rubber-undersides. And PDF's are on our horizon but are a while off yet.
As for clamps my friend, I recommend thin magnets under the board and creating a MDF or thin plywood base plate with matching magnets. this will hold the board in place indefinitely.

Well, lots to think about...

[knightkrawler]

Does your gameboard design include the possibility to be printed on both sides?

[sorcerersapprentice]

I wish it did but at this point in time, no I cannot print on both sides. However:

It will use two quad-boards measuring 18 x 18" each. HQ has 28 x 22 squares, so I can make and print tiles sized to 1.25" (31mm) and then make a board with tiles measuring 32mm - 33mm.

And I can supply tiles at this new size too.

18" = 45cm.
45cm / 3.3cm = 13.6. , so each quad board would have 13 squares - join them together to make 26 x 26 squares of 3.3cm each. This slightly changes the layout specifications but it offers more room. Just use half a board for smaller quests.

Also - I can make the rooms designs individually, and allow customers to choose where (and which) rooms and passages should go on a custom-printed board design.
I would simply make a template with the board blueprint and have cut & pasteable numbered room templates that can be placed on the blueprint and sent back to me to re-order the rooms and then print.

[sorcerersapprentice]

Ok, so here is what I'm going to go away and do.

Make two types of board with different square sizes.

1) First one, 'Gryphon'* will have two quad-folding boards of 18 x 18 squares measuring 1 x 1 inch (2.5cm) each, this is slightly larger than existing Heroquest squares by about 3mm.
The area of Dragon will be 18 x 36 squares giving a total of 648 squares compared to 616 in classic HQ.

2) Second one, "Dragon" will have three quad-folding boards of 13-14 squares measuring 1.25 x 1.25 (3.1cm) each. This is larger than existing Heroquest boards by about 12mm.
The area of Wyvern will be 14 x 42 squares giving a total of 588 squares compared to 616 in classic HQ.

So, I'll have to tweak that original floorplan and they'll look more like this:



Wish me luck & thank you everyone for your suggestions and input on the design.

*Just easier to give them names to tell em apart.

[cornixt]

Personally, I would have thought that a few room overlays would be better than a whole new board. a 4x8 (that covers two 4x4 rooms), 3x8 (that covers two 3x4 rooms), maybe a big 7x5 room, and maybe a couple that convert 3x4 rooms into two 3x2 rooms. Your biggest problem would be that everyone uses different scales.

I'm not in the market for anything though.

[sorcerersapprentice]

Chthonic board in development...