Re: Map Sizes

Status: RO

>Lately I have been thinking of some ideas for constructing scenarios.
>Before I go much further I wanted to decide on a play area.  How big is
the
>actual play area going to be.	Well my first response was, "whatever
the

Ya know, this is pretty funny. On my way home this evening I was
thinking
practically the same thing.

You readin' mah mind agin, bowah?

>standard size is."  The I took a closer look and found there was no
>"standard" or default size.  I thought, "wow this must be an oversite."
 If
>not I need to rectify this or I will not be able to sleep - and I do
like
>to sleep (the wife epsecially likes it if I snuggle).

I think the accepted size is 4'x6', or 4'x8'.

>Now please keep in mind I do not know the metric system very well,
unlike
>the rest of the world we in America still use an archaic system of
>measurement.  Why?  I think we are just plain stubborn is all.

Sadly, that sums it up pretty much. Was just talking with a friend of
mine earlier today who wants to get a rope for climbing. She knows feet
well enough, but she keeps finding rope measured in meters, and it
totally
bamboozled if she should get a 50m or 60m rope. <sigh>	She admitted to
me
in this conversation that she will only switch to metric when they drag
her
kicking and screaming, and only *after* they pull all her teeth.  <sigh>

>The standard map size I have come up with is a playing field 3'x 5'. 
Does
>that sound about right?  On the living room floor I have taped the
outline
>and then broken it down  further into 1'x 1' boxes.  What this does is
>allow for an easy point of refernce for saving a game.

I use a 4'x6' area if I can swing it, larger if I can do that. Otherwise
I
use whatever room my dinky and slightly cluttered (shut UP, Aaron!)
apartment
can handle (hallway, patio, living room area, laundry room next door,
etc).

>Using this system we number the boxes and desginate one of the short
sides
>at 12.
[...]
>Using this system you can keep track the exact location of your ships. 
For
>example: using the designation 5B-06x7.5@07 would put the ship on grid
>location 5B and using the second set of numbers as a grid location
would
>place the center of the ship at 6" down and 7.5" tot he right.  The
ships
>heading then would be 7.  Sounds hard but actually easy.

I can see that working out fine.

>Any other suggestions on the dafault size of a map?  What size do they
use
>at tournaments or conventions?

For tournies I have typically taken scenarios I've already run PBeM and
work an equivalent set-up from that. But that's me, and it's worked out
fine so far.  :-)

But for, say, publishing scenarios onto the list here (where my original
thought above was heading), without using a grid system...I dunno. I
think
I'd use a grid system and let those who want to play the scenario work
it
out from there. Since my typical grid is ~100x70, that covers a good
area.
:-)

Mk
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
If the conquest of a great peak brings moments of exultation and bliss,
which in the monotonous, materialistic existence of modern times nothing
else can approach, it also presents great dangers.  It is not the goal
of
*grand alpinisme* to face peril, but it is one of the tests one must 
undergo to deserve the joy of rising for an instant above the state of 
crawling grubs.
				       -Lionel Terray, 1965