Air Units

[Elok]

I thought I am the only one who dislikes hexes.

There really isn't anything good about hexes. The bit about looking prettier is BS--it can't be that hard to randomize a coastline a little, soften the edges. And on one of the gaming sites, I forget which, they out-and-out lied by claiming that hexes make the game more exciting by allowing attacks from six directions instead of four. No, dammit, unless you outlaw diagonal attacks you're actually losing two directions, not only for combat but for movement, which seriously hampers realism. The devil take your hexes!

[Brael]

One good thing about hexes is when you move units to cover ground. If units move along the diagonal they cover 41.4% more area. With hexes every space is equal distance from every other space so that doesn't happen.

[DRoseDARs]

I've been silent about the hexes until now, but I agree with Elok. Gaining directions? What utter bull as he pointed out. Oh, and the question about whether or not you can cross a sea unit between two diagonally-linked land squares? Well gee, isn't that more of a graphical question? If the graphics indicate the land is solid, yet a sea unit can cross using not a city but an invisible canal, that's not a problem with the game but a problem with how the art directer decided to deal with two diagonally-connected land squares. Because really, in the real world there are no canals and islands only appear miles out at sea, not right next to the main landmass. And rivers are never navigable for anything larger than a dingy. [/sarcasm]

Insultingly stupid reasons to give for switching to hexes.

[DRoseDARs]

Brael, I'll grant you that point.

[Modo44]

I think reducing map distortion was the main point when introducing hexes. Good war games have had that for a long time. The other reasons do sound like marketing for the casual player, but that doesn't make the important one irrelevant.

[Hauldren Collider]

I mod (xml files only) Civ4 to increase my immersion in the game. I do that by maximizing reality, not to maximize 'gamey' elements. For instance, machine gun units not only have advantage over gunpowder units, but also cavalry (anyone remember their WW1 history?).

That's one of the reasons I play the mod mentioned in my sig (and then modify it even more).
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I do wish some teasers re air units would be released: then we could get back on topic.
75 days and counting!

So you have fringe tastes. Why not reward yourself. The cookies are in the cookie isle. But the question is, do you have a point? Most people play games because they're games, otherwise they wouldn't be games and wouldn't be called games so this is kind of tautological isn't it.

[Hauldren Collider]

There really isn't anything good about hexes. The bit about looking prettier is BS--it can't be that hard to randomize a coastline a little, soften the edges. And on one of the gaming sites, I forget which, they out-and-out lied by claiming that hexes make the game more exciting by allowing attacks from six directions instead of four. No, dammit, unless you outlaw diagonal attacks you're actually losing two directions, not only for combat but for movement, which seriously hampers realism. The devil take your hexes!

Planar graphs are good things about hexes. Do you really think that this is not an improvement?

There is no longer any distortion in move distances. Planar graph

[Elok]

One good thing about hexes is when you move units to cover ground. If units move along the diagonal they cover 41.4% more area. With hexes every space is equal distance from every other space so that doesn't happen.

So an abstract insistence on graphical perfectionism wins out over gameplay? With hexes you make it so units either can't move east and west or can't move north or south, depending how the hexes are oriented. Units wiggle across the map like caterpillars with ADD. That was the second most annoying thing about Panzer General.

[DRoseDARs]

Dare I ask what the first was?

[Elok]

The way you had to use a unit's moves all at once. You got the "strategic" choice of moving your tank two inches and staying safe or taking advantage of its full range, running headlong into a unit you couldn't see and getting into an unnecessary battle. Or you could have your "recon" units go in to scout; they were pretty much guaranteed to die in the unnecessary battle, but at least they were cheaper than tanks. I got disgusted very soon and went back to Civ.

[MxM]

One good thing about hexes is when you move units to cover ground. If units move along the diagonal they cover 41.4% more area.

I could never understand why is that a problem. Neither from gameplay point of view, nor with "realism" point of view. The movement in civ is unrealistic as a hell to begin with, so what if in one direction it is easier to move? In real life I too can move north/south much faster than NE or SW. Why? Because my house is near a main road that goes north to south. So what if some directions are easier to cover?

And just from aesthetic and even map realism point of view, squares are much better. Look at US map. Do you see hexes there?

[Modo44]

So an abstract insistence on graphical perfectionism wins out over gameplay?

Graph perfectionism. Different word. No map distortions means easier creation of scenarios/worlds, because you don't have to account for the weird shifts (perceived unit speed gained/lost depending on direction, and map accuracy if doing historical scenarios).

[DRoseDARs]

Well cIV tried that odd square-to-globe hybrid thingy. Perhaps in cVII they can go pure globe and avoid the sphere-to-plane distortions altogether. Latitudinal coord.s + longitudinal coord.s + distance movements could make things more realistic without being a pain.

[Jaybe]

Being 'hexed' by the change to hexes is needless, but yes it IS change from the familiar (for those not brought up on board wargames).

[Hauldren Collider]

Well cIV tried that odd square-to-globe hybrid thingy. Perhaps in cVII they can go pure globe and avoid the sphere-to-plane distortions altogether. Latitudinal coord.s + longitudinal coord.s + distance movements could make things more realistic without being a pain.

You need pentagons, which means pathing could find itself being even MORE retarded (hard to believe, I know.)