Hexagon based tilesets available

[CapTVK]

This truly is a first in Civ gaming. Freeciv now supports hexagons!

http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~andrearo/isophex-screenshot.png

[CapTVK]

Here's the hex based tileset. Just download isophex.zip from the link below and unzip it in your Freeciv /data directory and start the client with the --tiles isophex option.


ftp://ftp.freeciv.org/freeciv/incoming/

[St Leo]

Looks very cool.

[maubp]

The screenshots do look good.

But is this actually "just" a clever isometric tileset that looks like hexagons?

i.e. From each tile can you still move in eight directions?

Or does freeciv actually support a hexagon based world - where you can only move in six directions?

[CapTVK]

Originally posted by maubp
The screenshots do look good.

But is this actually "just" a clever isometric tileset that looks like hexagons?

i.e. From each tile can you still move in eight directions?

Or does freeciv actually support a hexagon based world - where you can only move in six directions?

Just a clever isometric tileset after I properly tested it. When you move left or right you "jump" over the ne and se hex. If this actually cost two movement points it would be okay but it only costs one. So, no "true" hexagons for now...


Maybe a move penalty on horizontal turns (e.a straight left and right moves have movement penalty) would help?


Still, it's a nice proof of concept for the flexibility of Freeciv and I was surprised now natural the hex tile system looks in actual play. Better than isometric actually.

[St Leo]

I was surprised now natural the hex tile system looks in actual play. Better than isometric actually.

Haven't you ever tried Age of Wonders? Isometric hexes always look much better than isometric squares.

[CapTVK]

Age of Wonders, wasn't that some sort of fantasy strategy game? I wasn't aware that game used hexagons looking from the screenshots I saw.

I do hope we'll see more of this tileset in the future, a true hexagon based one would be something

[St Leo]

You haven't played it and you call yourself Dutch, eh?

Obviously hexagonal AoW2 screenshot
Pretty AoW2 screenshot

AoW1 screenshot

[WhiteBandit]

I guess I'm rather new at this, but what advantage do hex maps offer over squares? I unfortunately haven't played any of the strategy games (such as the war games around) that use hexagons.

[maubp]

Some people think hexagons look better.

Also,

In a hexagonal map system, from a given tile you can move into one of six neighbouring tiles. The distance to each tiles is the same - both visually and for game rules.

In a square based system like freeciv, from a given tile you can move into one of eight neighbouring tiles. However, on screen the distance to four of these tiles is "one unit", the distance to diagonal tiles is "1.4 units" (root two).

In freeciv, moving diagonally and moving in the cardinal directions has the same movement cost. I find this odd, and it is a problem that doesn't happen in a hex map.

i.e. In freeciv, according to the game rules, all eight moves are "one movement unit", even though visually they are different.

Note - Freeciv does not support a hex map (yet). In this clever tileset, you can move into six neighbouring cells, that appear to be a distance of one unit away. But you can still move "left" and "right" to a further two cells. On screen this distance is 1.73 (2 * Cos 30) units.

[Straybow]

Civ is the same, with diagonal movement costing the same as rectalinear movement. Distance formulas for trade etc count diagonals (left-right and up-down visually) as 1.5 instead of 1.4… Whatever, there would be no need for adjustments with hexes. How boring!

Bananex system would have the advantage of leaving the player as thoroughly confused as the AI.

Also, hexes would make 19 tiles within city radius instead of 21.
With bananex we could fit bunches of tiles more in the radius.

[civing]

Originally posted by maubp
i.e. From each tile can you still move in eight directions?

Or does freeciv actually support a hexagon based world - where you can only move in six directions?

Deciding which tiles are considered adjacent is done in software,
so to get intuitive movement (in six directions), someone
has to develop a separate game mode for it.
I don't know how to do that, I just had fun making a new tileset .

IMHO, with some practise (and using the mouse goto), movement is no problem.

[sabrewolf]

awsome... havn't seen hexagon tiles since one of my favourite classics: "history line 1914-1918"