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Falconer Lieutenant JG
Joined: 11 Jan 2010 Posts: 47 Location: Northwest Indiana
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:49 pm Post subject: Mounted Maps |
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Am I correct in understanding that buying six Standard Mounted Map Panels is the same as buying the Deluxe Space Battle Maps, except that the latter additionally comes with two more panels with planets printed on them?
It’s confusing, because the item description of one ties it to Romulan Border, and the item description of the other ties it to Klingon Border. It makes it seem like they are different, but it’s not clear how.
Am I further correct in understanding that I would need six panels to make a complete map at “SFB scale”, and I would need a total of 24 panels to make a complete map at “FC scale”?
Thanks for the help. Regards. |
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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Lets see if I can help you out:
FC: Klingon Border comes with 6 of the mounted map panels - all of them blank (i.e., black, open space hexes with no terrain)
FC: Klingon Attack comes with two map panels, both with planets printed on them (one a one hex planet and one a three hex planet - IIRC. I'm at work and the maps are at home).
The Space Battles maps contains eight panels - six open space and two planet panels - i.e., FC:KB and FC:KA combined.
The confusion comes from a previous printing / die-cutting error with the original print run of FC:KB maps. Some of these map panels were miscut, leaving a grey line visible along the edge of the map panels. It didn't affect play, but it was somewhat distracting so I, and severla others simply colored the edge of the map).
The Deluxe Space Battle Maps package was filled using the FC:RB print run of open-space maps which are identical to the FC:KB open space maps, except they were cut properly.
As for number of panels needed - the panels have hexes in two scales. One side is the standard 5/8" hex familiar to SFB players. The other side consists of 1 1/4" "mega-hex" hexes.
The six map panels in FC:KB, when used on the 5/8 inch side form a 42x30 hex "standard" map. The 1 1/4" hex sides are (again, IIRC) 8 x 11 hexes. A standard layout of 6 of these gives you a playing surface approximately 16 hexes x 22 hexes. Most FC scenarios call for a 12 panel layout (3 high x 4 long). This gives you a playing surface of roughly 24 x 44 hexes, slightly smaller than the standard map size, but with the "leap-frog" abilities of the individual map panels, this is not a big issue.
I hope this helps clear up some of the confucion w/o generating even more confusion. _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Falconer Lieutenant JG
Joined: 11 Jan 2010 Posts: 47 Location: Northwest Indiana
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Yep, that makes sense. So RB and KB map panels are the same, at least in theory (ignoring the original bad KB run). |
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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Actually - they are the same now. The correct run of maps is what's now going in the products being sold.
At one time (and possibly still available) you could purchase the mis-cut/mis-printed panels for $1 each...
and ADB also uses them as stiffeners in some of the other "attack" packs.
I picked up a few off-cuts and received a few as stiffeners in shipments. I think by this point, between actual product purchases and "extra" panels - I have something like 50 to 60 of them.
I have a 10-foot by 4-foot table for gaming and I can cover the entire table in map panels and still have some left over. _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Falconer Lieutenant JG
Joined: 11 Jan 2010 Posts: 47 Location: Northwest Indiana
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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There are few things in life I love more than a good gaming table. |
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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My new one is an old conference table I stumbled across.
It needs to be stripped and refinished as it's been mistreated and the finsih is faded, but it's solid cherry (9'-10 x 4'2). It rests on two solid cherry endpieces with a cherry cross member to stiffen it.
I have no idea how much the whole thing weighs, but it took three burly guys to carry just the table top inside the house w/o dropping it on our toes. Assembled and sitting on the floor, I think four guys would have a hard time lifting it off the floor. But, that also makes it hard for the casual "bump" to dislocate pieces in play... _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Kang Fleet Captain
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 1976 Location: Devon, UK
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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And it also means it's harder for the missus to evict it.... _________________
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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Kang wrote: | And it also means it's harder for the missus to evict it.... |
Good point... but she wouldn't do that anyway.
See, I was extremely smart. I married a gamer! [Yes. Contrary to popular opinion, female gamers do exist - they are just exceedingly rare!]
Her first comment on seeing it was, "Wow! There's enough room there for all the players and there character sheets! No more side tables required when playing DND!" _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Steve Cole Site Admin
Joined: 11 Oct 2006 Posts: 3833
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Future headline: "The assassination would have succeeded except that somebody moved the briefcase bomb to the far side of the solid cherry table endpiece." _________________ The Guy Who Designed Fed Commander
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, Steve.
Now I have to buy a new monitor as the old one shorted out from the Diet Dr. Pepper I just spewed all over it. _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Falconer Lieutenant JG
Joined: 11 Jan 2010 Posts: 47 Location: Northwest Indiana
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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So, does anyone use these Deep Space Game Mats? If so, what is the way to go: one width-grain half-mat with 1.0" hexes, or two length-grain half-mats with 1.5" hexes, or other? What size are the bases of the stands for the Starline 2400 Miniatures (strange that that info is hard to find)? Sorry for the annoying questions, but I am new to this hobby. Any recommendations are welcome. |
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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I don't use that particular brand... but I do have two 4 foot by 8 foot space maps from Monday Knight Productions. One has 1 1/2" hexes, the other is hexless.
Prior to the release of Fed Comm... those mats were all we'd use and if I didn't have them, I would certainly purchase one of the Holtz Artworks mats.
Since Fed Comm came out, we use the larger hex map panels more often than anything else. I have a large roll of anti-skid, drawer liner that we roll onto the table top before the panels are set down. Then, they do not shift during play (unless we want them to...)
As for the Starline beases... they are 1 1/4", side to side - so 1" hexes will not work for them. It will work for the 1" counters (although it'll be tight when you have units in several adjacent hexes. I'd opt for the 1 1/2" hexes - just for the extra wiggle room it'll provide. _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Scoutdad Commodore
Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 4754 Location: Middle Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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Forgot to answer a question:
Width grain. My felt space mat is width grain...
The standard SFB / FC 42x30 hex map is a "width grain" map, so this type of Hotz Artworks mat will most easily allow you to convert the standard scenario set-up to your new mat.
Going with length grain doesn't preclude the standard Fed Comm scenario set-up, but since the hexes are aligned differntly - it might have an effect on how the scenarios play out. Perhaps only a small effect - but then again, it could be a large effect. YMMV. _________________ Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
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Falconer Lieutenant JG
Joined: 11 Jan 2010 Posts: 47 Location: Northwest Indiana
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Alright. Thanks again for all your help. So, based on the information here, if I were to go with a Hotz Artworks mat to create a standard FC map with hexes big enough to use miniatures, this is what I would need to buy:
It would come to $51.98 not counting shipping. Not bad, compared to getting 24 panels ($96.00). A shame I can’t just get one full-size width-grain mat (they seem to only come in length-grain). I guess I could contact them about a custom mat and thus get the exact number of hexes I need; it might actually be cheaper (a single full-size mat is usually $44.99 + $5.00 custom fee = $49.99).
Just musing aloud. Hope you don’t mind!
It says here: “You may order the Deep Space with stars, solar flares and nebula clouds, just stars and solar flare, just stars and nebula clouds, or just stars, or any other combination you feel you need -- there is no extra charge to for this sort of customization. The default Deep Space mat comes with stars, solar flare and nebulas clouds.” Do you think “just stars” would give it the most “TOS” look? Or some other combination? |
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Mike Fleet Captain
Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 1675 Location: South Carolina
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:15 am Post subject: |
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Solar flares? I'm wondering how big the pics of those stars would be? _________________ Mike
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Sandpaper gets the job done, but makes for a lot of friction. |
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