Terrain Percentages

[Mr. Average]

Here’s an interesting question: for a basic build, what rule of thumb would you follow for obstructed versus open terrain?

I’m working on a special project with hex tiles and I’m wondering how to allocate the hexes between clear, rough, elevated and forested terrain.  Since I have 20 hexes to start with, each hex would be 5%.  Any thoughts?

[Spurious]

Really depends on the locality you’re trying to cover, and the kind of warfare you’re gaming. And the scale of battle. Larger scale battles covering more area leading to generally more elevation changes than something platoon based (typically).

But as a really general rule, a minimum of 25% cover, at least 1 road across the board at some point as mandatory for a battle anywhere civilised, even if it’s just a dirt track up to a house.

[grizzlymc]

Google Earth is your freind.

[Norm S]

I worked on a system and produced 4 scenarios that were well tested and worked for a hex table. They generally included a small town or village type representation that would be set over one to three hexes, plus surrounding farmland and woods etc – it seemed to work fine and looked right to the eye, giving a good balance between being exposed and getting cover. The gaming period was East Front 1943 – 44.

Of the 4 serious scenarios (i.e. not the introductory ones) the following number of game tiles were used, they include buildings, fields, orchards and woods etc.

A 48 hex table set up as 8 hexes wide by 6 deep. Game 1 had 16 tiles showing terrain, Game 2 had 15, game 3 had 17. In the fourth game, the table is increased to a 10 wide by 7 hex deep board  (70 hex cells) and that had 25 terrain tiles added.

I’m no good at the maths thing, but I think that gives a terrain density of somewhere around 30 to 37% coverage, so say a third of the table was cover of one sort or another.

[Mr. Average]

Good advice, thanks! The setting is a sci fi planet that’s relatively undeveloped so I might go as high as 60% obstructed – possibly 20% terrain features, 25% growies, 5% settlement and 10% “other.”

[Author]

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