"Full Thrust - Hexed?" Topic

Writing in Miniature Wargames magazine, Phil Andrews explains his preference for playing Full Thrust with a hexgrid:

'There are no hexes in space,' I hear the rulers crew cry. Yeah, well I don't reckon I would hear the Enhanced AI Targeting Computer arguing over who was in arc or not, while dangling a clumsy arc template over the ship and knocking down the adjacent models, which is the non-hex option. The conversion is simply FT measurement units to hexes and FT2.5 fire arc are aldready 6-sided and so hex compatible. This change has massively speeded up the game….

Do you prefer FT hexed or unhexed?

I prefer hex/grid for games including FT. While it does not work well with FT I actually prefer a square grid for many games.

I like playing FT both ways, but I agree with Phil's assessment of the advantages of using hexes. It's particularly useful for larger engagements, when there's a lot of stuff on the board.

I should also add that a hexboard is *indispensable* if you're going to use the more realistic "vectored thrust" movement rules.

Why would I put a spell on a spaceship game?

Okay, in general I do favor gridded movement— like Allen57, I actually prefer squares to hexes— though for Full Thrust per se, as naturally I play G.O.B.S.!. But grids do speed up play immensely, which is why I like them. It's so much easier to count off both movement and range, and even tell at a glance what your situation is (which makes sense in a futuristic setting with advanced sensor tech). But I also see that grids of any sort can be visually unappealing, which is also why I wrote G.O.B.S.! to function well either way.

So I can see that FT would work fine with hexes— and had I a hex map, that would probably wind up being my default way to play— though I'd not say "no" to using a ruler if invited to play a grid-free game.

Any game that has arcs of fire or vision, I prefer to play on a grid. Hex or square. Its faster and heads off disputes, disagreements, and other head scratching that takes away from fun.

I used to be a 'there's no hexes in space!' partisan, until I started trying out Starmada, Voidstriker (one of my favorites), and Attack Vector Tactical.

That said, I have gotten into Firestorm Armada, but that's a compromise with 'what's played and sold in the local store' and 'the oldest son going crazy over the beautiful, huge ships'.

Love hexed full thrust: movement is fast, arcs and range are easy to establish.

The only downside with hexed games (this happens in Canvas Eagles) is that it become possible to sometimes "hide" in the hex grid by cagily slipping just in front and to one side of a ship behind you when the other fellow can only fire straight down a row of hexes. Not really an issue ins space with firing arcs.

I like open table, I got annoyed with hexes back when I found my renegade legion interceptor could be in range but unable to bring guns to bear due to the shape of the firing arcs and the limits of 60deg turns. With hex bases on the ships the turn/arc gauge isn't really needed anyhow.

Robert

MKP's Galactic Knights also plays well as a hex-based space game, being very similar to Mayday in its use of hexes to simplify vector movement.

I've grown towards hexes for pretty much everything, but I pretty much always preferred hexes for space games.

Doug

I've considered hexes for movement but ignoring the hexes and using rulers when firing. Anybody tried this?

I'm another free-space propnonent, but given the direction of *this*, looks like another change is in the offing. :(

CW: Never say die! Unless you've lost all but one of your dice. ;->=

Hex games are useful, quick, easy, artificial, forced, focused on hex counting…

Reason I gave up on SFB was damn counting and hex sides. The rules lawyering came later, and, maybe a bit, because of the grid.

Interestingly, I'd rather play groppos on grids.

Go figure.

Doug (The other)

Only jerks argue over whether things are in arc or not.
-Kle.

In my ill-spent past, therefore, I must have encountered a great many jerks…

I might have to haul out some hexboards and see if I get much of a sense of difference… Bound to trigger some nostalgic nonsense!

I think both have there place which is probably why there are folks on both sides. For me it depends on the setting and the players. If you are at a convention with stranges and a time limit for the table then hexs are the way to go I think, cuts down on arguments and speeds up play.
If you are in a friendly game, know the players and you want the extra "realism" of being able to make less then 60 degree turns, fire arcs etc, and that nice clean look on the table then leave the hex felts in the closet/box.
Turning/facing aids built onto the base stand can help but you still have the problems of figs getting knocked over or moved by rulers, clumsy fat fingers etc.

Travis

which issue has these rules mods for full thrust?
Thanks,
Gryffen

gamer1: Absolutely! One of the things, though only one, that I don't care for Starmada is that it seems hex-oriented. I gather folks do play on open star fields.

Note my 'Interestingly…' comment; I love Leading Edges' old Aliens board game, muchly from the grid play.

As an aside, I couldn't remember the proper term when I spoke of hex sides but meant 'shooting down the point of the hex'. Hex spine?

It's more precise than the arguing about which arc a ship is in, but the rules to determine which shield, or do you split the fire between shields as an opponent with whom I will never play again argued, causes me to cry 'my brain hurts'.

Doug

PS gamer1: You don't knock over figs, rulers or not? Bump coke onto counters? Lean over tables, brushing everything aside with jacket tails? Better man than I! ;->=

Beast,

Never said I didn't do it just that it happens. I am sure in my years of gaming I have committed about every offense know to the poor figs on the table.
That is why as I get older I like less and less counters and other extra markers on the table. That is probably why in my own house rules I am working on to support my line of figs I am treating missiles as direct fire weapons you can shot down, just to keep the zillion counters off the table that have to be moved every turn, keep track of how long they have been on the table etc.

Travis

Gryffen88, I think it was Raganrok issue 19 – There is another thread on this which it was mentioned on. And I probably own a copy….somewhere :)