"Enlarging Game Boards." Topic

I want to enlarge a game board, so I can use miniature figures instead of counters. It is an area movement game. The mounted board is 2ft x 1ft/10in. I would like to enlarge it to 12ft x 6ft but I can make as small as 4ft x 6ft work. I have no idea if this is even possible or where to begin. Any suggestions?

Is the board game using hex or square spaces? I tend to use offset squares when making a larger version of the game for miniatures. Then measure the width of the space on your board. Make a note on that and then count the total number of spaces from left to right on one row, then count from top to bottom on a column. To double the size of the board, you then multiply the number of spaces across by the doubled number of the board to give you the new length and then do the same for the width, multiply the number of the row by the doubled number.

As an example. I wanted to make the board game Battle Cry into a larger miniature using game. The game uses hexes, so I use offset squares. There are a total of 13 spaces from left to right (length), 9 spaces from top to bottom (width) and the hex on the board is 2 inches. To find out what space I need on the table, 13 times 4" (doubling the size of a space) is 52" long by 9 times 4 equaling 36".

I hope that gives an idea of where to start. Feel free to PM and I can try to explain better.

Matthew

I think the big thing is not picking a final size, but picking an acceptable ratio.

For example, if the counters (pick a representative one) move 3" per turn and you want the minis to move 12" per turn, you are going to need a board about four times bigger in length and width. So, 8' x 7' in your example.

If the final size is too big, work the problem backwards. You can iterate back and forth on this.

I recommend skewing heavily toward the movement rules for the game you will be playing, as it is easier (less work and cognitive load) to scale the board, done once for the game, than to have to keep scaling movement during the game to fit the board. One solution to that problem is make custom rulers before the game, then just move in "units".

For physically scaling the board, I recommend dividing it into 3" squares (fourths along the short side) and replicating each one at the new scale progressing across the board. This is an ancient artists' approach that works really well. It lets you focus on making small areas look right while keeping the entire thing bounded.

If you have more info, I'd be happy to run some numbers for you.

Is the boardgame available in digital form (PDF)? If so, they you should be able to get your local printshop to print the map to your desired size.

I have done this, not 12' but 6', for convention games. Here are some thoughts:

You have two choices: scan-and-print or recreate. A lot depends on the board's artwork. If it's very detailed scan-and-print will be more faithful. If it's just spaces and shapes you can recreate it and do the job much cheaper.

Scan-and-print is what it says. Start by reviewing the print options in the size you want. There are banner printers, poster printers, websites that will let you print on fabric, etc. Figure out your final size and which print service you'll use.

Vis-a-vis final size, bigger is not necessarily better. It will be more impressive, but you'll have far few chances to use it. Also, too big and the minis are far apart, less dramatic, and it's harder for non-tall people to play the middle of the board, which is presumably where a lot of action takes place. Choose the final size based on the tables you'll be able to put it on (eg one or two folding table widths is probably the desirable width).

Get the very best scan you can, you're going to be blowing this way up.

Recreating is easier than it sounds, depending on the artwork. For example, for Awful Green Things From Outer Space I did a crude scan, imported that into the drawing software, traced just the floorpan outlines, and then printed just that (so only black ink necessary) onto various colors of paper. Cut those out, glue them to a backer board, done. Did not have to print all the vast areas of single color and it looks much better than printing a whole sheet of pink would have looked twenty years ago. I spent a lot of hours trying to scan, enlarge, and print some wargame counters only to discover that redrawing them at a larger size took very, very little time and produced a better result.

Experiment, you'll learn a lot. Share what you learn. Good luck!

It's the classic AH "Britannia" (1987). I thought it would be neat to enlarge the board and use 28mm miniatures instead of counters. I want to use 28mm ships in the bodies of water. I think it could be the bases for a campaign game. I was considering taking it to a local print shop which has a large format scanner and hopefully it would not pixelized, losing the details of the map.

I throught you had a board to reproduce. If you just want to have a map redone, take it into FedEx/Kinkos, tell them how big you want it and let them figure it out.

Well yeah, I want to reproduce the map and mount it in sections. An alternative is to just reproduce the map on something like vinyl and just roll it out. FedEx may not do it as they are hyper-sensitive about copyright. I would have to talk them into it (done this before). This edition of the game is out of print, the company that made it is gone, it is for my own use. This is fair use, nobody is paying me to use it, etc.