After uploading the recent blog post that outlined Maudlin Jack Tar's ideas for developing the Hare & Hounds board, I have spent some time thinking about ways in which I could take them forward.
My first thoughts were to create a simple spreadsheet that would randomly determine which small squares in each of the larger squares would contain hills, woods, impassable hills, and built-up areas. I created a simple Excel spreadsheet that looked like this:
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
I then typed the following instruction in each of the cells:
RANDOMBETWEEN(0,9)
This generated a random number between 0 and 9 in each cell, thus:
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
Using Maudlin Jack Tar's terrain matrix ...
... and the simple rules that:
- Hills are randomly placed first.
- Woods are then randomly placed. (N.B. any wood that is allocated to the same small square in one of the larger squares as a hill negates the placing of both types of terrain in that small square.)
- Hills are then determined to be passable or impassable. This is done using random numbers greater than 5 (i.e. 6 or greater) = impassable hill.
- Built-up areas are then randomly placed in large squares that do not already contain a city or town. (N.B. Any built-up area that is allocated to a small square that already contains a hill or wood is ignored and not placed on the board.)
The resulting version of the Hare & Hounds board looked like this:
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
I then removed any of the connectors between large squares that terminated in a small square that contained an impassable hill. (There were actually only two.) The resulting Hare & Hounds board looked like this:
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
The left-hand country looks like this ...
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
...and the right-hand country looks like this:
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
As more time become available over the next few days, I hope to look at further ways in which this concept could be developed.
This system has produced a nice map Bob. I used the same function as you to generate the random scenery; another option in MS Excel is Conditional Formatting which works well too. Hopefully later this month I might even get time to start my Mini Campaign...
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteUsing the random number generator saved me a lot of time, and the joy is that each time you refresh it, it produces another completely random set of terrain on the mini-campaign board. What’s not to like?
I would love to be able to create a program that automatically produces and saves randomly created mini-campaign H&H boards … but that is currently beyond my rather rusty computing skills.
I look forward to seeing the battle reports as your mini-campaign takes place.
All the best,
Bob
I like the idea of no road connection into a hill square.
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteIt adds a little bit more randomness to the end result and means that both sides can’t just move from one large square to another without any constraints on their movement.
All the best,
Bob
That's a fine campaign map right there, Bob! If no one else plans on using it, I'd be tempted to give it a go myself.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeletePlease feel free to use it.
All the best,
Bob
Excellently presented, Bob. This idea is growing nicely ✔️✔️✔️
ReplyDeleteMartin S.,
DeleteIt does seem to be coming together quite nicely and I can see it featuring in the next OW Compendium.
All the best,
Bob