[8.2] Tactical Gaming
[8.2.1]
Not only is the scale variable, but so is the actual measurement of a grid
square. 1/5"
graph paper can cover a lot of ground, but the markers for characters and
vehicles will be very small, easy to lose and misplace.
1/4" squares
are better, but still suffers from the same problems. A
1/2" grid
size is often easier to handle. The markers, being larger, can be indicated
with more detailed images or text to differentiate them. The only drawback to
such a large grid size is how few 10m squares will fit on a map. A standard
8½"x11" piece of paper will only have a 17 by 22 square grid, or 170 by
220 meters. If you know that the action will range over a large area, you can
choose a large grid size in conjunction with a large map, a small grid with
a smaller map, or a more suitable scale.
[8.2.2] When dealing with varying scales, it's
important to remember their affects on movement and acceleration. How many
10 meter-scale grid squares can a character who runs 16 meters per turn
traverse? The general rule of thumb is to round to the nearest whole number,
so in the above example, the person would move 2 squares per turn. Movement
speeds should never be rounded to down to zero for slow moving units in a large
scale. At the very least, have the unit move 1 square every 2 or 3 combat
turns. If traveling in a diagonal direction, have each diagonal square count
as one-and-a-half (1.5) times the grid scale. (The real number is 1.414 times
the grid scale, but for simplicity, use 1.5.)
