Hi, In a game I''m working on I want to have multiple units in a single hex. At this time up to 8 units. I''m looking fo Ideas about how to show multiple units in a single hex when the units take up most of the hex. One idea is to have is to have a generic unit icon with the number of units in that hex displayed on that icon and if only a single unit is in the hex show the icon for that unit. if you select the hex with multiple units, then they would show up in a window for selection and identification. any ideas would be nice. Thanks

First just consider why the player would do this.

Well, then you _might_ remember a big scene from Top Gun. There was one part where one(?) Soviet MIG was on the radar. Then, two appeared at the same position. Then 3. Then 4. Then 5. 5 Soviet MIGS were flying above and below each other at the same coordinates, the same speeds. That''s why the radar tracked only one.

Well that''s when you might decide that game units can be on the same space, but you must also decide that this is a matter of choice, not force. If the player moves a piece from point A to point B, and point B has other units on it, you would have a popup asking if he really wants to put the unit there. If he doesn''t, well there ya go. If he does, then yeah he''d be added to the list of units there.

Of course the method you talked about would work. It''s been used in Advanced Strategic Command, in Final Fantasy VII (the "Fort Condor" minigame), and even in Final Fantasy Tactics. It works for turn-based and real-time games, strategy and role-playing, so long as it doesn''t slow the game down (which it probably wouldn''t).

Ya know, for some reason, I now feel like a real-time strategy game with hexagonal spaces. Sounds good.

Hex boards are cool. The worst part though is converting mouse clicks to tile positions!!

quote: Original post by alchemar
In a game I''m working on I want to have multiple units in a single hex. At this time up to 8 units. I''m looking fo Ideas about how to show multiple units in a single hex when the units take up most of the hex. One idea is to have is to have a generic unit icon with the number of units in that hex displayed on that icon and if only a single unit is in the hex show the icon for that unit. if you select the hex with multiple units, then they would show up in a window for selection and identification. any ideas would be nice.

You could do it like the old Avalon Hill games. The pieces were squares with a silhouette of the unit and some stats on the corners. If you stack units onto the same hex, you''ll only see the top one of course.

You could offer an isometric view of the hex map, simulating little cardboard pieces stacked onto the hex spaces. Clicking on a stack could display each unit in a sidebar or pop-up or something.