Hexoica: microfig-scale, hexagonal grid based, tactical, modular dungeon map system constructible exclusively with Heroica and Magikus parts

#hexoica #lego #gryplanszowe #grybezpradu #bitewniaki #gamedev #rpg #dnd

Czesc hejtorki, mam do Was taka sprawe: tworze sobie jako hobby projekt system modularnych dungeonow zbudowanych z LEGO do taktycznych tabletopow. Chce opublikowac swoje dzielo na reddicie i pisze sobie "pitch", ale nie jestem pewien czy wszystko dobrze opisalem, a chcialbym antycypowac wszelkie pytania zeby zrobic dobre pierwsze wrazenie. Moze chcielibyscie rzucic okiem i wyrazic swoje zdanie na ten temat? Wiecie jak to jest, potrzebuje swiezego spojrzenia, bo dla mnie jako autora wszystko jest oczywiste. Bardzo byłbym wdzieczny za jakikolwiek feedback (im bardziej konstruktywny, obszerny i negatywny, tym lepiej), nawet jak się nie uda przebranąć przez ścianę tekstu, to zostawcie kilka słów w komentarzu.

Features:

microfig-scale:

• fully brick-built tactical map at reasonable cost
  
• compact size won't put areas out of player's arm's reach
  
• easy to store away, designed to preserve the game progress
  

hexagonal grid based:

• tactical grid built by staggering 2x2 jumper tiles
  
• six cardinal directions correspond nicely to six sides of dice, allowing for e.g. random NPC movement (see Rose of Winds extra accessory)
  
• alternating tiles colours help with following six cardinal directions
  

tactical:

• wall modules limiting traversability and seethruability: solid walls, barred walls, openable doors, arrowslit windows
  
• NPC microfigures of the same type have colourful caps on top made from 1x1 round plates to differentiate between particular units (same colours are used in initiative tracker tokens and character sheets extra accessories)
  

modular:

• dungeon room walls form hexagonal grid four times bigger than tactical grid
  
• wall modules don't break the flow of tactical grid: adjacent tiles get scuttled into 1x2 size without compromising utility
  
• build modules once, easily arrange various dungeon maps from modules
  
• append prebuilt new areas of dungeon as players explore it
  
• infinite rolling dungeon: build new areas from already explored modules
  

constructible exclusively with Heroica and Magikus parts:

• easy to get for cheap second hand, complete sets (LEGO board games have recloseable, sturdy boxes and usually don't get mixed into tubs of bricks as it defeats chances of playing the game again)
  
• Heroica sets provide lots of 2x2 jumper tiles and Magikus 1x2 jumper tiles that are used for floor construction
  
• no need for multiple BrickLink orders for particular parts
  

Map construction :

floor modules:

• main floor module: 6x6 plate covered with 7 tiles
  
• longitudinal joint floor module: 6x2 plate covered with 5 tiles that joins two main modules longitudinally
  
• lateral joint floor module: 2x2 plates connecting tiles that fill a gap between also staggered rows of main floor modules
  
• modules get connected together by putting them on top of 6x6 (in the middle) and 4x4 (at the edges) plates
  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CXmdl1BB4s
wall modules:

• occupy joint floor modules, replacing 2x2 jumper tiles shared with main floor module with 2x1 jumper tiles
  
• 3-4-5 Pitagorean triangle: centres of a pair of tiles with distance of two fields between them in diagonal direction are exactly 5 studs apart, so they can be connected with a 6 studs long brick
  

two semi-compatible sizes:

• 1 in diameter columns and 4-wide walls:
  
• solid wall
  
• open-able door
  
• shoot- and see-through barred wall
  
• 2 in diameter columns and 3-wide walls:
  
• solid wall
  
• shoot- and see-through arrow-slit window
  

Tacticoica - DM-configurable tactical tabletop system using Hexoica dungeon system, utilising leftover parts from map construction

Exemplary dungeon:

• abandoned gold mine fortified with gatehouse
  
• overridden by orcs, turned into grotto fortress
  
• hiding bloody shrine in its depths
  
• constructed with 2x Fortaan, 2x Ilrion, Nathuz, Waldurk and 4x Magikus (map and all accesories utilize >75% of bricks) - you can build something interesting with less, but that's the number of parts that lets the system spread its wings and build the extra accessories
  
• all microfigures are placed on the map at once for demonstrational purposes
  

Extra accessories:

Initiative tracker:

• uses 1x4 bricks with channels for sliding elements
  
• 4 "turn shelves" slide inside the base, first shelf is easily removable upwards
  
• character tokens are put on 1x2 jumper tiles and slid inside turn shelves
  
• depending on the result of the Heroica dice roll, the character's token gets slid at the open end of the appropriate turn shelf
  
• when first turn shelf is empty, it gets removed, all shelves slide forward, empty shelf gets slid in at the end
  
• it has the capacity of 48 units, but first shelf needs to eventually get emptied out, and the rest need some wiggling room, so practical capacity is <30
  

Heroica dice: you can reconfigure some of 6 dice so they would have different random distribution
Character sheets:

• one sheet for every type of character
  
• particular units of the same type are colour coded just like in the tactical map and initiative tracker
  
• red cone is worth 1 HP, gold cone is worth 3 HP
  
• HP stacks hold weapon equipped by the unit
  
• player character specific skill charges are marked by unique parts
  

Rose of winds:

• shows colour coding for cardinal directions
  
• 6-colour Magikus dice lets randomly pick ordinal direction for random movement and directional effects
  
• rotating dial at the centre indicates time of day changing every turn
  

Companion app (WIP):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzHW9AXHb9E

• Dungeon Designer mode: helps arrange dungeon map out of modules (only already implemented feature)
  
• Automated Dungeon Master mode: app takes care of tracing stats, initiative, managing NPC's behaviour, only tactical map stays physical and players input their movements to the app before mirroring them IRL
  
• Automated Play Tester mode: app plays through user-designed dungeon to evaluate its difficulty
  
• Fully virtual mode: learn the rules and master your skills by clearing procedurally generated dungeons without any physical component
  
• loading stud.io files with custom map module types, brick built game configurations like character templates with customisable stats, skills, NPC's behaviours etc.
  

Expandability:

• bricks you already have may be used for decorating and expanding the map and adding brick-built microfigs, new features to the map and character sheets etc.
  
• minifigures may be used as avatars for microfig characters and placed on character sheets, indicating equipped items, statuses, stances etc.
  
• other LEGO board games may add bigger variety of microfigures and tactical tiles, also in non medieval fantasy settings