This past year I finally started working on modular terrain. My terrain is adapted to the rulesets I’m working on and playtesting. This means the terrain is entirely adapted for using area movement rather than measuring tapes. Area movement involves counting areas the figure moves through rather than inches or centimeters. As long as players agree on how terrain features delimit areas it is difficult to disagree on how figures are moved. Smaller areas imply more difficult terrain.
In addition to counting areas, certain terrain features add additional counts. A large hedge, for instance, costs an additional movement point to cross. In this way obstacles cost more to move through.
The foundation of the terrain is a large board that I have painted to look like water of varying depth. Certainly a lot more I would like to do with the paintjob to smooth it out more, but for now it is fine. The other side is a flat field consisting of fake fur cut to varying lengths and painted to divide it into areas. The centre part is more broken terrain.
On top of the foundation can be placed two large hill like terrain pieces. These can be placed in the edges or joined back to back. I also have five smaller terrain pieces that can be combined in different ways. Considering refining their shapes a bit more to get more sides that slope more natural towards ground level. These are particularly suited for placing houses on.
As you can see below I also have a GW hillside that can serve as an island. Not perfectly adapted to area movement though.
In total I get modular terrain that allows play on several levels. Next on my list is making a couple of bridges that allow more movement between features. After that I return to my long running project of making buildings. And far into the future some boats in order to make the most of the water side.
Will try to get some better pics with figures on for my next post.
Tell me what you think!