Yep, this is the technique that I use for lots of other games. For big numbered maps and long distances, you can use the hex numbers and avoid counting. If the hexes are AABB and XXYY, take the larger of AA and XX, and subtract the smaller. That's the distance between the hex columns. Then take the larger of BB and YY, and subtract the smaller. That's the "row" distance. As an example, the range from 0517 to 2705 is: 27-05=22 17-05=12 22+12=34 If it seems complicated, try it three times. You'll hit the "Ooohhhhhhhh" point and it'll seem simple. (This can be off by one if you're counting from an odd numbered to even numbered--or the reverse--but you can double-check if the range is right at a breakpoint where it matters.)
My first thought was "what about the Pythagorean Theorem," except that the axes for BT hexes are at 60 degrees, not 90, so Pythagoras doesn't apply. Good idea, I'll have to try it myself now.
This math isn't working for me, it goes higher than the actual distance. Using your method for example 0703 -> 1407 Higher subtracts so 14 - 7 = 7 7 - 3 = 4 4 + 7 = 11 But the actual distance between the two is 8 hexes.
@@joshuaturnquist5538 Yeah, you're right. You actually need to trace along the "row" of hexes from the starting hex to the column containing the ending hex. Then you use the last two digits of the "intersection" hex. When I say "hex row," I mean that there's a straight line that connects all of the hex centers, not that it's directly "East to West" on the map. You'll be angling toward the target hex, but usually not on a direct line for it. Was that as clear as mud?
@@joshuaturnquist5538 0315 & 1109 are the two hexes in this example. So you take the first 2 sets of numbers and the 2nd sets of numbers to work with. 11-03 = 8 15-09=6 6+8=14
Thanks for making this video. It was a good tip! Curious to know what other things you've picked up as I've playing Battletech regularly less than a year ago.
Thanks for the comment! I’ve got a couple of other videos in a playlist. Other than that, I’m honestly sort of out of ideas when it comes to videos like these. Will be playing a bunch of BT in the upcoming weeks so maybe I’ll come up with more stuff. I’ve also only been playing BT for just over half a year, and your videos have been a great companion on the journey thus far!
@@almostgoodvariant Yeah, I started playing and studying seriously only about 8 months ago. It's been pretty fun so far. Glad you enjoy the videos! Do you play on Tabletop Sim or Megmek at all?
@@nerdyOveranalyzed I did download MegaMek alongside MekLab but have yet to dive in. Maybe some day, if the interface isn’t too difficult to grok if you already play BattleTech.
A straight line between 2 hexes is just for LOS. Rules said something like range is counted using the shortest path, and going along these hex lines is the shortest path.
That’s the thing, due to having little experience with hex-based games, I hadn’t realized all three routes are the exact same length until I saw it being done by a veteran player.
@@almostgoodvariant You start to ask these questions too when you need to determine the reach and shape of an ECM bubble around a mech. This is how I ended up seeing the need of a simplified pattern.
Great advice, I think what I'm going to do is to find a custom scale ruler so that a measurement unit is 1.25 " . Just place the ruler in the same fashion you measured the distance in straight lines to easily measure that.
Wow! Awesome tip, THANK YOU so much for sharing this. This will be super handy for us, especially since we use 3d terrain, and sometimes it's hard to count the hexes through a big piece of terrain. This is the perfect solution.👌
Holy Smoke! Thank you! This tip is gold! Loved your Alpha Strike on Hex map video as well. That's how I play for a couple of reasons, but I like to feel that those reasons are justifiable lol. I hope more players give it a try. I think it adds a lot more enjoyment to the game.
Glad it’s of help! And yeah, it does bring a different feel to the game, and to me it just is a better game on hexmaps. Not everyone feels that way and that’s totally fine, of course. I also feel like barely anyone talks about playing Alpha Strike on hexmaps. It’s a very sidenote sort of thing in the rulebook and needs some additions and clarifications, clearly thrown in like ”by the way you can totally play AS on hexmaps if you want to I dunno”
Yup. I don't count ranges to individual targets. Instead I figure out the range brackets along a straight line and then easily visualize which targets are inside it.
A useful trick that my friends and I liked to use when we played Classic BattleTech was to use a tape measure and measure from the center of the firing standee to the center of the target, then divide by 1.25 (the width of a standard hex in inches) for the actual range. Quick, but highly effective with a pocket calculator. Better still, by looking along the line of the tape measure, we could see if LOS was blocked by terrain easily because the tape measure gave a straight line across obstacles.
@@almostgoodvariant Thanks! I got sick of having to count hexes and figure out LOS, so I just decided there had to be a better way and tried using a tape measure. It worked amazingly well, so I kept using that method for as long as I played BT. If and when I can get back into playing, I plan to use the tape measure method once again, because it works and it quickly settles issues of whether or not a given unit has LOS on another.
@@kitirena_koneko Unfortunately, using a tape measure for range means that ranges and movement distances different. Hex maps are non-Cartesian coordinates. If you're going to use a tape measure, go all-out and use the hexless miniatures system.
@@ethanmckinney203 That's why I mentioned the calculator--each BT hex is 1.25 inches (1 1/4"), or 3.175 cm (32 mm if you round up slightly), which is why you need a calculator to convert inches/cm to hexes--although I agree that you could just dispense with the hex maps and use the miniatures rules like you said. It's just that when I was playing BT, all we had were the hex maps and cardboard standees, and I got sick of having to count hexes all the time. One thing I had considered was using colored ribbons marked with small flags at specific hex intervals and color coded for different weapon systems by maximum range: 7/14/21 hexes in red, 5/10/15 in green, 1/2/3 in purple, etc., but I never got around to trying that idea before my gaming group broke up.
I wonder if there's a mathematical formula to use the hex grid number to find the distance from any two objects. That would be a handy little app to have.
That would be pretty neat. Multiple hex maps could make it more difficult, though. Unless you’d be able to specify how exactly the hex maps are laid out or something.
It’s Forward Base from the Grasslands map pack. And thanks! Just trying to put some information out there that I feel like is missing on UA-cam/online.
Mind blown.
Ha! I’m sure some of this stuff is obvious to some people but it sure wasn’t for me when I started.
You don't know how many times I've recounted a snake from mech to mech hoping maybe this route has one less hex....
I came back to this video like 8 months later to say, thank you! This tip helped our group a lot.
Omg, i have just started my adventure with Battletech and the biggest issue i had was how to count hexes. Very helpful tip, thank you so much♥
Yep, this is the technique that I use for lots of other games.
For big numbered maps and long distances, you can use the hex numbers and avoid counting. If the hexes are AABB and XXYY, take the larger of AA and XX, and subtract the smaller. That's the distance between the hex columns. Then take the larger of BB and YY, and subtract the smaller. That's the "row" distance.
As an example, the range from 0517 to 2705 is:
27-05=22
17-05=12
22+12=34
If it seems complicated, try it three times. You'll hit the "Ooohhhhhhhh" point and it'll seem simple.
(This can be off by one if you're counting from an odd numbered to even numbered--or the reverse--but you can double-check if the range is right at a breakpoint where it matters.)
My first thought was "what about the Pythagorean Theorem," except that the axes for BT hexes are at 60 degrees, not 90, so Pythagoras doesn't apply. Good idea, I'll have to try it myself now.
This math isn't working for me, it goes higher than the actual distance. Using your method for example 0703 -> 1407
Higher subtracts so
14 - 7 = 7
7 - 3 = 4
4 + 7 = 11
But the actual distance between the two is 8 hexes.
@@joshuaturnquist5538 Yeah, you're right. You actually need to trace along the "row" of hexes from the starting hex to the column containing the ending hex. Then you use the last two digits of the "intersection" hex.
When I say "hex row," I mean that there's a straight line that connects all of the hex centers, not that it's directly "East to West" on the map. You'll be angling toward the target hex, but usually not on a direct line for it.
Was that as clear as mud?
@@joshuaturnquist5538 0315 & 1109 are the two hexes in this example. So you take the first 2 sets of numbers and the 2nd sets of numbers to work with.
11-03 = 8
15-09=6
6+8=14
@@JustinKase1969 The hexes are 0315 and 1105
Thanks for making this video. It was a good tip!
Curious to know what other things you've picked up as I've playing Battletech regularly less than a year ago.
Thanks for the comment! I’ve got a couple of other videos in a playlist. Other than that, I’m honestly sort of out of ideas when it comes to videos like these. Will be playing a bunch of BT in the upcoming weeks so maybe I’ll come up with more stuff.
I’ve also only been playing BT for just over half a year, and your videos have been a great companion on the journey thus far!
@@almostgoodvariant Yeah, I started playing and studying seriously only about 8 months ago. It's been pretty fun so far.
Glad you enjoy the videos! Do you play on Tabletop Sim or Megmek at all?
@@nerdyOveranalyzed I did download MegaMek alongside MekLab but have yet to dive in. Maybe some day, if the interface isn’t too difficult to grok if you already play BattleTech.
And yet you put out some outstanding strategy & tactics videos! We should always be learning more, & just need to keep our egos in check.
@@almostgoodvariant Yeah I'm down if you wanna. Sorry I missed this.
I just swore when you showed that. Brilliant tip and something I've been struggling with. Thank you for sharing it. Great tip
Great tip. Thank you!
You just changed my entire life
You just blew my mind
Thank you very much for figuring this out so i didn’t have to! ❤
I am simply standing on the shoulders of (German) giants
Boom, no more counting 2-3 times. This is fantastic!
A straight line between 2 hexes is just for LOS.
Rules said something like range is counted using the shortest path, and going along these hex lines is the shortest path.
That’s the thing, due to having little experience with hex-based games, I hadn’t realized all three routes are the exact same length until I saw it being done by a veteran player.
@@almostgoodvariant You start to ask these questions too when you need to determine the reach and shape of an ECM bubble around a mech. This is how I ended up seeing the need of a simplified pattern.
Holy cow! Just started this game and never know this....
Great advice, I think what I'm going to do is to find a custom scale ruler so that a measurement unit is 1.25 " . Just place the ruler in the same fashion you measured the distance in straight lines to easily measure that.
That's really awesome. Thanks for the tips. Looking forward to more.
This is so helpful! Thank you
Wow! Awesome tip, THANK YOU so much for sharing this. This will be super handy for us, especially since we use 3d terrain, and sometimes it's hard to count the hexes through a big piece of terrain. This is the perfect solution.👌
Ahhh! Of course! Thank you, simple and helpful.
I run a hex based game for my kids, this is applicable. Cheers.
Oh. Wow, very nice
Nice trick. Appreciated
Holy Smoke! Thank you! This tip is gold! Loved your Alpha Strike on Hex map video as well. That's how I play for a couple of reasons, but I like to feel that those reasons are justifiable lol. I hope more players give it a try. I think it adds a lot more enjoyment to the game.
Glad it’s of help! And yeah, it does bring a different feel to the game, and to me it just is a better game on hexmaps. Not everyone feels that way and that’s totally fine, of course. I also feel like barely anyone talks about playing Alpha Strike on hexmaps. It’s a very sidenote sort of thing in the rulebook and needs some additions and clarifications, clearly thrown in like ”by the way you can totally play AS on hexmaps if you want to I dunno”
Agreed. Thanks! @@almostgoodvariant
Neat trick!
I wish I had more people to play Battletech. Problem is that I live in Ecuador.
20 years? I started in Missouri back when there were still two Germanies.
You can also just count the range you're looking for in a straight line then form a triangle to see total hitbox.
woah that's actually mind blowing this is the best tip here, and the fastest
Yup. I don't count ranges to individual targets. Instead I figure out the range brackets along a straight line and then easily visualize which targets are inside it.
A useful trick that my friends and I liked to use when we played Classic BattleTech was to use a tape measure and measure from the center of the firing standee to the center of the target, then divide by 1.25 (the width of a standard hex in inches) for the actual range. Quick, but highly effective with a pocket calculator. Better still, by looking along the line of the tape measure, we could see if LOS was blocked by terrain easily because the tape measure gave a straight line across obstacles.
That’s very clever!
@@almostgoodvariant Thanks! I got sick of having to count hexes and figure out LOS, so I just decided there had to be a better way and tried using a tape measure. It worked amazingly well, so I kept using that method for as long as I played BT. If and when I can get back into playing, I plan to use the tape measure method once again, because it works and it quickly settles issues of whether or not a given unit has LOS on another.
@@kitirena_koneko Unfortunately, using a tape measure for range means that ranges and movement distances different. Hex maps are non-Cartesian coordinates.
If you're going to use a tape measure, go all-out and use the hexless miniatures system.
@@ethanmckinney203 That's why I mentioned the calculator--each BT hex is 1.25 inches (1 1/4"), or 3.175 cm (32 mm if you round up slightly), which is why you need a calculator to convert inches/cm to hexes--although I agree that you could just dispense with the hex maps and use the miniatures rules like you said. It's just that when I was playing BT, all we had were the hex maps and cardboard standees, and I got sick of having to count hexes all the time.
One thing I had considered was using colored ribbons marked with small flags at specific hex intervals and color coded for different weapon systems by maximum range: 7/14/21 hexes in red, 5/10/15 in green, 1/2/3 in purple, etc., but I never got around to trying that idea before my gaming group broke up.
I wonder if there's a mathematical formula to use the hex grid number to find the distance from any two objects. That would be a handy little app to have.
That would be pretty neat. Multiple hex maps could make it more difficult, though. Unless you’d be able to specify how exactly the hex maps are laid out or something.
Interesting. I play Battletech for over 35 years now and took that for granted. Obviously not.
Great tip & like Nerdy woukd love to hear more!
Now could someone tell me what map that is as that looks like fun.
Thanks! The map is Forward Base from the CGL Grasslands map pack. The pack also has a second map with a base, called River CommCenter.
Wow! I can see how that would work.
thanks, im math impaired especially under pressure because I am lazy, this makes alot of sense and I feel stupid for not figuring it out myself lol
What map is that? Love the channel it rocks...
It’s Forward Base from the Grasslands map pack. And thanks! Just trying to put some information out there that I feel like is missing on UA-cam/online.
How did I not realize that I could have been counting with two fingers this entire time?
I wonder if this holds up at extremem ranges, like across map sheets, or something like the variances finally start to manifest.
I believe it should due to the nature of hexes.
Im goin to berlin!
Where did the map come from? Would love to add the base map to my collection of battletech maps.
It’s from the CGL Grasslands map pack. That one is Forward Base but the pack also has a second map with a base, called River CommCenter.
Why wasn't I taught this at school
Hi! thanks for video, where is this map from ???
It’s the map ”Forward Base” from the Grasslands map pack.
@@almostgoodvariant TY! :)
Takes 2 minutes before starting the speed tip...irony? :)
That’s what the timestamps are for
Great tip ! thank you very much .
Appreciate it! I don’t know if some of this stuff is obvious to people but it sure wasn’t for me when I started.
@@almostgoodvariant Nor to me and I have been gaming with hex maps since 1972.