Map & Board
The board is a hex grid with deliberate macro-structure: three vertical and three horizontal lanes, intersecting at nine high-value Nexus tiles. Map size determines match length, and starting positions are spread to maximize early-game distance.
Hex Grid
Hex tiles, flat-top, axial coordinates. Multiple map sizes ship — small through marathon — and size determines match pacing.
| Map size | Approximate match length | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Small | ~30–60 min | Dimensions TBD |
| Medium | ~60–120 min | Dimensions TBD |
| Large | ~2–4 hours | Dimensions TBD |
| Marathon (24-player) | Multiple hours | Dimensions TBD |
Generation Sequence
Map generation runs as a deterministic 4-step pipeline (seeded by an
FRandomStream). Each step's outputs feed the next; the connectivity
and playability invariants live across the whole pipeline.
- Random untyped layout grid. Generate the hex map shape with all tiles set to Generic — no special types yet. Ensure no paths are cut off (the connectivity invariant from M3).
- Pick starting tiles. One home base anchor per player. Constraints: min 2 hexes from any map edge (no border-spawned bases), and spread away from other players so each has prep-time before engagement. Just a home base tile — nothing else typed at this stage (Generic + Home Base rule).
- Force the 6-tile ring around each base to Generic. Guarantees every player has a starting ring of "blank canvas" — neutral expansion territory before encountering specials.
- Distance-weighted special-tile placement. Generate special tile types with probability scaling on distance from any home base anchor: lower chance close to bases, higher chance further out. Generic remains more likely around bases, but not impossible for a special to appear at 2–3 hexes out — creating early-game racing dynamics when a juicy special rolls nearby.
What this gives:
- No game-breaking openings — no Nexus or Trap on a home base anchor or its immediate ring.
- Explorable specials — the special-tile catalog spreads across the map, rewarding scouting and expansion.
- Some nearby-special variance — sometimes a juicy special is ~3 hexes away, creating an early-game race.
Lane Structure
Every map is generated (or hand-authored) with a recognizable skeleton:
- 3 vertical + 3 horizontal lanes with slightly randomized position and width.
- 9 lane intersections each host one or more Nexus tiles — high-value, hard to capture, and randomized within the intersection region.
Lanes give the map a strategic geography: known choke points, predictable corridors for bulk traffic, and obvious flashpoints at the intersections without making the same map twice.
Starting Positions
Spread to maximize distance between players in the opening.
| Player count | Layout |
|---|---|
| 2 players | Opposite top/bottom rows; lane-x randomized. |
| 4 players | N / E / S / W edges. |
| 6 / 8 / 12 / 24 players | Evenly distributed around the perimeter, min 2 hexes from any edge. |
M0 starting board
The minimum-playable milestone uses a fixed 9×11 board with two start tiles
(S) diagonally opposed:
000000000 000000000 00xxx0000 00xSxx000 00xxx0000 000xxx000 000xxx000 0000xxx00 000xxSx00 0000xxx00 000000000
0 = no tile, x = tile, S = start tile (home
base). Each side starts with a level-6 home base plus six level-1 neighbor tiles, so
the starting cluster is the cross-shape around each S.
Unowned Tiles
- Most are Generic — neutral, basic tile, no special effect.
- A minority are Special types placed by the map (Trap, etc. — full type catalog deferred). These remain unowned-but-special until claimed and act as harder-to-capture neutral obstacles.
- Each unowned tile has a randomized starting level, biased lower near player spawns and higher far from any spawn. Your first ring expands easily; deep map and mid-board tiles take real effort.
Eliminated-Player Spoils
When a player is eliminated, their owned tiles enter Dormant state — type, level, rule, sub-config, and stockpile preserved; in-flight units, garrisons, and paths removed. Surviving players race to occupy dormant tiles via an occupation timer, not a claim-HP grind. Late-game pacing stays dynamic instead of devolving into mop-up.
See: Match Flow and Combat & Units for full dormant capture behavior.