Matrix Games Forums

I normally play with the Hex grid off.

The exception being when I am trying to place a minefield or conduct a sub hunt when its useful to switch it on.

I would leave it on all the while except that the hex lines are such a bright shade of blue and so thick that they dominate to map.

Is there any way to tone them down to a nice subtle shade of grey thats just barely visible?

You know something that doesn't hurt your eyes.

Hello...

You could select "Hex Grid" on from the prefs menu at the start of the game. Then exit the game and restart. You should then see a black hex-grid drawn beneath the text that is always on.

Have Fun...

Michael Wood
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Originally posted by Didz
I normally play with the Hex grid off.

The exception being when I am trying to place a minefield or conduct a sub hunt when its useful to switch it on.

I would leave it on all the while except that the hex lines are such a bright shade of blue and so thick that they dominate to map.

Is there any way to tone them down to a nice subtle shade of grey thats just barely visible?

You know something that doesn't hurt your eyes.

Originally posted by Mike Wood
Hello...

You could select "Hex Grid" on from the prefs menu at the start of the game. Then exit the game and restart. You should then see a black hex-grid drawn beneath the text that is always on.

Have Fun...

Michael Wood
_________________________________________________

Thanks I'll try that.

You most likely already know, but, the F6 key is really quick. Just hit F6 it pops it up and do your business F6 it again.

Just incase you did not see the hotkeys.

One other thing. Make sure you're turning hexlines on and not the hexside details on. Hexside details is bright and obscures the text. Hexlines do not. I learned that the hardway.

What are the hexside details good for? I would prefer to toggle the black hex grid without restart.

LST

i don't think that will be possible given the way the graphics engine is implemented.

Admittedly I don't know how graphic engines are implemented. I presume there are two maps being used, one without, the other with grid. I just wonder if the graphics of the thick blue hexside detail lines can be replaced by thin black grid lines? I prefer playing without hex lines (the map looks so much better w/o), but for placing destinations etc. I would like to toggle the grid on. Now this thick blue lines downright violate this beautiful map... Well, just a personal opinion. Another 'would be nice if' on my wish list.

With just hexes turned on from the preference menu you will get thin black lines. Hexside details are bright colored lines that are to show movement allowances by unit type. They are listed in the manual on page 17. But with just hexes turned on all you'll get are the black thin lines like old board games. By what you're saying it seems you have just hexside details turned on.

Jason

Thanks for the help, but ... I should have been more precise. I know the difference between the hex grid selection in the preferences and the hex details toggle in the game. I have been playing the first few turns with the black grid turned on, but now have restarted the game with hex grid turned off in order to fully admire the map undisturbed by hex lines of any kind.
What I'm trying to say is that I prefer to play on the plain map without hex grids, but sometimes would like to toggle the grid on for precision positioning of the cursor while giving destination orders. Now the blue hex details serve this purpose, but do not look good. I'm asking to use the hex details toggle function in combination with thin lines (like the black hex grids from the preferences selection) instead of the thick blue lines. It should be possible to change the graphics of those blue 'window-frames' to a more pleasant and less obtrusive design. But as I said, that's just a personal preference.

Ok i get what you're saying now. My mistake. I misunderstood.

Admittedly I don't know how graphic engines are implemented. I presume there are two maps being used, one without, the other with grid. I just wonder if the graphics of the thick blue hexside detail lines can be replaced by thin black grid lines? I prefer playing without hex lines (the map looks so much better w/o), but for placing destinations etc. I would like to toggle the grid on. Now this thick blue lines downright violate this beautiful map... Well, just a personal opinion. Another 'would be nice if' on my wish list.

Yeah, there are 2 versions of the map. One with, one without hexes. The hex details are apparently calculated by the program, not using a graphic overlay. It looks like it would take a code change/addition to alter the existing setup.

Yeah, there are 2 versions of the map. One with, one without hexes. The hex details are apparently calculated by the program, not using a graphic overlay. It looks like it would take a code change/addition to alter the existing setup.

Correct on all counts. The map database is stored separately from the graphics. There are two map graphics files one with black hexes and one without.

The "loud" hexes, on the other hand, are generated at run time by the game code based on the values in the map database - this is why they overprint the map graphics (including the legend and place names)

Ok, now I'm confused (go figure). We can or can't get just plain black hex lines and if so how? All I've ever seen are the loud blue hexes.

You can have just plain black hexes. The loud hexes are toggled by one of the function keys - I'm ashamed to admit that I have fortgotten which one

How do I get the black hexes? Is it set before the scenario is loaded?

There should be a setting in your preferences I think. Once again I forget which specific item...

Originally posted by The Gnome
Ok, now I'm confused (go figure). We can or can't get just plain black hex lines and if so how? All I've ever seen are the loud blue hexes.

As someone already said, you have to go to the PREFERENCES and choose show hexes, then restart the game so that it will use a different map. I tried it and it works. Like you, I first turned on the big-blue hexes and immediately turned them off in horror. But I now have the black and thin hexes and I leave them on all the time.

henri

The loud hexes are toggled by one of the function keys

F6