SKM Development: Hexes, that old Black Magic

Domains don’t work like hexes.

That’s a lesson I learned quick when trying to use ACKs for an overland map hex-based kingdom management game. See, in ACKs, you control ‘a domain’ and the domain is one territory between a single 6-mile hex (the smallest) and a 24-mile hex (the largest). We’re helpfully informed that the 24-mile hex is representative of 16 6-mile hexes. That’s because garrison fee and stronghold requirements are based on the 6-mile hex standard. You need a progressively larger and more beefy fortress for larger territory. However, once you hit the 24-mile hex, you need to start giving out territory to henchmen, since ACKs doesn’t let you have more than one 24-mile hex directly under your control.  

Ironically, my plan to centralize the stronghold is more in line with this since under ACKs RAW you’d just control multiple hexes in one domain (although ironically that domain would have only a single land value).

With SKM I’ve realized that the ‘domain’ doesn’t quite work for what we’re going for, but I do like the idea of limiting the administration range. I feel kind of bad about cribbing the 24-mile hex idea, but the idea of around 16 hexes being maximum seems reasonable. As I stated way back in another post, a 24 mile hex is about 512 square miles. That’s larger than the New York Metro area. That is, legitimately, a freaking huge amount of land. So, we’ll probably keep the 16 6-mile thing to form the center of power for our PC rulers. Each one of them is still just starting off with 7 (a central hex surrounded by six others), meaning they need 6 more to max out.

Originally, I made all of the kingdoms ‘borderlands’ in ACKs to represent that they had spent decades being drained of resources and personnel by their evil lizard-like overlords. This is because hex types matter a lot in terms of pop, income, and requirements for stronghold  and garrison in ACKs. In SKM however, I don’t think I want or need that level of complexity. Having low population on its own is a pain without having to upgrade the surrounding hexes nearby to a higher ‘tier’ before being able to increase your pop, and as stated before, we’re not building strongholds in every hex.    

So, no more borderlands, civilized and wilderness hexes. I’ll need to figure out a ‘settlement’ mechanic to let players build towns though.

So, we need to figure out settlements, vassal states, and the nitty gritty numbers for stuff..

Still a lot of work ahead.