Sails of Glory Game mat

[Comte de Brueys]

From the Kickstarter:

Game Mat Option - You may add $ 20 to your pledge (Canadian backers must add $5, International backers must add $ 10 to cover shipping charges) to request the Game Mat option. If multiple game mats are requested, shipping charges are only due once.This option is expected to ship in August, 2013

I hope the new SoG game mats fits to the sea color of the WoG gaming mat.

Would be ok, if there is a SoG logo on it, but I hope Ares don't add sunk wrecks or other gimmicks like a treasure island etc...

I badly need some nice looking sea mats for my WGS miniatures from the Pacific theater and for my French fleet of course.



Any informations, how the sea mats will look like?

[The Royal Hajj]

I think we will have images of the artwork some time next week, or early the week after that. There is not going to be any land on this initial mat, just open sea. There will of course be the SGN logo and a very light grid pattern on it to help with wind directions.

[Horatio]

Will be interested to see it and if it will fit in with the Wings of Glory mats.

[7eat51]

I hope Ares don't add sunk wrecks... and for my French fleet of course.

I thought you didn't want any sunken ships?

[Diamondback]

Whoa, cool! Nobody told me we have our own Gibbs-slap emoticon! :D

[The Royal Hajj]

Will be interested to see it and if it will fit in with the Wings of Glory mats.

While it will physically fit with the Wings mats, I don't think it will visually fit very well. Even if the blue is the same color, the light grid markings would throw it off in my opinion.

[Comte de Brueys]

I thought you didn't want any sunken ships?

You're right, Eric. I don't like sunk ships.

The best end for a French ship is a) to be blown up or b) to be captured and renamed by the Brits

[David Manley]

"There is not going to be any land on this initial mat"

the impression I've got from various chats is that "terrain" (be it islands, coastlines or shallows) will be handled by overlays which I think, even if we are only talking thick card, will look better than flat printing on a mat. There are alsready a number of suitable terrian items available, from plastic and resin island to expanded polystyrene coastines and cliffs. And of course it gives free reign to those terrain modellers who want to make their own "spectaculars".

I would not rule out a mat printed with coasts and islands, but I think it would be fairly low on the list of priorities. Something with varying areas of blue (similar to the WSIM board as someone lese posted recently) to allow areas to be declared as "shallow" would be rather more useful, I think.

[The Royal Hajj]

I agree with David, we may see some "terrained" mats later on, but not any time soon.

[Berthier]

I agree with David, we may see some "terrained" mats later on, but not any time soon.

Pity, I really like the printed appearance of WSIM and Ironclads where shoals, coasts, rivers etc can all be displayed on a single map with the various shaded contours. Still, not hard to do terrain for naval warfare so not a major issue.

[The Royal Hajj]

Pity, I really like the printed appearance of WSIM and Ironclads where shoals, coasts, rivers etc can all be displayed on a single map with the various shaded contours. Still, not hard to do terrain for naval warfare so not a major issue.

They are doing those in the form of the Terrain Packs. That way you can put those shoals and coast wherever you want each and every game.

[7eat51]

I'm a bit confused by the last few posts. When discussing the mats, is there a difference in terminology between land masses of any sort and different shades of blue? When it is stated that terrain oriented mats might be offered later, are we talking about mats with land masses, mats with different shades of blue, or both?

I would prefer mats that have different shades of blue and no land masses, reserving any form of land mass to be an extra one places upon the mats.

[Berthier]

Thanks Keith I know about terrain packs, they looked a little cheesy on the KS page, but I suppose these are prototypes.

[Berthier]

I'm a bit confused by the last few posts. When discussing the mats, is there a difference in terminology between land masses of any sort and different shades of blue? When it is stated that terrain oriented mats might be offered later, are we talking about mats with land masses, mats with different shades of blue, or both?

I would prefer mats that have different shades of blue and no land masses, reserving any form of land mass to be an extra one places upon the mats.

Yes Eric, exactly my preferences as well

[Jack Aubrey]

I'm a bit confused by the last few posts. When discussing the mats, is there a difference in terminology between land masses of any sort and different shades of blue? When it is stated that terrain oriented mats might be offered later, are we talking about mats with land masses, mats with different shades of blue, or both?

I would prefer mats that have different shades of blue and no land masses, reserving any form of land mass to be an extra one places upon the mats.

Yes, exactly.

[The Royal Hajj]

I don't know what direction Ares is going with future mats, but I think it will be mats with actual coast lines and such on them. So that you could build the outline of a land mass with perhaps a river feeding into a bay... perfect for cutting out actions or coast defense forts... both of which have been play tested from day one of the games design. I also think that a multi shaded blue mat could be an option. It all just depends on how well the game and any official accessories for it sale.

Thanks Keith I know about terrain packs, they looked a little cheesy on the KS page, but I suppose these are prototypes.

Yes, that is a horrible image they put up on the page. Fortunately, it is just concept art and in no way reflects what the finished pieces will look like. The last I hear, the same artist that did the Wings mats is doing the Terrain Pack artwork. The styles should be similar, so the final product will look really good. Hopefully they will get some real artwork up very soon.

[Comte de Brueys]

Ineresting information First Sealord.

Depending on the actual picture I thougt the terrain pieces are only simple gray plastic templates.

[The Royal Hajj]

Yes, I'm afraid a lot of people have thought that. Ares has really upped their commitment in the art department and I do not see them releasing anything that is not very nice looking at the least.

[7eat51]

Yes, I'm afraid a lot of people have thought that. Ares has really upped their commitment in the art department and I do not see them releasing anything that is not very nice looking at the least.

I encourage Ares to more clearly state such things on the KS page. Without the proper info, people will assume the worse far too often.

[Sea Gull]

Maybe they can put some pretty pictures up on the KS page after the GAMA event. It's the difference between a pre-prototype ship and the production version. Even if it's at the concept art stage, something to show the quality we can expect from the mat and the terrain pack may go a long way to help further the KS. Actually I'm just really curious and want to know ... now, what everything will look like. this is why I don't build ships, no bl##dy patience.:angry:

[RichardPF]

From the KS page with my added bold and italic:

------------------

at $ 140,000 we will be able to fully fund the design and production of the Terrain Pack #1. The Terrain Pack #1 is a set of 4 die-cut cardboard punched boards, including 5 modular stretches of coast and 9 sandbanks. These terrain elements are perfect for use together with our Game Mat. The Terrain Pack #1 is FREE OF CHARGE to all pledge levels from Lieutenant up, and is available as a $5 option together with any reward level (or if you want more than one).

-------------------

Based on the description and the price for additional copies and for pledge levels less than Lieutenant, as compared to say a ship model, I can see why people might get the impression that this was not the most "high end" item.

[The Royal Hajj]

Actually, it says it is a concept drawing right under the image ;)

[DeRuyter]

I'm a bit confused by the last few posts. When discussing the mats, is there a difference in terminology between land masses of any sort and different shades of blue? When it is stated that terrain oriented mats might be offered later, are we talking about mats with land masses, mats with different shades of blue, or both?

I would prefer mats that have different shades of blue and no land masses, reserving any form of land mass to be an extra one places upon the mats.

My preference as well.

[Sea Gull]

Actually, it says it is a concept drawing right under the image ;)

I hope you know what I meant when I wrote what I didn't mean.

[Capt P]

Great to see what is happening with SoG. I do think the mats will be able to mate with the WoG mats. Will be a great addition.

[The Barrelman]

Anyone lucky enough to demo SoG yet (GAMA maybe) with the game mat? Just wondering if it will really be comfortable to field 4 ships on one with terrain and other accessories.

[The Royal Hajj]

I'm running my first review/demo game tomorrow night. It looks like we will have 4-6 players. With out any mats to play on, we will be playing on a 4x6 table, but I'll make note of how much room we really use.

[RichardPF]

I'm running my first review/demo game tomorrow night. It looks like we will have 4-6 players. With out any mats to play on, we will be playing on a 4x6 table, but I'll make note of how much room we really use.

Do you tend to play Wings on a surfce as wide as 4'?

[Beowulf03809]

We typically play XWing, which has much longer per-turn movement reach (perhaps 8" with average being maybe 4" - 6") on a 3x3 surface. We've used up to fighters per side on that size, with "terrain" (asteroids). I was actually surprised by that myself since my other (troop based) gaming experiences normally used a 4x6 or 4x8 table but we found that when things do get crowded on the 3x3 it is actually pretty themed and exciting. It changed my perspective (not having in WoG experience myself yet this is the closest I can compare).

I could see potentially four ships per side being played on a roughly 4x4 mat in SoG considering the shorter movement per turn and that you really want to get in close for that Nelson Touch. Larger tables and you'll probably spend two or three turns just closing without adding anything to the game play and risking frustration of players if wind is really against one side. Larger fleets would require additional space but I don't think a large surface for just a few ships would be enjoyable.

[Cmmdre]

I'm running my first review/demo game tomorrow night. It looks like we will have 4-6 players. With out any mats to play on, we will be playing on a 4x6 table, but I'll make note of how much room we really use.

If you had 6 feet of coastline with batteries and 4 feet of coastal waters shoals, inlets etc I could see that as a great test.

[7eat51]

Almost all of our WoG games have been on a surface the size of two mats. This gave us ample room for maneuvering, story creating, etc., without too much delay before action. As previously mentioned, when things get crowded, it has been to good effect.

Given that the combat range of SoG seems to be the same as WoG, I imagine two mats would suffice for most smaller engagements. The one thing I see as a bit different is that in Age of Sail, there is more proclivity to pursue. But that can be handled quite easily by rotating mats or shifting ships.

[Andy Blozinski]

I could a' sworn I saw somewhere the map was 27"x39", but it says this nowhere on the kickstarter site all. That's kind of an important detail to have left out.
If they really are that size, I'm thinking on going with three maps now. I'm wondering if the game will work well enough for everyone to play two ships. I'd need to open it up some with the nubmer of plaers I want to handle for a convention.

[Cmmdre]

I could a' sworn I saw somewhere the map was 27"x39", but it says this nowhere on the kickstarter site all. That's kind of an important detail to have left out.
If they really are that size, I'm thinking on going with three maps now. I'm wondering if the game will work well enough for everyone to play two ships. I'd need to open it up some with the nubmer of plaers I want to handle for a convention.

You are correct with the dimensions of 27"x 39". That can be clicked on the KS site which takes you to another Ares site, Facebook I think. Ares states that the SoG mat are similar to WoG mats.

[7eat51]

I could a' sworn I saw somewhere the map was 27"x39", but it says this nowhere on the kickstarter site all. That's kind of an important detail to have left out.
If they really are that size, I'm thinking on going with three maps now. I'm wondering if the game will work well enough for everyone to play two ships. I'd need to open it up some with the nubmer of plaers I want to handle for a convention.

If SoG is anything like WoG, it is amazing how much can be done on two mats. When I first saw WoG mat dimensions, I thought they were pretty small. Then I played some games using two mats. They actually can handle quite a few planes. I am looking forward to the Royal Hajj's report on his SoG game and how space worked.

I wish we could see a picture as to the grid that will be on the mats. I am hoping these will be o.k. to add onto WoG maps, i.e. that the grid will not detract too much.

[The Barrelman]

Hope you don't mind me quoting from your Kickstarter comment Keith.

I just ran a review game with 6 players (2 SOL and 4 Frigs.) on a 4x6 foot table and we had PLENTY of room. Perhaps to much really for the ships... not for the players! lol I think two mats is going to be the sweet size for most 4-6 ship games. For more then 6 ships (or 6 + players), I'd want to go to four mats personally.
2 ships or 3 players = 1 mat
4-6 ships or 2-4 players = 2 mats
6-10 ships of 5-8 players = 4 mats

So it looks like 2 mats is a minimum? Can 4 ships run on one mat without a lot of issue?

Thanks :g&t:

[The Royal Hajj]

Do you tend to play Wings on a surfce as wide as 4'?

Unless I'm playing the kid at home, I play on either 4x6, 5x8, or four mats in a square configuration.

So it looks like 2 mats is a minimum? Can 4 ships run on one mat without a lot of issue?

Four ships could be ran on a single mat of 27"x39". Keep in mind though that the combat rulers are 10" long. That means a ship in the center of the 27" side is going to be able to shoot anything that is 3.5" or more "in to" the table. That does not leave a lot of sea room to maneuver. So, playing on a single mat is going to make for an action packed game. Not a bad thing, just something to be aware of. And if you happen to be to be on the lee side of a ship, that 3.5" is going to seem awfully small!

[Cmmdre]

Unless I'm playing the kid at home, I play on either 4x6, 5x8, or four mats in a square configuration.



Four ships could be ran on a single mat of 27"x39". Keep in mind though that the combat rulers are 10" long. That means a ship in the center of the 27" side is going to be able to shoot anything that is 3.5" or more "in to" the table. That does not leave a lot of sea room to maneuver. So, playing on a single mat is going to make for an action packed game. Not a bad thing, just something to be aware of. And if you happen to be to be on the lee side of a ship, that 3.5" is going to seem awfully small!

Thank you for the great beta. Can't wait to start playing.

[Green flash]

Getting excited

[Andy Blozinski]

I was wondering if I could pull it off running three mats. If you line them all up on the 39" sides, that's a 3*27" = 81"x 39" playing surface. I'd prefer that 39" was a bit more, but 81" seems like a lot.

[The Barrelman]

I am going to start investigating alternative mat types in larger square configurations. I don't think I would enjoy playing with multiple mats joined together. To much shifting around and cost of multiples. Or just run on a plain surface. Would not be the best pictures for AAR posts.

Thanks

[Coog]

It shouldn't be too difficult finding something that is colored so that it can be used as ocean. The only thing that could be a problem is that it won't have the light grid pattern to help with determining wind direction when using the attitude indicator.

[Cmmdre]

That's easy. Go to your local fabric store, JoAnn's comes to mind, and buy a couple of bolts. Measure out what you'll need. Get a gold or silver marker to pattern your grid and you've got a matt ready to play.

[The Barrelman]

Found this company that offers a sea blue felt map with grids in various shapes and sizes. It looks like a full size would be good and a double size for really big battles.

Looks like 4 inch hexes would be good for the SoG scale from the description of the mat.

Sea Game Mats

[The Barrelman]

If anyone plays WGF or WGS would probably like these mats. I am going to get a regular size for my WGF games.

European Fields
Enhanced European Fields

[Cmmdre]

Great information Ted. Hats off to you sir.

[The Barrelman]

Great information Ted. Hats off to you sir.

Thank you!! Glad I could finally provide some useful information.

It looks like a full size mat (72 x 45 inch) would provide a little more play area then three standard mats (81 x 39 inch) joined on the long edge for around the same price (retail).

[The Royal Hajj]

Quite a few people use the Hotz mats. Just be warned, that if you need to roll or fold up your mats between games... these have a tendency to crease and not lay as flat. I've ran several convention games on the new Wings mats, 4 of them in a large square shape. There were no issues at all with the mats shifting or moving around. The rubber backing does an excellent job at holding them in place.

The other great thing about these mats, they lay perfectly flat every time you unroll them.

[7eat51]

Picked up two WoG mats today. Placed them together on the dining room table. They look and feel great. The rubber backing definitely keeps them in place and they do lay perfectly flat. I am impressed with their quality. Not a bad looking table cloth if you ask me.

[Cmmdre]

Glad to hear that.

[Sea Gull]

Picked up two WoG mats today. Placed them together on the dining room table. They look and feel great. The rubber backing definitely keeps them in place and they do lay perfectly flat. I am impressed with their quality. Not a bad looking table cloth if you ask me.

And did you ask your better half? I know your good lady enjoys the games and taking photos. But does she enjoy it enough to have the mats as a table cloth?