SDG Blog - User contributions [en]

News:01

2025-10-01T16:45:28Z

Ecki:

{{Template:NewsEntry|News:20251001-We-are-Live|File:News-1.jpg|We are live!|01 October 2025|Welcome to the newly reworked and powered-up version of my website, your central hub for everything related to my current projects. This isn't just a refresh; it's a full system restart bringing a massive wave of new content and features public. Take a few minutes to explore - you'll want to get acquainted with the new layout and all the exciting things happening here.|Welcome to the newly reworked and powered-up version of my website, your central hub for everything related to my current projects. This isn't just a refresh; it's a full system restart bringing a massive wave of new content and features public. Take a few minutes to explore - you'll want to get acquainted with the new layout and all the exciting things happening here.}}

News:20251001-We-are-Live

2025-10-01T16:44:00Z

Ecki: Created page with "center == Level Up! Welcome to the Relaunch! == '''Posted on 01 October 2025''' Greetings, gamers and enthusiasts! We're live and ready to play! Welcome to the newly reworked and powered-up version of my website, your central hub for everything related to my current projects. This isn't just a refresh; it's a full system restart bringing a massive wave of new content and features public. Take a few minutes to explore - you'll want to get acqu..."

[[File:News-1.jpg|600px|center]]

== Level Up! Welcome to the Relaunch! ==
'''Posted on 01 October 2025'''

Greetings, gamers and enthusiasts! We're live and ready to play!

Welcome to the newly reworked and powered-up version of my website, your central hub for everything related to my current projects. This isn't just a refresh; it's a full system restart bringing a massive wave of new content and features public. Take a few minutes to explore - you'll want to get acquainted with the new layout and all the exciting things happening here.

This relaunch also marks the official rollout of three essential tools I've been diligently working on, and I'm incredibly excited to finally share them with you:

* '''The Dev Blog:''' Get behind the scenes with deep dives and updates on development progress.
* '''My Brand New Patreon:''' Support the journey and unlock exclusive content, early access, and unique rewards.
* '''The Community Discord Server:''' Jump in, hang out, and connect directly with me and fellow fans!

Dive into these new zones, explore the projects, and don't be shy - start a discussion! I'm looking forward to connecting with the community and hearing your thoughts. Let the games begin!

== The Dev Blog: Patch Notes and Deep Dives ==

[[File:News-1-devblog.jpg|600px|center|link=https://story-dwelling.com/blog]]

Consider the Dev Blog your exclusive changelog and behind-the-scenes access to development. This is where I'll post detailed updates, discuss design choices, reveal early concepts, and break down the technical challenges I overcome. It's not just a status report; it's a look into the source code of my creative process. Check in regularly for the latest patch notes on my active projects.

[https://story-dwelling.com/blog Go to the Dev Blog]

== The Patreon: Unlock Legendary Tier Rewards ==

[[File:News-1-patreon.jpg|600px|center|link=https://www.patreon.com/c/StoryDwellingGames]]

Ready to become a core supporter and directly impact development? My Patreon is where you can upgrade your experience with exclusive perks. Depending on your tier, you can gain access to early builds, vote on future features, submit priority feedback, and receive unique digital rewards. Your support on Patreon is the fuel that powers the server and keeps the game running strong!

[https://www.patreon.com/c/StoryDwellingGames Go to Patreon]

== The Community Discord Server: Join the Party ==

[[File:News-1-discord.jpg|600px|center|link=https://discord.gg/bfmyQs4AEp]]

The Discord server is the real-time communication hub - your chance to join the party! Come chat with fellow enthusiasts, find answers to your questions, and engage directly with me. It's the perfect place for rapid-fire Q&A, sharing fan art, organizing discussions, and just hanging out. Think of it as our in-game global chat - friendly, fast, and always active.

[https://discord.gg/bfmyQs4AEp Join the Discord]

== Let's get started ==

I encourage you to click those links, join the conversation, and let me know which project you're most excited to see more of!

__NOTOC__

Blog:20251001-We-are-Live

2025-10-01T16:41:05Z

File:News-1-patreon.jpg

2025-10-01T16:00:57Z

Ecki:

File:News-1-discord.jpg

2025-10-01T16:00:53Z

Ecki:

File:News-1-devblog.jpg

2025-10-01T16:00:46Z

Ecki:

2025-10-01T13:03:35Z

Ecki: Ecki uploaded a new version of File:Dev-blog-1.jpg

MediaWiki:Sidebar

2025-10-01T11:24:32Z

Ecki: Created page with "* navigation ** mainpage|mainpage-description ** recentchanges-url|recentchanges * SEARCH * TOOLBOX * LANGUAGES"

* navigation
** mainpage|mainpage-description
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges
* SEARCH
* TOOLBOX
* LANGUAGES

MediaWiki:Mainpage

2025-09-30T20:26:40Z

Ecki:

Start

2025-09-30T20:26:27Z

Ecki:

{{:Blog}}
__NOTOC__

MediaWiki:Mainpage

2025-09-30T20:24:41Z

Ecki: Blanked the page

MediaWiki:Mainpage

2025-09-26T08:54:59Z

Ecki:

Start

2025-09-25T20:58:21Z

Ecki: Replaced content with "{{:News:01}} ---- {{:Blog:01}} __NOTOC__"

{{:News:01}}
----

{{:Blog:01}}
__NOTOC__

Blog

2025-09-25T20:10:42Z

Ecki: Replaced content with "{{:Blog:01}} __NOTOC__"

{{:Blog:01}}
__NOTOC__

Blog:01

2025-09-25T20:09:54Z

Ecki: Created page with "{{Template:BlogEntry|Blog:20250925-Hexagons|File:Dev-blog-1.jpg|The Magic of Hexagons|25 September 2025|For me, hexagons are beautiful - simple geometric shapes that feel magical. In this blog post, I explain some basics about hexagonal grids in games and why chose them for the development of Exsol.|From honeycomb to board games, the hexagon is a shape that appears everywhere in nature and design. More than just a simple six-sided figure, it's an elegant and incredibly e..."

{{Template:BlogEntry|Blog:20250925-Hexagons|File:Dev-blog-1.jpg|The Magic of Hexagons|25 September 2025|For me, hexagons are beautiful - simple geometric shapes that feel magical. In this blog post, I explain some basics about hexagonal grids in games and why chose them for the development of Exsol.|From honeycomb to board games, the hexagon is a shape that appears everywhere in nature and design. More than just a simple six-sided figure, it's an elegant and incredibly efficient form. But what makes this shape so popular with game designers? And why do so many classic strategy games use hexagonal boards? This post dives into the geometry behind hexagonal grids and explains the basics of coordinate systems in game design.}}

Blog:20250925-Hexagons

2025-09-25T20:03:55Z

Ecki:

[[File:Dev-blog-1.jpg|600px|center]]

== The Beauty of Hexagons ==
'''Posted on 24 September 2025'''

From honeycomb to board games, the hexagon is a shape that appears everywhere in nature and design. More than just a simple six-sided figure, it's an elegant and incredibly efficient form. But what makes this shape so popular with game designers? And why do so many classic strategy games use hexagonal boards? This post dives into the geometry behind hexagonal grids and explains the basics of coordinate systems in game design.

[[File:Hexagons-honey-bees.jpg|600px|center]]

For me, hexagons are beautiful - simple geometric shapes that feel magical. They can look organic or artificial, venerable or futuristic, stable or flexible, but they are always elegant and efficient.

Maybe I'm a bit biased. I've always associated hexagons with games, which is why they are part of some of my favorite memories. Losing my first strategy games to my big brother (but at least I got to play!), and the many rounds of Settlers of Catan with good friends. Some of the best games ever made use hexagonal boards. But why are hexagons so popular in game design? There's a good reason.

== Hexagonal Grids ==

[[File:Hexagons-HexMapDistance.png|600px|center]]

Imagine a game board made of hexagons instead of squares. In a hexagonal grid, every hexagon has six neighbors, and the distance to each is exactly the same.

Now, think about a classic square grid. A square has eight neighbors: four on the sides and four on the corners. If you only move to the sides, each step is the same length. But if you move diagonally to a corner, the distance is about 1.4 (√2) times longer.

Is this a problem? Not always. In games like chess, it’s a feature. The different movement rules for each piece work perfectly with this type of grid. However, if you need pieces to move freely over a fixed distance, a square grid has its limits. If you only allow side-to-side moves, you can't get to certain squares as easily. If you allow diagonal moves, your steps are no longer the same length.

Hexagonal grids solve this problem. While a perfectly straight path isn't always possible, the six directions available in a hex grid allow for a much better approximation of a straight line. The difference between a true straight line and a path on a hex grid is at most 15.5%, compared to up to 41.4% on a square grid that allows diagonal movement. And every step is always the same distance.

Hex grids aren't perfect, of course. It's harder to make rectangular shapes like buildings and corridors with hexagons, which can complicate movement rules. They also have more complex coordinate systems. Luckily, there are practical solutions for this.

== Coordinate Systems for Hexagons ==

[[File:Hexagons-cube-coordinates.png|600px|center]]

It's easy to plot points on a square grid. You use a simple x and y axis, with the x value for the column and the y value for the row. You learn this basic math in school.

But how does this work with hexagons? You still have columns (q) and rows (r). However, because of the hex shape, some neighbors are offset. If you arrange the hexagons with a point at the top, every other row is shifted to the right. This is called an offset coordinate system. While it works, it doesn't allow for the same kind of easy calculations as a square grid.

An elegant solution is to use a 3D coordinate system. You can project a 3D grid onto your 2D hex grid. Each coordinate then lines up with a row of hex fields. This is called cube coordinates. This system allows you to use standard calculations like addition and multiplication, making it much easier to figure out distances and plot paths.

== Overlapping Hex Grids ==

Sometimes in game design, you want to use different grid sizes on the same map. For example, you might want a larger grid to represent major areas like biomes or islands, and a smaller grid to show the individual fields within those areas. With square grids, this is simple: you can just divide a larger square into four, nine, or any squared number of smaller squares that align perfectly.

However, this doesn't work with hexagons. You can't perfectly slice one hexagon into smaller ones without having leftover areas.

[[File:Hexagons-tiling.png|600px|center]]

To solve this, you can allow the smaller fields to overlap multiple larger hexagons. This creates a few different types of sub-fields. You get "inner" hexagons that are fully enclosed by a single larger parent hexagon, and "outer" or "fringe" hexagons that sit on the borders between two or three larger parents. The way these overlap depends on whether the hexagons are oriented with a pointy-top or a flat-top.

[[File:Hex-layout-blog.gif|600px|center]]

In Exsol, I use a pointy-top grid for the larger station sectors and a smaller flat-top grid for the subsectors within. This setup gives me three types of subsectors:

* Inner subsectors: The seven fields completely enclosed within a single sector.
* Outer subsectors: The six fields that mark the border between two neighboring sectors.
* Corner subsectors: The six fields that lie between three neighboring sectors.

This helps me later in development. For example, I can easily query where structures can be placed within a sectors. A player can place rooms only at inner subsectors, but corridors and gates are placed on the outer ones. The reasoning behind this and more will be adressed in the blog posts to come.

== Going Forward ==

This blog post provides a brief introduction to hexagonal grids and how they can be used in game design. Going forward, this will help you understand some of the design choices I’ve made while building Exsol. If you’re interested in learning more about hexagonal grids and cube coordinates, I highly recommend this great [https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/ guide] by Amit Patel. And if you're still not convinced of the beauty of hexagons, please take a look at this excellent [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thOifuHs6eY piece of art]. __NOTOC__

Template:NewsEntry

2025-09-25T13:09:15Z

Ecki:

Template:BlogEntry

2025-09-25T13:08:45Z

Ecki:

<div class="cta-preview cta-blog-preview" style="display: none;">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=:{{{1}}}]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{5}}}
<div class="cta-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div>
----
</div>
<div class="cta-blog">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=:{{{1}}}]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{6}}}
<div class="cta-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div>
</div>

Blog

2025-09-25T11:23:17Z

Blog:20250925-Hexagons

2025-09-25T11:17:31Z

Ecki:

[[File:Dev-blog-1.jpg|600px|center]]

== The Beauty of Hexagons ==
'''Posted on 24 September 2025'''

From honeycomb to board games, the hexagon is a shape that appears everywhere in nature and design. More than just a simple six-sided figure, it's an elegant and incredibly efficient form. But what makes this shape so popular with game designers? And why do so many classic strategy games use hexagonal boards? This post dives into the geometry behind hexagonal grids and explains the basics of coordinate systems in game design.

== Introduction ==

[[File:Hexagons-honey-bees.jpg|600px|center]]

For me, hexagons are beautiful - simple geometric shapes that feel magical. They can look organic or artificial, venerable or futuristic, stable or flexible, but they are always elegant and efficient.

Maybe I'm a bit biased. I've always associated hexagons with games, which is why they are part of some of my favorite memories. Losing my first strategy games to my big brother (but at least I got to play!), and the many rounds of Settlers of Catan with good friends. Some of the best games ever made use hexagonal boards. But why are hexagons so popular in game design? There's a good reason.

== Hexagonal Grids ==

[[File:Hexagons-HexMapDistance.png|600px|center]]

Imagine a game board made of hexagons instead of squares. In a hexagonal grid, every hexagon has six neighbors, and the distance to each is exactly the same.

Now, think about a classic square grid. A square has eight neighbors: four on the sides and four on the corners. If you only move to the sides, each step is the same length. But if you move diagonally to a corner, the distance is about 1.4 (√2) times longer.

Is this a problem? Not always. In games like chess, it’s a feature. The different movement rules for each piece work perfectly with this type of grid. However, if you need pieces to move freely over a fixed distance, a square grid has its limits. If you only allow side-to-side moves, you can't get to certain squares as easily. If you allow diagonal moves, your steps are no longer the same length.

Hexagonal grids solve this problem. While a perfectly straight path isn't always possible, the six directions available in a hex grid allow for a much better approximation of a straight line. The difference between a true straight line and a path on a hex grid is at most 15.5%, compared to up to 41.4% on a square grid that allows diagonal movement. And every step is always the same distance.

Hex grids aren't perfect, of course. It's harder to make rectangular shapes like buildings and corridors with hexagons, which can complicate movement rules. They also have more complex coordinate systems. Luckily, there are practical solutions for this.

== Coordinate Systems for Hexagons ==

[[File:Hexagons-cube-coordinates.png|600px|center]]

It's easy to plot points on a square grid. You use a simple x and y axis, with the x value for the column and the y value for the row. You learn this basic math in school.

But how does this work with hexagons? You still have columns (q) and rows (r). However, because of the hex shape, some neighbors are offset. If you arrange the hexagons with a point at the top, every other row is shifted to the right. This is called an offset coordinate system. While it works, it doesn't allow for the same kind of easy calculations as a square grid.

An elegant solution is to use a 3D coordinate system. You can project a 3D grid onto your 2D hex grid. Each coordinate then lines up with a row of hex fields. This is called cube coordinates. This system allows you to use standard calculations like addition and multiplication, making it much easier to figure out distances and plot paths.

== Overlapping Hex Grids ==

Sometimes in game design, you want to use different grid sizes on the same map. For example, you might want a larger grid to represent major areas like biomes or islands, and a smaller grid to show the individual fields within those areas. With square grids, this is simple: you can just divide a larger square into four, nine, or any squared number of smaller squares that align perfectly.

However, this doesn't work with hexagons. You can't perfectly slice one hexagon into smaller ones without having leftover areas.

[[File:Hexagons-tiling.png|600px|center]]

To solve this, you can allow the smaller fields to overlap multiple larger hexagons. This creates a few different types of sub-fields. You get "inner" hexagons that are fully enclosed by a single larger parent hexagon, and "outer" or "fringe" hexagons that sit on the borders between two or three larger parents. The way these overlap depends on whether the hexagons are oriented with a pointy-top or a flat-top.

[[File:Hex-layout-blog.gif|600px|center]]

In Exsol, I use a pointy-top grid for the larger station sectors and a smaller flat-top grid for the subsectors within. This setup gives me three types of subsectors:

* Inner subsectors: The seven fields completely enclosed within a single sector.
* Outer subsectors: The six fields that mark the border between two neighboring sectors.
* Corner subsectors: The six fields that lie between three neighboring sectors.

This helps me later in development. For example, I can easily query where structures can be placed within a sectors. A player can place rooms only at inner subsectors, but corridors and gates are placed on the outer ones. The reasoning behind this and more will be adressed in the blog posts to come.

== Conclusion ==

This blog post provides a brief introduction to hexagonal grids and how they can be used in game design. Going forward, this will help you understand some of the design choices I’ve made while building Exsol. If you’re interested in learning more about hexagonal grids and cube coordinates, I highly recommend this great [https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/ guide] by Amit Patel. And if you're still not convinced of the beauty of hexagons, please take a look at this excellent [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thOifuHs6eY piece of art]. __NOTOC__

Template:BlogEntry

2025-09-25T11:02:18Z

Ecki:

<div class="cta-blog-preview" style="display: none;">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=:{{{1}}}]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-blog-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{5}}}
<div class="cta-blog-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div>
----
</div>
<div class="cta-blog">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=:{{{1}}}]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-blog-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{6}}}
<div class="cta-blog-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div>
</div>

Start

2025-09-25T11:00:57Z

Template:BlogEntry

2025-09-25T10:51:32Z

Ecki:

<div class="cta-blog-preview" style="display: none;">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=:{{{1}}}]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-blog-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{5}}}
<div class="cta-blog-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div>
----
</div>
<div class="cta-blog">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-blog-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{6}}}
</div>

File:News-exsol.jpg

2025-09-25T10:41:55Z

Ecki: Ecki uploaded a new version of File:News-exsol.jpg

== Summary ==
Teaser image for exsol news entry.

File:Dev-blog-1.jpg

2025-09-25T10:39:43Z

Ecki:

News

2025-09-25T09:32:19Z

Ecki:

{{:News:03}}

__NOTOC__

News

2025-09-24T16:30:28Z

Ecki:

{{:News:01}}
__NOTOC__

Template:BlogEntry

2025-09-24T16:27:57Z

Ecki: Created page with "<div class="cta-news-preview" style="display: none;"> link=:{{{1}}} ==== {{{3}}} ==== <div class="cta-news-date">{{{4}}}</div> {{{5}}} <div class="cta-news-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div> ---- </div>"

<div class="cta-news-preview" style="display: none;">
[[{{{2}}}|center|link=:{{{1}}}]]
==== {{{3}}} ====
<div class="cta-news-date">{{{4}}}</div>
{{{5}}}
<div class="cta-news-button">[https://story-dwelling.com/blog/index.php?title={{{1}}} ➔ Read more]</div>
----
</div>

Blog:20250925-Hexagons

2025-09-24T16:00:08Z

Ecki:

= The Beauty of Hexagons =

'''Posted on 24 September 2025'''

[[File:Hexagons-honey-bees.jpg|600px|center]]

For me, hexagons are beautiful - simple geometric shapes that feel magical. They can look organic or artificial, venerable or futuristic, stable or flexible, but they are always elegant and efficient.

Maybe I'm a bit biased. I've always associated hexagons with games, which is why they are part of some of my favorite memories. Losing my first strategy games to my big brother (but at least I got to play!), and the many rounds of Settlers of Catan with good friends. Some of the best games ever made use hexagonal boards. But why are hexagons so popular in game design? There's a good reason.

== Hexagonal Grids ==

[[File:Hexagons-HexMapDistance.png|600px|center]]

Imagine a game board made of hexagons instead of squares. In a hexagonal grid, every hexagon has six neighbors, and the distance to each is exactly the same.

Now, think about a classic square grid. A square has eight neighbors: four on the sides and four on the corners. If you only move to the sides, each step is the same length. But if you move diagonally to a corner, the distance is about 1.4 (√2) times longer.

Is this a problem? Not always. In games like chess, it’s a feature. The different movement rules for each piece work perfectly with this type of grid. However, if you need pieces to move freely over a fixed distance, a square grid has its limits. If you only allow side-to-side moves, you can't get to certain squares as easily. If you allow diagonal moves, your steps are no longer the same length.

Hexagonal grids solve this problem. While a perfectly straight path isn't always possible, the six directions available in a hex grid allow for a much better approximation of a straight line. The difference between a true straight line and a path on a hex grid is at most 15.5%, compared to up to 41.4% on a square grid that allows diagonal movement. And every step is always the same distance.

Hex grids aren't perfect, of course. It's harder to make rectangular shapes like buildings and corridors with hexagons, which can complicate movement rules. They also have more complex coordinate systems. Luckily, there are practical solutions for this.

== Coordinate Systems for Hexagons ==

[[File:Hexagons-cube-coordinates.png|600px|center]]

It's easy to plot points on a square grid. You use a simple x and y axis, with the x value for the column and the y value for the row. You learn this basic math in school.

But how does this work with hexagons? You still have columns (q) and rows (r). However, because of the hex shape, some neighbors are offset. If you arrange the hexagons with a point at the top, every other row is shifted to the right. This is called an offset coordinate system. While it works, it doesn't allow for the same kind of easy calculations as a square grid.

An elegant solution is to use a 3D coordinate system. You can project a 3D grid onto your 2D hex grid. Each coordinate then lines up with a row of hex fields. This is called cube coordinates. This system allows you to use standard calculations like addition and multiplication, making it much easier to figure out distances and plot paths.

== Overlapping Hex Grids ==

Sometimes in game design, you want to use different grid sizes on the same map. For example, you might want a larger grid to represent major areas like biomes or islands, and a smaller grid to show the individual fields within those areas. With square grids, this is simple: you can just divide a larger square into four, nine, or any squared number of smaller squares that align perfectly.

However, this doesn't work with hexagons. You can't perfectly slice one hexagon into smaller ones without having leftover areas.

[[File:Hexagons-tiling.png|600px|center]]

To solve this, you can allow the smaller fields to overlap multiple larger hexagons. This creates a few different types of sub-fields. You get "inner" hexagons that are fully enclosed by a single larger parent hexagon, and "outer" or "fringe" hexagons that sit on the borders between two or three larger parents. The way these overlap depends on whether the hexagons are oriented with a pointy-top or a flat-top.

[[File:Hex-layout-blog.gif|600px|center]]

In Exsol, I use a pointy-top grid for the larger station sectors and a smaller flat-top grid for the subsectors within. This setup gives me three types of subsectors:

* Inner subsectors: The seven fields completely enclosed within a single sector.
* Outer subsectors: The six fields that mark the border between two neighboring sectors.
* Corner subsectors: The six fields that lie between three neighboring sectors.

== Conclusion ==

This blog post provides a brief introduction to hexagonal grids and how they can be used in game design. Going forward, this will help you understand some of the design choices I’ve made while building Exsol. If you’re interested in learning more about hexagonal grids and cube coordinates, I highly recommend this great [https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/ guide] by Amit Patel. And if you're still not convinced of the beauty of hexagons, please take a look at this excellent [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thOifuHs6eY piece of art]. __NOTOC__

Blog:20250925-Hexagons

2025-09-24T15:57:44Z

Ecki: Created page with "= The Beauty of Hexagons = '''Posted on 24 September 2025''' center For me, hexagons are beautiful - simple geometric shapes that feel magical. They can look organic or artificial, venerable or futuristic, stable or flexible, but they are always elegant and efficient. Maybe I'm a bit biased. I've always associated hexagons with games, which is why they are part of some of my favorite memories. Losing my first strategy games to m..."

2025-09-24T14:09:56Z

Ecki: Ecki uploaded a new version of File:Hex-layout-blog.gif

MediaWiki:Common.css

2025-09-24T14:01:37Z

Ecki:

/* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */

.mediawiki {
background-image: url(../img/bg.jpg);
background-attachment: fixed;
background-position: center;
background-size: cover;
font-family: -apple-system,'BlinkMacSystemFont','Segoe UI','Roboto','Inter','Helvetica','Arial',sans-serif;
font-size: 1rem;
font-weight: 400;
color: #c1e4eb;
}

h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
color: #ade6f0;
}

a {
color: #ffb703;
}

a:hover {
color: #fb8500;
text-decoration: none;
}

a:where(.new:not([role="button"])) {
color: #fb4f00;
}

a:where(:not([role="button"])) {
color: #ffb703;
}

a:where(.new:not([role="button"])) {
color: #fb4f00;
}

a:where(:not([role="button"])):visited {
color: #ffb703;
}

a:where(.new:not([role="button"])):visited {
color: #fb4f00;
}

a:where(:not([role="button"])):hover {
color: #fb8500;
}

a:where(.new:not([role="button"])):hover {
color: #fb8500;
}

a:where(:not([role="button"])):visited:hover {
color: #fb8500;
}

a:where(.new:not([role="button"])):visited:hover {
color: #fb8500;
}

#mw-mf-viewport {
background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7);
position: unset;
height: unset;
}

.header-container {
height: 80px;
padding-left: 1rem;
padding-right: 1rem;
}

.minerva-header {
border-top: unset;
height: 100%;
margin-top: auto;
margin-bottom: auto;
}

.minerva-header .branding-box {
min-width: unset;
opacity: 1;
}

.branding-box {
font-family: "Mali";
font-weight: 500;
text-shadow: 1px 1px #2c3532;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-right: 50px;
}

div.branding-box a span {
color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
}

.heading-holder .tagline {
color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
}

.minerva-user-navigation {
padding-right: 10px;
}

.heading-holder {
width: 100%;
}

.page-heading {
width: 90%;
color: rgb(255, 183, 3);
}

.action-edit .mw-first-heading {
color: rgb(255, 183, 3);
}

.minerva__tab-container .minerva__tab .minerva__tab-text {
color: #fb8500 !important;
}

.minerva__tab-container .minerva__tab.new .minerva__tab-text {
color: #fb4f00 !important;
}

.page-actions-menu__list-item .cdx-button {
color: #fb8500 !important;
}

.cdx-button.language-selector.disabled {
color: #aaaaaa !important;
}

#mw-mf-page-center {
background-image: url(../img/bg.png);
margin-right: auto;
margin-left: auto;
background-color: unset;
}

.header-container.header-chrome {
background-color: rgba(39, 111, 191, 0.8);
}

.mw-body {
background-color: unset;
}

#bodyContent {
background-color: rgba(42, 79, 114, 0.8);
width: 100%;
max-width: 100%;
margin: 0px;
padding-top: 2rem;
padding-bottom: 2rem;
}

.mw-body-content::before {
border-radius: 0.5rem;
content: "";
position: absolute;
top: -0.5rem;
bottom: -0.5rem;
left: -0.5rem;
right: -0.5rem;
border: 0.25rem solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);
z-index: -1;
}

.mw-body-content {
width: 90%;
min-height: 500px;
position: relative;
margin-top: 0.5rem;
margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
border-radius: .25rem !important;
background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
}

.mw-body-content img {
margin-bottom: 20px;
border-radius: 2.5px;
box-shadow: -1px -1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);
}

#mw-content-subtitle {
color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);
}

#mw-content-subtitle a {
color: rgb(255, 183, 3);
}

#mw-content-subtitle a:hover {
color: #fb8500;
}

.mw-content-ltr {
padding: 2rem;
}

.noarticletext {
padding: 2rem;
}

.mw-pager-navigation-bar {
padding: 2rem;
}

.mw-pager-body {
padding: 2rem;
}

.mw-newarticletext {
padding: 2rem;
}

.mw-editform {
padding: 2rem;
}

.mw-rcfilters-head {
padding: 2rem;
}

.mw-changeslist {
padding: 2rem;
}

.cdx-message {
border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85);
border-radius: .25rem !important;
}

.content {
z-index: auto;
}

.minerva-icon--bellOutline {
background-image: unset;
}

.mw-changeslist-line {
border-bottom: unset;
}

ul.special li {
border-bottom: unset;
}

.ext-discussiontools-init-new-topic {
margin-left: 0 !important;
margin-right: 0 !important;
}

.mw-footer {
padding-top: 3rem !important;
padding-bottom: 3rem !important;
background-color: rgba(39, 111, 191, 0.8);
}

.minerva-footer {
border-top: unset;
text-align: center !important;
line-height: 1.75;
margin: 0;
}

.footer-content {
margin-top: 0px;
}

footer.mw-footer div.post-content {
margin-top: 0px;
}

a.last-modified-bar {
background-color: unset;
color: rgb(255, 183, 3) !important;
border-bottom: unset;
}

.last-modified-bar__content {
text-align: left !important;
display: block;
}

.minerva-icon--modified-history {
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
}

.last-modified-bar__text {
margin-left: 0px;
margin-right: 0;
}

.minerva-icon--expand {
margin-left: 0px;
margin-right: auto;
}

footer.mw-footer div.post-content .minerva-footer-logo {
border-bottom: unset;
padding-bottom: 0px;
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 1rem;
}

footer.mw-footer div.post-content .minerva-footer-logo img {
vertical-align: middle;
}

.footer-items {
font-family: "Mali";
text-transform: uppercase;
font-weight: 500;
font-size: 80%;
color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
text-shadow: 1px 1px #2c3532;
margin: 0 !important;
}

.footer-items .footer-item {
color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
text-decoration: none;
}

.footer-items .footer-item:hover {
color: #fb8500;
text-decoration: none;
}

.minerva-icon {
background-color: rgb(255, 183, 3) !important;
}

@media (min-width: 576px) {
#mw-mf-page-center {
max-width: 540px;
}

}

@media (min-width: 640px) {
.minerva-header .search-box {
display: none;
}

.client-js #searchIcon {
display: block;
}
}

@media (min-width: 768px) {
#mw-mf-page-center {
max-width: 720px;
}

.minerva-header .search-box {
display: block;
width: 100%;
max-width: 300px;
}

.client-js #searchIcon {
display: none;
}
}

@media (min-width: 992px) {
#mw-mf-page-center {
max-width: 960px;
}

.minerva-header {
padding-left: 3rem;
padding-right: 3rem;
}

.minerva-header .search-box {
display: block;
width: 100%;
max-width: 460px;
}
}

@media (min-width: 1200px) {
#mw-mf-page-center {
max-width: 1140px;
}
}

@media screen and (max-width:calc(768px - 1px)) {
.suggestions-results {
display: table;
width: 100%
}

.suggestions-results a {
height: 70px;
width: 100%;
display: table;
box-sizing: border-box
}

.suggestions-results .suggestions-result {
display: table-cell;
vertical-align: middle;
width: 100%
}

.search-enabled .minerva-header {
position: relative
}

.search-enabled .minerva-header .search-box {
display: block;
position: absolute;
left: 0px;
right: 0px;
top: 22px;
max-width: 420px;
z-index:2
}
}

File:Hexagons-tiling.png

2025-09-24T13:36:22Z

Ecki: Ecki uploaded a new version of File:Hexagons-tiling.png

File:Hexagons-tiling.png

2025-09-24T13:32:43Z

Ecki:

File:Hex-layout-blog.gif

2025-09-24T10:01:52Z

Ecki:

Blog:20250716-Hexagons

2025-08-25T15:58:20Z

Ecki: /* Coordinate systems for hexagons */

= The beauty of hexagons =

[[File:Hexagons-honey-bees.jpg|right|400px]]

Hexagons are beautiful! For me, they are little masterpieces. A simple geometric shape that somehow conveys something magical. Depending on the context, they are organic or artificial, historical or futuristic, stable or flexible, but always elegant and efficient.

Maybe my view is a bit biased. I've always associated hexagons with games of all kinds and that's why they are part of some of my fondest memories. The first strategy games I had to lose to my big brother. But hey, at least I got to play with him. And the many rounds of Settlers of Catan at the table with good friends. That's where friendships were put to the test. Some of the best games of all time rely on hexagonal boards. But why are hexagons so popular in game design? Well, there's a good reason.

== Hexagonal grids ==

[[File:Hexagons-HexMapDistance.png|left|400px]]

If you arrange squares on a game board as equilateral hexagons, then all neighboring squares are equidistant from each other. This means that each hexagon has six neighbors and the path to each of them is the same. Compare this to a classic game board consisting of squares. Here, each square has eight neighbors, four on each side and four diagonally. So the first question is how a piece can be moved here. If you only move across the sides, each step covers the same distance. However, if you want to move diagonally, the distance is √2 times (about 1.42 times) that of the other neighbors.

Is that a bad thing? In many cases it is not. In games like chess, it's even a feature. The different movements of the pieces are designed for exactly this kind of grid and harmonize wonderfully with it. Real distances don't play a role here. However, if game pieces need to be able to move as freely as possible over a fixed distance, then a grid of squares quickly reaches its limits. If you only allow movement across the horizontal and vertical neighbors, the distance to squares in between increases enormously. If you also allow movement across the diagonal, you can no longer divide movements into equally sized steps.

Hexagonal grids reduce the first problem and eliminate the second. Even with hexagonal grids, there is not always a linear path from one hex to another. However, the six possible basic directions allow a much better approximation. The largest possible deviation here is 15.5 % compared to a maximum of 41.4 % for squares that allow diagonal movement. And the individual steps are always the same distance. Of course, hexagonal grids are not perfect either. An obvious disadvantage is that the hexagonal shape of the fields makes it more difficult to depict rectangular structures such as buildings and corridors. Here you often have to work with split fields, which complicates the movement rules in a game. Another disadvantage is that the coordinate systems for hexagons are somewhat more complex. Fortunately, there are practicable solutions for this.

== Coordinate systems for hexagons ==

[[File:Hexagons-cube-coordinates.png|right|700px]]

The gridding of square-based game boards is trivial. Here we have two axes, usually x and y, which are at right angles to each other. The x value describes the column number and the y value describes the row number of a square. The basic calculations within this Cartesian coordinate system are taught early on in school. So far, so good.

But how does this translate to a hexagon-based grid? Well, here too we have columns (q) and rows (r). However, due to the shape of a hexagon, some neighbors are offset, meaning they are not directly below or next to each other. If you arrange the hexagons with the tip pointing upwards, every second row is offset to the right by half the width. If you point the tip to the right, every second column is offset. This arrangement is called offset coordinates. In principle, we can work with this type of coordinates. However, they do not support the use of vector operations as in a 2D Cartesian coordinate system.

There is an elegant solution to this problem. We can project a three-dimensional coordinate system onto our hex grid. Each coordinate correlates with a line of hex fields on the grid. When we increase a coordinate by 1, we move from one line to the next one that runs parallel to it. The beauty of this system is that it allows us to adapt vector operations as in a 3D Cartesian coordinate system such as addition and multiplication. It is also very easy to apply algorithms for calculating distances and pathfinding. If you are interested in hexagonal grids and cube coordinates, have a look at this great [https://www.redblobgames.com/grids/hexagons/ introduction] by Amit Patel.