Encounter maps and visual aids

[chandlergriz 1]

Just wondering what people plan to use for encounters and combat to represent PCs and their foes?

Im thinking of utilizing Zombicide maps and game pieces but wanted to check here before purchasing anything!

[TagalongFriend 31]

I wasn't planning on using any visual beyond, maybe, a Google Maps projection.

It doesn't need grids or little plastics mans to play, so I'm inclined to keep it simple.

[chandlergriz 1]

You don't think it needs grids or plastic dudes at all for combat and such?  Im unsure how you could create an epic combat scene or stand off with another group without it.  I mean, we all can imagine where people are, sure.  But I think a good deal of combat and maneuvering and such will be better portrayed with some sort of visual aid.

[TagalongFriend 31]

This isn't really a tactical combat game, it's a atmospheric survival-horror game. So no, I don't think you need grids or figures at all. Not all systems need them. Not all systems use them. The rules on this one certainly don't seem to anticipate anyone using them.

[player2147019 1]

i'm going to be using terrain i'm making specifically for The End Of The World Books. any also the terrain will have grid system because i agree with you that, that a grid system is the best way to play out a game like this.

[Banditoralf 18]

A good source my group uses are those tourist map books for your town/city. usually with everyone in your group, you should have an idea of what all the buildings look like in your own town/city.

 

For grid based combat, I used it mainly for when 2 groups fight. If it's just a couple of shambling zombies you can usually play it out in your head fairly easy, but if it's a horde you just say "It's a Horde of Zombies coming from X". Though Grids are much better for when you play this game in a fictional town/city because you will be the only one in the group that knows the entire layout, plus the insides of the buildings.

 

I have mixed feelings on using grids. Like I said before if you are playing this game in your home town or another city then just get city map book. But remember that grids do make it easier to remember where everyone is.

[Steve-O 473]

You don't think it needs grids or plastic dudes at all for combat and such?  Im unsure how you could create an epic combat scene or stand off with another group without it.  I mean, we all can imagine where people are, sure.  But I think a good deal of combat and maneuvering and such will be better portrayed with some sort of visual aid.

It's a matter of personal preference, of course.

The game system does not require miniatures or maps, so people who don't feel the need for such things certainly don't need to use them. People who do feel the need (I'm guessing you fall into this category) are still welcome to boil something up, of course.

Having a bunch of thematic minis laid out on a cool looking map will go a long way towards creating an epic visual experience, I agree. However, it will also create a lot of corner cases to deal with. "Can I see that zombie from here?" "Can I climb on this thing?" "Which spaces can I hit with my machete from here?"

The core game system seems pretty simplistic, so this sort of mapped out approach will likely create a lot of questions that the printed rules don't properly answer. That's not to say you shouldn't do it - just that you'll have to deal with that as well.

Combat will end up taking a larger piece of each game session, and therefore be a large focus of the game. More hack and slash, less actual horror. Nothing wrong with that if that's what you want, of course.

I like to approach RPGs by comparing them to movies. If you want an action movie feel (like World War Z) then minis and maps will help emphasize the combat elements. If you want something more like Walking Dead, where the fights are fast, brutal, but ultimately not that much of the show then you might want to skip maps and minis to avoid having the game bog down every time 2 zombies pop out from around the corner.

Again, it's not a question of what NEEDS to be done, it's a question of what your group WANTS to be done. What kind of game you want to run. There is no wrong answer.

[chandlergriz 1]

Thanks for the responses guys!  It helps a lot!

 

I can definitely see where it would make sense to go either direction here.  Or incorporate BOTH!  I agree that setting up the "board" just for one or two zombies is a waste of time.  Maybe even for a horde (a group will never be able to smash through all of them, right?)  But for circumstances that are like a group of NPCs looking to steal from or kill the PCs it may help make the encounter more real.