So, I decided for today's random ramblings I would talk a bit about my hex grids for Project Eden.
If you would be so kind as to refer to the image provided it should be quite clear what I mean when explaining my reasoning. So, to start off, take a look at the red lines. The red lines are your typical Cartesian co-ordinates where the positive y-direction is downwards. Using these co-ordinates in the top image the mathematics are simple for drawing the hex grid on the screen, as well as working out where the selection cursor is. The only mathematical operator you need to use is the modulus, and you are set (I wont go into the specific mathematics, just broadly explain things), so the screen space translates into sections of this grid in an easy way for the mind to grasp. Simple to grasp means easy to implement.
So, following the first red line downwards into the second half you can see that the positive y-direction is at an arbitrary angle to our original positive y-direction. This immediately adds a new level of consideration for our maths. To translate screen space into hex space we need to first adjust our y-coordinates to our original x-y space, and use the modulus again. The angle should of course be trivial to work out.
Then, consider the green lines to the right, now you need to consider another arbitrary angle that we need to compensate for in our translation of coordinates. This in itself isn't an issue, it is simply an arbitrary u-v co-ordinate system that needs to be compensated for.
The reason I eventually chose against this is that although the whole idea of an isometric-ish hex grid is appealing, it doesn't make much of a difference to the actual game play, but rather poses a conscious decision to make designing a visually appealing world on the hex grid a bigger challenge as I can no longer work on a simple 2D map, I have to take into account the fact that everything is skew.
It isnt that it is impossible (it is definitely simple now that I have had time to think about it), but being a large project it makes more sense to remove fluff that can add complications in other areas in favour of meeting the deadline for Dream Build Play with a game I am happy to say I made (and that meets the game play designs I would like to achieve).