Enlarging the game board

[ieatcrayons]

Just dropping by to ask some questions, because I know several people have enlarged their gameboard and have talked about them in the past.

I’ve got a pool table size area to work with so that should give you the general idea of how large I can go, but that seems a little overdone.  I’ve heard some people talk about a 3x5 laminated game board.  What’s everyones thoughts about this size?  Does everything fit much more comfortably?

Now, price.  I’ve heard prices range anywhere like close to 50 dollars for a laminated 3x5 board, all the way up towards 120 bucks.  Thats a bit pricey and I’d try to avoid price at all costs.  I’d set my price range at around 60 bucks.  Any idea if I’d have much success getting what I’m looking for at or around 60?  Also, obviously I can go to Kinko’s to get my work done, are their any other chains that do similar work?  If not I dont mind shopping around town to get quotes.

Finally, do I just take the gameboard in?  I’d like to avoid this because of the folds in the game board.  Are their any available .pdf files that I can take in otherwise?  Could someone give me a link please?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, crayons.

[Imperious Leader]

Come on now…

AARHE includes replacement map files including the basic map.

Look under Variants.

Printers are not going to copy a published map, and if they were you would have it all pixilated to the point were quality suffers below an acceptable threshold.

[tekkyy]

Some guy did something similar to what you want.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/187305?size=medium
You can try to get in contact with him.

Depending on how big you to print the files you get off the internet might be no good.

The AARHE map has a number of small changes from the original map.
But was recently released at 19800x12600.

It is vector based.
So if you want you can edit out the small changes using the original adobe illustrator file.

For cost and practical reasons you might not want to go over A0.
Large map is nice but annoying if you can’t reach pieces.

[dinosaur]

I looked around online and found a great file for the original AAR map to send to a color plotter at work.  The file had good detail at 36 x 60 and included an edit with the starting position armies printed on the map.  The plot looked great but the local reproduction company wants $3/sq ft to laminate it.  So for doing everything but laminating it, I will be out $45.  This is to give you an idea of what you should expect to pay.  I don’t know how much it should cost to mail something like that, but surely several dollars.  I haven’t used the map yet because I am saving to laminate it.  It does look like it will be much more fun to play on this larger map.  Good Luck, and Merry Christmas!

[axis_roll]

@dinosaur:

I looked around online and found a great file for the original AAR map to send to a color plotter at work.  The file had good detail at 36 x 60 and included an edit with the starting position armies printed on the map.  The plot looked great but the local reproduction company wants $3/sq ft to laminate it.  So for doing everything but laminating it, I will be out $45.  This is to give you an idea of what you should expect to pay.  I don’t know how much it should cost to mail something like that, but surely several dollars.  I haven’t used the map yet because I am saving to laminate it.  It does look like it will be much more fun to play on this larger map.  Good Luck, and Merry Christmas!

I put my map under glass inlaid into a table top, but then again, I am a fanatic.

One option that might be cheaper is to buy a sheet of 1/4" plexiglass to cover your map.  I can not recall the cost, but that’s what my friend did.

[dragon420]

Thanks for the site.  First time on here.  I use a 13’ by 9’ map which comes in 8 sections…  It’s wallpaper actually, but mine is laminated.  I love this map.  With over 2500 pieces on it, including newly acquired destroyer and artillery pieces, the map works perfect for me…  The sea spaces are separated by the longitude and latitude lines and the land spaces are separated by each individual country.  Had to do some modification to Russia and Asia to create appropriate spaces in those areas and to somewhat resemble the original game map design.  With the large amount of game pieces that we play with - I had to create a random rolls generator program that follows the exact protocol the game rules dictate (with modified dice of course).  Some modification and additions were made to the rules as well, so to maximize the realism and fun factor with the use of this map yet try and keep the integrity of the original game as well.  The map cost 130 bucks…  but I wouldn’t use anything else.  But if you are playing a much smaller scale then maybe it’s not for you.  I got my pieces from Milton Bradley when they were still available, plus a lot of boxes of games as well.      http://store.randmcnally.com/product/wall+maps/world/world+wall+mural+-+laminated.do    -  That’s the map, if you would like to take a look.  Believe me, it is the ultimate when it comes to maps, least in my opinion.  However you need room, lots of it.  I haven’t had it set up for a while now, i guess about 6 years…  But am really contemplating setting it back up soon. If anyone has any questions I’ll try to answer.  Oh, the map, I did cut a little off the top and bottom the first time I set this map up.  I since have gotten another map this one is laminated , but this time when i set it up I think I am going to hinge down the top and bottom so any that if i would cut off would still be there, just hinged down in front of me.  The last setup, I had a removable section so you could stand inside (pretty much inside the South Atlantic Ocean) and can do your turns from there. This time I’ll try the hinge. (* Europe is in the Northern hemisphere - usually you have a player playing from the top of the map and another player at the bottom  - for the player standing at the bottom of the map, it’s a reach to reach your pieces in Central Europe) some way to lesson that distance is important.

[Guest]

The plexiglass idea works very well.

I used to have a large sheet of plexiglass that I had attached hex grid to the underside of for use when playing AD&D.  A sheet for a “sliding glass door” replacement panel is a standard size that you can get at a home improvement store and measures about 33" by 75".  I think I had paid about $25 for the last one I bought (circa 1997)

With the plexiglass, you are going to want to also get some small felt “feet” (the little self adhesive felt disks) while you are at Lowe’s and put those on the corners, and a few along the edges.  That will help preent sliding, and will protect your table top.