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[ed boy]

I've decided to try to start a new forum game, with the main intention of testing how a game based on an ocatgonal grid will work. I therefore have started this thread so people who have lots of experience in forum games can assist in the design process.

The grid would look like this (but bigger):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The game must satisfy the following requirements:
-It must take place within the grid
-the environment would be player-made (the different features would be placed by the players instead of starting there)
-the game must be turn-based
-the rules must not be very complicated
-it must be fun!

I must therefore ask the people here as to what to do. You do not have to submit a fully-formed idea. It could be something you'd like to see, something that has worked well in the past, or something that should be avoided.

[Samthere]

When you specify it must take place within the grid, are you considering the diamonds as a separate type of location to the octagons, or do you mean strictly within the octagons. If the latter, it's just a square grid with no diagonals, no?

[ed boy]

It would take place in the diamonds as well as the octagons.

[Vanigo]

Actually, an octagonal grid is exactly like a square grid with diagonal movement, just turned 45 degrees. Check the connectivity for yourself; it's identical.
Edit: No, wait, my mistake. Only half the diagonals are in. Still, though, what's the point?

[ed boy]

The point of it is that the octagonal grid has many functions, but it appears to have no representation in games, whereas hexagonal and square grids, which are not as functional, are very popular. i wish to start a forum game to see if there is some problem that I have missed, and if it turns out that the octagonal grid is a success, then future forum games can profit from it.

[Vanigo]

the octagonal grid has many functions... hexagonal and square grids... are not as functional

Uh, what? Explain.

[Omegastick]

This could be used with my SGE. It would be really easy to add an octagonal grid system to it.

[ed boy]

the octagonal grid has many functions... hexagonal and square grids... are not as functional

Uh, what? Explain.

A square grid is nice for orthagonal movement, but non-straight movement is hard. Navigating around small obstacles is clunky and inefficient, and attempting to add diagonal travel can make non-diagonal travel not worth performing.

The hexagonal grid does not allow for smooth orthagonal movement - in one direction it functions perfectly, but in the perpendicular direction, it can be inefficient and clunky.

The octagonal grid allows for movement in both orthagonal and diagonal directions with ease. Navigating around obstacles is smooth and fluid. It can also allow for the modelling of other things - Size and squeezing through gaps, for example, can be modelled with the differently sized tiles.

[Vanigo]

The octagonal grid allows for movement in both orthagonal and diagonal directions with ease. Navigating around obstacles is smooth and fluid. It can also allow for the modelling of other things - Size and squeezing through gaps, for example, can be modelled with the differently sized tiles.

Unless you're doing something funky with diagonal movement costs, moving diagonally and alternating between horizontal and vertical movement yields exactly the same distances. You've got exactly the same 'non-diagonal movement not worth using' issue, just turned 45 degrees.
I suppose you could do some interesting things with only small creatures (or small vehicles or whatever) being able to use the diamond tiles, though.