Hexagonal Highway

MM7: Hexagonal Highway

nyoom

Gameplay

This game is played on a hexhex5 grid (the same grid used in MM3).

In this Main Match, players will move around a grid trying to travel the largest distance.

Players will be randomly placed on the corners of the grid. At the start of each round, tiles a certain player controls will be given a specific color. Players control all spaces that are at most two spaces away from them. For instance, a player on A1 would control A1/A2/A3/B1/B2/B3/C1/C2/C3.

(Some spaces can be controlled by multiple players.)

In each of six rounds, players make three submissions:

1) They can place up to two direction tiles on tiles they control, selecting either Left or Right for each of them. (Clockwise and Anticlockwise, to be clear.) Direction tiles last for the duration of the game unless they are replaced. 2) Players can place a blockade tile on a tile they control. Players cannot place blockade tiles on any of the six corner hexes. Blockade tiles last one round. 3) Players must also submit a direction for their player to move in, out of [Left, Up-Left, Down-Left, Right, Up-Right, Down-Right].

Tiles can be placed on other tiles, but not on spaces occupied by players.

All tiles are placed at the same time. Tiles placed in the current round will override tiles from the previous round.

If multiple players place different tiles on the same space in the same round (including opposing direction tiles), all of their submissions would fail (as if they had not submitted). (If all players placing on the same space submit the same tile, their submission goes through.)

After direction and blockade tiles have been placed, each player will begin on the tile they ended on in the previous round, or in the case of the first round, their starting tile.

Players will move continuously in their specified direction and only change their current direction if they land on a direction tile (by 60 degrees in the specified direction). Players only stop moving just before they would hit an edge of the grid, a blockade tile, or a space previously visited that round by themselves.

If multiple players end a round on the same space, all players involved in the collision are returned to their starting hexes. If a starting hex is unavailable, that player will return onto a random unoccupied starting hex.

Players score one point for each space they move onto. Being forcibly returned to a starting hex via the above condition does not count for this.

The final board is publicized after every round, but submissions are not. Scores are also public.

Variations

Round 1: Theme

Round 2: Center Control

Hexes on the edge of the grid give no points. The center seven hexes give players two points instead of one.

Round 3: Line of Sight

Players instead control all spaces in a straight line from them in every direction. This line persists through all types of tiles but not other players.

Round 4: Reverse the World

Before any tiles are placed, all direction tiles are reversed. This will be reflected in the updated grid.

Round 5: Highway Robbery

As well as controlling all tiles two tiles away, players control all tiles strictly closer to them than any other player.

Players can place up to two robbers (which last for one round) on any two distinct spaces they control without a player on it. If a player other than you moves onto a robber that you placed, you steal two points from the player that moved onto it. Robbers are not tiles, and thus can coexist with other robbers, direction tiles, and blockade tiles. Robber locations will not be revealed, but point totals will.

Round 6: Rubber Walls

Players that would otherwise hit the edge of the grid will bounce off as if reflected. For instance, a player moving right in the C row gets reflected on C7 (eg: C6 -> C7 -> D7 -> E7...) ... onto I3, which results in H4 -> I3 -> H3 -> G3 and so on.

Players will also bounce of corners as long as they don't hit them head on (eg: F8 -> E9 -> D8). If you move straight into a corner (E8 -> E9), you will not bounce.

Example: If Fruit moves left with direction tiles as follows, this would be his path.