Yes, I mean tactile and not tactical. For one of the pleasures board gaming offers over computer wargaming is the tactile feel of moving actual pieces vs just virtual ones. And I have found a way (after many tries) of enhancing this aspect of board gaming that works well for PG. First I lay a magnetic whiteboard on my gaming table and place my game maps on it. But one could use sheet metal as well and maybe save some money but they do tend to rust over time. I put a clear plastic sheet over the maps to hold them down, protect the maps from wear, and this allows allows me to write on them with my water erasable marker pens. Also, I have bought laser cut clear acrylic squares, drilled holes in the center and placed small disk magnets in them that fit snugly and thus don't come out and use those as bases for my game pieces. This is the tactical enhances for when you move that base and let go you get this very nice, very strong, and very satisfying snap, that you can both hear and feel.
Also I used my red and green wet erase markers to color the sides of these bases and that gives them a really cool glow plus helps tell one side form the other (green vs red). I choice those two colors in that they are both easily distinguishable and have the best glows. And I use spot lighting to light my table and not room lighting and that makes that glow even cooler. So with with that my tactical wargaming fun meter is now really pegged!
Now to do this does require a financial investment. And if it came down to buying the latest new PG game of spending money on this I would probably go for that latest new game. But at the same time I am happy to have made that investment in that I really like having my tactile wargaming meter thusly pegged. So maybe instead of having the cost of this come out of ones board gaming funds rather take it from ones computer gaming funds in that this brings some of the things that make computer games cool to you table top like pieces that better stay put and glow and such, but a 3D glow and not just a 2D on a flat screen for it is the sides of these bases that glow. and if one loves optics those laser cut acrylic squares a gorgeous in their own light.. pun intended.
Just a practical note here. I bout 1" laser cut acrylic square and the a just a bit bigger than the game pieces which IIFC are 2/3 and inch. My thinking is that better having it a bit too big than almost the right size but not quite.
https://shop.zlazr.com/collections/all/p...tric-craft
And I used 1.4 magnets. My latest purchase of these were these:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Magcraft-Rare.../204721291
These work really well with the drill bit I am using in that the earlier brand I bought did not quite fit snuggly in the holes I drilled and that is a problem in that then one must glue or tape them in which is both messy and adds work. But with these I just need to snap them in with my plairs and they seem to stay in quite well.
And earlier I used a regular drill bit and that did nit work well and I cracked the acrylic squares. But I bought a special bit for drilling acrylics and it works great.
https://www.amazon.com/Drill-Plastic-Acr...B0049C7CTW
I also use a drill press, but the cheaper kind that you can attach a hand drill to and that helps me drill a straight hole perpendicular to the surface of the acrylic square which is really important else the magnet won't set right in the holes. Here is an example (but not the one I own so I can't comment as to how good this model is):
https://www.amazon.com/Wolfcraft-4525404...DEJ2YWKJ70
Now there may be better parts and better supplies than these I listed but these I have tested and they work well for me. For most of my expense was having to try many different approaches and experimentation always seems to take lots of money and time.
At any rate, this is how I am pegging my tactile wargaming meter.
And BTW, another advantage to having these magnetic held bases is that if you bump some pieces at least you have the base to help you remember what hex these pieces were in. Also if you want to use one water erasable pen to mark on the base 9e.g. an ID letter) you can do that.
BTW, I would not recommend using dry erase pens for they can be hard to get off ones they really dry. I spent money and time making my bases and don't want to ruin them so I strictly use wet erase markers. Here is the brand I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Wet-Erase-Overhea...B00006IFGW
And BTW, it is not just the tactile feel that is cool, and the sound of that snap, but is visually quite stunning as well with those glowing bases with their edges colored red and green. So it enhances sight, sound, and feel of my board gaming experience. Plus they were fun to make as well... once I figured out how to make thme and found the right parts and tools.
And while I am on the subject of the well equipped wargamer's table I might also mention that I found this great for jotting down notes during a tunr like was it a M1 or a M2 that I rolled... one would think I could remember.
https://www.amazon.com/Boogie-Board-eWri...B010HWCEFY
At the end of each player segment I hit the erase button to start afresh in making those notes.
And in regard to my white board, I did not lay that directly on my gaming table but put it on small blancos to make what I call a hangar deck under it where i can put small things like rules, charts, playing piece, storage trays and such so as not to clutter my playing surface. It elevates the board a few inches but with my poor eyesight that is a plus.
Ome other note. The strong rare earth magnets work really well with having that clear acrylic sheet over the map in that when the magnets are flush with the magnetic whiteboard they have a really lot of pull but when separated by the thin sheet the pull is just about right. Using weaker magnets they would be too weak and one does not get that snap.
And of course if one is on a strict budget these can be acquired over time and one could start by buying the acrylic squares and forgoing the magnets and a pack of wet erase pens and get the glow even if one doesn't get the snap to go with it. For the magnets us what runs up the price in that one needs a magnetic white board, the magnets, the bit and such.
