Visual Perspective and How It Effects Our Games

[JoeGuardsman]

Have you ever been caught in an assault that was theoretically impossible yet the models are right there and in range? or Wonder why more or fewer models were hit by a blast marker. The problem is visual perspective.
It is a simple concept where your own personal eyes in your head line of sight distorts the position of the model, measure or blast marker. Movement has the largest effect on the game and inaccurate movement can cause the most problems. Example: If you hold your tape measure above the head of your model the downward angle that you can draw from your eyes through the head of the measure to the board will be some distance from the actual end of the movement. This can be exacerbated with tall and obstructive terrain that raises your arm and measure up even higher. Solution: It can be difficult at times but try to get your head above directly above the start and end point of your model's movement and keep the measure as close to the board as possible.
The other problem with perspective is blast markers. If you look diagonally down at the blast marker your perspective stretches it away from you. This could cause more or fewer models to be covered. This is also easily solved by getting your head directly over the template. Good luck keeping the template in the same position as you move your head around and count up your full and partial hits. The other perspective problem is if you hold your blast marker too close to your face and too high up from the models. The closer the blast marker is to you and the further away it is from the models the bigger it becomes in relation to perspective. I play Imperial Guard and on more than one occasion I've had to tell people to bring the template down so that they didn't hit as many people.
Those are my thoughts on perspective. Now go out and have some carefully measured gaming. Unless you play really friendly games and just don't care. I'm fine with that.

[Stubber]

I always try to measure distance by looking down on the models or placing the tape on the board next to them.
It's always torture when you have a disagreement and ask someone neutral to decide and they glance at the board from the other side of the room when they're deciding.

Once I moved a jetpack model full distance over difficult terrain then moved another 6" in the same direction. The other guy with a squad of marines thought he was able to assault despite the fact that they were 3" away from my crisis suit before I moved it and they only rolled a 5 for difficult terrain.

[Warmaster Romulas]

ive seen many players with the perspective problem
they move their guys sometimes 8 inches
and catch 7 guys in one blast
so to solve that i run a workshop on how to properly measure
for the really difficult ones i get the old 18 in stick that came with the 3rd ed box set
i cut it at 6 inches giving a 12" and a 6" for movement
then i have them bring the blast template al the way down to the models them selves
proper measuring makes for the most fun games
other wise you get caught up in trivial squables

[Prince of the Night]

Gale force makes a wonderful measuring device with a 6" side a 4" city fight coherency distance bottom, and a 2" standard coherency top.

I agree that measurement is a crucial part of the game and should be mandated. This makes for a much more enjoyable game.

I've played games where my opponent would try to measure from the front of the models base to start the move and the rear of the base for finishing movement, which mould give them an extra inch of movement each turn.

You hate to hate to correct them, but that is how they learn.

[JoeGuardsman]

Oh yeah I forgot about the infamous front to back. I also hate it when people lay down dice for their deployment line. I've never seen a straight line with that method.

[Warmaster Romulas]

well the dice for deployment isnt so bad as long as the measure for each one

[JoeGuardsman]

I don't like it because of all the area in between the dice. If you measure each die individually and line the whole deployment zone then I'd say you are being accurate. That would however be much more annoying on another level.

[Ides]

normally you'd measure for 2-3 dice. measure up each edge of the board, place a dice at the furthest distance and your deployment zone is behind the imaginary line between those two.

[Warmaster Romulas]

or more dice if needed to maitain a line along the long table edge
but its a good system if measured right

[Baron Spikey]

Originally Posted by Warmaster Romulas

ive seen many players with the perspective problem
they move their guys sometimes 8 inches
and catch 7 guys in one blast
so to solve that i run a workshop on how to properly measure
for the really difficult ones i get the old 18 in stick that came with the 3rd ed box set
i cut it at 6 inches giving a 12" and a 6" for movement
then i have them bring the blast template al the way down to the models them selves
proper measuring makes for the most fun games
other wise you get caught up in trivial squables

I remember that god damn stick- my mate always used to hit me with it...probably shouldn't have shared that, but then again I am drunk. BOO YAH

[thebarnet]

one of the things i do is that i put the blast template on top of the modles that are getting shot at