Hey guys I am planning my first board and right now thinking about getting this gaming mat http://www.deepcutstudio.com/product/wargames-terrain-mat-neo-tokyo/. Now I awsk myself how much variance can you get with a board that is quite determinaed from the set up by the streets and space where buildings can stand? Would yo go for the 6x4 Version of th Board and then switch the parts of the board you are playing on? What are you thinking about the 4x4 Version concerning playability?
They are both good options. 4x4 can be rotated to change things slightly. 6x4 gives you some long edge left to right variability but short edge play is hampered. As for roads, try no to get hung up about them. Barriers, cargo containers, vehicles, and other obstructions are easy to apply to cut off some routes. And there is nothing wrong with simply placing a building in the middle of the road, it's okay. Let some people get twitchy about it.
I like the idea with a 6*4 and then move the play area around. And I don't think it is a problem with having roads. A big house can easily block a road and make it look good with two roads leading up to it. Walls, containers anything really can look like it belong and make roads a dead end. My OCD gets upset but if I give it a good backstory as to why it is blocked I can get it to calm down. =)
You have several options here. Buying a mat in four parts, while it gives the most usage when it comes to combinations, have a problem: people can "count the distances easily", which in itself is not against the game but will bite you in the ass when you go and play outside (I use Deployment zones, HVT positions and some basic geometry to calculate distances myself, not to mention the ITS objectives and AD troops). The best option for maximum variability is to build a basic mat, with no roads printed, then make your own "road parts" (cardboard cut to shape with glued printed roads can be of great use and simply to make), or get a "generic asphalt" and make roadside parts with the same technique, to surround parks and the buildings (more pieces, but smaller). The final option is to pick a sand/jungle mat and buildings that go with that (like the ones in the USAriadna scenery pack), I'd try and look at the scenery pack mats for inspiration (and you can always "cut" them and mount your own to be printed in a plotter). If you want less hassle, just place big buildings in the gaps on the Neo Tokyo mat, and place other stuff in the middle of the road. Toy trucks, cargo containers (you can find the printable ones in the same downloads page where the rulebook is in the Infinity site, at the end of the Maglev PDF), and prefabricated housing (Toposolitario's webpage has both cargo containers and buidlings you can dry-assemble after printing, but a little cardboard to reinforce it won't hurt) can close a road readily without hurting the more OC types.
