A scale ladder is the list of levels in Settings > Scale Levels: your base map at the top and each more detailed level below it. How the levels work is covered in how scale levels work. This page helps you choose one.
How many levels you get
| Plan | Levels |
|---|---|
| Free | The base map and one detail level |
| Pro | Up to four levels, the base map included |
On the free plan you get two levels: the base map and one detail level. Deeper ladders, including Full Drill-Down, need Pro, so adding a third level opens the upgrade window instead.
The presets
| Preset | Ladder | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom → Province | 24 mi → 6 mi | A realm map you can zoom into to run overland travel |
| Province → Local | 6 mi → 1 mi | A sandbox region where the party explores hex by hex |
| Full Drill-Down | 24 mi → 6 mi → 1 mi | A whole campaign world, from the realm to the village (Pro) |
A preset replaces the whole ladder, base level included, and Hexer asks before it does. To build your own, type a number of miles per hex and click Add. Every level must be finer than the base.
Keep the steps small
Each step multiplies the hexes: a step of 4 (24 mi to 6 mi) puts about 16 detailed hexes in each larger hex, a step of 6 (6 mi to 1 mi) about 36. Steps of 3 to 6 keep each level readable and quick to paint. On a large, fully painted map, a big step can make a detail level too large to load. Hexer then refuses it and suggests a scale closer to the level above, or painting less of the level above first.
What the detail level starts with
The first time you zoom into a new level, you choose Start blank, where every detailed hex shows the terrain of the larger hex it sits in and follows it when you repaint, or Generate terrain, which gives the level terrain of its own with natural variation. Start blank if you’ll only detail a few places; generate if you want the whole level to look finished. See what a detailed level inherits.
A ladder deeper than the presets
With Pro you can add a fourth level for a city: 24 mi → 6 mi → 1 mi → 0.25 mi gives the city its streets and districts, one hex for each quarter mile.