Specifically the map tiles? Minis are a no brainier right?

I am curious because I'm still fairly unfamiliar with the game, were playing our first beginner session tomorrow. I know there's really no movement other than the range increments, so no need for grids, but I was wondering if the map tiles are still worth using?

Has anyone here used them and if so how did it work out?

Thanks!

Because of range increments grids tend to confuse rather than assist. Hand drawn maps are the best way to go unless you're using modules. In which case printing out large size at FedEx is good too.

The minis would be ok to use. The maps for a visual fun reference, but grids? No.

Big complicated fights can benefit from some visual aids to help everyone keep straight where they are in relation to one another. Applying grids to the range bands system though is like trying to write poetry with a calculator imo.

I wasn't really looking to use grids, I understand they're unnecessary. I was more wondering about the tiles as a visual, like using them for a building and the like.

Yah, if there's lotsa stuff that people need to consider and to make the big fight more fun, sure, the maps are fine.

I really like using the Imperial Assault stuff. I know the grid is useless, but its not too hard to ignore. It helps when planning sessions too because when I'm designing something I just throw all the tiles out there and get an idea for the area I'm planning to work with and then I can plan stuff around it. My players are more visual and like seeing the map and minis even without the use of the grid. Gives you a better idea of relative positioning. As long as you have it planned out in advance and have the tiles set aside in groups that will be needed so you aren't wasting time digging them out and setting it up, then it works well enough.

Actually for me, half the reason to buy the Imperial Assault, was to get minis to use with RPG. But as I have played more this game, I have noticed how our game works better when I'm using less maps. Or using them mostly as visual aids, but not using them with minis. When using maps and minis, we easily slip back to pathfinder battle map mode, where map defines too much. Currently my favourite style is to use only range band grid , without actual map. But currently our style is kind of hybrid where I'm using maps but trying to keep things as abstract as possible. I have noticed sometimes map restricts PCs and my as GM decisions about what to do. In our previous game we had a firefight and I had a droid NPC in middle of room, and I wanted him to take cover, but it took a moment to remind myself he can take cover even when there is nothing drawn in map near him.

And to be clear, I don't mean that maps are bad, I mean that every group must find what works with them.

I have noticed sometimes map restricts PCs and my as GM decisions about what to do. In our previous game we had a firefight and I had a droid NPC in middle of room, and I wanted him to take cover, but it took a moment to remind myself he can take cover even when there is nothing drawn in map near him.

I had that exact same problem. I was drawing big maps because I like drawing big maps, but then it only made my players less likely to make narrative changes, which is something I wanted to encourage. "I duck into an alley" (now there's an alley, of course, except it's not on my map...)

No, I don't use IA components with EotE. Using miniatures slows the game down and lessens the impact of the narrative system. FFG Star Wars combat should be a continuous conversation, not a weird chess game like Dungeons & Dragons .

Minis on hand drawn maps make the most sense to me. The tiles are good for installations but a hand drawn map allows the players to use Destiny Points to make narrative changes to the map. In reality I just use colored jellybeans to represent PCs and NPCs. The players get to eat the stormtroopers after they defeat them.

I wasn't really looking to use grids, I understand they're unnecessary. I was more wondering about the tiles as a visual, like using them for a building and the like.

I don't own and have never played imperial assault. But I do use wotc star wars minis and maps (I got all of the maps of mastery maps in a kick starter last year), I also downloaded all the wotc minis game fan made maps from the now defunct "holocron" and I have digital maps from other sources too (such as the consular criser deckplan from colonial chrome). The point is when I get maps printed I have them printed in 11x17 inch pieces on heavy duty paper (office max/office deoot... I love that store... you can get good computers cheap there, hp pavillion laptops, best buy is way too expensive but they also carry really high end merchandise, the day after thanksgiving I got the top of the line Logitech Webcam for $50, to help one of my players teleconference to our at the table game)

But back to the point is I use a large grid where each 11x17 sheet is a grid cell and moving within or between grid cells cost 1 maneuver, which let's us back conert range bands. Short range is the grid cell/tile you're on, medium is the next two over, and long range is the next two after that. Given that my "that's not a coffee table, that's a dinner table for hobits" coffee table is 56 inches by 34 inches, extreme range is quite literally "off the table".

It works quite well for us, you might be able to use the same idea with the tiles from imperial assault (I don't know, i've never seen the game pieces).

BTW my players say I have a wotc minis addiction problem, we game every two or so months and when I don't have the perfect mini i need for the next session, I buy it online from trollandtoad (occasionally miniatures market or cool stuff Inc or ebay if troll and toad doesn't have the minis I need in stock),over the last decade+ i've spent well over 1K on wotc star wars miniatures, but they're for rpg purposes, i've never played a single instance of the minis game, or bought a random minis booster pack.

just invested in Imperial Assault and do plan on using the map tiles for the rpg and the other characters as well as I invest more into the game and maybe more stuff from the game. I did pick up all the expansions minus the figure expansions which allows another friend if he interested in the other figures to pick them up as well. I do plan on comparing them to the WOTC figures since I still have them as well.

The IA minis are cast in better quality plastic, are more realistic looking, and have better detail. But they’re not painted, they are lighter in weight, and I think they would break more easily.

Of course, there’s not nearly so many IA minis as there are WotC minis, so there is less variety to choose from.

i use my imperial assault characters in my rpg games.