diff --git a/src/hexgame.cpp b/src/hexgame.cpp
index dab1812..f7d2f52 100644
--- a/src/hexgame.cpp
+++ b/src/hexgame.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 
 // Some defaults for the game layout
-#define HEX_SIZE 25
-#define HEX_RADIUS 7
+#define HEX_SIZE 20
+#define HEX_RADIUS 9
 #define HEX_ORIENTATION layout_flat
-#define FILL_COLOR 0x5C5C5CFF
+#define FILL_COLOR 0x565656FF
 #define SELECTED_FILL_COLOR 0xF46000FF
 #define DEBUG_DRAW true
 #define VIEWPORT_WIDTH 1280
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void
 createHexes(vector<hex_info> *hxi_array, const Layout &layout, uint32 color)
 {
 	// create a hexagonal grid of hexagons
-	int map_radius = 7;
+	int map_radius = HEX_RADIUS;
 	for (int q = -map_radius; q <= map_radius; q++)
 	{
 		int r1 = std::max(-map_radius, -q - map_radius);
diff --git a/src/renderer.h b/src/renderer.h
index dd2ae57..99507bf 100644
--- a/src/renderer.h
+++ b/src/renderer.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ void openglDebugCallback(GLenum source, GLenum type, GLuint id, GLenum severity,
 						GLsizei length, const GLchar* message, const void* userParam);
 void fillTriangleBufferFromHex(GLfloat buf[], int idx,  const hex_info &hex);
 void fillColorBuffer(GLfloat buf[], int len, std::vector<hex_info> *hexes);
+void convertColor(GLfloat buf[], uint32 color);
 void fillHexLineBuffer(GLfloat buf[], int len, std::vector<hex_info>* hexes);
 bool checkGLBufferSize(GLenum buf_type, int expected_size, int line_num);
 bool initGLBufferObject(gl_buffer* buf_obj, int len, GLenum usage, GLfloat data[]);
@@ -319,19 +320,34 @@ fillTriangleBufferFromHex(GLfloat buf[], int idx,  const hex_info &hex)
 	}
 }
 
+// NOTE: helper for fillColorBuffer() to convert uint32 color to GLfloat triplet
+void
+convertColor(GLfloat buf[3], uint32 color)
+{
+	// NOTE: not using the alpha values for now
+	buf[0] = (GLfloat) ((color >> 24) & 0xFF) / (GLfloat) 255; 
+	buf[1] = (GLfloat) ((color >> 16) & 0xFF) / (GLfloat) 255; 
+	buf[2] = (GLfloat) ((color >> 8) & 0xFF) / (GLfloat) 255; 
+}
+
 void
 fillColorBuffer(GLfloat buf[], int len, std::vector<hex_info>* hexes)
 {
 	int buf_idx;
 	int buf_len_per_hex = 54; // NOTE: 3 * 3 * 6
+	GLfloat color_buf[3];
 	for (int i = 0; i < (int) hexes->size(); i++)
 	{
 		buf_idx = i * buf_len_per_hex;
 		hex_info hxi = (*hexes)[i];
-		GLfloat color = (GLfloat) hxi.current_color / (GLfloat) UINT32_MAX;
-		
-		for (int j = 0; j < buf_len_per_hex; j++)
-			buf[buf_idx + j] = color;
+		convertColor(color_buf, hxi.current_color);
+
+		for (int j = 0; j < buf_len_per_hex; j+=3)
+		{
+			buf[buf_idx + j] = color_buf[0];
+			buf[buf_idx + j + 1] = color_buf[1];
+			buf[buf_idx + j + 2] = color_buf[2];
+		}
 	}
 }