Not behavior, object.
Picture a grid with an X and Y amount of cells. It is a 2D table, okay. You would be able to define the size of cell, say, 32x32. You'd have abstract X and Y coordinates of the cell independent of the actual layout position.
Now, imagine if you were able to pan the grid... deform it... hell, wrap it into a ball. Voila! You can use those grid cells by referring to their abstract position!
Moreover - by modifying the grid, you can have textures that automatically scale, deform or whatever to fit the new shape. For example, you could turn it by 45 degrees and have an isometric grid, while retaining the ability to move between cells without having to do complex maths!