Mapping, how do you do it?

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noman

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How do you map? What tools, techniques, tricks do you use? Share your mappy wisdom! Discuss!
 
How do you map? What tools, techniques, tricks do you use? Share your mappy wisdom! Discuss!
BAck in the day I would get the graph paper and kick it live. But nowadays I'm lazy. I have a disc full of map from WotC, or I steal from Dyson Logos. That's assuming I even use a map. I've been known to sketch out certain areas when needed.
 
I used to create maps by hand. Now like Ronin I usually go online for maps.

For battlemaps I either use theater of the mind, index cards to sketch out dimensions, or I use an actual battlemap and ruler for complex battles.
 
Most of the time, I find free map resources online or purchase them from DTRPG or directly from publishers. For wilderness maps, or Traveller subsectors, I use the free version of Hexographer.
 
I'm a caveman. I still use graph and hex paper and a pencil and not much else. I found stuff online I can print out at work when no one is looking so I get all my supplies for free aside from binders to hold stuff in and the occasional page protector that I pick up at Target.
 
I do the majority of my gaming online these days. For that, I use VTT maps off of DriveThrRPG.com for the most part.

For offline gaming, I have sixteen Tact-Tiles and wet erase markers.








Note that while Tact-Tiles says that they're dry marker compatible, wet markers work much better.
 
Just got back into it. I'm into janky, DIY crayon-colored maps (sometimes on hexes!). They look like sad top-down satellite image impressionism. But are relatively quick to whip out -- and they leave so much to the imagination from the dithering effect of crayons! :hehe:

I also label them generically, have some movement and hex terrain info on the back, and that's it. Then I can produce a separate sheet to seed locations or hexes with campaign-specific monsters, loot, and wonders. Then I hand the players a blank map, some art supplies, and tell them to do their own cartography! Very approachable and reusable. :thumbsup:

:angel: I'm lazy AND cheap!
 
I draw mine out by hand, then scan and trace over those with some kind of photoshop-like program. I've collected a bunch from online over the years as well, which come in handy every now and then.
 
As far as techniques go: if you're out of ideas and don't want to use a generator, you can trace over real world coastlines and flip/mirror them and you have a pretty quick, pretty realistic region. Also, if you've made yourself a region map a fun thing I like to do is load it up in Google Earth to quickly compare distances to real world locations. Nothing essential for play, but a neat diversion.
 
I'm a GIS analyst by trade so I used to use my home version of ArcMap to build my world/regional maps with features I could fill full of tabular data for my big psuedo-antediluvian-alt-earth campaign, but it's total overkill. Hexographer/worldographer from inkwell is much simpler and gets the job done. For interior and small scale battle maps I either use dungeon painter studio, Illwinter's floorplan generator, or Dyson maps, or cobble some geomorphs together in Roll20.

I've had limited success with campaign cartographer; its interface blows goats.
 
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These are all great replies. :smile:

Back when I was running Amber, there was really no need for maps, as the characters could change the environment at will, in most cases.

Now, I'm being forced to learn mapping skills. So far, I've been sketching out tactical maps by hand at the table, and for important maps, I've been grabbing whatever I can find online, and editing using GImp. I've also picked up a few VTT maps, but have no idea what to do with them. they're just cool! :grin:

I'm currently looking at mapping software, trying to decide what to buy.
 
These are all great replies. :smile:

Back when I was running Amber, there was really no need for maps, as the characters could change the environment at will, in most cases.

Now, I'm being forced to learn mapping skills. So far, I've been sketching out tactical maps by hand at the table, and for important maps, I've been grabbing whatever I can find online, and editing using GImp. I've also picked up a few VTT maps, but have no idea what to do with them. they're just cool! :grin:

I'm currently looking at mapping software, trying to decide what to buy.
Dungeon Painter has a free online tool in addition to their stand-alone application.
 
Dungeon Painter has a free online tool in addition to their stand-alone application.

Ooh! Thanks for the tip, Nick. :smile:

EDIT: misspelling
 
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Mapping as GM - basically I don't; I typically nick something from Dyson Logos and edit it to fit.

I do make players map though! You can't really do a megadungeon without mapping.
 
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