Feedback Thread: Maps
- Thread starter Grützi
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squeen
8, 8, I forget what is for
I don't know who needs to see this, but it's a CAD version of a 6-mile hex with exact measurements (as a slight refinement to the ones given here).
For reference, Ireland is 32,595 sq. miles...or 1045 x 6-mile hexes. That might sound like a lot, but if you take the square-root of 1045, that's only 32-33 hexes across the top and side of a page.
For reference, Ireland is 32,595 sq. miles...or 1045 x 6-mile hexes. That might sound like a lot, but if you take the square-root of 1045, that's only 32-33 hexes across the top and side of a page.
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The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
Curious as to why you didn't apply a hex grid to that map to illustrate your point?
But yeah, this is what I've been saying about people producing adventures with million mile long treks. It's a very North American perspective on wilderness. Traveling short distances on foot is arduous and a ridiculous amount of features can be found in 6, 3, and even 1 mile areas. Hexcrawls do not have to be massive undertakings.
But yeah, this is what I've been saying about people producing adventures with million mile long treks. It's a very North American perspective on wilderness. Traveling short distances on foot is arduous and a ridiculous amount of features can be found in 6, 3, and even 1 mile areas. Hexcrawls do not have to be massive undertakings.
The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
(says the guy who's been working on one for three years...)
squeen
8, 8, I forget what is for
That was my intention, but I couldn't get the GIMP plugin working on the computer I was using when I posted that. PITA. I'll fix it later today.
squeen
8, 8, I forget what is for
A preliminary (pencil) version of a map I've started. It's the prelude route for the party getting to the output/ranch and Lost World Crater (both shown above).
I got obsessive laying down a true perspective grid (6 mi x 6 mi, hand-drawn) I hope to use to adjust some errors before inking.
I got obsessive laying down a true perspective grid (6 mi x 6 mi, hand-drawn) I hope to use to adjust some errors before inking.
squeen
8, 8, I forget what is for
Starting on the map for the town to the east. It's still obviously in a fun/vague state and I'm leveraging EOTB's Groat's End. I almost started a thread just to talk about town/city creation and how to run it. It's a whole other beast that the hobby has attacked a few different ways (e.g. CSIO), although all are partially unsatisfying to me. For now, I just try to keep things small and manageable.
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grodog
Should be playing D&D instead
It’s a good topic, and the old City (Outdoor) Geomorphs are pretty helpful in prioritizing urban sites needed at the table by adventurers: https://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_geomorphs.html#city
And those settlement sketches are aces, squeen!
Allan.
And those settlement sketches are aces, squeen!
Allan.
The Heretic
Should be playing D&D instead
Truthfully, I partially blame this on Tolkien. Middle-Earth was very empty. Think about the journey across Eriador. I can see that as being a contributor to these unrealistic distances.
The Heretic
The Heretic
Should be playing D&D instead
I am VERY glad you show it being six miles between the flat ends. Paizo, in their Kingmaker adventure path, declared that each hex was 11 miles across, from corner to corner. Corner to corner?!? Are you out of your mind!?! Should we do the same thing with graph paper too, then? Oy!
The Heretic
The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
Yeah, I was arguing with myself even as I wrote that statement. I'd recently finished reading the Hobbit with the kids and the distances were insane. I could see how that is the inspiration for a ton of wilderness adventures.
I think I've talked about it before; I drew a hex map about the size of Britain and started dropping all my favourite modules into it. And yeah, some of these adventures involved long treks over vast distances, but I found that in most cases, unless the mechanics directly involved distance (like a Dungeon adventure that was a race across hundreds of miles of tundra), the wilderness portions could almost always be compressed by factors of sometimes up to 10 and still be meaningful. If the PC's need to be isolated from civilization for it to work, crank up the ruggedness of the terrain to slow travel times.
The Heretic
Should be playing D&D instead
Back when I thought Forgotten Realms was cool (silly me), I was super excited to get the expansion that added the Rauros Desert (ie I3-5) to the map. Being nerdy as I am, I calculated how big the campaign map was in the I3-5 Desert of Desolation module (I had poorer taste back then...) and then compared it to dimensions of Rauros on the map. Yes, the Desert of Desolution would NOT fit in the Desert Rauros as presented in the expansion. I was extremely disappointed. It was a good learning experience, however.
The Heretic
The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
Hey man, no shade, the Desert of Desolation series is a classic. I know it ushered in Tracy Hickman and the Trad style of play that was the nail in the coffin for a lot of people, but I've run that series at least two and a halfish times and it was super fun!
I always found the wilderness portions of those adventures dreamlike and kind of abstract; like time rather than distance was the factor.
Something was lost in the collected version though. Same as the collected S1-4. GDQ1-50 was alright though, as was A1-4. Trying to shoehorn T1-4, A1-4, and GDQ1-666 into one campaign as suggested proved completely impossible however...
I hear what you're saying about FR. I remember opening the box and thinking that plastic hex overlay was pretty rad, but became disillusioned with the world, particularly the distances and the nonsensical distribution of diverse civilizations, really quickly.
I always found the wilderness portions of those adventures dreamlike and kind of abstract; like time rather than distance was the factor.
Something was lost in the collected version though. Same as the collected S1-4. GDQ1-50 was alright though, as was A1-4. Trying to shoehorn T1-4, A1-4, and GDQ1-666 into one campaign as suggested proved completely impossible however...
I hear what you're saying about FR. I remember opening the box and thinking that plastic hex overlay was pretty rad, but became disillusioned with the world, particularly the distances and the nonsensical distribution of diverse civilizations, really quickly.
The Heretic
Should be playing D&D instead
I should clarify, I like the original, individual modules (especially I3 Pharaoh), but the super-module released in the late eighties (I3-5 Desert of Desolation) was a mess. The compilation expanded the modules and added numerous railroad-y elements, and the format was so bad that it was even complained about in a review of the module in Dragon magazine. The original modules had the three part, smallish hex map of the desert (which was very interesting). The compilation ported this to a gigantic poster map.
I've run Pharaoh almost as many times as G1. That's a great module. I didn't get I4 or I5 until much later so I'm not quite as fond of those two.
The Heretic
Beoric
8, 8, I forget what is for
Greyhawk Grognard has an interesting theory that GDQ should be played first, and then ToEE and the A series should be played with your henchmen from the GDQ series. Says it is the best order to reveal the workings of the Elder God temples.
The1True
8, 8, I forget what is for
That link just goes to the home page. I can't find the article
There is an interesting article on the dating of T1-4 though. Sad to hear he dislikes Return to ToEE. I had a blast running that one. The Crater megadungeon is well laid out imo. Of course a lot of people consider the original ToEE a hot mess as well. I've never tried it as an adult gamer, so I can't make an objective comparison. The computer game was buggy as hell, but fun...
Beoric
8, 8, I forget what is for
Yeah, he doesn't have a single tag that groups it all, or I would have linked it. Try this page, read it, and search the various tags.That link just goes to the home page. I can't find the article