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There have been many threads on the map folios. When the old map folios were out many people complained about them and few people who liked them posted they liked them (at least in my limited reading of the threads). Now that they have changed the format, the majority of the complaints are I liked it the old way. Obviously, a change was made because the feedback led them in a new direction.
I have liked both formats but like the new one a bit better.
The solution for those that want maps of the encounters in the AP is subscribe and get the PDF for free and then print the maps separately so you can have them available outside of the book. Also, some people have done amazing things with those maps to create battle maps and such.
A few months ago there was a blog on someone building a huge encounter area by printing those maps and gluing them to foam board and constructing it. It was incredible.
I like the new format far better, and am happily buying them.
Poster maps for highly-detailed locations (notably city maps) are, for me, not only useful but fully required. I couldn't imagine trying to DM the city of Saventh-Yhi without a poster map. (Just like the requirement I had for a poster map of Zirakaynin. Absolutely necessary, AFAIC.)
Limited use poster battle-maps would be a non-starter for me.
If it had been part of a map pack, then no I wouldn't have bought the Theater map seperately
In case it wasn't clear, that's not what I'm suggesting. I'm suggesting including some cheap, thin paper battlemats for locations which aren't easily modelled with one of the available flipmats, not replicating what is already available through another product line.
James Jacobs indicated one concern was 'competing with ourselves' and who am I to argue? I don't think it wouldn't make sense for you to not buy the theatre flipmat just because in the CoT folio they were also providing you with a complete layout of the Arodennama.
I'm suggesting including some cheap, thin paper battlemats for locations which aren't easily modelled with one of the available flipmats, not replicating what is already available through another product line.Printing is cheap. Cartography is expensive.
I can appreciate that - are battle mats any more expensive than regional maps though? My suggestion is not to increase the size of the folios but to experiment with the inclusion of a battlemat or two - in one (hypothetical) AP with fewer obvious regional maps which should be included.
I can appreciate that - are battle mats any more expensive than regional maps though? My suggestion is not to increase the size of the folios but to experiment with the inclusion of a battlemat or two - in one (hypothetical) AP with fewer obvious regional maps which should be included.
In my experience, battle mats require a higher level of detail than regional maps.
I can appreciate that - are battle mats any more expensive than regional maps though? My suggestion is not to increase the size of the folios but to experiment with the inclusion of a battlemat or two - in one (hypothetical) AP with fewer obvious regional maps which should be included.In my experience, battle mats require a higher level of detail than regional maps.
I see - I wouldn't have guessed that at all. Anyhow - I'm kind of beating a dead horse now, there's hardly a clamouring of likeminded people urging me on. I think it's a shame, but at least the recent trend of increased tie-ins with the flipmats/map packs and the APs is suiting me.
I have indeed considered doing "key sites" as battle maps... but even then that's kinda tricky. Not all "key sites" fit well on a four-panel poster, nor are all "key sites" all equally interesting as battle maps. Furthermore, a battlemap can only really be used once, whereas something like a poster map of a city or island or large region might remain relevant for an entire adventure or even multiple adventures. And then, finally, we already do flip maps and map packs for battle mat stuff; we don't really want to compete against ourselves there.
I'm glad to read this here, ordered RotRL and Serpant's Skull folios. The RotRL arrived today and i was sadly disappointed as there were only 2 really useful maps, mostly battle maps.
If the SS one has city/island/region maps I'll be happier.
The RotRL arrived today and i was sadly disappointed as there were only 2 really useful maps, mostly battle maps.
If the SS one has city/island/region maps I'll be happier.
Perhaps you got it backwards?
@Taliesin:
I see that the Site http://chargen.motime.com/ is down (and has been for some time) do you know if it has a new address?
The new address is >> here <<
The maps are not battle maps. They're larger scale maps that depict things like entire islands or cities or regions.
Older map folios reprinted dungeon-type maps from the adventures at the same scale that they appeared in print.
I did the math at one point to determine how much it'd cost to do all of the maps in an typical adventure path at battle map scale, and it ended up being something close to 500 pages or so. And we'd have to charge WELL over a hundred bucks for a single AP's battle maps as a result (since a page of map costs a LOT more than a page of text).
Don't do every encounter, just the large ones or main encounters. Pick and choose which ones to do. I always loved it in modules when they did a fold out poster that was battle map sized for minis in a key area. We can draw out the little stuff.
Ideally I think you should do one big color poster like you are currently doing with 'street names' if applicable but not have secret info or encounter numbers. Then do two fold out poster battle maps of big key encounter areas or dungeon, and a handful of small single sheet battle maps for other key encounters and leave it at that. Let us worry about drawing out all the smaller/optional encounters.
I would buy something like that. Make a product that your customers are asking for and your going to be successful at it.
Don't do every encounter, just the large ones or main encounters. Pick and choose which ones to do. I always loved it in modules when they did a fold out poster that was battle map sized for minis in a key area. We can draw out the little stuff.Ideally I think you should do one big color poster like you are currently doing with 'street names' if applicable but not have secret info or encounter numbers. Then do two fold out poster battle maps of big key encounter areas or dungeon, and a handful of small single sheet battle maps for other key encounters and leave it at that. Let us worry about drawing out all the smaller/optional encounters.
I would buy something like that. Make a product that your customers are asking for and your going to be successful at it.
I personally prefer how the maps are done now. Then again, my group has never bothered with using minis, so I'd have no use for what you're suggesting. As they are now, they're a fantastic GM reference tool for me, and a great "player handout" as well.