Hey all, I got to messing around today with different ideas and options for representing dungeon maps in play by post campaigns. I ended up finding MapLib.net. It's a free website that uses Google Maps' API to allow you to add some Google Map functionality to any image you want to.
I grabbed Droskar's Crucible out of Hollow's Last Hope to load onto the website. The only editing necessary on the map file was to scale the image up until the squares were 50 pixels on each side (the maximum size of custom map markers at MapLib). I did this in Photoshop by increasing the image size by 5% at a time until it was correct.
After some playing around, I think this might be pretty cool. The creator of a map has total control, and can invite specific people to the map or let anyone view and/or modify it. In any case, people other than the creator can only modify the markers they place on the map.
Any 50x50 image or smaller can be uploaded by a user as a custom marker, so you basically can create your individual mini. And the DM can represent any monster by cropping an image of its head to a square, resizing, and uploading.
Additionally, you can add custom lines or polygons to the map to represent areas of effect, cones, etc. Every user-placed element has an attached note that pops up on click where you can add details about the unit. I've added a Grease spell on the map to show that.
If you want to play around with the map I made you'll have to register for a free account at http://www.maplib.net/register.php
Once you're logged in you can then upload custom markers on the left side of the page at http://www.maplib.net/panel
And finally, point your browser to the map itself and play around.
http://www.maplib.net/map.php?id=7127&lat=-53.21261218994156&lng=35 .94451904296875&z=9
You won't be able to change anything that's already there but you can place as many markers, shapes, etc on there to see if you like it. And when you do, let me know if it was helpful or if you come across any features that are cool I might have missed.
I hope this was halfway comprehensible but if not, please let me know and I'll try to clarify.
A little disclaimer: I have no connection to MapLib whatsoever. I just found their page today browsing around and it seems like it might be great for what I needed. Figured I'd share with people who might get the same benefit.
I can certainly understand any hesitation to go register at an unknown site, but wanted to bump this up and see if anyone out there did want to take a look. It really is pretty cool. I think that it could be great for keeping track of character placement in play-by-posts, reducing a lot of the work that usually falls to the DM.
You can even just skip right to this link and I think you should be able to see the map and interact with it in a limited way
http://www.maplib.net/map.php?id=7127&lat=-53.21261218994156&lng=35 .94451904296875&z=9
Looks really cool. I'll have to play with it.
Looks really cool. I'll have to play with it.
Thanks for the reply. It was really quite easy to rescale and add the map itself. The icons are easy to make as well.. and you only have to make the PC's one time. And "miniatures" for the DM are just a Google Image Search away. And, it keeps all the icons you upload together for use later as well. So, you only have to upload a goblin, say, once.
Without logging in were you able to click on the Grease area and see the description? That was just a quick copy and paste from the SRD. And the owner of the map (the DM) can edit the notes on any of the units, so it's easy to update hitpoints, conditions, etc.
Please do keep playing with it and I look forward to your input.
Please do keep playing with it and I look forward to your input.
That's what she said.
sorry, had to do it lol
Looks really cool. I'll have to play with it.Without logging in were you able to click on the Grease area and see the description?
Yep. Very very cool.
Yep. Very very cool.Looks really cool. I'll have to play with it.Without logging in were you able to click on the Grease area and see the description?
Sweet, thanks.
One of the things that does annoy me about it is that the icons don't scale as you zoom out. But, they do stay in the correct spot at 100% so that's all that really matters. It would probably be a bigger deal with much larger maps. But, nothing that can be done about it so can't worry on it too hard.
I noticed the lack of scaling, but like you say, it works at 100%. I will have to try this.
Logged in and no doubt will experiment :D
Logged in and no doubt will experiment :D
Cool.. is that blue marker yours? Definitely experiment with uploading some different 50x50 icons if you get a chance.
I'm thinking it could work well for group members to leave a note of what action they took in the Comments section. That way in a play by post, no matter when you look in there you'll be able to figure out whats going on. Thoughts?
Nope, not mine - it was place by 'barshevy'.
I've added "Dragonborn Warrior". :D
Nope, not mine - it was place by 'barshevy'.
I've added "Dragonborn Warrior". :D
Oh nice. I moved a goblin to him and added that movement in the comments section.
In a real pbp game, that would let you and everyone know the last action on the board. Seem like a good way to handle it?
Goblin 4 Attack (1d20 + 2): 17 + 2 = 19
Goblin 4 Dmg. (1d6 + 2): 4 + 2 = 6
I think that would be pretty cool. It would take a lot of work of my DM shoulders! I spend loads of time updating and uploading maps.
I think that would be pretty cool. It would take a lot of work of my DM shoulders! I spend loads of time updating and uploading maps.
Exactly! Having that centralized, editable map puts the emphasis back on storytelling and takes it away from record keeping.
I've seen many play-by-posts I peep in on on the forums here degererate into a futile exercise in recordkeeping, trying to figure out if Goblin 1 moved and therefore if Player 2 can charge him. Or, Player 3 attacking an enemy that's already dead because he didn't look at the most recent email.
I'm not sure that I'll have a chance to use this in a personal game anytime soon, so if you do please let me know how it goes. If you need any help scaling maps or anything I'll gladly do that.
Rev Rosey and I have got the mapping thing down and our players are good about posting in order, but it still takes a while.
I will maybe try this out for a one-shot combat and see how it goes.
Rev Rosey and I have got the mapping thing down and our players are good about posting in order, but it still takes a while.
I will maybe try this out for a one-shot combat and see how it goes.
That would be cool. I'll definitely participate if you'd like. Otherwise, let me know how it goes!
Here's my first attempt:
Interesting -- I tried using Google Earth to do maps in my first Shackled City game, and it looked quite similar (although I was lazy and just used various generic markers for PCs and NPCs).
Here's my first attempt:
Right on the money.. my Ocean Goblin just attacked you
Excellent!
Excellent!
A feature that could come in handy if you started to get a large battle is the direct-to-marker linking, available to the right of the icons in the list.
If you had a large map where not all were on screen at once, you could link like this:
http://www.maplib.net/map.php?id=7154&marker=29631
or, you could link to the page for, say, a player character:
http://www.maplib.net/marker.php?aid=29634
And from there you can click to see where he is on the map.
Hell, you can have a whole character sheet there. It all comes from editing the tooltip bubble, which you can edit the html source of, add images, and all kinds of stuff.
The more I play with the idea the more I like it.
This is of incredible help. Thanks, Guy!
wow, this is certainly impressive, Can I Call My Guy Drizzt?, i am definately going to play around with this and see what i can do.
Hey guys, here's a neat thing that I figured out earlier and thought it might come up for other people.
The issue arose after embedding a map in an iframe. When you clicked on a link in one of the marker notes, it would open in the map's same iframe. We needed it to open in another tab instead.
So, a little google-fu later..
When you have the marker edit window open, don't use the link button to make a link.
Click the button labeled "HTML" (after you do it will say "TEXT"..that's ok)
To create the link use this code:
<a href="http://www.yourlink.com" target="_blank">The text you want to appear in the marker note</a>
Now click "TEXT", and it will go back to saying "HTML" (THIS IS CRITICAL..otherwise the code you typed will keep showing up in the bubble instead of a lin.. frustrated the hell out of me lol)
The link in the bubble will now open up a new tab (in firefox at least, not sure with IE.. probably depends on settings)
Hope that helps someone
Rev Rosey and I were trying to see how we could make markers for creatures that cover 4 squares. We experimented with using the polygon tool to denote the area the monster covers. A marker showing the monster could then be dropped into the area.
Rev Rosey and I were trying to see how we could make markers for creatures that cover 4 squares. We experimented with using the polygon tool to denote the area the monster covers. A marker showing the monster could then be dropped into the area.
Yeah I've found that to be a good way too. I just wish they made moving polygons easier. I'm going to send an email to them and see what they say
An interesting thing that might be useful in many situations is that if you embed an image in the marker popup it automatically links to the image in another tab when you click on it. This also happens if you click on the name of the marker at the top of the marker popup
http://www.maplib.net/marker.php?aid=29634
Which you could basically make into a character sheet if you wanted to for the player markers, and have current hitpoints or status or whatever for the monsters. Or you could have information known about the person at different knowledge DCs ... there are tons of options
And, from that page when you click on the name at the top it takes you back to the marker location on the map.
Rev Rosey and I were trying to see how we could make markers for creatures that cover 4 squares. We experimented with using the polygon tool to denote the area the monster covers. A marker showing the monster could then be dropped into the area.Yeah I've found that to be a good way too. I just wish they made moving polygons easier. I'm going to send an email to them and see what they say
Hm. I know that Google Earth allows you to resize markers. For instance, in this map, I used a resized "web cam" marker to stand for something.
Hm. I know that Google Earth allows you to resize markers. For instance, in this map, I used a resized "web cam" marker to stand for something.Rev Rosey and I were trying to see how we could make markers for creatures that cover 4 squares. We experimented with using the polygon tool to denote the area the monster covers. A marker showing the monster could then be dropped into the area.Yeah I've found that to be a good way too. I just wish they made moving polygons easier. I'm going to send an email to them and see what they say
The issue here is that the site we're using (MapLib.net) only allows the uploading of 50x50 markers.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Well, an alternative would be to split a larger sized icon into two or four different markers, and put them together on top of the map itself.
Well, an alternative would be to split a larger sized icon into two or four different markers, and put them together on top of the map itself.
That definitely is a great idea. The free account does limit you to 10 custom icons uploaded per month though
We've started our first play-by-post campaign using the MapLib.net site as a gaming tool. I'll be sure to keep everyone up to date here on what we find.