I've never heard of it, but I'll have to try it out. From what I just read about it, it sounds better than the two solutions I've seen tried for PbP/PbEM games:
1) make a map (via Maptools or whatever), move tokens around on map, export as a .jpg, then upload it to a web site --> good looking results, but involves a bunch of steps and you end up with a static picture
2) use a Google Spreadsheet as a map grid, with lines drawn on top to represent walls and cell values indicating tokens --> ugly results, but simple and easy to change
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Yeah, this is a MAJOR upgrade to #2.
I used Fractal Mapper and my job website to do #1 when I was running a lot of Blackmoor episodes. I just saved the map to the folder on the server and had players refresh. That was really easy.
These days...no job/no server.
I've never heard of it, but I'll have to try it out. From what I just read about it, it sounds better than the two solutions I've seen tried for PbP/PbEM games:
1) make a map (via Maptools or whatever), move tokens around on map, export as a .jpg, then upload it to a web site --> good looking results, but involves a bunch of steps and you end up with a static picture
2) use a Google Spreadsheet as a map grid, with lines drawn on top to represent walls and cell values indicating tokens --> ugly results, but simple and easy to change
Yeah, this is a MAJOR upgrade to #2.
Could be, although the spreadsheet works just fine for a quick 'n' dirty solution that's browser agnostic (which Google Drawing is not, it seems). Here's the map from one of the games I'm currently playing in (based on the Temple of Elemental Evil + Stargate):
ToEEI used Fractal Mapper and my job website to do #1 when I was running a lot of Blackmoor episodes. I just saved the map to the folder on the server and had players refresh. That was really easy.
That's what I did with my Shackled City game (while it lasted), but there's something to be said for letting the players move their own tokens around. Not to mention that having a really big map could result in either (a) a huge image file, or (b) teeny-tiny character tokens.
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@SM: "No job/no server" can be solved by running a web server at home. It's not really that difficult. Or get a free web host. They won't allow shell access, but they do usually provide PHP or Perl so you can do some useful things with it.
@hogarth: Good point about the huge image. It might be interesting if someone put together an easy-to-use back-end so that GoogleMaps could show the game map instead of its own map. This might be possible with some tricky use of redefining javascript functions: load the GoogleMaps API first, then define your own map reading function to replace the one Google provides... Their tool from moving around the location of the StreetView sight location might be adaptable to move tokens instead. If the portal to this mythical site required a login, the javascript could be told to only allow a particular marker to be moved.
Actually, I just tried Google Drawings now and it doesn't seem to help with making big images; I couldn't immediately figure out how to make an image larger than the browser, for instance.
Maybe someone else can figure out how to get good use out of it, though.
Azhrei -- I had another game where I used Google Earth for creating maps, but again I just posted screenshots on a web site. --> Here's an example.
I'm still looking for the perfect solution (something like Google Maps with pushpins and custom maps, as you mentioned, might be cool), but I haven't found it yet.
I'm still looking for the perfect solution (something like Google Maps with pushpins and custom maps, as you mentioned, might be cool), but I haven't found it yet.
MapLib.net is your answer.
I'm still looking for the perfect solution (something like Google Maps with pushpins and custom maps, as you mentioned, might be cool), but I haven't found it yet.MapLib.net is your answer.
Not bad, although an image overlay on Google Earth is still better in some respects (for instance, you can zoom in much, much more). I'll keep it mind, thanks!
Here's my test of Maplib.net:
I can't zoom in more than 100% of the image size, it seems. Likewise, I can't zoom out that much. And there's a limit on image size (which depends on whether you have a paid account).
Say what you will about a Google Spreadsheet, but you can get a damn big map out of one!
"A 1280' map should be big enough for anyone."
-hogarth, April 2010