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I'm looking for a good world map maker program so I can actually layout my PF campaign setting. I like Autorealm better then Campaign Cartographer, but it tends to be unwieldy at times and doesn't do everything I want it to do. For instance, actually making a continent and then adding an area like a forest, lake, or desert is a headache. Any suggestions?
In my experience, the two most versatile mapping programs are Campaign Cartographer and <Your Favorite Drawing Program>.
CC has a very high learning curve and can be frustrating for beginners to use, so I respect it is not for everyone.
Your Favorite Drawing Program can make beautiful maps, but they won't scale to any level of detail cleanly - and unless you're using something fairly heavy-hitting such as Photoshop, editing any individual element on the map can be difficult.
Dundjinni was okay, so long as tiles that fit what you were trying to build already existed. The maps looked pretty, but could really only be printed at a few very limited scales without pixelating. I haven't used it in a while, so it may have changed.
I've never tried Autorealm.
There was one other one I'd tried, but I can't remember the name of it. It worked similar to Dundjinni, though.
I'm not sure what others are out there.
Since it sounds like you may have it (at least the demo version), let me say: the trick to Campaign Cartographer is watch the video tutorials and generally, just take it slow at first.
CC3 is probably more powerful than it needs to be, being run on a FastCAD engine, so just opening up the program and diving in is very overwhelming.
Learning how the basic tools work and how layers and sheets work (which the video I linked to will show you that) will make you fully able to make nicely customizable overland maps.
One trick I learned: the NICE thing about CC3 is that you can move stuff around easily--don't like where you put that mountain? Pick it up and shift it around. It's harder to do that in [your favorite raster drawing program here] unless you are thinking well ahead about how you are layering your image.
The potentially annoying thing in CC3 is that you can start picking up stuff you don't want to move or delete--the trick is that you can hide sheets and freeze layers (so, for example, freeze the grid layer so you don't accidentally pick up the grid when you're trying to move an object).
Other nice thing about CC3 is that it will look pretty good zoomed way in (or to print for battlegrids) or way out for a broad picture--especially with the anti-aliasing feature they added in the latest patch.
Word of advice if you don't have CC3 YET: if you do get it (even just the demo), and you have Vista or Windows 7, DON'T install to Program Files--that creates some weird conflict. Install to any folder (one you make up) on the C drive.
Best mapper program i have found is: Hex Paper, Black pen, & Pentel fine point Correction pen ""white out"".
Use to us paper, pencil, & Eraser, but found that the eraser was still messier in the long run. The white out can be scratched down, and reapplied over and over, and over for a fresh surface; which is alot better than erasers.
Oh Oh ... improvement: Bic 4 color pen :)
Average cost: under 8 dollars.
Average life span of map: until you get a new girlfriend/wife and she cleans your work area.
Best mapper program i have found is: Hex Paper, Black pen, & Pentel fine point Correction pen ""white out"".
Use to us paper, pencil, & Eraser, but found that the eraser was still messier in the long run. The white out can be scratched down, and reapplied over and over, and over for a fresh surface; which is alot better than erasers.
Oh Oh ... improvement: Bic 4 color pen :)
Average cost: under 8 dollars.
Average life span of map: until you get a new girlfriend/wife and she cleans your work area.
I do this, but mostly because
A.I'm too lazy to learn a new program JUST for games andB. Have you ever SEEN a map from before the 18th century? The are AWESOMELY BAD!!!! NO satellite imagery here boy. I tell you the next town is 3 days away, that's what I mean. not 65 miles, or 2 castings of Overland Flight. 3 DAYS. That Way!!! I am a farmer/lumberjack/bartender, NOT a compass or GPS.
I also write multiple intentionally conflicting accounts of historical events, and make the players try to figure out which one they believe. Ishmael or Isaac? Exodus or Sea People? It's fun and entertaining :)
Best mapper program i have found is: Hex Paper, Black pen, & Pentel fine point Correction pen ""white out"".
Use to us paper, pencil, & Eraser, but found that the eraser was still messier in the long run. The white out can be scratched down, and reapplied over and over, and over for a fresh surface; which is alot better than erasers.
Oh Oh ... improvement: Bic 4 color pen :)
Average cost: under 8 dollars.
Average life span of map: until you get a new girlfriend/wife and she cleans your work area.
This works great until you have to do something like make copies or modify the map.
I have no problem with complex systems. I think autorealm is more complex (plus it was open source). There are things that I wish it did though that I liked from CC3, like being able to start at a specific map size rather then having to set that up from scratch.
This works great until you have to do something like make copies or modify the map.
Flatbed scanner + Paint = good enough results as well.
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I don't know if this program still exists, but I've used Fractal Mapper for a lot of world maps. It has a nifty way of randomizing shapes and lines to give natural looking terrain features.
It is horrible for smaller maps or combat maps, but it worked pretty well for continents and such.
BTW, it does exist, Fractal Mapper v8.0.
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My personal favorite is Hexographer. It's simple, easy to use, free, and makes cool, retro-looking maps.
B. Have you ever SEEN a map from before the 18th century? The are AWESOMELY BAD!!!! NO satellite imagery here boy. I tell you the next town is 3 days away, that's what I mean...
I have given this a lot of thought over the years and my final idea was this: Our worlds ancient maps were innacurate for many reasons, but if they were able to get views from the air, they would have been more accurate.
Fantasy worlds have TONS of things that can fly at will and for long periods. Their maps should be measurably more accurate if for that fact alone.
No they don't have satellite imaging but they DO have something we did not until only the last 100 years or so: Flight. And they have had it a LONG time. THOUSANDS of years for most settings.
The World Maker I used in the past, was a bunch of color pencils + paper. :)
Now I "use" my girlfriend, she is very handy with Photoshop.
The good thing here is that you can simply zoom in/out, set a filter, layers etc. to create area maps, pure geographical maps or simply old looking maps.
You can see a map she created for our campaign (still in progress) at:
http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/map_images/242048/Landscape_neu.jpg
www.cartographersguild.com
This.
I hate this sort of reply...but it's TRUE in this case. Seriously, check out the Guild. Whether you want to explore pen and paper, CC3 or Photoshop (or cheaper little brother GIMP) this is the place to be for mapmaking advice and inspiration.
Come on over, start a WiP thread and give it a go.
M
edit: I use the same alias over there, so feel free to look me up. Here are a few of my maps (link).