I used to hand draw maps but don't have the time. Also my players want an "explore the map" type game so I thought a hex map would be good. Do you like this one or is there one that's even better?
Is there a link so we can check out what you are using?
I believe Mark is referring to this site.
That's it exactly; thanks Rhys. So what do you guys think of this or do you use any other software like it?
I have no personal experience with Hexmapper.
I use Profantasy's Campaign Cartographer. I started with version 2 and now have version 3. Along with all of their add-ons.
I am not a mapping guru, but if you want to see what I have drawn, they are about two thousand maps drawn with CC2/CC3, along with dungeons, cities, towns, etc. maps at Crestar, Crest of a Star
The Cosmographer add-on has a hexagon planet mappping ability. I've used it for quick hexagonal maps.
My first campaign map. Yes, its basic but I used the free version and actually, I kind of like it.
The 3-dot areas are the 2 KNOWN adventure sites; a vast set of ruins outside the town of Erdanstadt and the Dismal Hills; a desolate waste of bogs, hillocks and knolls surrounding a festering swamp.
Feel free to critique and offer your suggestions.
Not there now, but it looked okay to me.
Thanks G. In 3 separate threads I've linked that map to you're the ONLY one that commented.
Never used Hexographer, but generally I really love the things Inkwell puts out. Like Geroblue I use CC3, which I find is worth the money, although you can easily spend in excess getting the add-ons, and I bought this before I discovered Hexographer. I imagine Hexographer has less complex output but is easy to use; CC3 is both complex and complicated but you can do a lot with it.
Your link is showing a 404 error.
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/karnoss/maps
I don't know what happened to my first link but I copied and pasted this while logged out of Obsidian Portal and this worked.
I've played around with the free version of Hexographer and I think it's a really nice tool. Has that old school feel like a lot of the Known World/Mystara products.
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Sorry, I've been busy. I see the map today.
You know I have used the map now for months and realized that it can be both limiting and freeing to use a basic map. Limiting because my players in 2 different campaigns feel like they have to stay in the areas where they see names and civilization. Freeing because in the rare instances they leave a populated hex I've messed with what they find in the next one.
Example: In one of the campaigns I took 6 hexes previously unlabeled and added a trio of large settlements then made the whole area its own smaller region called Bloodthorn Hollow. I have 2 hexes of highland moors and bogs along the coast, 2 hexes of pure forest, then 2 hexes of forested hills. I found this VERY limiting to my creativity.
But I put a question out there in the community on the boards for other GM's: "how much CAN I cram into on 15mile radius hex?" Many people came back and said I should use the main terrain merely as a starting point.
Therefore as the party has walked the main road around the periphary of Bloodthorn Hollow they've seen a small but imposing 10 mile stretch of mountains at the farthest southern border, there are a few small lakes and bogs in the darkest heart of the Hollow, and in the 3 civilized hexes there are literally DOZENS of lesser settlements like villages, hamlets, work camps and such.
I really like having a map. I've been running a homebrew for years now but only recently got around to making anything visual for the party to use. I hope you all like it and can offer some constructive criticisms if you have them.
I've generally used CC3 in the past, but it can be a pain, and have been looking at switching to hexographer.
"I have 2 hexes of highland moors and bogs along the coast, 2 hexes of pure forest, then 2 hexes of forested hills. I found this VERY limiting to my creativity."
The pro version is supposed to have an ability to take an existing hex and create a child map, a zoomed in view of that hex from my understanding. So just because your map shows a forest hex that's just the predominant terrain in a hex not the only terrain.
I typically make large continent or nation maps with a few things on it like the majort rivers, sea ports, borders.
Then I take a small rectangular area and make a detaield area of it.
I've used Hexographer in the past for campaigns and as far as free programs go it is one of my favorites. I used it to create basically a whole world, and then smaller maps per country.
Some of their other software is also pretty nice for quick generating a town.