The Encounter Round?

[Tripp Elliott]

I'm guessing that except for specific nuances for this year's round 3 (which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban), that this year's rules and templates are virtually identical to last year's.

So for those of us that aren't graphic artists, what the heck is this 72-100 dpi thing? Yes, yes, "dots per inch," I get that, but is it a setting in a scanning, photo, or document program, so that mine has the appropriate level of fidelity or something?

Basically, how do I ensure I meet this criteria?

Any other advice for designing an encounter?

[Garrett Guillotte]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

what the heck is this 72-100 dpi thing?

Specifically:

2013 Encounter Round rules wrote:

Your map should be either one half-page (8.5" x 5.5") or one full-page (8.5" x 11").

Your encounter must fit on a GameMastery Flip-Mat (24 by 30 5-ft. squares, or 120 ft. by 150 ft.). You can download a blank grid with these proportions here (the download is supplied at 150 dpi for printing).

Your map must be approximately 72-100 dpi when submitted.

dpi does in fact mean dots per inch, and it's something you'd set in an app like Photoshop when creating or resizing the image, on your scanner when you're scanning a paper map.

The simple explanation is your map should be about 100 "dots"--pixels--wide or tall for every inch it'll be printed on page or displayed on a screen.

Ergo:

Quote:

Your map should be either one half-page (8.5" x 5.5") or one full-page (8.5" x 11").

really sort of means

Quote:

Your map should be either one half-page (850px x 550px) or one full-page (850px x 1100px).

72 dpi comes up as it's the default dpi on most pre-Retina computer monitors. If you scan or generate your map at something lower than 72 dpi, it'll be too low-res to judge well. If it's higher than 100 dpi, it's unnecessarily large for screen viewing.

EDIT: It's worth noting that the provided Flip-Mat grid linked from the 2013 rules is 8" x 10" at 150 dpi (1200px x 1500px), which violates two of the rules as-is and is the wrong ratio--there's no safe way to resize it to be 8.5" x 11" (or 5.5") x any dpi without distorting it slightly or adding space to it.

[Joseph Kellogg]

Good thing I kept my graph paper from last year!

[Garrett Guillotte]

For kicks, I made 24x30 square grids in a few formats:

• 8.5" x 11" (100 dpi PNG) (100 dpi JPG)
  
• 8.5" x 5.5" (100 dpi PNG) (100 dpi JPG)
  
• 8.5" x 11", with a 0.25" margin (100 dpi PNG) (100 dpi JPG)
  
• 8.5" x 5.5", with a 0.25" margin (100 dpi PNG) (100 dpi JPG)
  
• All of the above sizes in a vector PDF
  
• InDesign CS6 source (Spoilers: Used rules because they were easier to automatically grid.)

Since the provided grid is 8" x 10", Paizo may want a 0.25" margin on maps. The PNGs have transparent backgrounds.

DISCLAIMER: I am not Paizo, these are not official, you may be DQ'd, exploding runes, etc.

[Liz Courts]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Garrett, I could kiss you!

I hope the encounter round does at least include use a Round 2 monster. I've always enjoyed that aspect of building on the competition previously and was disappointed in 2012 when the challenge was different.

[Tripp Elliott]

Can I state that having one of the judges for the encounter round that has the word "cartographer" in their mini-bio is intimidating to say the least?

EDIT: Oh wait, Liz is judging the Monster round, not the encounter round! My bad.

[Liz Courts]

Well, *I'm* not judging the Encounter Round, but Crystal is, and she's no stranger to map making herself. :)

[Crystal Frasier]

Liz Courts wrote:

Well, *I'm* not judging the Encounter Round, but Crystal is, and she's no stranger to map making herself. :)

I don't know that I'd call myself a cartographer. I've really only got like a dozen professional mapping credits thus far.

[Liz Courts]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Well, *I'm* not judging the Encounter Round, but Crystal is, and she's no stranger to map making herself. :)

I don't know that I'd call myself a cartographer. I've really only got like a dozen professional mapping credits thus far.

...says the cartographer that likes to draw maps in her spare time. :)

[Crystal Frasier]

Liz Courts wrote:

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Well, *I'm* not judging the Encounter Round, but Crystal is, and she's no stranger to map making herself. :)

I don't know that I'd call myself a cartographer. I've really only got like a dozen professional mapping credits thus far.

...says the cartographer that likes to draw maps in her spare time. :)

Those are not published credits!

[Anthony Adam]

Liz Courts wrote:

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Well, *I'm* not judging the Encounter Round, but Crystal is, and she's no stranger to map making herself. :)

I don't know that I'd call myself a cartographer. I've really only got like a dozen professional mapping credits thus far.

...says the cartographer that likes to draw maps in her spare time. :)

Ahhhh, in that case Liz, you are looking for the term Crayola Addict! :P ( I am assuming you get Crayola crayons in the US of course! )

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Crayola's actually headquartered in the next town over from me if you ever want to come visit, Anthony. :) They've got a great little setup for visiting kiddies (though honestly, I took my parents too and we had a nice time despite all being fairly grown up).

[Anthony Adam]

Cool!

[Sean K Reynolds]

Soon, soon...

[Curaigh]

...not soon enough...

In the face of insider trading, I'll put two cookies on that bet Liz :)

[James Casey]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Crayola's actually headquartered in the next town over from me if you ever want to come visit, Anthony. :) They've got a great little setup for visiting kiddies (though honestly, I took my parents too and we had a nice time despite all being fairly grown up).

You in PA?

[Jacob W. Michaels]

I am. Bethlehem.

[James Casey]

Yeah that is where my wife said Crayola was. We are originally from Harrisburg area! Man I miss PA. :-( Heh maybe we'll have to get together next time I am in PA. We go every few weeks. All of our family is still down there.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

That's funny. I'm actually originally from New Hampshire and actually went to school at UMass-Amherst, though that's probably still an hour or two from where you are.

Let me know if you stop by; Chris Schaeffer and I had a bottle of Yeungling resting on whoever went further in the competition, but we managed to tie. And then he ran off to the west coast.

[James Casey]

Awww MAN!!! I really miss Yuengling! I am about 45 minutes from Amhearst. My Guard unit is actually in Amhearst.

[Tripp Elliott]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

I am. Bethlehem.

My mother is a Nazareth area native. Technically a little place called Stockertown. Blink and you miss it.

[Tripp Elliott]

James R. Casey wrote:

Awww MAN!!! I really miss Yuengling! I am about 45 minutes from Amhearst. My Guard unit is actually in Amhearst.

Guard unit? You 28th ID? I was 29th ID back in the day, had a whole platoon of 28th guys in my Basic Training Company at Benning.

[James Casey]

I am a Marine first and foremost (9 years in the corps). I switched over to National Guard this year, easier to get my 20. I am with 181 LI

[Chris Shaeffer]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Let me know if you stop by; Chris Schaeffer and I had a bottle of Yeungling resting on whoever went further in the competition, but we managed to tie. And then he ran off to the west coast.

Hehe, urk. >_>

To be fair, first I wallowed in poverty at my parents' place for about a year, then ran off to China and Korea for two months, THEN I ran off to the west coast. :p

I drove by Paizo's building the other day! (My girlfriend and I were bringing her pooch out to the dog park nearby.)

[Garrett Guillotte]

I heard that the Dropbox links may not be working for everyone or everywhere, so I've also put the grids on Google Drive.

I noticed SKR fav'd the post(!) but I'm not sure if that's an endorsement. I hope these come in handy for anyone who needs them, though, in or out of RPGSS!

[Tripp Elliott]

Liz Courts wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

Liz'a statement here is kicking my butt as I try and figure what encounter to write!

It's the not knowing what the wrinkle is, knowing it might not be urban, but that the Rd 2 creatures ARE urban.

Will the Rd 3 rules get posted tomorrow around 1700 Eastern when the voting is set up?

[Mikko Kallio]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

Liz'a statement here is kicking my butt as I try and figure what encounter to write!

It's the not knowing what the wrinkle is, knowing it might not be urban, but that the Rd 2 creatures ARE urban.

Will the Rd 3 rules get posted tomorrow around 1700 Eastern when the voting is set up?

The challenge is to use urban CR 1-4 creatures in a high-level wilderness encounter and somehow make it all make sense. ;-)

[Liz Courts]

Mikko Kallio wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

Liz'a statement here is kicking my butt as I try and figure what encounter to write!

It's the not knowing what the wrinkle is, knowing it might not be urban, but that the Rd 2 creatures ARE urban.

Will the Rd 3 rules get posted tomorrow around 1700 Eastern when the voting is set up?

The challenge is to use urban CR 1-4 creatures in a high-level wilderness encounter and somehow make it all make sense. ;-)

Sometimes as a writer that's what you're called upon to do. :)

[Tripp Elliott]

Mikko Kallio wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

Liz'a statement here is kicking my butt as I try and figure what encounter to write!

It's the not knowing what the wrinkle is, knowing it might not be urban, but that the Rd 2 creatures ARE urban.

Will the Rd 3 rules get posted tomorrow around 1700 Eastern when the voting is set up?

The challenge is to use urban CR 1-4 creatures in a high-level wilderness encounter and somehow make it all make sense. ;-)

And have the CR 1-4 urban monster in the CR 12 wilderness encounter not be overshadowed by other elements of the encounter, right?

[Andrew Shumate]

No, no, no. You're all overthinking this. The Round 3 challenge is simple.

Design a high-level wilderness encounter using *all* of the Top 32 monsters and make it make sense.

[James Casey]

A wilderness setting with all the urban creatures using all of the top 32 wondrous items in the encounter!... and have it all make sense.

[Curaigh]

Liz Courts wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

Curaigh wrote:

In the face of insider trading, I'll put two cookies on that bet Liz :)

Awww... she dinnae take me up on that. Another lost chance at Lilith's cookies :)

[Tripp Elliott]

Curaigh wrote:

Liz Courts wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

...which will likely include "make an urban encounter" since the monster round was urban...

I would not bet on that.

Curaigh wrote:

In the face of insider trading, I'll put two cookies on that bet Liz :)

Awww... she dinnae take me up on that. Another lost chance at Lilith's cookies :)

Indeed, you would have won!!