So, I'm thinking of starting a PbP game. I have a homebrew setting and campaign that I'd like to use in the long run, but I'd like to start out with a simple, pre-made module. I have one in mind, but I'm kind of stuck on maps.
The problem is that I do somewhere around 90-95% of my PbP activities from my iPhone or iPad. I wish Google Drawings would work in the mobile version of any browser, but it doesn't. Nor does it have a stand alone app like Docs or Sheets.
I haven't been able to figure out Roll20 as a GM yet, so I don't know if that works.
Does anyone have a suggestion about how to handle PbP mapping in this situation?
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I too have trouble with maps, and my solution has been to abandon them altogether. With an M.O. of erring in the players' favor when it comes to movement and positioning, I've found going mapless to work just fine. (Though having switched to 5E probably helps a lot, too.)
Roll20 works just fine for me, but I tend to post from my home laptop. I know for sure that it doesn't work on Iphone, unless you're a subscriber.
I recently (as in about 15 minutes ago) came across someone using Google Slides for their map. I'm looking into that process to see how it compares to Google Drawings.
I recently (as in about 15 minutes ago) came across someone using Google Slides for their map. I'm looking into that process to see how it compares to Google Drawings.
I have been using Slides for a time now in my games and it has all the features of Drawings and more.
The more interesting for the OP here is that an APP exists for Google Slides, so everybody can easily edit from a tablet and even a smartphone, just as you can do with a Google Docs.
In old browsers the slide is rendered as an image, so you still can visualize it. Furthermore, each map of your adventure can be a separate slide, so you can maintain all your maps more easily ordered.
Also, in order to check player movements, I like to use the past modifications option, that lets you check what modifications has been done by other people in the past, so you can easily double check player actions in the map if you feel you need to.
There might be other ways of mapping in PbP, but in what regards to Google Drive, use Slides, it is far superior than Drawings in multiple aspects.
An example from my last game: Cultist's kiss
Note you can point to a specific slide: Cultist's kiss: Palin's Cove
-I use Pyromancers.com to draw my tactical maps. It is a free site, relatively easy to learn, and makes some really decent maps.
-I use Google Drive/Google Drawings to display my maps
-I use Windows 7 "snipping tool" to make little image files of my player's avatar pictures to be used as pawns, then I use the tool with images found online to make monster pawns.
Here are a couple of examples of my battle maps:
There might be other ways of mapping in PbP, but in what regards to Google Drive, use Slides, it is far superior than Drawings in multiple aspects.
Could you be more specific about what ways are "slides" superior to "drawings"? I'd like to hear an analysis to see if it is worth changing my methods. :-P
Slides:
- APP to modify the map from a smartphone or tablet
- Each map of your adventure can be a separate slide, so you can maintain all your maps more easily ordered.
In all other aspects relevant to PbP gaming they are basically the same.
-I use Pyromancers.com to draw my tactical maps. It is a free site, relatively easy to learn, and makes some really decent maps.
-I use Google Drive/Google Drawings to display my maps
-I use Windows 7 "snipping tool" to make little image files of my player's avatar pictures to be used as pawns, then I use the tool with images found online to make monster pawns.
Thanks for the input, but there are a few issues.
Unfortunately, Pyromancers.com's Dungeon Painter does not support mobile browsers and therefore does not work on the iPad or iPhone.
As stated in the OP, Google Drawings is a no-go, although Google Slides appears to be a reasonable alternative.
Since I'm a using IOS exclusively, the Windows 7 "snipping tool" is also a no-go.
I have been using a spreadsheet on Google Docs, formatted to smaller squares. The best part is players can easily move their tokens (usually a letter or two for their name) on the map when I give them the edit link. It's not very pretty, but it does the job quite well! Very glad when one of my players suggested it. Its also phone friendly, as you can edit the docs on your phone with the free app!