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So odd thing about Starfinder maps when compared to Pathfinder 1e maps is that they are really detailed and cool. Like, Pathfinder 1e maps rarely have furniture while Starfinder maps are really cool looking and you can tell what is in the room from map alone without it being empty block of squares where description tells what is actually there.
That is really cool thing for someone who runs the games in roll20 and never has to draw maps themselves, so will 2e follow 1e format or Starfinder format of detailed cool maps? It would be really cool for VTT uses if 2e used Starfinder map format and it shouldn't be problem for those who draw maps since you don't usually need to draw all the detail in the map.(like if there is carpet, it doesn't really matter tactics wise usually)
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(like if there is carpet, it doesn't really matter tactics wise usually)
Speak for yourself! I love things like rugs literally being pulled out from under someone, and kinds of swashbuckling scenery-interaction goodness. ;)
But yeah, I agree that having more detailed maps is always a good thing!
Maps are a funny thing; they're art that usually only the DM sees. Worse, the more realistic interior detail there is, such as furniture, the less usable the environment is for actual play.
What I mean is... most of us don't have a bunch of chair and table minis. And when you look at a typical dungeon room (classic 30x40 room), after you add in the furniture, there's generally not much room left to actually run a combat. That's realistic... most rooms don't leave room for actual fights. But it isn't fun when nobody has any room to move.
So, I'm all for attractive maps because they're attractive. But I don't care a lot since usually four out of five people at the table don't get to see them, and because much of the detail gets shed for usability anyway.
Note: we do add key bits of dungeon dressing at the table, but don't nickle & dime over every chair or whatnot.
I'd like to see more convenient ways of showing the maps to players.
Even if your game style don't involve sticking religiously to a grid - my group's certainly doesn't - it's helpful to be able to hand over a picture to go with descriptions. And not by waving a page of the book at them while holding a hand over the stat block of the bad guy.
The only reason GMs are often the only ones to see a map is because they're hard to share.
It's possible to extract the maps from the PDFs with a little work, if you know what you're doing; and Paizo do sell separate interactive maps, also as PDFs, that contain maps without the "Secret door here" marker; but that's not particularly convenient either. It's all wrapped up behind protections, trying to make you use the maps their way, that only get in the way of using the maps any other way.
What I really want is to download a folder (or zip file) of pictures. No restrictions or DRM protection getting in the way. I'm not saying it has to be free, just that it should put no barriers in the place using the maps freely.
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You know what we could really use? A simple program.
Imagine something like a graphics editor such as MS Paint or Photoshop, but with basically two features. First, you load an image. Second, it has two modes: fog-of-war "edit" and "display".
In display, it shows the base image with features obscured by fog-of-war.
In edit, the DM uses a simple brush tool to add or remove fog-of-war.
One button to switch modes.
That's it. That's all. Nothing more. No virtual tabletop or dice rollers or client-server stuff for player mode versus DM mode. No online yada yada.
Just a simple tool so we can literally hand a laptop or tablet around the table. "This is what the room looks like." Maybe a simple password on the "change modes" button so nobody can accidentally press it and reveal what they shouldn't see.
You know what we could really use? A simple program.
Imagine something like a graphics editor such as MS Paint or Photoshop, but with basically two features. First, you load an image. Second, it has two modes: fog-of-war "edit" and "display".
In display, it shows the base image with features obscured by fog-of-war.
In edit, the DM uses a simple brush tool to add or remove fog-of-war.
One button to switch modes.
That's it. That's all. Nothing more. No virtual tabletop or dice rollers or client-server stuff for player mode versus DM mode. No online yada yada.
Just a simple tool so we can literally hand a laptop or tablet around the table. "This is what the room looks like." Maybe a simple password on the "change modes" button so nobody can accidentally press it and reveal what they shouldn't see.
My group has gone high-tech and uses D20 Pro, but just for maps. We got a projector to show it on the wall. A bit pricey, but for a group that games for like 12 hours every week it's not too bad for people to pool up for. We'll just take the map directly from the module and put it into the program. Also allows to show character art and handouts and such. We sometimes game at a second location where we don't have the projector, but the guy who's place it is has a big-screen TV and we do the same thing by hooking to the HDMI port and just showing things on screen. The TV option is likely something more groups can do since many have them already.
My group has gone high-tech and uses D20 Pro, but just for maps. We got a projector to show it on the wall. A bit pricey, but for a group that games for like 12 hours every week it's not too bad for people to pool up for. We'll just take the map directly from the module and put it into the program. Also allows to show character art and handouts and such. We sometimes game at a second location where we don't have the projector, but the guy who's place it is has a big-screen TV and we do the same thing by hooking to the HDMI port and just showing things on screen. The TV option is likely something more groups can do since many have them already.
I'll look into it. I'm more than willing to use aids at the table, even digital ones, as long as they're quick and smooth. Also, I'm an IT guy, so obtaining and connecting gear is trivial for me.
Thanks.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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You know what we could really use? A simple program.
Imagine something like a graphics editor such as MS Paint or Photoshop, but with basically two features. First, you load an image. Second, it has two modes: fog-of-war "edit" and "display".
In display, it shows the base image with features obscured by fog-of-war.
In edit, the DM uses a simple brush tool to add or remove fog-of-war.
One button to switch modes.
That's it. That's all. Nothing more. No virtual tabletop or dice rollers or client-server stuff for player mode versus DM mode. No online yada yada.
Just a simple tool so we can literally hand a laptop or tablet around the table. "This is what the room looks like." Maybe a simple password on the "change modes" button so nobody can accidentally press it and reveal what they shouldn't see.
The PDFs of the APs already come with an interactive map file, that is just the PDF of the maps with a toggle to show GM view and player view. Player view turns off the map key and hides secret doors. It won't hide unexplored areas, obviously, but that's halfway to what you want.
I'd like it if I could port the maps into Maptools and have the freakin squares line up. I can never get them to match just right for an entire map.