MapTool

[Tyrmatt]

Hey folks. In my never ending quest to make games easier to map, I came across MapTool, which I've never actually seen mentioned on this board, largely I think due to the fact that most folks here play round a table and not over the web. However, I'm guessing there are a few MapTool users kicking around here (not to mention I'm rarely completely perceptive to these things) and I'd like to have a bit of discussion about it.

Mostly for resources on where to find things to make tokens and tiles, helpful tips for people beginning to map their games in it and maybe if folks want, even arrange a few games over it. I've seen a few campaigns kicking around, including the published 4e adventures which I'm dying to have a crack at with folks as my current friends hate fantasy and love sci-fi. :(

I'll probably post any mapping I get done for my GURPS campaign in this thread as well as I work at it. So, let me have it playgrounders.

[Glyde]

As for tokens, there is a really helpful tool called TokenTool made by the same folks. You just drag an image into the window and save the token - easy stuff.
http://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=tokentool

For the maps themselves, I find myself hunting down texture databases and swiping them to use for building maps. There are also a few places that have free maps for download, like http://rpgmapshare.com/

There's also a map building program called Dundjinni, and huge numbers of extra content for it - Sci fi building materials included.

Also, there are a plethora of video tutorials for maptool, and a wiki that should help you get introduced to macros (Really helpful to speed things up)
http://www.rptools.net/index.php?page=tutorials

[Tyrmatt]

Yeah I've been watching the dude's video tutorials. They're rather good actually, a great way for the beginners to pick up the basics of using it.

It's also fair to note that by scanning in maps from prepublished sources, you can convert them pretty quicksmart into MapTool compatible ones as well. It's probably an act that's frowned upon by the Wizard but it's not like I'm selling them on, just playing a game with friends who can't all be in the same room due to geography.
Off topic, but on the sci-fi note, is there any word that Wizards are working on d20 modern converted to a 4th Edition style? It would probably cause my eyes to explode from liquid joy if that was the case as it would save me such an effort in having to hand-craft new systems for my friends quite specific tastes.

Anyway, I'm off to find loads of sci-fi textures to build Fallout vaults with.

[Decoy Lockbox]

I'm actually playing in an online 4e game using maptool, and its quite nice. I'm not running the game, so I can't give you any advice about macros and the like though.

[Doc Roc]

I've used openRPG and I can't imagine maptable is worse. My current favorite is the zero-effort-option of Gametable.

[Glyde]

I used Gametable for a while as well. It was simple, yeah, but it didn't do anything that Maptool couldn't. If you wanted simple, you could get simple with Maptool. Putting effort into making it super awesome is totally optional - But it definitely speeds things up.

[OracleofWuffing]

Hey folks. In my never ending quest to make games easier to map, I came across MapTool, which I've never actually seen mentioned on this board, largely I think due to the fact that most folks here play round a table and not over the web.
Yeah, nobody around these parts plays MapTool (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111852). :smallbiggrin:

Don't get me wrong, the mapping system in MapTool can do a good deal of things, but I prefer just drawing up the map in Photoshop (GIMP, Paint.net, whatever you prefer in place of that). I know it saves a whole lot of space if you generate maps using textures and whatnot, but I'm just too attached to having multiple image layers, lazy drop shadows, and super-lazy filters. I pretty much have two Photoshop templates sat up, one with a standard grid size, and then another one for any place that has thinner-than-5ft walls. Then I select the appropriate sections and fill in.

[Tyrmatt]

Don't get me wrong, the mapping system in MapTool can do a good deal of things, but I prefer just drawing up the map in Photoshop
Oh I've nothing against that either. I'm also dipping into learning from the fine fine folks at the Cartographers Guild how to make my own maps in Photoshop and the GIMP but I'm curious on folks experiences with it here as I always turn to the Playground for info on the exploration of dungeons and slaying of dragons.

Online play is a great endeavour I always aim to get working properly at some point, ever since my old days of mapless fighting over IRC and being able to have a consistent map and chat client system is a deep dream of mine. My friends, bless 'em, just aren't as geeky as me and won't play tabletops with me so I must once again turn to the internet to find my fellow freaks and get my cleric on.

Who knows though, maybe once my exam results come through I won't have time to make these maps anyway but I'm up for giving it a poke.

[Animefunkmaster]

I recently moved (read as 5 months ago), and I have been exploring maptools with my old group with good results. Maptools + Skype (or oovoo) really brings me back to the table. Purchasing a usb polycom is really been worth its weight in call quality with a simple USB headset (stay away from the logitech clearchat, they suck).

Otherwise skype has a few good add ons for quick drawing (in a 1 on 1 basis, my friends have a client open on there end and I on mine), my friends did that for a while, make sure to have a player be the designated scribe so there aren't much inconsistencies between the table and the drawing and so the DM doesn't have to work so hard. Otherwise I have been experimenting with maptools with great results. I too start with a photoshop outline and then import to maptools.

[Gralamin]

I've downloaded a large amount of tiles, and use them to make maps. This has a sort of trade off from using a map made in photoshop: There are more things to initially cache, but the amount of Memory used for a map is a lot lower.