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true_shinken
2011-01-09, 04:21 PM
I'm DMing a pbp in this forums, but I don't know of good ways to provide editable maps to my party. Is there any online application for this somewhere?

The-Mage-King
2011-01-09, 04:42 PM
Actually, I'm using google docs spreadsheet for my campaign- viewable by players, quick to set up, easy to edit... the reasons go on.

Claudius Maximus
2011-01-09, 05:30 PM
Similarly to The-Mage-King, I'm using editgrid.com. I wasn't aware google docs had a similar spreadsheet function, so I can't really say which is better for this purpose.

Elvenoutrider
2011-01-09, 06:27 PM
I am a personal fan of maptools. its free to download, easy to make new tokens for using tokentools and the videos in the tutorial section do a good job of explaining how to use it. it also can be converted to hexes easily if in the future you decide to try a new system

true_shinken
2011-01-09, 06:29 PM
I am a personal fan of maptools. its free to download, easy to make new tokens for using tokentools and the videos in the tutorial section do a good job of explaining how to use it. system
but can I share the maps online? can my players edit the maps themselves without having to download a program?

Ernir
2011-01-09, 06:43 PM
I'm using Google Docs as well.

EDIT: Here's (https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AnrwSTVjG0mhdFYyc1FCVHRQd0ktUE5TLXB4VDE1Y kE&hl=en&authkey=CNartJUD) an example of a current grid. The PCs (red) were ambushed by Carvers (Blue) and a few Quill Beasts (also blue). The grey stuff is the road they were following, the yellowish stuff is a "waypoint" (an in-game term), the rest are trees.

Ajadea
2011-01-09, 10:14 PM
How do you make that? I've used tables the three times I had to conduct a fight, but that's a pain.

Keld Denar
2011-01-10, 02:26 AM
I've just been using Excel. Once you get it updated, do a Print Screen, open Paint, paste, crop to taste, save as a .jpg or .bmp, then upload to www.tinypic.com. You don't even have to register to tinypic, just fill out the little captcha thingy. It even does the forum code for you. Just past into a window, spoilered as desired, and you are good to go. Here's a couple of my recent maps:

http://i51.tinypic.com/1dzn8p.jpg

http://i54.tinypic.com/20fd9w7.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/2yvpd1l.jpg

Ernir
2011-01-10, 05:46 AM
How do you make that? I've used tables the three times I had to conduct a fight, but that's a pain.

I don't use much of the features except for...

Mass Column/Row resizing Background/text coloring Borders Cell merging Text resizing
Then it's just posting the link. Which, thank god, doesn't change except when you create a new map.

The interface is a bit clunky, but it's the best online table host I've found. =/

I've just been using Excel. Once you get it updated, do a Print Screen, open Paint, paste, crop to taste, save as a .jpg or .bmp, then upload to www.tinypic.com. You don't even have to register to tinypic, just fill out the little captcha thingy. It even does the forum code for you. Just past into a window, spoilered as desired, and you are good to go. Here's a couple of my recent maps:

That's what I used to do (except I used Photobucket most of the time, the Tinypic captcha gets old, IMO). It's just that after re-uploading a map for the hundredth time just to move one kobold from square F7 to L7 was starting to kind of drive me nuts. Offline spreadsheets/drawing programs are much easier to work with, but damn, all those individual uploads...

I was considering hosting the thing on my own server space, but that would still require me to do the whole save -> create new link thing every time.