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View Full Version : Games' Map Editors to draw maps



Cicciograna
2011-09-14, 08:42 AM
Hello, fellow Playgrounders! Looking for softwares to draw nice maps I, as probabily many others, decided to resort to the Map Editors that many games feature. I already tried the one from Battle of Wesnoth to draw tactical maps for long range encounters or small skirmishes between armies (I find it great for use with Heroes of Battle), and the results are very, very attractive (and they would be even more if I could make Wercator (http://www.sellner.org/wercator/) work for me...). However, variety is always appreciated, so I'd like to have other alternatives too.
Do you have experience with some other Map Editor which could suit my needs, for example, if I was to design the are surrounding a village - or an entire nation?
Thank you.

B!shop
2011-09-14, 09:01 AM
http://www.hexographer.com/ is a good, free, simple hex map generator.

If you want a complete, not free software, I've tried Pro Fantasy software and they are great (but somewhat complex to learn if you don't have CAD experience).

Cicciograna
2011-09-14, 09:06 AM
Okay, allow me to clarify: I already tried a lot of map creators, standalone programs dedicated to draw maps, such as AutoRealm, Hexographer, the trial versions of Profantasy software and the like.
What I'm asking for is your opinion about the Map Editors coming packed with some game, such as Age of Empire or the like. As I said, I already tried the one from Battle of Wesnoth, but would like your impressions on other Editors too :smallsmile:

Autolykos
2011-09-16, 01:27 PM
While Dwarf Fortress doesn't really come with an editor, abandoned forts can make for a great dungeon with a little tuning (you can also do the dungeon crawl in-game...). They are actually quite fast to dig if you're not worried about making a functional fortress.
I also used Worldcraft (the map editor for Half-Life) to make 3D-models of buildings (mostly for Shadowrun, but it would also work for fantasy).
Other than that, I used actual drawing tools like Inkscape or map utilities like AutoRealm - they usually are quicker if you know how to use them.

J.Gellert
2011-09-16, 01:35 PM
Heroes of Might & Magic III.

Great variety of terrains
Underground included
Large number of map features
Artifacts/Gold chests/Monsters
Love the art style

I used to make campaign maps with it for D&D, and it worked great. My players appreciated it too, since they are fans of the game.

Cicciograna
2011-09-16, 03:34 PM
Heroes of Might & Magic III.

Great variety of terrains
Underground included
Large number of map features
Artifacts/Gold chests/Monsters
Love the art style

I used to make campaign maps with it for D&D, and it worked great. My players appreciated it too, since they are fans of the game.

Checked this editor, looks really nice. Do you have experience with the map editors from the other HOMM games? Specifically, if I needed an editor for a small area (say, the immediate surroundings of a small lake), would those from the other game give me the needed level of detail?

ShneekeyTheLost
2011-09-16, 03:42 PM
Diablo. The original. The maps generated are perfect for your dungeon-crawling needs.

J.Gellert
2011-09-16, 06:53 PM
Checked this editor, looks really nice. Do you have experience with the map editors from the other HOMM games? Specifically, if I needed an editor for a small area (say, the immediate surroundings of a small lake), would those from the other game give me the needed level of detail?

No personal experience, but by looking at screenshots I imagine it is a similar scale.

(Which I guess doesn't mean much, as the Heroes scale can be anything from a very small area to an entire continent, depending on abstraction. The campaign mission maps are certainly varied in this regard.)

theflyingkitty
2011-09-16, 07:11 PM
I just use photoshop w/ a pen tablet and make a black hex grid overly to keep size in retrospect.

Malimar
2011-09-19, 10:54 PM
Semi-related anecdote: I have in the past made dungeon maps by playing a game of Dungeon Keeper and then copying down the layout of the completed dungeon.



I just use photoshop w/ a pen tablet and make a black hex grid overly to keep size in retrospect.

This is what I do for overland maps. Actually, until the most recent map I made, I didn't even bother with hexes.

B!shop
2011-09-20, 01:13 AM
Most of the Civilization games have an editor you can use to draw maps of continents and worlds.
It's easy to learn but it also region-to-world scale.

Cicciograna
2011-09-20, 03:35 AM
Semi-related anecdote: I have in the past made dungeon maps by playing a game of Dungeon Keeper and then copying down the layout of the completed dungeon.

Heh, I did it too :smallbiggrin:
The next thing I plan to get dungeons from is a game of How to host a Dungeon (http://planet-thirteen.com/Dungeon.aspx).