Babale
2012-01-09, 04:07 PM
Hey guys! I have a problem.
I play D&D over Skype. A lot. And in order to show people their positions, I found a very simple solution: I have an Inkscape file with 3 layers. At the bottom is the Background layer, where I have the background of the map: Rooms, walls, etc. Above that, I have a Grid layer, which is as simple as it sounds. Finally, I have a Token layer, where I put the players and monsters (Which I, or one of my players, make in Inkscape). When the players get in a fight, I take a screenshot of the battlemat, send it to them over Skype, and then we go through the actions. I constantly update the map, and at the end of the round, take a new screenshot. This is really easy and convenient, since I can put HP totals and initiative scores as text over the tokens.
However, two of my players have very slow internet connections, which means that it can take nearly a minute to send the files over (even though the file is only a simple picture). Further, in a game with 6 players who are fighting 20 mooks at once, it gets difficult to remember where each one is between the beginning and end of the round; but uploading pictures after every move is even harder. So, I need a program that will:
1) Let me and all of my players log onto it, and be able to view the map.
2) Allow me to put in a background, a grid, and the tokens, preferably on separate layers.
3) Allow me to move tokens around, and for the players to see the movement.
4) Allow me to make certain areas of the map unviewable.
5) Allow me to keep track of HP totals and initiative on the same program (Optional)
Does anyone know of such a program?
I play D&D over Skype. A lot. And in order to show people their positions, I found a very simple solution: I have an Inkscape file with 3 layers. At the bottom is the Background layer, where I have the background of the map: Rooms, walls, etc. Above that, I have a Grid layer, which is as simple as it sounds. Finally, I have a Token layer, where I put the players and monsters (Which I, or one of my players, make in Inkscape). When the players get in a fight, I take a screenshot of the battlemat, send it to them over Skype, and then we go through the actions. I constantly update the map, and at the end of the round, take a new screenshot. This is really easy and convenient, since I can put HP totals and initiative scores as text over the tokens.
However, two of my players have very slow internet connections, which means that it can take nearly a minute to send the files over (even though the file is only a simple picture). Further, in a game with 6 players who are fighting 20 mooks at once, it gets difficult to remember where each one is between the beginning and end of the round; but uploading pictures after every move is even harder. So, I need a program that will:
1) Let me and all of my players log onto it, and be able to view the map.
2) Allow me to put in a background, a grid, and the tokens, preferably on separate layers.
3) Allow me to move tokens around, and for the players to see the movement.
4) Allow me to make certain areas of the map unviewable.
5) Allow me to keep track of HP totals and initiative on the same program (Optional)
Does anyone know of such a program?