Running PBP - maps?

[J-H]

No computer games look appealing, and not enough games are recruiting. I think I might try my hand at running a small PBP, probably just a dungeon-crawl.

I have a pretty good handle on 3.5 mechanics and the big 16, but I don't have a good mapping tool. Are there any good (free) alternatives to a Google doc spreadsheet? I have tried Roll20 and don't like it.

[thirdkingdom]

No computer games look appealing, and not enough games are recruiting. I think I might try my hand at running a small PBP, probably just a dungeon-crawl.

I have a pretty good handle on 3.5 mechanics and the big 16, but I don't have a good mapping tool. Are there any good (free) alternatives to a Google doc spreadsheet? I have tried Roll20 and don't like it.

We use Google Drawings. You can use a free grid template. It works well because it can be edited by any of the players (I insist that my players do exploration mapping), so if the nominal mapper can't get to it for a few days it can still be updated.

[Aetis]

What's wrong with Roll20?

http://i.imgur.com/0gjhwY7.jpg

[PersonMan]

What's wrong with Roll20?

Presumably the time investment needed to make each map, the difficulties of finding specific tiles or backgrounds, the intricacies of things like having to use "Is Drawing" to make things not snap to the grid...

There's enough to make it annoying to deal with, and an alternative preferable.

[Knaight]

There's always Maptools.

[radthemad4]

Presumably the time investment needed to make each map, the difficulties of finding specific tiles or backgrounds, the intricacies of things like having to use "Is Drawing" to make things not snap to the grid...

There's enough to make it annoying to deal with, and an alternative preferable.
You don't 'have' to spend a lot of time detailing a map. For instance, here's a screenshot from an impromptu oneshot:
http://i.imgur.com/Skuds0V.png where I just described what it looked like vocally, but the map was good enough for combat.

Yes, Roll20 does require a bit of time to learn, but IMO, it's worth the effort (it has nice features like a ruler for distances (though by default it's set to 4e measurement and needs to be set to other forms on each page, which is kinda annoying if you're not playing 4e (or at least it used to, been a while since I last GM'd)), 'auras' which put transparent circles or squares centered on tokens that're useful for stuff like Darkvision or tremorsense ranges, HP bars, status tokens, fog of war (that needs to be done manually by the GM admittedly), etc (all of which are completely optional)). I've seen someone completely new to it at the time, successfully run a live game with it after messing around with it for around two hours (with occasional tips from the other players who had spent more time on it).

[Mutazoia]

No computer games look appealing, and not enough games are recruiting. I think I might try my hand at running a small PBP, probably just a dungeon-crawl.

I have a pretty good handle on 3.5 mechanics and the big 16, but I don't have a good mapping tool. Are there any good (free) alternatives to a Google doc spreadsheet? I have tried Roll20 and don't like it.

A quick google search for RPG make maker will come up with a bunch of choices, such as Dungeon Painter (http://pyromancers.com/dungeon-painter-online/), which is web based, and free. There are also some pretty cheap ($1.99) apps for Apple and Android devices such as Ye Old Map Maker (http://www.yeoldemapmaker.com/) that will export for printing and sharing.

[J-H]

Thanks.

I put together a spreadsheet last night and found the login for my photobucket. I may just screenshot the sheet and upload it... I kind of got started with the entry room and charted things out in three directions with about 10-12 other rooms free-formed into the sheet with text descriptions. I'll turn them into actual maps as the party goes.

[PersonMan]

You don't 'have' to spend a lot of time detailing a map. For instance, here's a screenshot from an impromptu oneshot:
http://i.imgur.com/Skuds0V.png where I just described what it looked like vocally, but the map was good enough for combat.

May be a personal thing, but if I'm looking to make a map I'll only go for something more "refined" - a sketch-type map isn't something I'd use, unless it's a case of 'wait you want to go *here*? Alright let me improv this whole thing now because I did not expect that' in a real-time game. So for me, "you can make a quick sketch-ish map" isn't really a plus.

Long story short, for me to use the map, I do have to.


Yes, Roll20 does require a bit of time to learn, but IMO, it's worth the effort (it has nice features like a ruler for distances (though by default it's set to 4e measurement and needs to be set to other forms on each page, which is kinda annoying if you're not playing 4e (or at least it used to, been a while since I last GM'd)), 'auras' which put transparent circles or squares centered on tokens that're useful for stuff like Darkvision or tremorsense ranges, HP bars, status tokens, fog of war (that needs to be done manually by the GM admittedly), etc (all of which are completely optional)). I've seen someone completely new to it at the time, successfully run a live game with it after messing around with it for around two hours (with occasional tips from the other players who had spent more time on it).

Oh, yeah, I'm not saying it's bad, and I use it myself.

I'm just saying that it has enough downsides that are fairly apparent that one might say 'no, I'd rather use something else' rather than 'time to invest more time in making this work'.