Dachimotsu
2017-03-18, 10:52 PM
I prefer to make my own maps using Dungeon Painter or Paint.Net, (we play digitally due to distance) but in the past, I've tended to... overdo it. I made maps for places the heroes never went, or in which combats ended up not taking place. This time around, I want to try to only make maps that will get used, but I don't know which ones those are.
I've already got that dungeons will need maps. Towns typically don't need maps since I know how to picture them abstractly by dividing them into zones (http://theangrygm.com/abstract-dungeoneering/). But my campaign is less dungeon-heavy and more can-go-anywhere-on-the-continent-heavy. It's not a sandbox campaign, since they will at least be railroaded onto the main quest, but they may achieve their goals by going in any direction they please. This makes map-making a hassle, since I have no idea where a combat may end up taking place. If it's a skirmish, I prefer not to use a map, but even big combats can "get away" from their intended maps.
GM: Out on the streets, the band of bounty hunters spots you.
Player: I use my ring to teleport onto the nearby rooftops.
GM: ... Okay, you're on the roof now, but the bounty hunters still intend to chase you up there. Although... I don't have a map for the rooftops. Let me, uh... just draw one real quick...
Alternately:
GM: The green dragon is willing to avoid confrontation... IF you become his minions.
Player: Screw that! I draw my battleaxe and rally my 6-person party to charge the dragon AND his 17 adds!
GM: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
In both situations, it seems like the simplest solution is to just draw a map (or add to it), possibly using the in-program drawing tools (like Roll20 or MapTool have). However, as an artist, this does feel rather cheap to me, and it disappoints the players whose core engagements include sensation (they like to see pretty maps).
So, I basically have two options: Make the bare minimum for maps and improvise when needed, or make too many maps with the possibility of them never getting used. Which option would you recommend, or would do yourself?
I've already got that dungeons will need maps. Towns typically don't need maps since I know how to picture them abstractly by dividing them into zones (http://theangrygm.com/abstract-dungeoneering/). But my campaign is less dungeon-heavy and more can-go-anywhere-on-the-continent-heavy. It's not a sandbox campaign, since they will at least be railroaded onto the main quest, but they may achieve their goals by going in any direction they please. This makes map-making a hassle, since I have no idea where a combat may end up taking place. If it's a skirmish, I prefer not to use a map, but even big combats can "get away" from their intended maps.
GM: Out on the streets, the band of bounty hunters spots you.
Player: I use my ring to teleport onto the nearby rooftops.
GM: ... Okay, you're on the roof now, but the bounty hunters still intend to chase you up there. Although... I don't have a map for the rooftops. Let me, uh... just draw one real quick...
Alternately:
GM: The green dragon is willing to avoid confrontation... IF you become his minions.
Player: Screw that! I draw my battleaxe and rally my 6-person party to charge the dragon AND his 17 adds!
GM: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
In both situations, it seems like the simplest solution is to just draw a map (or add to it), possibly using the in-program drawing tools (like Roll20 or MapTool have). However, as an artist, this does feel rather cheap to me, and it disappoints the players whose core engagements include sensation (they like to see pretty maps).
So, I basically have two options: Make the bare minimum for maps and improvise when needed, or make too many maps with the possibility of them never getting used. Which option would you recommend, or would do yourself?