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Map-Making Software for RPG Campaigns?
mandrake*rpgdx writes "I'm looking into downloading/purchasing some map making software for my Table Top RPG group. I've heard about the free (GPL'd) AutoRealms and wondered if anyone with experience can compare it to commercial products like Campaign Cartographer, and if there is any Linux based map-maker I can grab?" The one I've been most impressed with, and might pick up at Gen Con this year, is Dundjinni. Anyone else have any software favorites?
or zoom out, or let you just print sections of maps. Nor does it let you build electronic atlas's for your games. And the extention packs are pitiful.
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http://www.galactanet.com/gametable.html
"Gametable is a remote RPG host/client app that allows use of a D&D style battle map, die rollers, etc online."
Not exactly what you're looking for, but in the ballpark of nifty RPG related software.
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Remember this? The real reason to get map software
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... why anyone actually uses such complex map generating software that does such things as break the whole map into grids and hexes and calculate travel times and such. Let me illustrate, go put on your roleplaying hats and compare:
... What demon had to be slain that left its ichor to stain this map?
GENERIC OMINOUS SOOTHSAYING SAGE (GOSS): You need to go to Ramadamadingdong, which is eighteen hexes out from your location and standard rules are to roll for encounters each hex. Check hex D14 on your map.
Players: Ok. Let's see we'll need 18 standard ration units then, let's make it an even 20.
---- vs...
GOSS: That which you seek lies in mysterious and distant lands unknown (stretches gnarled finger to emphasize that whole "way out there" thing). Your path is perilous, your tread is treacherous, your fly is unzipped.
Players: This journey, how many days? And thanks (zip).
GOSS: I know not, but this burned fragment of a map drawn on the skin of a Dire Wallaby shall guide your path. Beware, for the hand of a madman was that who authored, or the madman guided the mad hand, or perhaps a sane hand of a mad man--
Players: --Yes, this shall do! (snatches map)
GOSS: Oh, I merely ran out of tissue...
---
OK, I'm feeling a little silly, but you can see how even realistic props can enhance silliness. Nothing wrong with the GM having the hex maps, but for godsakes, please stop exposing these to the players.
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AutoREALM is pretty nice, however, there's some small clumsiness in the UI. It's the kind of software that you want to use to create really complex maps, because it sure isn't smooth enough to do anything really simple.
It's sure very powerful, has some nice drawing tools and such. Very nice layering functionality too. The symbol library feature helps too.
The only problems I had were with snapping/accurate ends, zooming and panning (there's a separate pan tool, no mouse shortcut, and panning tends to screw up the display until done). Also, in this day and age, I'd definitely expect the program to do EPS or SVG exporting, but nooo-oo, not yet! Okay, it's been an year since I used it - hope it's being improved a bit...
AutoREALM had one curious feature, too - name generator, based on context-free grammars. I found it a pretty strange coincidence that I spent this day tweaking my context-free grammar based text generator, and the first thing I see in Slashdot after that is some question about AutoREALM. This generator of mine happens to have one AutoREALM grammar as an online demo =)
I'd suggest looking into using SVG for game map creation, because there's getting to be a lot of Open Source tools out there (like Inkscape, that I help develop) that can edit, convert, etc. them. I've done some map making with it and while it lacks many of the advanced features that commercial map tools have, it's got the basics, plus if you can code, you gain the option of adding the feature in yourself. ;-)
Making maps with Inkscape / SVG is different than using CAD-style software like Campaign Cartographer, but you can achieve pretty much the same things. With features like alpha blending, text-to-shape, layers, grouping, shape fills, tiling, and infinite zoom, you can make much "prettier" maps in much less time than it'd take to do in a CAD-like program. See the screenshots to get some ideas of what can be done with these features. It has a fancy calligraphy mode that could be quite handy if you need to hand-write calligraphic text on a map. There's also a nifty bitmap-to-vector tracing tool that might help in converting hand-drawn maps to vectors. Also comes with several useful tutorials (in the Help menu).
There's also a site for sharing SVG clipart (like map symbols), the Open Clip Art Library. Not a lot of RPG art yet, but there's some and it's likely going to grow a lot. Plus, since all of its content is Public Domain, there's no restrictions at all placed on your maps if you use it. I could *easily* imagine this being a way for RPG mappers to collectively build an open library of RPG map symbols and artwork.
The majority of the other "map" making software out there is really drawing software. Dunjinni fits into that category. You can draw pictures, but they are just that, and not functional as real maps. They may be prettier, and easier to use if you have more experience with drawing programs.
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Perhaps you should read the Fractal Mapper FAQ. You can publish any maps you created under whatever terms you like, so long as they don't contain any Fractal Mapper map symbols (because the map symbols are art that they have created and own). They do not "legally own" any maps you create under any circumstances, even if you include their map symbols, copyright law doesn't work like that. If you create maps with Fractal Mapper distributed map symbols you have created a derivative work based on their work. You cannot distribute it, but they certainly can't distribute it either (nor do they own it). If you use Fractal Mapper as a tool, and do not include any of their pre-made art then they have no more claim on your maps than Adobe would have claim to an image you created in Photoshop.
Like someone already said, most of the other programs are bitmap-based, wherease CC is a real CAD program and thus vector-based. The difference is that there is very little you cannot do with CC (aside from the primary RPG use, I have used it e.g. to draw floorplans for selling an apartment, and plan to use it for garden design). Also, CC is professionally produced software - the UI might not be completely "Windows Standard", but it does work logically and provides all the functionality you need (I have had some bad experiences in this regard with other software where UI design has been less competent).
The tradeoff is the steeper learning curve, though the manuals are quite OK. The available extensions cover most if not all RPG illustration needs, so you can expand the software as your needs grow. A host of free content (maps and symbols) is available from the Profantasy website.
I guess it mainly depends on the quality you want to get and the time and money you are willing to invest. If all you want is to sit down and quickly create some relatively simple maps, then you are better off with a simpler and cheaper program (or pen and paper...). If, on the other hand, you want to have the ability to create beautiful and detailed maps and are willing to spend some time on it, then it is worthwhile to invest your money and time in CC. It is worth repeating that both investments are required - frequently people who have the money don't have the time, and vice versa :-(. If you e.g. wanted to create maps for illustrating a fantasy novel, CC would really be your only sensible alternative.
By the way, if money and time is no object (I wish...), look into the Vue Esprit + Poser combination for creating illustrations. You can get some pretty decent results without any drawing ability, but buying both the software and the content will cost you an arm and a leg, not to mention a significant chunk of your time.
Disclaimer: I own CC and most of its extensions. I have not tried all possible pieces of mapping software that exist so there might be something better out there but I seriously doubt it. I am not in any way affiliated with Profantasy, e-on software or Curious Labs.
I have been creating software in flash for this purpose for a few weeks. Its a simplistic approach NOT meant to take over the game. It isn't quite done yet. Flash Magic Map