An ambitious map idea

[nickgreyden]

So Worldographer is coming out soon (Hexographer 2) and I kinda sorta wanna make Cerilia in it. It was one of the reasons I kickstarted it. Detailed maps of each realm (official maps when possible).

I'm just gauging if anyone would be interested in even looking at the maps. I'd like to standardize it with each hex being a set distance so I could get the scale right and if anyone wanted to fit all the pieces together it would fit perfectly.

[sergai]

I think a whole world map would be cool :)

[Rowan]

Cool!
I tried Hexographer to let it's auto-generation tool take the base Cerilia map and, following the shaded areas, generate a hexographer map. It was pretty close! I just haven't had the time to work out the problems and build it out further.

What I've felt the community has needed for many years is a truly interactive game map. I'm assuming you're pretty familiar with Hexographer and have been working with the Worldographer Dmo (I've only barely touched Hexographer 1). Given what you know of it, how well do you think it:

1. Would let you change the scale -- there are different schools of thought on the size of provinces (typically ranging from an average of 25-50 miles across), and whether a province should be its own hex (which, since they have variable shapes, would distort if forced on a hex map), or should be composed of many internal, smaller hexes (which is the approach I was trying to take in H1, with hexes roughly representing 5 miles across, roughly 10x10 for provinces, for a roughly 2500square mile province). Similarly, configure populations and other stats based on variable rulesets.

2. Let you associate a cluster of hexes to a single larger political boundary (a province).

3. Let you easily alter political boundaries of provinces to show realm changes (select the hexes you want and assign them to a realm and have the visible borders and any other requisite attributes change).

4. Let you assign game statistics to provinces, with a visible window that people can see if they select it.

5. Let you place markers with information in hexes or provinces, to track things like location of armies/units, location of the ruler, realm spell effects, or other mobile assets.

6. Interactive to more users than just the GM, as on a web page, at least on a "read only" level (to view information).

7. The "holy grail" of an interactive game map: with permissions control to let users edit, or submit edits for approval, on only those areas that they have control.


I think that if the community could ever get a tool that would allow these things, GM burden would drop enormously, player interactivity, control, and fun would rise quite a bit, and we could breathe new life into online community games.

[Silmaril.SE]

Sounds interesting. Let me know if me and my maps can help at all.

[nickgreyden]

1. Would let you change the scale -- there are different schools of thought on the size of provinces (typically ranging from an average of 25-50 miles across), and whether a province should be its own hex (which, since they have variable shapes, would distort if forced on a hex map), or should be composed of many internal, smaller hexes (which is the approach I was trying to take in H1, with hexes roughly representing 5 miles across, roughly 10x10 for provinces, for a roughly 2500square mile province). Similarly, configure populations and other stats based on variable rulesets.


Kinda. From what I've seen you can set different scales. It is rather difficult to explain in this short time I have, but it can be done... but under set circumstances only.



2. Let you associate a cluster of hexes to a single larger political boundary (a province).

Yes


3. Let you easily alter political boundaries of provinces to show realm changes (select the hexes you want and assign them to a realm and have the visible borders and any other requisite attributes change).

If a person has the program, this is easy enough. If not, you are stuck with the map that was built.



4. Let you assign game statistics to provinces, with a visible window that people can see if they select it.

I'm pretty sure this funcitonalty is in the system. I'd have to double check to see if I'm remembering correctly, but pretty sure I am. Hyperlinks to urls also exist so can link back to the BRWiki :-)



5. Let you place markers with information in hexes or provinces, to track things like location of armies/units, location of the ruler, realm spell effects, or other mobile assets.

Yes. But once again, one would have to have the program. Just having the map isn't enough.



6. Interactive to more users than just the GM, as on a web page, at least on a "read only" level (to view information).

I don't think this is avaible... at least not yet.



7. The "holy grail" of an interactive game map: with permissions control to let users edit, or submit edits for approval, on only those areas that they have control.

I don't think this exists yet and if it did, I'm almost positive it would require each person to own a copy of the program.

Also, Silmaril.SE I plan on using your HD map for the base. I'm not sure if I can do the whole map import thing like you can in Hex1, but We'll find out soon enough.