ASCII maps tip

[Myth and Legend]

OK i see that a lot of the DM's here don't know this and i finally think it's time i shared some of my knowledge on typefaces, letter spacing etc. OK maybe not, as i don't want to bore you guys. Suffice to say, some fonts have their letters use differing space (the default Veranda for example). So this is how a regular map turns out (take from Jemal's Legends game):

1*======-----========
========-----========
========-----========
===XX===-----========
===XX======c====v===
==R=================
========A===========
======33============
======33m======g====
=====o==============
====================
====================
====================
====================
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@S@@@@@@@@@


As you can see there are uneven spaces all over the map and it's hard to calculate just how much distance there is between each object. Especially nasty for doing precise aiming on things like flyby attack, cone of cold, fireball etc.

Selecting a typeface such as Courrier New fixes the issue, as every character uses the exact same "box" of space:

1*======-----========
========-----========
========-----========
===XX===-----========
===XX======c====v====
==R==================
========A============
======33=============
======33m======g=====
=====o===============
=====================
=====================
=====================
=====================
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@@@@S@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@


Further more, if you want perfect squares (not the rectangualr space the font places the letter in) use two letters per square, for example AA for a single char and == for a single 5 feet of space.
​

 

[DEFCON 1]

Well, since Myth And Legend has opened up the floor on his mapmaking knowhow for Play-By-Post games... I guess I'll add my own particular methodology for mapmaking as well.

My own particular method is using Microsoft Excel. First, you can import and paste a picture image into Excel, which is useful if you already have gridded maps from modules, websites, or the like. Move the image so it is in the upper-left corner of the spreadsheet, then manually adjust the column width and row height of the spreadsheet so that the letters and numbers match up to the grids already printed on the map (thereby giving you easy coordinate identification to your map).

At this point, at the bottom of Excel you'll see the tools for Autoshapes and the like. Create a bunch of autoshapes (like circles for example) to represent the PCs that are of proper size to fit nicely on the map (and which you can color fill to match the dialogue color of the characters). Use a different shape for all monsters (I use diamonds myself) and color fill those in as well.

What is great about the autoshapes is that you can pick up and move these shapes all around the spreadsheet (and the picture map image) as though they were tokens. What is also cool is that you can adjust the width of the outer line of the shape, plus change the line color. So if a PC or monster gets a status effect placed upon it, you can identify it with the autoshape (so a wide purple outline means slow, a wide blue outline means immobilized etc. etc.)

Once the shapes are placed on the map at the beginning and on each subsequent turn, you hit PrintScreen on your keyboard, open up Paint, paste the image, crop the image so you only have the map left over, then post the image to an image-hosting site (I myself use ImageShack® - Image Hosting) You can then post or link to the image when you write out the results of the round of combat.

Then, once the next round begins, re-open the Excel file, move the autoshapes around the map as needed for the next round's actions, save, hit PrintScreen, rinse repeat.

Hope this helps out some of you with some new mapping ideas.