Battlemap software?

[Cador]

My group and I are looking for software to manage movement on a map during battle. We’re considering kLoOge.Werks, but we want to take a peek at other possible solutions before deciding what to use. We basically want some program that enables us to load a map on a laptop at the gaming table, move tokens around on the map, show the distance moved, and show the distance to other tokens. And we would rather avoid software with tile based movement (we feel it makes combats too much like chess, only with hit and damage rolls between the pieces).

If anyone has some tempting suggestions, we’re keen to hear!

 

[Luke]

RolePlayingMaster does this pretty well.

- Use any map graphic as the background to your BattleMap.
- Built-in tilemapper available if required.
- Distance shown as tokens moved, with steps and moves being recorded.
- "Free movement", without being snapped to a tile position.

Also:

- Double click on the map directly to add new creatures, or a random encounter group. Creatures are fully calculated according to 3rd ed mechanics rules, and you can work on them if required.

- You can click on counters to perform actions (attacks, skill checks, saves etc).

- In full combat mode (both PCs and NPCs/monsters entered), you can target other counters and have proper attcks vs AC, automatic opposed skill checks etc all done (overrides for manual dice rolls and situational modifiers available).

- RPM keeps check of flatfooted-ness, current actions etc, and automatically adjusts all stats.


Finally:

Making the most out of the BattleMap allows you to take full advantage of RPM's integrated utility suite.
You can prepare entire adventures, complete with plot detail, maps, encounters etc, and them play them out with the full combat manager.

You can check out an adventure report generated from RPM here . Its a reporting example of how far you can take it, but you can easily stick to very simple use of the map.

------------------------------------------

I'm doing a major revamped release within about a week. You can check out the current version, or wait until then, where there are a tonne of great improvements. From the BattleMap perspective, the important things will be much smoother map usage and optional combat management.

Regards,

 

[aliberator]

Klooge all the way. Nice to look at, developer that will always be there to help, it was made for exactly what you described, and if you want to go beyond that it has lots more options. Plus constant upgrades. I use it for just what you described and I love it.

 

[Cador]

RolePlayingMaster is definitely impressive when it comes to the load of features. But its BattleMap is a little sluggish compared to kLoOge -- though I'll certainly have a look at the next version of RolePlayingMaster if the map usage will be smoother.

It is great that there is some software to handle combat on a map. After moving to 3rd edition, we've found it increasingly difficult to manage battles with more than one opponent per PC. Many feats require rather precise knowledge of where the opponents are and which way they are facing and such. So some form of accurate tactical overview is often needed. And we don’t have the time and energy to collect and paint miniatures. We're mostly past 30, and our hands are not young anymore -- all the precise painting hurts our arthritis-ridden fingers. So battlemap software is really the only solution.

 

[Luke]

RolePlayingMaster is definitely impressive when it comes to the load of features. But its BattleMap is a little sluggish compared to kLoOge -- though I'll certainly have a look at the next version of RolePlayingMaster if the map usage will be smoother.

Agreed. I had a look at Klooge, and was quite surprised. I've been waiting for a while to do a similar thing with the map reveal, but it just hasn't been far enough up the priority list.
The multiplayer networking is a much lower priority for RPM than the general 3rd edition management and information functionality, but hopefully I'll get there before *too* long. There's much more focus at the PCGen/E-Tools end of functionality .

In the general scheme of RPM development, I've been hampered by slow development due largely to constraints of the underlying database manager, which is an issue I've managed to work around now. So, hopefully I can pick up the pace in these areas.

Regards,

 

[Shapermc]

NOw, this is just to keep your options open. . .

Izandawo is free and it was just released as a new version .30. It is really simple to use and add graphics. YOu can print out maps to scale each square/hex is what ever size you want. You could alway just do Campeign Cartographer 2 Pro but that is not a free program.

Just here to keep your options open.

 

[DM]

I agree, Shapermc. I've used both Izandawo and Campaign Cartographer 2 (trial version) to make maps for Klooge.Werks. While I haven't tried ver. 0.30 yet, I liked the maps I made with the previous version. Izandawo may be the best freeware out there to make good maps with.

While the trial of CC2 doesn't allow you to make maps, you can load maps created by others and save them in a format that will work with Klooge (.jpg, .gif). The software package may cost a bit, but WOW, some of the maps I've seen created with it are amazing!

I would also suggest looking at Bryce, Lightwave, Dungeon Crafter 2, and Fractal Mapper as other programs to use to generate your own maps for use with Klooge.Werks.

 

[Silvanos]

Luke,

Does it do TCP/IP stuff? Like allow us to play over the internet?

I looked at yours, and I have 6 players, and a DM. So I would be looking at 7 copies. Where with K I can get a DM/Client and 6 floating clients for $100. With yours it looks like $24 apiece.

Do you run specials?

Silva

 

[DMFTodd]

So some form of accurate tactical overview is often needed. And we don’t have the time and energy to collect and paint miniatures

Why not a battle map and tokens? Tokens are free in Dungeon magazine and you can buy them from Fiery Dragon among others. My token folder must have near a 1000 tokens in it already.

And cutting out tokens is not as hard on my old arthritic fingers.

 

[Cador]

Why not a battle map and tokens?

We have actually used tokens for larger battles, again without a tile-based map. And though it was great for tactical overview, the freedom of movement slowed down combat considerably as we had to get the ruler out for every move, ranged attack or to measure the precise extent of threath ranges. So we thought we'd leave all the pain of distance measurement to a computer. And get the added bonus of not having to print or redraw maps for tabletop use, but just feed the maps to the battlemap software and save a few trees.