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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rexgoose" data-source="post: 1674287" data-attributes="member: 22046">Your maps are outstanding, I'm sure your computer drawn maps would also be outstanding if you liked to work with that medium and I can understand if you don't.One thing that know one else seams to have pointed out is FUNCTIONALITY. It’s the retrieval and modification systems that make computers appealing.Let me give you an example:It takes no longer to type a letter on a typewriter than it does to type it on a computer but what if you want to add another paragraph in the middle or if you need to produce 20 copies (and don’t have a photocopier) or what about if you need to email it, are you starting to see my point?Here are another few reasons why computer formats may be better suited to producing and storing maps even if the typical creator doesn’t have the skill to make an attractive artwork type map.Modifications:As aboveElectronic V's paperI play D&D in the PBEM format (Play by email) and it's pretty hard to fit an A0 sized hand drawn map into my phone socketVector vs. bitmap detailMaps created in proper graphics program are vector based (meaning that they are stored as mathematically calculated paths and plotted points) this means that no matter how much you blow them up you still get crisp clear prints. For example you can print the "world" campaign map and then zoom in and print the area immediately surrounding the township with full details on both and no need to draw multiple maps.Vector vs. bitmap File sizeVector maps are significantly smaller than bitmaps' so even if you scanned your hand drawn map it would be either huge or loose all the lovely detail and crispness (such as the one that you have uploaded). Not all players want to download or store a 50mb map image. You could "trace" the map to be a vector but it’s a bit of a process especially when you have anything more than line art.Layers or the fog of warI have a Fog of war type restriction on the maps I give to my players so I can print out a new map when they have investigated a new area but not give away uninvestigated areas. You could do this on a photocopier but it may be fairly inconvenientLayers NotesIn an electronic map you can store relevant information keys or other data in a layer that doesn’t print for the players only for the DM.There are quite a few other advantages but this is all I have time for this evening. Just my thoughts hope this is helpful for stimulating debate. I have the proper software and the motivation to create great maps I just don’t have very much artistic skill so perhaps in the future you can critique mine. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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