Do you use digital projection of some sort for your gaming maps?

[Wisdom Penalty]

When we are gaming, my group and I project digital maps onto the tabletop. The DM (me) reveals portions of the map as the party progresses through the dungeon. There's been a lot of great threads on this very site about how to do this and the benefits derived therefrom (see: Steel Wind), so I won't go into that.

What I will go into is that how nice it is - for those of us that use digital maps in one form or another - to have a tagless (that is - unlabeled) map to project.

Paizo provided tagged and untagged versions of maps some of the time. Wizards does not yet appear to be doing so. Since the magazine is online and untagged versions of provided maps would not cost anyone an extra dime, I'd like to have this become a standard "feature". But am I alone?

Ergo, this poll.

 

[jmucchiello]

Since the magazine is online and untagged versions of provided maps would not cost anyone an extra dime

Technically, this is not true. While it's only a couple clicks inside photoshop to turn layers on and off. Having untagged maps adds an extra line-item to the TODO list of the artist, the editor, the editor-in-chief, and the web team. And with the delver format, how many maps are there per adventure? Those extra 5 minutes per map per person here and there add up both in terms of salary and workload.

 

[Emirikol]

My friend Todd uses Kloogewerks for his games and definately prefers to find maps that are unlabeled. PAIZO always did them with DUNGEON so they must have not been that much work.

I just re-ordered a projector BTW for work and hadn't considered using it for gaming..if UPS can avoid destroying this one (Pet Detective style), maybe I'll have one sometime in January.

BTW, all the customer service for INFOCUS is in Pakistan..evidently a region that they can't even understand EACH OTHER talk.

I bought and IN24+ and customer service to get it replaced has been a nightmare. I don't like when customer service representatives from krezblechestan LIE TO ME and say their name is JUSTIN, BOB, or KRAMER. (RANT OFF)

jh

 

[Steel_Wind]

Obviously the maps are not a lot of work these days if one creates them with that in mind.

Simply make sure the labels are on their own layer in photoshop - and hide that layer for one version.

Distributing same is another matter. If you already have a web site - all well and good. It does take time, no doubt of that.

In not so entirely unrelated news, the IR pen multitouch hack using a a bluetooth Wiimote and a PC currently making waves on YouTube is a mighty cool Digital Map Projection tool.

Well worth checking out.

 

[Pants]

No, we're poor and we play on a cardboard box

I agree with having untagged maps, those are nice

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Bring on the untagged maps!

 

[megamania]

I'm old fashioned-

I draw out the map as I go on a grid or have the new Dungeon Tiles placed in 1 gallon ziplocks complete with figures that are assigned to that map for quick and easy set up.

 

[the Jester]

I don't use digital maps at this point, though I might eventually. If and when I do, I prefer an untagged version alongside the tagged version. Ergo, you don't have a great answer for me.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Obviously the maps are not a lot of work these days if one creates them with that in mind.

Simply make sure the labels are on their own layer in photoshop - and hide that layer for one version.

Distributing same is another matter. If you already have a web site - all well and good. It does take time, no doubt of that.

In not so entirely unrelated news, the IR pen multitouch hack using a a bluetooth Wiimote and a PC currently making waves on YouTube is a mighty cool Digital Map Projection tool.

Well worth checking out.

That is very cool. So much so, that I'm tempted to accelerate my purchase of a projector.

 

[Yair]

While I don't use digital projection, I do show the players the maps on occasion, hiding the parts they haven't been to yet. So an untagged map would be useful.