How much effort do you put into your maps?

[Jürgen Hubert]

In honor of my Cartography Workshop thread, I'd thought I'd ask:

How much effort do you put into your maps? Do you simply draw quick sketches, or do you spend hours upon hours to get a map "just right"? And do you create maps by hand, on paper, or do you use the computer - and if the latter, do you use conventional graphics programs or specialized map making software?

 

[Arnwyn]

By hand, on graph paper. Always.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

All of the above. It depends on what the map is for, how much time I've got to make it, and the mood I'm in when I make it.

 

[Slander]

For my TT games I generally end up doing rough hand-drawn maps on paper or our battlemat. If I do make a handout, or for all of my PbP games, I use Autorealm. I don't spend more than a half-hour with maps of either kind since accuracy is almost never an issue in either case.

 

[Lanefan]

My maps are by hand - computer mapping just takes longer than it's worth - and detailed suitable for their purpose. My setting maps are quite detailed, my dungeon maps range from fully detailed to a few circles and lines, whatever gets it done and-or I have time for.

Lanefan

 

[wingnut_dc]

I usually start on a random piece of paper that is nearby when I have some inspiration, and then transfer it to graph paper or re-create it in photoshop if I have the time.

 

[A'koss]

I love good maps myself, but I absolutely hate making them. For my Namea game I sketch an outline by hand, scan in into the computer, then bring it into Illustrator and create the basic outline. Once I'm happy with it, I take it into Photoshop for editing. Some examples below...

Map 1
Map 2


For battlemaps I start with the NWN toolset, then bring them into Photoshop for grid overlays, markers and visual effects.

Battlemap 1
Battlemap 2
Battlemap 3

 

[taliesin15]

For a short time I studied Geology and worked at the university's geology library where they had some *incredible* topo maps...course they were using them for exploring for oil and gas...

yeah, like everyone else it seems, I do em by hand, on graph paper, and often have multiple maps of the same areas--if its going to be a heavily used area (like where a main town is, with the dungeon nearby) I'll make xeroxes, so I can have one that indicates not just terrain, but crops and common plant forage types, one for monster lairs, etc.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Interiors are rooms with arrows between them. Nothing is to scale, and half the time I just go with a description instead of an actual drawing if it will suffice, and I end up filling in the details as the room comes up during gameplay.

I don't think I've drawn an exterior map in years. I have an idea of what an area looks like and run with it.

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

I prefer to leave things vague and up to the imagination, allowing the players to add in details they'd need.

If a map is absolutely necessary, it is hastily drawn and without a scale. My players have learned not to ask for scale from me. I have problems with visualizing dimensions.