SquareForge Revisited
Hi everyone!
Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted anything about the SquareForge project that I started nearly 2 years ago. I still haven't heard enough feedback to help me drive this idea to the next level. I am moving out of Las Vegas in about a week. My job has changed in such a way that I can focus on my side-projects once again. (Which is good news for SquareForge!) Here's a few of the things that are on my mind lately...
PDF VS PRINT:
I've thought long and hard about producing a professionally printed deck of my dungeon tile sets. There really is no problem with fabricating this idea. I've already constructed the individual tiles long ago. I have found several printing companies who have shown interest in producing the decks with drop shipping options. The problem I keep encountering is the high costs associated with these pre-printed decks. I just don't feel good about asking $15 to $25 for a deck of cards. Plus, there are limitations to the pre-printed decks.. You would only get X number of each available tile. By printing the cards yourself, you give yourself the freedom of picking and choosing which tile variations to print, making as many copies as you desire, and putting them on whatever media you prefer (i.e. heavy card stock, foam board, etc).
The pre-printed decks require a slightly different format than the PDFs. More specifically, there's a bleed around the edge of the cards intended for machine-cutting. Because of this difference, I have to create two completely different sets of cards for each deck. It doubles the task of designing new cards.
So, at least for now, I've decided not to produce any pre-printed decks.
Now that I will have more available time, I do plan on designing a few more terrain sets. Originally, SquareForge was just 16 patterns. More recently, I have developed 120 individual tile patterns for each terrain. The number of tiles allows for an enormous range of variations. This really is one of the best methods for laying out dungeons that I have ever used. Whether I'm creating dungeons on the fly, or reconstructing a dungeon from an existing module, this system is compact and versatile.
For anyone who has been watching this thread, especially if you've downloaded any of my tile sets. I'd love to hear your feedback. I'm getting ready to design some new terrains.
Thank you! 
