Tools for sandbox style exploration?

[Ydars]

If we are talking 3.5 then I don't know of any product that did this, but I am planning on creating my own "Westmarch" using the E6 rules system, for play about the middle of next year.

Once I have done the prep then I might stick all my notes and maps on the net because nothing like this is out there at present: none of my players will find it because they don't use EN World.

 

[Umbran]

A sandbox can easily handle stategic scale PC decisions, where the tactical scale is used to resolve necessary conflicts toward bringing about the strategic-level design.

In my experience, handling strategic plans is by no means limited to sandbox style. But perhaps that's a different discussion.

The fact remains that the players will spend most of their time and interest on the map on which they actually do the bulk of their business. Their powers are defined on the scales of feet, not miles, so the details of their actions will be on the scale of feet, not miles. Typically, they won't be doing much with the strategic scale map - they mostly get used as references, not work surfaces.

One doesn't typically get the best return of fun by spending lots of time and effort on things the players won't spend a whole lot of time actually using. Make the effort and style match the use, is all I'm saying.

 

[Raven Crowking]

In my experience, handling strategic plans is by no means limited to sandbox style.

I didn't say it was; I said that a sandbox can handle it easily. But you must have known this, as you quoted it!

The fact remains that the players will spend most of their time and interest on the map on which they actually do the bulk of their business. Their powers are defined on the scales of feet, not miles, so the details of their actions will be on the scale of feet, not miles.

This may be true, but I would be careful of the assumption that it is universally so. In 1e, for instance, around 10th level, a lot of PCs IME have had enough temporal power to have the ability to affect things on the scale of miles. When I was working on the classes for RCFG, I intentionally gave some of them higher-level powers that are more useful on the strategic scale than on the tactical.


RC

 

[The Ghost]

You can also find a random map generator here

www.Gozzy's.com - Random Dungeon Map Creator

Other pages on the same site create random wilderness maps and caves.

This is exactly something I have been looking for. Xp to you!

 

[Umbran]

I didn't say it was; I said that a sandbox can handle it easily. But you must have known this, as you quoted it!

Yeah, but the thread is "I'm doing sandbox and...," and you're "Sandbox can do this easily..." It seems to me that the "sandbox" is thoroughly irrelevant, and that merited a note.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Yeah, but the thread is "I'm doing sandbox and...," and you're "Sandbox can do this easily..." It seems to me that the "sandbox" is thoroughly irrelevant, and that merited a note.

Sort of like:

Person 1: "I am trying to drive in a nail with a hammer."

Person 2: "Hammers are admirable tools for that."

Person 3: "Hey, you can use flat rocks, too!"




EDIT: My impression, which I will be happy to learn is wrong, is that you just like to argue with me.