Trends in D&D Map Design

[ptolemy18]

Okay, I admit it: mapping & terrain generation software can make BEAUTIFUL maps. Very, very detailed & pretty. But...

...the real question for me is: how easy is it to photocopy? More and more, when I buy a new module or supplement, I find maps which have been printed in some kind of grayscale, with lots of fuzzy stuff obscuring the all-important 5x5 grid. A map's of very little use to me if I can't photocopy it. (It's a lot easier to refer to a photocopied piece of paper than to have to constantly flip to the appropriate page in the module.)

I'm sure there's mapping software which has a "B&W bitmap" option -- there's gotta be -- and in any case, I wish more publishers would use it!

Jason

 

[Pbartender]

I have to say, I've run across the same problem.

Pretty maps are great for player handouts... treasure maps and the like... but if I'm using it as a DM tool, it must be a simple, useable, readable map. I'd love to see a simple mapping program that emulates the style of the old classic blue-scale maps from the early 80's.