Just for fun: The layers of a map

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beowuuf
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Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by beowuuf »

Since it got mentioned, and sicne the is the last time I will be doing game maps *sniff*, for anyone's interest here's what goes in to a combat map. If I've done anythign clever, feel free to borrow it. More likely, if I've done anything stupidly, feel free to point out a better way for whenever the next time is!

Maps:
There are two versions, the full .psp paintshop file with all the layers separate, and then each round I save a .jpg version aswell that automatically collapses the layers to one.

Layer 1: Background
Image
The basic background of the room. Sometimes generated from a CSBwin map, sometimes just drawn freehand from basic shapes. It's usually best when constructing these to keep the map size small to increase the accuracy of moving things around, drawing lines, etc.

Layer 2: The grid
Image
For some CSBwin maps, it is simply a secod set of lines to turn the 10 foot squares to 5 foot squares, in some recent maps this had been a chessboard effect (very easy with a tiny image size). The trick of the former is to just draw lots of lines then trim them as requires to the image below. The trick of the later is to pick two neutral colours that won't overwhelm the map itself. For the former, a separate layer allows for ease of trimming the lines if walls get in the way. For the later, as a separate layer you can increase the transparency to take the eye away from it.

Layer 3: Surroundings
Image
All the solid parts like false walls, pillars, etc that are part of the dungeon walls/floor but would look strange to have a grid over the top.

Layer 4: Furniture
Image
All the smaller items just like the surroundings, but are more likely to be moved. It's easier for them to be in their own layer just in case they start to interact with the more solid dungeon elements that shouldn't move. Kinda arbitrary if this is a separate layer or not

Layer 5: Light
Image
I add a yellow filled circle for every light source for the bright radius only. If I'm feeling nice, I then cut away anything there light would be blocked (so for example the pillars create a shadow, so I did a rough cut away. You can then increase the transparency (make it 100% transparent if you like!) to light the main area.

Layer 6: Dim light
Image
I then do a larger set of black circles in a new layer for the radius of the dim light. Once more, if I've feeling nice I can cut away anything that would block the light (such as the doors, etc. Note the pillars, etc that would be in bright light I allow to then have dim light behind them. The convoluted but best thing to do next is then to go back to layer 5, select all the yellow parts, come back to layer 6 so the outline of them remains and then delete that outline from the black. Sounds complicated, but gives a better effect than stacking the circles. Again,add transparency - though less than the brightness layer (not too much!)

Layer 7: Darkness
Image
Flood filled with black, and then then layer 5/6 outlines cut out of it. I've foudn that not making it fully transparent is more satisfying that blacking out anything not in line of sight, but that's really up to the GM and players to say :)

Layer 8: Dead and downed
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Best to have a separate layer for them, since players can stand on top of those prone, unconscious, or dead. I also tend to add transparency just to empasize someone out of the fight.

Layer 9: Enemies
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I like to separate player and enemy active tokens frm each other. For one thing they tend to be interacting, and so it's nice to be able to overlap them and know you can pull them apart again. for another, it's easy to isolate this layer to recall how many enemies you need to move around!

Layer 10: Players
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The layer for big damn heros and their lesser NPC allies :)

Layer 11: Initiative:
Image
Best to be a separate layer at the top of the stack, so you can move thigns around without

Layer 12: Overlay grid:
Image
Sometimes part of the initiative layer if it's just the letters/numbers, I separated it out this time in order to add some transparency. I also made the layer have the 'difference' property, whcih means it colours itself to the difference between itself and the colours below. WHich is why it can be seen on both a bright and dark backing.

I also sometimes have a dump layer I can put items in to that becomes invisible when saying the .jog. It's also a good layer to write temporary notes and status effects in to for my eyes only. For that reason, I tend to have it as the highest layer so I can put scores throuh those that have acted, etc. or see items that are open./closed (liek a fake wall that has disappeared)


Anyway, so that's the anatomy of one of these combat maps. Or rather, what it's evolved in to! Check out the original start maps to remember what it used to look like :)

Image
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ian_scho
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by ian_scho »

I take it you just screen grab the map from CSBWin then. Those starting maps were great! I never appreciated that there were 12 layers in the final map -> It beats my MSPaint experience!
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beowuuf
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by beowuuf »

Yep, the very first one was a quick grab from CSBwin with the original red marks for items used :) The layers depends upon what I was doing, but yeah, by the end of the mummy fight that was pretty complex (teher were floor items, and wall items, and shadows and moving light sources and even a lid on the coffin with a falchion inside. Wacky fun.
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by Gambit37 »

Wow, I haven't checked in on the D&D game for ages. Looks like you got pretty complex in the end, Beo - nice work. How long have you been going now, 2 years or 3? (!!!! :shock:)
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beowuuf
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by beowuuf »

Just two years (hah, just!). And yeah, we're in epic finale now... huge orcs with nasty attacks against most of the party, Ameena trying to resolve something from Theron's past before the big bad ghostly evil frees himself to do something nasty, betrayals, counter betrayals, death (NPCs for now). It's all happening. *sniff* certainly will be over by this time next month, I think :(
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by ian_scho »

It amazes me that it still seems 'fresh'. By that I mean the whole process of using phpBB as a medium is always slow, yet, each couple of days Beo throws a hammer in the works (a building with a lot of broken windows).
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beowuuf
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by beowuuf »

Yeah, PbP is slow so that's why you'll always see me a little paranoid about pacing and posting. Still, you get what you put in, and you guys are great at managing to find your own fun with cool little charcter beats if the narrative is forced to spin for a little bit.

It's definitely funny that the game is only in two days of game time after two years :)
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Re: Just for fun: The layers of a map

Post by Ameena »

Lol, damn, it's really only that little, isn't it? Meanwhile our game is something like twelve days, though two or three of those were taken up primarily with travel, and most of the rest with wandering around talking to people :D.
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