***May 2019 Challenge: Map for a Virtual Table Top***

[arsheesh]

Hello everyone, the following challenge is brought to you by Fantasy Grounds and our very own Jaxilon. However Jax is out of town at the moment so I'll be filling in for the time being. Without further ado, here is your challenge...

Creators of worlds,

Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to design a map for use within a Virtual Table Top (VTT) system.

Our challenge is being sponsored by Fantasy Grounds College and the finished product must work in Fantasy Grounds. Obviously, the maps will work with other VTTs as well but because they are sponsoring and providing prizes we will aim for their listed requirements.

The map can be of any genre and/or location so let your imagination run wild.

The recommended parameters are covered here -> Format suggestions for Fantasy Grounds VTT however basic requirements are:

Maps, Dimensions 2048×2048, jpeg, 1-2 megabytes max for file sizes, 50-60 pixels per inch (square) for maps. Most battle maps are around 1200×1200 up to 1800×1800 pixels.

The link has further detail from Kris aka “Meanders Maps” that may be helpful on how to do your resolutions if you are interested (such as PPG and DPI).

PRIZES: There are TWO Standard Fantasy Grounds Licenses being offered. These are the ones requiring NO monthly subscription.
The first license will go to the winner of our challenge as voted upon by our community. The Second license will be selected by Fantasy Grounds College personnel.

The usual errata:

• Please make sure to title your threads like so: May 2019 Challenge: <<your title here>>
• Also please do not forget to insert this tag before each work-in-progress picture you post: ### Latest WIP ### There's even a handy little button for it, in the middle row of the tool bar. For the new folks out there, this is so your map shows up in the thumbnail image scraper and people will be able to see it at voting time.
• In order for your images to show up in the thumbnails please make sure to upload them directly to your WIP thread rather than linking to an external site.
• This challenge will end Friday, May 31^st.

For background information, this challenge resulted from a conversation I had with Laerun of Fantasy Grounds College after I won a random drawing for a Standard Fantasy Grounds license.
As I already own an Ultimate license I asked if I could give it to someone else and mentioned our monthly challenges at the Cartographer's Guild. Upon hearing this he offered an additional license to sponsor this month’s challenge.
So thank you Laerun and Fantasy Grounds College for being so kind as to do this.

This is an opportunity to work within a set of parameters and see what you can do and I look forward to seeing what you all come up with.

Happy creating,

Jaxilon

[Voolf]

Great sponsor challenge! I like it.
Maybe i will join.... but then, i really don't need the prize, since i won't use it :/

[ChickPea]

Great to see a sponsor for the challenge!

Voolf, even if you're not personally interested, if you entered and won, maybe it could be a giveaway for one of your patrons? Just a thought.

[Adfor]

Off the wall, I dig it, glad to see other RPG venues joining in on the fun. Won't be in on this one, but it will be fun to see what people come up with being no limitations on ideas/genres. Good luck all!

Cheers!

IR

[Voolf]

Voolf, even if you're not personally interested, if you entered and won, maybe it could be a giveaway for one of your patrons? Just a thought.

That is a neat idea ChickPea. I will consider joining if I'll have enough time.

[Voolf]

A technical questions.

Doest the map must be a battlemap or a dungeon map (location reference map) is also ok?
Should you create a grid for battlemap, if so how big (pixels) should be one square. I haven't used Fantasy Grounds and I am not sure how to scale the map so it would fit their system tokens. Not only grid, but the map itself.

[arsheesh]

A technical questions.

Doest the map must be a battlemap or a dungeon map (location reference map) is also ok?
Should you create a grid for battlemap, if so how big (pixels) should be one square. I haven't used Fantasy Grounds and I am not sure how to scale the map so it would fit their system tokens. Not only grid, but the map itself.

The map need not be of a dungeon, but it should be a battlemap of some sort as it will be used in Fantasy Grounds as such. I'm not entirely certain if a grid is necessary but it might be a good idea to add one just in case. As to the grid size "50-60 pixels per inch". The map ought not to exceed 2048x2048 px, but you are free to play around with dimensions below this threshold.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Voolf]

The map need not be of a dungeon, but it should be a battlemap of some sort as it will be used in Fantasy Grounds as such. I'm not entirely certain if a grid is necessary but it might be a good idea to add one just in case. As to the grid size "50-60 pixels per inch". The map ought not to exceed 2048x2048 px, but you are free to play around with dimensions below this threshold.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

Ah, so the "50-60 pixels per inch" is about the grid. I though it's the image resolution which made me thinking, why so small
Thanks Arsheesh

[Tenia]

Hi,
A grid is not mandatory, as FG can add his own grid, which is also used to automatically calculate distances and areas of effects for example. If you don't add a grid on your map, a common practice is to draw a single square in a place not often used, near a corner for example, so that the GM can align the software's grid properly.
Without a grid, my advice would be that you display your painting software grid as a guide when you elaborate your map, because on battlemaps it is important that the main nature of the terrain in each square (cliff, plain, water, walls, etc.) is as unambiguous as possible, if only to avoid endless discussions between players and game master.

[aeshnidae]

I feel like I must be overthinking the FG requirements...but I'm perplexed. "Dimensions 2048×2048, jpeg, 1-2 megabytes max for file sizes, 50-60 pixels per inch (square) for maps. Most battle maps are around 1200×1200 up to 1800×1800 pixels." Does this mean the map can be as large as 2048 x 2048 pixels, but most maps are smaller? Even my 1200 x 1080 map is coming in WAY over the 1-2 MB file size (currently 22 MB), which is why I haven't yet posted a thread.