To Map in VTT or not to map in VTT

[RPMiller]

A few VTTs out there have the ability to be used a mapping tool as well as a virtual game table. I'm curious about:

1. Which VTT do you use?
2. Does it have the ability to allow you to map in it?
3. Do you use that ability?
4. How quickly can you produce an encounter map with it?
5. How is the quality of the map?
6. How usable was the map?
7. Post an example?
8. How long did it take?
9. Do you prefer this method versus creating the map in an external application?
10. Any additional comments you would like to add?

Here are the answers from me:

1. MapTool
2. Yes
3. Sometimes
4. I've been able to crank one out in under 2 minutes
5. Quality was decent
6. The map was very useful
7. Sure
8. Took about 5 minutes
9. It depends on what I'm creating. If it is an encounter that I didn't plan on or is intended as a quick encounter than this method is the best as the players don't have to wait for the process of creating something in an external app and they get to watch it unfold on screen which keeps their attention.
10. Not currently

Here's a sample exported directly from MapTool:

[dorpond]

My answers are identical to RPMillers for the most part.

Couple things I would like to add:

- What is important for me in a VT is the ability to improvise on the spot. You know players as well as I do - you have no idea where they will be going today. It is important for a GM to be able to do the same things he can do with a rubber battlemat and be able to draw stuff on the fly quickly. Maptool is able to do this very well and I use it every game. These on the fly drawingas can be as simple as using a dry erase or as advanced as using textures to draw with.

- This reminds me of a contest we had at RPTools.net to see who could make the fastest map on the spot. It can be found here: http://forums.rptools.net/viewtopic.php?t=2624

- The greatest thing about a VT battlemat versus a rubber battlemat is that there is no limit to the size of the battlemat (at least in Maptool anyway). I have had players who never bought the Longshot feat (D&D3.5) previous to Maptool because they knew that encounters never get that big. Now with Maptool, I have players shooting 1000' away (200 cells) and enjoying every minute of it. No rubber battlemat is going to be THAT big!

[Valarian]

Personally I prefer to map outside the VTT, so my answer to the query in the title would be: "Not to map in VTT". Anyway ...

1. Which VTT do you use?
Fantasy Grounds
2. Does it have the ability to allow you to map in it?
Yes
3. Do you use that ability?
No
4. How quickly can you produce an encounter map with it?
Very, freehand drawing
5. How is the quality of the map?
As good as the person drawing, so in my case v. bad). It's better with a tablet (or so I've heard)
6. How usable was the map?
Same functionality as any other map in Fantasy Grounds (grid, masking, drawing tools, pointers, tokens).

The rest isn't really relevant as I don't use the functionality. My free hand drawing is terrible. I think I've mentioned my lack of talent before.

[Sigurd]

Fantasy Grounds lets you draw lines with a mouse or tablet. It lets you drop icons (that could be trees, mountains etc...) onto a shared picture.

It doesn't have very good drawing support. The dropped icons can't be frozen in place and its hard to deal with multiple icons without moving the wrong icon. I absolutely import finished maps into FG. It imports any windows graphic format and is pretty good at sharing esp small size pics.


I should say that even for FG maps I'd rather have a full blown decent detail graphic file. I can shrink, cut, or otherwise modify any digital file to make it game ready. I typically make game copies of the maps and keep originals around any changes.


Sigurd

[Valarian]

Even the VTT tools that allow mapping can't measure up to a tool that is designed for mapping or drawing. I'm a believer in the right tool for the right job. A VTT is a tool for running a game, not mapping. There are tools for mapping, why not use them? Try and do both in a VTT and the VTT will do neither well.

[RPMiller]

Even the VTT tools that allow mapping can't measure up to a tool that is designed for mapping or drawing. I'm a believer in the right tool for the right job. A VTT is a tool for running a game, not mapping. There are tools for mapping, why not use them? Try and do both in a VTT and the VTT will do neither well.

I think that depends on what your definition of doing it well is. As I've posted above, that map worked perfectly for the session it was used in and was done almost spur of the moment. I would challenge anyone to build a map similar to that one in a full fledged drawing tool and get it uploaded and made playable in the same amount of time.

[RobA]

There was a brief (but aborted) shared whitespace implementation for Inkscape called Inkboard (google search). Too bad. I think it would have made a great VTT package.

-Rob A>

[kalmarjan]

A few VTTs out there have the ability to be used a mapping tool as well as a virtual game table. I'm curious about:

1. Which VTT do you use?
2. Does it have the ability to allow you to map in it?
3. Do you use that ability?
4. How quickly can you produce an encounter map with it?
5. How is the quality of the map?
6. How usable was the map?
7. Post an example?
8. How long did it take?
9. Do you prefer this method versus creating the map in an external application?
10. Any additional comments you would like to add?

1. Fantasy Grounds
2. Yes, but that *ability* really sucks in my books. Sorry FG.
3. If I had to, really really fast. Think about as fast as drawing on a Chessex battlemap. Only problem is I ONLY have a fine fine pen.
4. With a small pen like that, even with a tablet, it sucks.
5. Very usable, once I explained what the map represents. Like on a chessex battlemap. Oh, why can't FG have layer styles, drop shadows etc. LOL
6. I would post an example, but what's the point. You get the picture. I don't want something like that linked to me. I am a professional after all.
7. Map was done in seconds. Like I drew it on a battlemap
8. Hell no. I prefer making maps in Photoshop. End of story. Maybe even illustrator if I am feeling razzy. In FG? Only when I need something on the fly.
9. FG is not a mapping tool. I am cool with that. I wish that there was a way to make the "marker" bigger though, and change the color. That way, it would be more versatile. Nothing says scary like having a nicely rendered map of the lake of the four moons, then have something like a random encounter come up... and you need to place some stuff on a blank page. Then you have to scribble to show the bushes and stuff. But you are scribbling with a 0.01 pen. That does not even bleed for heck's sake. Ah forget it. I will just draw an "X" here. That is a tree, K? This wavy line over here is the river. Yes, it is really thin, but I only got this really really fine pen, so back of mister!

I am not knockin FG, I LOVE the program. I just wish I had a bit better drawing tools is all.

Sandeman

[Redrobes]

1. Which VTT do you use?
2. Does it have the ability to allow you to map in it?
3. Do you use that ability?
4. How quickly can you produce an encounter map with it?
5. How is the quality of the map?
6. How usable was the map?
7. Post an example?
8. How long did it take?
9. Do you prefer this method versus creating the map in an external application?
10. Any additional comments you would like to add?

1. ViewingDale
2. Yes*
3. Always
4. Few minutes - depends on the map complexity.
5. See* or here
6. Very
7. See*
8. 3 mins 49 secs movie (simple dungeon)
9. Of course. You still need an image editor for creating the tokens/stamps/icons but nothing else comes close for a token compositor.
10. You can change any part of it later. Nothing is fixed like in a bitmap editor. Maps generally much higher res than most image editors. Like the best of vectors and bitmaps in one.

* See this thread for the movies

[RPMiller]

Very cool stuff!

I hope you don't mind if I add some additional questions since I haven't really looked at ViewingDale?
These are all specific questions for what I use so they are especially of interest to me.

1. So can you do hex maps as well?
2. Does it support vision blocking in addition to the fog of war?
3. Does it support light?
4. How does it handle custom dice mechanics?
5. Does it support macros?
6. Can you assign properties to tokens and have those properties picked up by the macros?
7. Does it have any sort of initiative tracking system?