-~@ January 2011 Challenge - Points of Light Theme @~-

[Ascension]

This month's challenge is to map out a journey between two points. We just did a planet/world challenge so this month we're going with a smaller scale - nothing above continental scale. The Points of Light idea is specific to fantasy but there's no reason why your journey couldn't be made in a land speeder or a steam train. Your map should include the start and end points, any waypoints along the way (if you want any), and the obstacles between the two points - be they monsters, canyons, nomads, whatever. The Points of Light idea is that there are few human settlements in the world, mostly curtailed to isolated cities, with lots of open area to explore and some few small settlements here and there.

Some examples:

~ a continent map with two towns connected by mag-levs with Dune worms in between
~ a regional map where you go from town to dungeon fighting goblins along the way
~ a city map where you have to navigate dark alleys to the evil sorcerer's tower while smackin down the pick-pockets
~ a starship or sailing ship map where you have to get down to the storage areas while jackin-up the zombies
~ a structure map where you have to get from the bar to the bathroom while fighting off dancing girls trying to get your phone number
~ a casino - so many temptations there (not the singing group).

The smaller your scale the more baddies you're going to need so keep that in mind. Folks will mostly vote on style and execution but a great idea also gets many votes so if you don't have any great ideas just make it uber sweet or use one of mine above

[RecklessEnthusiasm]

I have an idea I kind of want to do, but it is too broad! Has anyone ever seen a map with 5-7 insets successfully executed? I feel like I want to do a whole adventure with monster stats and so on! I've never seen a multi-page PDF document win a challenge... too much of a hassle to download! Hm...

[RjBeals]

Sounds fun - but to be clear, there will be a lot of dark space in-between that we should fill fill in with our obstacles. Like a lit town on one side of the map, and another lit town on the other side of the map, with a lot of dark shadows and obstacles along the pathway between them?

(edit) - For some reason I thought the Points of Light had to be incorporated, not just mapping a span between points. I have an obscure idea that I think I'll attempt.

[Ascension]

Remember that we're voting on the map, not the story. So while you may include some sort of story or adventure (might get you some brownie points) ultimately, we're not supposed to consider those sorts of things. Plus, the thumbnail scraper only picks up image files so pdfs don't show up. As to insets - include as many as you want, it's your map (or in this case maps) just realize that drawing extra maps means extra work.

[RecklessEnthusiasm]

RJBeals - Hey there. I am sure it is open to interpretation but when I suggested the challenge I was inspired by the new Dungeons and Dragons setting (which is unofficially called 'points of light') where the world is mostly unpopulated and full of danger, with the points of civilization and safety being rare and hard to come by: The "light" on either end of the journey are civilization, or 'safe' places, the 'darkness' is the uncharted, untamed, or forgotten wilderness.

So, two 'safe' places that bookend dangers, horrors, evil, or the wild. Of course, part of the fun of these challenges is the freedom of interpreting them! Perhaps a literally lit area and shadows between, or abstractly, the safe-haven of birth and death straddled by disease and heartbreak!

But you probably knew all this! Anyhow, I can't wait to see what you come up with! You're one of my favorite artists on here!

Ascension - Thanks amigo. Maybe I'll embrace the spirit of the journey and make a map that is really really tall, where you have to scroll down through each consecutive horror and danger!

[tilt]

the thumb scraber should pick up the first page of a pdf... and I have an idea for next map scale downwards Ascension... how about a map of a table where you have to fight of others hands to get to your beer *lol*

[Ascension]

Ah, yeah, that would be like my fraternity

[Jaxilon]

Ok, I have my idea for this. Good grief but I hope I can make this thing look like I see it in my head. I'm pretty busy for the next 36 hours though so probably won't be able to do much until Sunday. Hopefully the rest of the month will be kind to me and I can get it finished. Even if I don't I am so putting it into my game world.

[RjBeals]

does this challenge end jan 31?

[Ascension]

I was thinking the 30th since it's a Sunday. That gives everyone this weekend and next weekend to finish off. But since I probably won't close it late at night like that I'll probably close it Monday afternoon (31st) when I get home from work. That time is up in the air so try to have things done by the 30th to be on the safe side.