Adventure Building

[industrygothica]

Option 1: 0
Option 2: 0
Option 3: 0
Option 4: 3*
Option 5: 0
Option 6: 0

With all the people that are wanting to take part in this, there are plenty of votes left to go around still. Tilt, maybe we give it another 24 hours or so?


-IG

[Ascension]

I like #3. #5 is kind of M. Knight Shyamalan but it would be my second.

[Jaxilon]

Actually, on looking at this again I like 4 combined with 3. Thus, the party will find out about it but then have to chase it down.

[jtougas]

It may be a bit self serving but my vote is for 3 (although a combination of 3 and 4 would also be interesting) Honestly I don't think we could go wrong with ANY of them

[Djekspek]

My vote is for #4 too. Of course, after the party retrives the item, it is found out to be worthless and that the party was used to by some evil guy in a greater scheme to ensure the caravan didnt reach its destination in time so he could get a stash of money from his insurance company

[JoeyD473]

My Vote in Priority Order, 6, 5, 4

I like 6 as first choice because even though it is self serving (As mentioned before) this is the Cartographers Guild so have an adventure all about maps is just a no brainer to me (Though a little more work for our mappers)

I like 5 because it opens up more possibilities in the future if this adventure is successful and we want to do another one..Also, because it was my idea

4 is good, not quite as standard as 1, but still not off the beaten track

[Gamerprinter]

While I don't have time to participate in this project being so busy and all, I have to agree with JoeyD in the aspect that lots of maps may seem self-serving, but we as the Cartographers' Guild have that edge in being able to produce lots of maps for a given project, easier than other 'competitors' might be able to do - and that is certainly a worthwhile addition to any 'adventure product' that we produce.

Consider that while Kaidan, my setting, fits my heritage and genre aesthetic, my project includes an over-abundance of maps, since I can produce many appropriate maps, quickly and thus creating a product that few other pubilshers can match. So my publications are self-serving in the inclusion of maps - just because.

In RPG publications, art is the most expensive freelance aspect to game publications. And maps, are the most expensive component in freelance art, because not only do the maps have to be aesthetically pleasing, but they have to be accurate to the publishers needs - so cartography is both artistic and technical, moreso than normal illustration. Because its easier for us to produce maps, than other publishers its an edge worth pursuing, something that pleases those who use our projects, and something that those without our skill can't afford to compete with, especially since our possible adventure products would be free.

Normally a publisher is paying anywhere from $50 to $150 per map. Most adventure publications including writing, editing, art and maps have budgets between $1000 and $2000. Writing often comprise half of that, so the remainder has to pay for everything else. At $150 per map (for example), 5 maps is $750, which leaves only $250 for cover design (which often is $100 to $200 by itself) leaving only $50 to $150 to cover all other expenses - so publishers tend to have only 1 to 3 maps in an adventure as that is all there is in the budget.

If a CG adventure product has 10 maps, there is no way a real publisher can afford that, so a CG adventure has a better value with more maps, than other publisher projects.

My first adventure for my Kaidan setting has 14 maps in it. Nobody can compete with that, since I'm doing the maps, I don't require $150 each, I earn a split in sales profits and make plenty more money than what a freelance commission alone can earn. My products are 'self serving' for the same reason that Guild adventures should be self-serving in this project.

Does that make any sense?

Michael "GP" Tumey

[mearrin69]

Totally does to me. My adventure has *lots* of maps (done by me)...along with a few pretty good pieces of artwork (freelanced) and handouts/props (done my me). The maps and handouts were cheap (dollarwise, not timewise) for me but I think they give my product an edge over many others produced on the same budget. Not trying to brag but I think the maps I'm including are pretty darned good, better and more plentiful than a lot other peanuts level publishers can field.

So. Don't short the adventure on maps. Put in lots. GMs love maps. Players love maps. Hell, put a map on the cover...it *is* an adventure about a journey, after all.
M

[Ascension]

Once the votes are tallied we're going to need to be crackin on the cover, writing, and either selecting some maps or making some maps. Illustrators need to get their thinking hats on or maybe do some roughs for the leading vote-getters. Writers need to begin an outline for the leading vote-getters. If we don't have any maps that fit then we the mappers need to begin thinking about what sort of style they want to do and layout their roughs as well. Some folks could be working on those little miscellaneous page things like shield/sword with page number on it, scroll/banner with some text on it, celtic knot border or frames (well not celtic knots for this one but the proper flavor for the setting, etc.

[industrygothica]

Option 1: 0
Option 2: 0
Option 3: 2
Option 4: 5*
Option 5: 0
Option 6: 1

I'm all for having lots of maps, that's why I suggested the idea here. I don't particularly like the idea of having a puzzle of maps, however. The level of cooperation that would take to pull off, imo, is kind of an unnecessary stressor for our first time working together. Again, all my opinion, but it is what it is.


-IG