Two very different maps for ongoing D&D campaigns

[Magrathean]

heh... good.... glad you don't have a tight timeline... I would hope to get this done over the course of 2 months or so... but just wanted to get it out there just in case something happened that zapped my free time for a few weeks...

That's perfectly fine. I don't mind waiting if something turns up.

Well... I have not done any commissions, so this would be my first and as such is just as much a learning/practice exercise for me as anything as well as wanting to help you out considering how patient you have been with no solid takers. From what I have heard from some of the others, $150 is a fairly decent price for a detailed map the size you are requesting as many artists here can make between that price and $250-$300.... And these are non professional (ie, those that do something else in their "day" job), while professionals may make much more(and of course, the quality shows in the small details.) Given that some maps take 30-50 hours, a $150 map would net about $3-5 an hour.... Mainly, I just want to let you (and perhaps others who may read this later) to know the reasoning behind pricing... not to mention many of our best map makers are in high demand and as non professionals would have to choose their offers carefully given their limited "free" time.

How about I set a $30 first offer and if that is easily doable for you and your group, I would ask you to donate as much as you feel compelled to above that after the map is completed.... Does that sound fair?

What you said sounds perfectly reasonable; in fact, an earlier offer I got for these maps was precisely for $150 each, but I turned it down on account of me being unable to afford it; I felt bad with the person who did the offering because they were very skilled and I knew it was a decent price.

As such, I think your offer is more than generous. Given that I know making maps can be difficult and time-consuming, especially with someone as nitpicky as me, I would like to accept your offer with a slight modification in your favour (which I'll tell you about via pm, since this sort of information is best kept private).

My main requirements are based on your expected use for the map will be. If this is only for your gaming group, then I mainly want to be able to know/control where/how it might be used. Specifically, you can post it to a personal website, but would just need to be sure you take reasonable care to note the artist and that the map may not be used for any other purpose, specifically commercial. Ie, I just don't want this all over the internet with no attribute to me and/or any artist whose assets I have licensed or for commercial gain. I hope that makes sense....

The map is, indeed, for my gaming group, so I'd hand the players a copy (most likely on paper) and post the image file on a website, as you mentioned. Of course, in both instances I'll fully credit you (whether as "jfrazierjr from Cartographer's Guild" or by your real name, whichever you prefer).

I'm currently planning to turn the D&D campaign into a novel, in which case I'd like to be able to include the map (again, crediting you as the creator) in the book. I hope that's not a problem for you.

I'll also add any "may not be used without the author's permission and so on" text you want me to.

Also, I will want to be able to post works in progress as well as the final product here to get feedback from other artists as well as possibly a portfolio site that I may or may not have in the future.

Be my guest. I love reading wip threads to see the evolution of a map since the first sketches to its final version. As long as you mention that the map is a commission and don't let anyone who asks use it for their own game or book or whatever, you may post works in progress in any number of websites you wish.

What are your thoughts about print? If you only plan to use on the computer at you suggested resolution, then 72 DPI will be fine. If you plan to print it at this resolution, then the file size will be significantly larger(and thus my software will be slower).. this is not a problem so much... just something I would want to establish up front...Note that at 300 DPI, you would be able to print it out at around umm 15X15 or something in that area...

I guess web resolution would be enough for the Lleimilla map. As I mentioned, I'd like to give the players a copy, but given the use they'll give it I doubt they'll really need to have a very big print. Of course, the larger you want to make it the better; what I'm saying is that web resolution will be fine because for the moment the main usage of the map will be on a computer and whenever (if ever) my book gets printed it won't need to be bigger than two pages (I don't speak imperial, but I believe two pages is much less than 15 x 15 inches).

Don't get me wrong... I don't mind and want to label at least enough to make a nice looking map.. I just don't want to label so much that it looks over crowded. I work on a linux machine, so if there are any font's you want to use we need to get in sync and make sure the font's are available to both of us for free and easily accessible.

I have a Mac, so syncing up won't be a problem. I can just e-mail you the fonts, if you'd like; with the exception of a single font called Industria, which I definitely wouldn't use on this map, I only have free fonts acquired from websites such as freefonts.com and so on, so nobody will get into trouble over the distribution of said fonts via e-mail.

First, though, let me have a look at the first few drafts of the map. Then I'll let you know which fonts I'd like you to use.

Hopefully, I don't scare you off... I just want to be 100% up front..

You didn't scare me off at all. The straighter and more thoroughly the working conditions are established at the beginning, the better everything is for everyone involved later on.

If this is all cool, then we can discuss more so I can get started... Again... note that I am only planning at this point to do the map you posted in the second half of your post. I would suggest editing your first post to remove the original half and create a second Thread in the forum with that content to see if you could get another offer...

I'll get to creating two separate threads (and pm you and ravells the link to the corresponding one) in a second. Great idea.

Also, don't be discouraged.... many times people come here with price/quality expectations that are out of whack... and sometimes, one of our great artists do some work for free that while still really cool, is just not up to professional quality but that that the poster still ends up happy with as an end result(because most times, something is better than nothing!!!) This especially happens when a map request sits idle for a few months...

Thanks for your kind words.

[Magrathean]

In summary, a mod may now feel free to lock this thread. Thanks for the patience.