*** May Super Challenge - Minimalist for Virtual Tabletop - WITH PRIZES!!!

[Robbie]

specific colors don't matter...its number of color choices and low-detail patterns that compress well.if you have a map with a lot of color in it, its goign to wash out when you compress it...whereas if you map with less colors, it wont' have as much detail to lose.

[Midgardsormr]

Arcana - is there a way of finding out which colours / patterns compress well?

PNG compresses grid-like patterns quite well. Its algorithm looks at repetition both horizontally and vertically. Angled and curved lines do not compress well, nor do gradients and blurs. GIF behaves much the same way, except it only looks at horizontal patterns, so it's strictly inferior to PNG for compression purposes.

If you duplicate an object, you can maximum savings by only moving the duplicate in an orthogonal direction (on a line perpendicular to the original) and not rotating it.

Here's how the PNG compression works: The algorithm catalogues the entire image, finding patterns that are repeated. Those patterns are entered on a hash table, which associates each pattern with a much shorter "key." The key is then inserted into the image file in place of the original pattern. The hash table is then appended to the compressed file.

[Badger]

Ok... how does one go about a secret door? for VTT ... obviously you can't put a big S for secret door...

[SpamValiant]

Nope, they put a big Q on it instead. That way nobody knows it's a secret door...

[torstan]

GM notes like secret doors are usually done by adding separate images to a map that only the GM can see. So maptool (for example) will have a base map that the DM and the players can see, and then a load of moveable images (tokens) on it that can be set visible or invisible to players. Secret doors are usually indicated with these. I assume the other VTTs have a similar system as you really don't want players seeing a big S on the map.

[dorpond]

Hello all!

I was looking this over and was thinking about doing the contest but one thing bothers me about the restrictions of the contest. Now I consider myself an expert when it comes to VT gaming, afterall, I am part of the RPTools team and I by nature do all I can to keep assets down as it is.

That 75k file size limit is just silly. I have to set Photoshop to a JPG 3 quality (low quality) compression setting to be able to get the minimal required map size under 75k. Load that up in a VT and tell me how ugly the map looks when zoomed in on the action. Checkered compression boxes everywhere *puke*

Why 75k? I could use a quality compression setting of 8 (high quality) and the map above is now 167k in size. Looks great now when played on - no checkered hell hole.

I think 75k is just too harsh - lighten up a bit and you might get far more map making individuals interested who cry when their awesome maps gets butchered by compression. *raises hand*

[ravells]

Thems are the roolz, dorpond...we don't make em, we just make our maps to 'em! I'm finding the size limitation a real challenge too. I've already binned two maps which just looked too horrible under compression. It seems that the trick (see the assistance on keeping file sizes down in the stickies) is to make a map that works well with compression, but I'm still struggling to find how to do this with the sort of maps that I want to create.

[dorpond]

I appreciate a good contest, don't get me wrong, I just don't think a contest like this will help VT's out any, especially when people load up those 75k maps and puke on their desktops.

75k is just forcing an artist use way too much compression and at that point is it like telling Michaelangelo to sand blast his paintings when he is done with them.

[Valarian]

Ah .. but anyone can make a decent map. Well ... I say anyone. Anyone with some degree of artistic ability. Well ... I say anyone ....

It seems that the challenge for this month comes, not from the map itself, but getting a decent quality of map in to the size.

[dorpond]

It seems that the challenge for this month comes, not from the map itself, but getting a decent quality of map in to the size.

I'd be happy if "decent" was even remotely possible.