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

[The Hound]

I can't get into your forums as I have not yet received the confirmation email to finish registering.

I just did you a favor and activated your membership by hand. No need to respond to an email.

[ravells]

Hound...quick question: How do we deal with maps which have multiple levels, like the levels of a building? Should we map each level separately?

[Torq]

Technically that might be two entries. I dont see the competition parameters as allowing for a single entry containing multiple maps. Then again nobody said you could only enter one map.

Torq

[rlucci]

• The map must have a resolution of at least 1280 X 1024 pixels
• The filesize must be no more than 75kb.
• The map must be useful as a "battlemap" on which miniatures (thumbnail size tokens), can be moved around. A scale of around 5 - 10 pixels per foot is a good size.
• The map must depict an area on land, which could include building interiors, town areas, dungeons, wilderness areas, etc. It doesn't have to be fantasy themed...modern, western, sci-fi, etc. are fine.

I've been having a hard time coming up with something for this month's challenge. It seems too wide open to me. The real challenge will be largely technical. So I decided to give myself an additional rule:

• Create more than one versions of the same map - each version in a different genre (fantasy, modern, western, sci-fi, etc.).

I don't know what I'm going to do yet, and I know I'm setting myself up for working outside my comfort zone, but that's the whole point, right? And, maybe RPGTonight will get a couple extra maps, which is also the point.

-RLucci

[The Hound]

Hound...quick question: How do we deal with maps which have multiple levels, like the levels of a building? Should we map each level separately?

Our program does not handle multiple layers (except for the ones that we add for fog of war overlays). Some others may. The way that I have handled that in the past is to make each floor a separate section within a larger image. That way different PCs can be on different floors at the same time.

I don't know what the rules are here for submitting more than one map (don't recall seeing anything about that), or whether two floors in the same image or two floors on two layers would count as two maps. The admins here will have to call that one.

[Robbie]

We've allowed multiple file entries in the past but they counted as only one entry...So when it comes time to vote, the multiple entries will be considered as one entry for voting purposes.

And The Hound has sent me the prize list, which I'm pleased to go make into a sticky post now!

[aeronox]

• The map must have a resolution of at least 1280 X 1024 pixels
• The filesize must be no more than 75kb.

I'm a web designer... and using JPG or PNG to save an image of that size, and stay beneath 75kb, is going to leave you with a VERY bad BAD quality image.

[RobA]

I'm a web designer... and using JPG or PNG to save an image of that size, and stay beneath 75kb, is going to leave you with a VERY bad BAD quality image.

Check out the entries so far. Many of them look (IMOO) pretty good and still fall under 75kB

-Rob A>

[Robbie]

The trick is going to be to either highly compress the image or use colors/patterns that compress well. I really don't think its going to be that difficult to keep your map within parameters.

[ravells]

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