Thinking Big about Guild maps

[ravells]

well, i wanted to bring up my idea in this thread, since we have very similar ideas..

basically i'm working on creating a user driven realm for roleplaying... where people submit their ideas and creations they make while adventuring in the realm... (for instance, you make a regional map for the realm in your campaign, you submit it, or you make a character, or a floorplan for an inn.. pretty much all your created works can be added) As more our added, other GM's will be able to use your works and build on them, etc..

I'm working for system inspecific (no dnd or any certain gaming rules) and striving to keep it free for non commercial use

i'm in the infancy of the idea right now... if you want to check it out or join, the website is http://www.projectowl.org

Hi Loogie,

Nice looking site you have there. It would be nice if there could be some sort of cross over, but it is still very early days yet!

Ravs

[NeonKnight]

For sure, NK. I just meant to say that finding as many formats that people could open directly in their software of choice would be the way to go and actually, CC / FT provides loads of options.

Yep, This'll be cool. Like I said, I like Map 4 the most, I like things with BIG inland seas etc.

So, Do people want to see a few more? How large a land size? Axil Tilt? % Water versus Land? Circumference, Rainfall, Warmth etc....

[su_liam]

NK, my preference is map 4. 16-bit heightfield output would be appreciated if possible. The others are too clearly low frequency ridged perlin.

The first step is to come up with a global heightmap, I think, as NeonKnight did. Perhaps a competition: Everybody puts up a fairly high-res heightmap, preferably with the settings for their generator saved somewhere for higher-res output, if possible. Some basic global maps based off the HF can be used to sell the HF, but this would be more about the HF than the skills of the mapper. After, say, a month, people could vote on their favorite. This would also set a bit more of a schedule.

Of course, I've been working on HF creation lately so I may have an advantage. On the other hand I haven't found any I liked yet, so... Plus, you know, you folks with access to toys like Wilbur, FT, Leveller, L3DT, etc. may have a countervailing advantage

I'm primarily a scifi guy so I'll leave most of story dev up to youse guys.

[Torq]

What I'd like to do is to use the heightfield, like the world map, as a basic area from which to choose a more local area for everyone to start from. I will then divide that area into a whole lot of quadrants and anyone who wants a quadrant can grab it and start mapping. I think that as we go down in scale, the original world sized height map will be less and less useful. Mapping on a more local level will in all likelihood require a new, more local heighfield, albeit based loosely on the global one.

For this reason I think we should grab one of Neon's 4 options and get going. Number 4 seems to be popular, so why dont we choose it and start. For general purposes and so as to to a basic schematic from which people can choose their areas, I would like a heighfield output Neon.

It strikes me that ome things will involve collaboration and communication between mappers. If for example Su-liam and I are mapping two adjacent quads and a major river flows through both of them, we will need to mkae sure the river eneters and leaves our respective quads more or less at the same place.

And another thing. Remember to keep all your maps editable. That means keeping all source files, and several saved earlier versions. Resolutions should be as high as your system can handle without making workflow impossible.

I vote we pick number 4. If I get a green light form you hungry mappers, and a heightfield I can start the process asap.

Torq

[ravells]

No 4 is good with me!

[Redrobes]

Id like to submit a few entries - maybe our first poll

[NeonKnight]

OK, I have #4 saved as the FT map and from that can do everything requested, but I agree this is a GUILD project and I would like to see RedRobes contributions first. I agree a Poll, maybe with a 1 week vote time?

[Torq]

I'm happy for a poll. How does one set it up? Might be something to consider: I'm not sure we can have a poll too often in this process as it might slow things up considerably when it comes to development if we poll whenever there is a decision to be made. But maybe as this issue is fairly fundamental to the project we should.

Torq

[The Cartographist]

Torq - As long as the voting time for polls is short (2-3 days (?)), I don't think that they will impede the process of the project very much.

[terrainmonkey]

is this project open to all CG folks? because i wouldn't mind getting in on this. NK's map number 4 has all kinds of possibilities.