It's raining nOOBies!

**Spike** · 01-11-2009, 04:00 PM

Hi. My name's Spike (no..really, it is) and I found this site thanks to Chgowiz, who posted the link on my blog.

I've always enjoyed drawing maps beginning when I was in grade school. While every other kid would draw a house from the street-view, I would draw mine top-down like a blueprint. I'd waste hours making maps of every secret bicycle trail in my neighborhood or sketching out huge houses with hidden rooms and secret doors. Suffice to say I was happy to find a use for my "useless" talent in the roleplaying community.

I've really only just begun to get serious about map aesthetics. Up until just recently, my idea of roleplay mapping has been a simple background with numbered tokens to represent characters and monsters. I've even developed a simple HTML/Javascript web page code for a semi-interactive map with movable pieces and a disappearing grid so that online RPGers can better visualize what is happening in-game and convey to the DM where or how they want to move in the next round.

It was the ZombieNirvana tutorial that grabbed my attention and convinced me to "kick it up a notch" and start making prettier more stylized maps. I'm glad to have found this location so I can improve my work and maybe even share a few things of my own.

Thanks Chgowiz for inviting me. Maybe now I can figure out how to draw UNgoofy-looking mountains.

**Midgardsormr** · 01-11-2009, 04:24 PM

Welcome! You may be interested in MapTool or another virtual table top (VTT). http://rptools.net They allow you to load a map, lay a grid over it, and place down tokens--virtual miniatures. Most of them even have fog-of-war and light functions, so everyone knows exactly what they can and cannot see.

**Gamerprinter** · 01-11-2009, 04:34 PM

Welcome to the Guild, Spike. We like getting new members and I hope you enjoy your stay, here!

Depending on what software or mapping method you use, we have a number of tutorials, regarding mountains...

Mountains using Photoshop Brushes

Creating a Ridge heightmap in PS

Creating Mountains in GIMP

Creating Regional Map in Xara - with my technique on beveled mountains

Simple Mountains in many Image Editors

Anyway, that should be enough to get you started on a bunch of techniques for creating mountains, in many different applications.

GP

**Redrobes** · 01-11-2009, 04:35 PM

Hi Spike - I have seen a few peoples handle of spike on various forums so forgive if I have posted to you before but it might have been a different spike.

Yes I would second the recommendation to look at VTTs - we have a forum department just for them and we had one of our monthly challenges just a few months back to create maps specifically for VTTs. In my sig there is a keyword index so look up VTT. Theres many apps which are VTTs each having pros and cons and theres a lot of art on various sites including this one for use with them.

**ravells** · 01-11-2009, 04:39 PM

Hey Spike, great to have you here! Looking forward to seeing your maps!

**Spike** · 01-11-2009, 04:45 PM

Wow! Thanks for the welcome, guys (or gals, as the case may be).

@ Midgardsormr, I think I recall having a look at VTT a year or so ago when I was still on dialup internet, but now that I have fast access I'll have to give that a try.

@ Gamerprinter, thanks for the list to mountain tutorials. I was just searching and came across one or two on the list, but I now know exactly where to go. This site has already begun to prove helpful and I've not even been here one day yet.

@ Redrobes, I never knew I was such a ubiquitous person. I hope I'm not following after some other Spike with a bad reputation..or worse yet, preceeding a Spike who deserves a better reputation than my own.

@ All, thanks again for making me feel at home. I'll definately spread the good word about Cartographers Guild.

**Redrobes** · 01-11-2009, 05:38 PM

Heh well lets up your rep then. Heres a bonk with my +6 repping stick and banish that "Blue pip 'o shame" (tm - Knight holdings inc etc etc)

Edit -- ohhh I have had a guild birthday

All bow down to my awesome +7 repping ability

**NeonKnight** · 01-11-2009, 06:11 PM

Welcome to the Guild!

**Midgardsormr** · 01-11-2009, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Spike

@ Redrobes, I never knew I was such a ubiquitous person. I hope I'm not following after some other Spike with a bad reputation..or worse yet, preceeding a Spike who deserves a better reputation than my own.

Well, as long as you're not this guy:

**Hoel** · 01-11-2009, 06:30 PM

He looks like a soap opera villain.... Or a teen-vampire-romance-novel hero

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