Jörðgarð Map of Week #200 - North Steppe Encounter

[Mark Oliva]

The 200th Map of the Week is a battlemap of an encounter in the North Steppe settlement of Slovania from the Jörðgarð (TM) adventure "Too Many Clues" shows. In this scenario, a PC group encounters a draug (undead) with its party of orc warrior. Slovanian soldiers and local farmers also are involved in fighting the attackers.

Key to the Map of the North Steppe encounter:

1. A draug and a human female soldier are in close combat, with a fallen orc between them.

2. Two human male soldiers are in sword combat with two orcs.

3. A human male soldier is down and perhaps dead at this point.

4. Two orcs are down and possibly dead at these points.

5. A civilian human male archer is about to fire an arrow at the draug.

6. Two human male civilians are down and possibly dead at this point.

You can get the map in two versions:

1. The Fractal Mapper (TM) 8 version in FMP format, fully editable (10 MB) from the Jörðgarð website.

2. As a JPG flat map of 3000 x 2435 Pixels (2.4 MB), available above.

Both versions are released for personal and commercial use under the Open Game License Version 1.0a, which you can read on the Jörðgarð website at:

http://www.vintyri.org/joerdhgardh/

Next Week: Slovania - the Village of Lastmill

[Mark Oliva]

Thanx for the kind words!

[Obbehobbe]

I don't really know what to say, and I suppose I shouldn't say anything. But your maps doesn't impress me very much. You have appearandly made 200 maps for 200 weeks and that is impressive enough, but I don't think you can expect too much responses when all your maps looks more or less the same (different but all the same, hope you understand).

I am in no means an expert, so don't listen to me.
I have to give you credit for the hard work and your dedication, though!

[Mark Oliva]

I don't really know what to say, and I suppose I shouldn't say anything. But your maps doesn't impress me very much. You have appearandly made 200 maps for 200 weeks and that is impressive enough, but I don't think you can expect too much responses when all your maps looks more or less the same (different but all the same, hope you understand).

Actually, this is a pretty interesting comment.

The Jörðgarð (TM) maps are made by three different members of the Vintyri (TM) Project. Their purpose is a bit different from that of many other people who make and post maps here. All 200 maps that have been posted so far were made to illustrate the Jörðgarð fantasy RPG campaign setting. To make things consistent, one of our goals is that the maps should have the same appearance and style ... in other words, what kind of building styles are and aren't used, which fill patterns are used for certain types of terrains, even which compass rose is used.

Another reason for what you're observing is that our maps our released on an open source basis. Any game master who uses the Jörðgarð setting can download our maps in their original format, in which they are 100% editable. Parallel to this concept is that the idea is that they shouldn't be too difficult to modify. Like many other people on the list, I know how to do magic tricks with the GIMP, do things that we don't do with CC3, etc., simply because that would defeat our purpose. Our maps are made not to be fancy maps but rather to be easily modifiable tools for game masters who use our material in some form. I have no idea how many people download our maps from the Cartographers Guild site, but I do know how many people grab them from our own website and our Media Fire mirror. All three of us are satisfied with the numbers. We also know from E-Mail communication that there also are a good number of people who download our maps and customize them for their own campaigns. Great! We're all for that.

but I don't think you can expect too much responses when all your maps looks more or less the same

We don't post our maps here to get responses, although we are quite interested in reading responses when we do get them. I also would add that some folks here have made excellent suggestions that we implemented. But our purpose in posting our maps here is to make them available to anyone who is interested in them.

I don't really know what to say, and I suppose I shouldn't say anything.

I disagree completely! You should say something when you have something to say, and you certainly did here! I'm happy you chimed in. Thanks for doing it!

[Obbehobbe]

I am glad that you explained because I had no idea, and as I said - well done. But I am curious, do you want us to respond to the amount of work, the art itself or the flexibility of the maps, or maybe the scenario itself?

[Meshon]

I bet he wants you to download the map and get playin'

[Bogie]

Well done Mark!! As always, your maps are very "usable" for gaming.

[Meshon]

Thanx for the kind words!

You might have been responding to my words which I bet I only sent in my rep comment. Yep. You know the worst part about getting that fuzzy brain is I don't even notice it when it's tricking me…

Of course you may have been responding to something else entirely, in which case, excuse my intrusion

Exeunt Meshon

[Mark Oliva]

I am glad that you explained because I had no idea, and as I said - well done. But I am curious, do you want us to respond to the amount of work, the art itself or the flexibility of the maps, or maybe the scenario itself?

I'm not sure what good it would do anyone to respond on the amount of work. It's simply there, and it gets done. Any comments that anyone has on:

the art itself or the flexibility of the maps, or maybe the scenario itself

always are welcome and of interest.

You might have been responding to my words which I bet I only sent in my rep comment.

Right. I was hit by the fuzz too, obviously.

[Mark Oliva]

I bet he wants you to download the map and get playin'

Gee golly whillikers! We want him to download everything ... books, maps, etc. After all, it's all free!