Subscription Ideas

Simon Rogers · February 2010

Every month, ProFantasy releases a new set of mapping tools, maps, symbols or other goodies for our software as part of the Subscription. At the end of the year, we wrap all the monthly releases as an Annual.

We are full of ideas for more subscription releases, but we'd really welcome your ideas for new suggestions.

JimP · February 2010

I remember mention in here somewhere of an improved character Artist coming sometime down the road. if I remembered wrong, this is something we need.

I would love to have a larger variety on items for the Characters to carry or wear. So a symbol set that goes with Character Artist would be great.

An Annual issue to provide tools so we could make our own symbols for Character Artist.

I definately have no artistic ability. So any help in the area of Character Artist; vharacter types, weapons, carrying items, clothes, space gear, middle ages items, would be much appreciated.

Shessar · February 2010

I would love to see more styles for DD3.

While there have been a few annual issues dealing with dungeons, they all 'look' pretty much the same. We have a great variety of overland styles to pick from,how about a few new dungeon styles? New fills, new symbols, just a new look overall.

jaerdaph · February 2010

Hex mapping similar/reminiscent to the classic World of Greyhawk map by Darlene. I know Cosmographer Pro has the Traveller-style overland hex mapping symbols, but I'm thinking something a little fancier.

DAT · February 2010

How about some black and white town symbols for City Designer 3? Something similar to the old Volo's Guide to Waterdeep from TSR?

I'll also second the call for more DD3 styles and a Greyhawk hex mapping feature.

Something for Perspectives Pro would also be nice. I have been trying to use it to copy the style of some of the old isometric stuff from TSR and an Annual style would help immensely.

probstette · February 2010

I would commit Grievous Bodily Harm, if not actual murder, for an indoors hand-drawn mapping style that I can use for Call of Cthulhu games, so I can take really scrappy hand-made maps and make them into slightly less scrappy maps where the walls would not actually fall over.

A symbol set featuring horrific entities that cannot be named or even thought of would be a plus, and so would a set of symbols for things like 'bloodstained altar with the corpse of your best friend'. And a couple of awful stains.

nickverto · February 2010

Symbols, symbols, and more symbols. Yes, I know I can go hunt them down in various forums like the Dunjini site for great art. Some people would rather just pay for a symbol pack that just works and not have to worry about what format and where to store the png's to add to CC3. One complaint I see a lot is that people say every CC3 map looks to similar and most of that has to do with the styles and the lack of unique symbols. Bottom line is there should be more symbols of all types in packs that we can buy. I know I would.

Are the siege weapons and images from Source: Castles in the same style as say the new high res 3d pictures in DD3? Or are they more the old CC2 vector drawings? If they are the old then I really would like to see this updated because I could use some high res nice siege weapons for DD3.

Simon Rogers · March 2010

Posted By: ShessarI would love to see more styles for DD3.

While there have been a few annual issues dealing with dungeons, they all 'look' pretty much the same. We have a great variety of overland styles to pick from,how about a few new dungeon styles? New fills, new symbols, just a new look overall.

Do you have any examples of other styles you'd like to see?

mutant · March 2010

I know all of my suggestions are geared toward top-down views, but here are several things I would like to see for annual issues:

1) Roof kit. I would like to see current roof CD3 fills expanded for different types (wood, thatch, gothic, mideast, stone, slate) as well as 0,90,180,270 angle versions for each (to avoid shadepoly). Connecting symbol for roof ridges. Sheet effect to simulate roof depth. Roof fills (not just chimneys) for different types of buildings.

2) Evironmental setting(s). Fil styles and symbols for different environments: artic, desert, swamp, jungle/forest, barren mountain, etc. Each type could feature a different look than the grass and dirt (grey and brown) fills we alreday have. I can also see this expanding into specific settings, such a graveyards, markets, tournaments, and docks (with modular built piers).

3) Fences. Using connecting symbols to build fences: wood (several types) or metal (think black iron for cemetaries), different gates as well.

4) Character Artist related, but being able to create top down symbols for various human(oids). This would be very modular in design, similair to what CA did- just at a different angle.

5) City frill symbols- (addressed above slightly). Small frills, such as inn/tavern signs, Light posts (or holders), or other details to bring a city alive.

jaerdaph · March 2010

Posted By: Simon Rogers
Posted By: ShessarI would love to see more styles for DD3.

While there have been a few annual issues dealing with dungeons, they all 'look' pretty much the same. We have a great variety of overland styles to pick from,how about a few new dungeon styles? New fills, new symbols, just a new look overall.
Do you have any examples of other styles you'd like to see?

I'd love to see a dungeon style using artwork from SkeletonKey Games (Ed Bourelle) e-Adventure tiles. Hasn't Profantasy worked with Ed in the past?

Actually, I'd love to see *any* of Ed's artwork in CC3 (fantasy and sci fi!)

www.skeletonkeygames.com

Rogdor · March 2010

I'll throw in my vote for more DD3 styles as well. I'd like to see some styles for dungeons that match some of the Overland and City styles, especially the black & white ones.

Specifically, I'd love to see something like the beautiful greyscale look of the Annual Jan 2010 Overland style applied to dungeons. Actually if you could get Jerôme Huguenin to do both a matching dungeon and city style to that overland, that'd put a big smile on my face. But really, matching any of the styles (B&W or colour) that would look good on parchment would suit me just fine.

On a general sense, I prefer the art that looks drawn or painted rather than computer-generated or photographic.

goldgrae · March 2010

I agree that the handdrawn/painted appearances are generally more pleasing to my eye than the photorealistic ones, and I'd love to see some more DD3 type styles in that vein. I also enjoy things like the sailing ship annual (although it hasn't proven very versatile or robust, I love the idea of niche things like that). One interesting style that I've been tinkering with a bit myself is a semi-cartoon style for battlemaps. It really works with how saturated colors in CC3, as well...

Shessar · March 2010

Posted By: Simon Rogers
Do you have any examples of other styles you'd like to see?

Outdoor winter battle mat
Gothic/Haunted House
Wealthy Manor House

How about an issue on creating new bitmap textures ... how to create them, make them seamless, create the various resolutions needed. (I know this is more art software related. I'm just throwing ideas out here.)

I would also gladly pay for new DD symbol packs and bitmaps.

I guess I just think DD3 needs more variety in symbols and bitmaps overall. While a lot of this is available for free around the net, I personally would rather pay for it to support PF.

Darkechilde · March 2010

I'd love to see a style for CD3 based on the overhead perspective of the Deadlands Dime Novel and sourcebook maps that Pinnacle Entertainment put out. If you're not sure what I mean, let me know and I can scan in a few maps and show you. It'd prolly just amount to a new set of symbols, I suppose.

Darkechilde

Highland_Piper · April 2010

I would like to see some BGS and USGS symbols.

bearclaw · April 2010

I'd love to see some templates or styles dedicated to floor plans for various types of buildings. Maybe even some extra effect options to match. I know that there are some things that can already be done with DD3 and CD3, but a dedicated pack of tools specifically for floorplans would be great.

Pseudonymz · December 2016

While this is a really old thread, I thought I'd add some suggestions to it, just in case anyone's looking for ideas for the 2017 Annual

So, starting with the ideas I like best and working down:

SciFi Highports (space stations and asteroid / moon installations, as a companion for the SciFi Downports style from issue 99 of the annual)

Undersea maps (styles and symbols for underwater maps at Overland, City and Dungeon Designer scales, to go with the "Underdark" style in annual issue 114).

More T J Vandel overland styles (I thought the compatible overland styles from issues 116, 119 and 120 worked really well, and it would be nice to see them expanded to e.g. Arctic Wastes and Seas and Coastlines).

1920s Battlemaps (a style similar to the Floorplan creator in Symbol Set 3 Modern, but with symbols for classic Call of Cthulhu adventures, dieselpunk games, etc)

Character Artist 3 extensions (more parts for human cultures other than Western Medieval - e.g. Oriental, Arabian, Native American, Egyptian, Indian -, more monsters)

SciFi Alien Ports (nonhuman cities for science fiction games)

Cloud cities (fantasy cities built on or from the clouds)

Shadow realms (overland maps for the dark worlds of the afterlife)

Thanks for reading!

Lorelei · December 2016

Yes to all of the above!!!

Tonnichiwa · December 2016

These are great ideas!

To these I would like to add that having more supernatural icons and land features would be great as well. For instance, floating bits of land, maybe with castles on top of them, weird things going on with the ground like maybe flaming mountains or frozen bits of lava. Maybe some trees made of ice, or some buildings made of water.

Wyvern · December 2016

Fully agree with Pseudonymz's list too, and Tonnichiwa's additions. Weird, as I was looking at the Alyssa Faden clouds just yesterday (November 2014 Annual) and wondering how I might best add a cloud castle or two to them!

JimP · December 2016

You could move the sheet the clouds are on, so they go under the Symbols sheet. And have a castle built of symbols.

Wyvern · December 2016

Actually Jim, it goes back to an idea I've long had rattling around in my head about an entire cloud land to adventure across. Pretty well unmappable, given it would be mostly quite ephemeral, but I liked the idea there could be magical nodes where something more or less permanent, like a castle, might be constructed. Plus of course, you could play around with concepts like the standing wave effects over mountain ranges, so there could be places clouds would be more likely to form, disappear, but then reform later, which has greater potential for mapping. I also quite liked the idea that the famous lens-shaped clouds, cumulus lenticularis, which are forever being featured as "UFOs" in various places, as if they were at all unusual, could actually be turned into genuine sky-ships!

[Deleted User] · December 2016

I would like more Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Polynesian and South American/Mayan city and overland symbols and styles. Also more top down overland symbols/bitmaps as in 13th Age and Google Earth

CharlesWayneRobinson · December 2016

There is a lot of great ideas here so I will just add a few:
1. More poses for Character Artist as well.
2. Black & White and Parchment versions of Character Artist.
3. Water world overland style (underwater to be more exact)
4. Science Fiction Style for City Designer (top down) & Overland (not top down). Various styles such as High Science Fiction, Apocalyptic, Gothic, and War Torn. I would like combat vehicles as well.
5. Historical battle map style for City Designer to create our own table top maps for historical war gaming. Include top down unit counters. Napoleonic, WW2, Ancient Rome, etc.

I could go on and on with ideas, but that is what I like so much about your this great product... it is practically limitless!

Thanks for all the great work you do! :-)

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