Still Nice I am wondering a bit about the wording up there though, he just seems so relaxed over the loss of 9 of his friends, just stating it very matter-of-factually.
Posted By: LoopysueI've yet to unveil the Palace of Urrowan - the map I need to set about doing after I've finished Merelan City
Looking forward to it. However, even if your Merlan map looks extremely nice, I find this one far more interesting.
I was trying not to be over-emotional about it - more 'like a man'. I guess I went a bit to far beyond that. I'll have a think about that. Thanks for pointing it out
The Palace of Urrowan will be drawn in a very similar way to the Gymnopus P map - full two point perspective. (In fact it was Urrowan that I had in mind when I started developing the style that I used for Gymnopus P)
I think the way you find this ribbon map more interesting than my other maps reflects the different ways we see a story. You see the potential for new ideas, where I see something that simply isn't that well finished and needs more work! LOL
This is an extract of the main Ethran map showing the location of the other two maps - MC = Merelan City, and the Palace of Urrowan is shown by the arrow pointing towards Arthag (which will be in the extreme background of the Urrowan Palace map - artistic licence being taken with the curvature of the planet and things normally disappearing at that kind of distance)
I know you don't think you're an RPG strategist; but you are dead on the money with this map. You've made side adventures possible, given the players a LOT of critters to kill and lairs to find treasure and a dragon to kill at the end of it. You've planned a campaign in one map. Bravo!
The first page curl I did (the really rubbishy one that was far to pale and grey), was in Corel Photopaint, but this one was done in CC3. I think its better by far... if a little complicated... involving three separate sheets and at least two colour keys!
Even if you didn't; you did one hell of a job doing. I could give adventurers the run for their lives on a trip like this. I like your short story idea too.
When a Game Master runs an adventure, is it the only adventure that that Game Master ever runs? I mean, I've heard you all talking about your stories in fits and snatches, and that's kind of left me with the impression that you just keep on making up new stuff to tack onto the end of the adventure.
Do you ever say 'Ok that's enough of this one, we've used up all the good ideas - its time to move onto something new'?
The two weighting stones are brilliant, but maybe don't fit too well with the style of the wooden surface the map's been unrolled onto. Reluctant to say so, but perhaps they might be changed to less "real" ones?
Clearly, there may be many good reasons which would only become apparent later regarding this, but the markers for Crossley, Stevens and possibly Peters seem quite a way from the indicated trail (or maybe this shows the path that SHOULD be taken, not the one which actually was?). Peters would make sense - first one seized by the dragon, don't do that again, then - and perhaps one of the others (the classic able-seaman-breaking-under-pressure-type of those old British WW2 movies, here running off alone into the wilds), but the third might seem more likely to have been lost a little nearer the trail.
Novelist and RPG GM are not mutually exclusive options, by the bye, as witnessed by the numerous comments about your skill at "accidentally" designing an ideal RPG map (with which I entirely agree).
Generally, multiple adventures makes up one campaign. Usually we add stuff in between to tie things together (and if we use adventures from others, we usually modify them a bit to fit in our campaign). A campaign can run for quite some time, often many years (depending on how often the group plays). But sooner or later, a campaign is "done", and one moves on to a new one, perhaps even hands over the reins of gamemastering to another member of the group (Depends on the group, I am pretty much the eternal gamemaster in mine).
Of course, you could also play one-shot adventures, then you just play an adventure and gets doen with it, with now ties to a greater whole.
The two weighting stones are brilliant, but maybe don't fit too well with the style of the wooden surface the map's been unrolled onto. Reluctant to say so, but perhaps they might be changed to less "real" ones?
Clearly, there may be many good reasons which would only become apparent later regarding this, but the markers for Crossley, Stevens and possibly Peters seem quite a way from the indicated trail (or maybe this shows the path that SHOULD be taken, not the one which actually was?). Peters would make sense - first one seized by the dragon, don't do that again, then - and perhaps one of the others (the classic able-seaman-breaking-under-pressure-type of those old British WW2 movies, here running off alone into the wilds), but the third might seem more likely to have been lost a little nearer the trail.
Novelist and RPG GM are not mutually exclusive options, by the bye, as witnessed by the numerous comments about your skill at "accidentally" designing an ideal RPG map (with which I entirely agree).
Ah! I have already replaced the stones with ones that look even more real than they did. We'll just have to see if I can make them work!
I think the reason those three are a bit scattered is because they lie along the original trail taken by Glenarc's party, and not the one he has marked out as being safer for his son's party... if they come!
LOL - believe me, it was purely accidental. It seems that all you RPG GMs have been subconsciously affecting me all this time. Help! I've been brainwashed!
Posted By: MonsenGenerally, multiple adventures makes up one campaign. Usually we add stuff in between to tie things together (and if we use adventures from others, we usually modify them a bit to fit in our campaign). A campaign can run for quite some time, often many years (depending on how often the group plays). But sooner or later, a campaign is "done", and one moves on to a new one, perhaps even hands over the reins of gamemastering to another member of the group (Depends on the group, I am pretty much the eternal gamemaster in mine).
Of course, you could also play one-shot adventures, then you just play an adventure and gets doen with it, with now ties to a greater whole.
Oh I see! It all makes sense now. So its a bit like a patchwork quilt in some senses. That's actually a lot closer to the way I plan a novel. Its just that I do a lot of work on top of that - stitching all the plot holes up, going over and over things again and again making sure there are no contradictions, and building the characters with believable backgrounds, and all that sort of stuff. My stories then, move a heck of a lot slower than yours do!
Posted By: LoopysueWhen a Game Master runs an adventure, is it the only adventure that that Game Master ever runs? I mean, I've heard you all talking about your stories in fits and snatches, and that's kind of left me with the impression that you just keep on making up new stuff to tack onto the end of the adventure.
Do you ever say 'Ok that's enough of this one, we've used up all the good ideas - its time to move onto something new'?
RPG adventures tend to run to a specific overall plotline, but that needn't prevent a host of other things happening along the way which become separate story arcs of their own, or which may be woven back into the main thread of the overall plotline. That also means the overall plotline has a definite end point (usually one of either a) the party members are all dead or no longer able to continue, or b) the focus of the plot has been as fully achieved as possible - baddie killed, world set to rights, or whatever). Even that needn't mean the story is finished though, depending on what the players and GM wish to do. Maybe some object or discovery made during the main plot needs exploring further, say. Or perhaps some members of the party that were killed have kinfolk wishing to seek redress/revenge. So a continuation is indeed eminently possible. There are folks I know who have been running RPGs with the same group of GM and players for decades (not very many of these, I should say; and some alternate between who actually runs specific adventures within the group too).
Since most RPGs are set in an imaginary world of some sort, little of which is ever explored in the game, or developed beyond maybe a few notes and a map or two, there are essentially almost limitless options for those so inclined.
It may seem odd, but I've found the whole process of thinking about, running and playing RPGs tends to generate more ideas than I could ever use. I have sheaves of papers with simple plot outlines - sometimes just a sentence or two - still, aside from more than a dozen thick loose-leaf file volumes (maps, drawings and text descriptions) of such notes I've worked-up into complete stories, some of which I've even run as games, down the years, though I have been involved with RPGs, primarily as a GM, for (groans...) more than 40 years now, so may not be that typical!
[Edit: Gosh, you're all too fast for me to think and type it down so it makes sense! Still, you have some confirmation in this duplication, Sue!]
Thanks Wyvern! It makes a difference to see someone else getting caught out the same way as I am more than 50 % of the time. I could swear some of these youngsters can type at more than 100 wpm!
It just goes to show that your answers are quality answers - you having taken the time to answer them with... thought and consideration.
If you ask me to describe how I worked it out, though, I would probably sit here for quite a long time, gazing disconcertingly some way over your shoulder, with a curious frown of puzzlement on my face
I could upload the FCW file... but you wouldn't be able to see a thing (except maybe the two objects from Bogie's Mapping Objects right at the top of the map. All the textures are mine, and the font is one I chose and downloaded from dafont.com. The bottom 'pebble' is actually a hand-sized rock I photographed and turned into a new symbol. You wouldn't even be able to see any of the ocean or the rivers, since these are done with a very high resolution version of the blotchy watercolour texture I showed near the top of this page.
I am quite proud of my page curls, however, so I will have a think about how to describe the process for you
In the meantime here are a couple of the textures I made for the map
As you will probably notice straight away, there are a couple of effects in place on all the layers in which I use these two textures (they tile perfectly by the way), which is why they look different here than they do in the map
These two, along with the special lumpy watercolour fill, are the only three textures I used. The darker lines are solid colour.
And oh yes - if you are looking for something to play with in the meantime, here is the original symbol I used, and which I later used as the shape pattern to trace when I drew the curls in polygons in CC3+.
You have to put it in your Symbols/User folder and open that folder in the symbols bar to see it in all its transparent glory
And it's been a real pleasure and honour to have been present along the journey to reach this final stage.
Have to say that if anyone official's listening from ProFantasy, I think Sue's scroll curls tutorial (and maybe textures too?) would make a splendid item for an edition of the Annual.
Well really I should be thanking you Wyvern, for all the helpful research you did. I don't think there would have been a ribbon map without you... and Remy, and Ed, and... (This is where I forget someone and fall over kicking myself!)
Thank you - all of you
I have already started to prepare an example FCW file that you will be able to see on one of the HW templates. I just need a couple of days to sort out the instructions that go with it, since it involves several colour key effects that behave differently if you get them in the wrong order with the Edge Fade Inner effects. I have no idea how I got to the solution, or therefore how to describe the process in a logical fashion! LOL!
I think this is where I say something like... "There will now be a short interval"
*pads off into the distance, alone and forgotten. cue piano solo.*
Just kidding! Interesting direction you chose to take with the map. Also, sorry I missed the flirtation with a gaming/GM discussion. Been that kind of week. Congrats on finishing your map.
I was wondering where you had got to. I kept thinking that you were just about to join the debate 'any time now' because it was just up your street, but you never appeared.
Well I might have finished the map... and thanks ... but the thread has a way to go yet, since I'm busily working on a set of 'how to' instructions for the page curl. Time yet to comment or critique the map. Just because I say its finished, doesn't mean I won't go back to make something better
Posted By: Dogtag*pads off into the distance, alone and forgotten. cue piano solo.*
Just kidding! Interesting direction you chose to take with the map. Also, sorry I missed the flirtation with a gaming/GM discussion. Been that kind of week. Congrats on finishing your map.
My relatives don't like it when I sing. Have you tried singing ? :-)
Monsen playfully quipped:Well, maybe if you posted more maps, you wouldn't be so easily forgettable (Just kidding [about the forgettable part, anyway])
Sadly, I think I've posted over half the maps I've ever completed, as well as some I haven't.
Comments
I am wondering a bit about the wording up there though, he just seems so relaxed over the loss of 9 of his friends, just stating it very matter-of-factually.
Looking forward to it. However, even if your Merlan map looks extremely nice, I find this one far more interesting.
I was trying not to be over-emotional about it - more 'like a man'. I guess I went a bit to far beyond that. I'll have a think about that. Thanks for pointing it out
The Palace of Urrowan will be drawn in a very similar way to the Gymnopus P map - full two point perspective. (In fact it was Urrowan that I had in mind when I started developing the style that I used for Gymnopus P)
I think the way you find this ribbon map more interesting than my other maps reflects the different ways we see a story. You see the potential for new ideas, where I see something that simply isn't that well finished and needs more work! LOL
This is an extract of the main Ethran map showing the location of the other two maps - MC = Merelan City, and the Palace of Urrowan is shown by the arrow pointing towards Arthag (which will be in the extreme background of the Urrowan Palace map - artistic licence being taken with the curvature of the planet and things normally disappearing at that kind of distance)
The page curls are pretty rubbish, but they're home made and I'm quite proud of them for a first attempt. I'll do better tomorrow
LLAP
Nacon4
I never did it on purpose, Ed!
But I did it. I got there in the end
LLAP
Nacon4
Do you ever say 'Ok that's enough of this one, we've used up all the good ideas - its time to move onto something new'?
The two weighting stones are brilliant, but maybe don't fit too well with the style of the wooden surface the map's been unrolled onto. Reluctant to say so, but perhaps they might be changed to less "real" ones?
Clearly, there may be many good reasons which would only become apparent later regarding this, but the markers for Crossley, Stevens and possibly Peters seem quite a way from the indicated trail (or maybe this shows the path that SHOULD be taken, not the one which actually was?). Peters would make sense - first one seized by the dragon, don't do that again, then - and perhaps one of the others (the classic able-seaman-breaking-under-pressure-type of those old British WW2 movies, here running off alone into the wilds), but the third might seem more likely to have been lost a little nearer the trail.
Novelist and RPG GM are not mutually exclusive options, by the bye, as witnessed by the numerous comments about your skill at "accidentally" designing an ideal RPG map (with which I entirely agree).
Of course, you could also play one-shot adventures, then you just play an adventure and gets doen with it, with now ties to a greater whole.
I think the reason those three are a bit scattered is because they lie along the original trail taken by Glenarc's party, and not the one he has marked out as being safer for his son's party... if they come!
LOL - believe me, it was purely accidental. It seems that all you RPG GMs have been subconsciously affecting me all this time. Help! I've been brainwashed! Oh I see! It all makes sense now. So its a bit like a patchwork quilt in some senses. That's actually a lot closer to the way I plan a novel. Its just that I do a lot of work on top of that - stitching all the plot holes up, going over and over things again and again making sure there are no contradictions, and building the characters with believable backgrounds, and all that sort of stuff. My stories then, move a heck of a lot slower than yours do!
Since most RPGs are set in an imaginary world of some sort, little of which is ever explored in the game, or developed beyond maybe a few notes and a map or two, there are essentially almost limitless options for those so inclined.
It may seem odd, but I've found the whole process of thinking about, running and playing RPGs tends to generate more ideas than I could ever use. I have sheaves of papers with simple plot outlines - sometimes just a sentence or two - still, aside from more than a dozen thick loose-leaf file volumes (maps, drawings and text descriptions) of such notes I've worked-up into complete stories, some of which I've even run as games, down the years, though I have been involved with RPGs, primarily as a GM, for (groans...) more than 40 years now, so may not be that typical!
[Edit: Gosh, you're all too fast for me to think and type it down so it makes sense! Still, you have some confirmation in this duplication, Sue!]
It just goes to show that your answers are quality answers - you having taken the time to answer them with... thought and consideration.
(I know how you feel!)
Unless anyone spots any glaring errors I'm calling this map officially finished
And yes - the page curls are 100% done in CC3+
If you ask me to describe how I worked it out, though, I would probably sit here for quite a long time, gazing disconcertingly some way over your shoulder, with a curious frown of puzzlement on my face
I could upload the FCW file... but you wouldn't be able to see a thing (except maybe the two objects from Bogie's Mapping Objects right at the top of the map. All the textures are mine, and the font is one I chose and downloaded from dafont.com. The bottom 'pebble' is actually a hand-sized rock I photographed and turned into a new symbol. You wouldn't even be able to see any of the ocean or the rivers, since these are done with a very high resolution version of the blotchy watercolour texture I showed near the top of this page.
I am quite proud of my page curls, however, so I will have a think about how to describe the process for you
In the meantime here are a couple of the textures I made for the map
These two, along with the special lumpy watercolour fill, are the only three textures I used. The darker lines are solid colour.
You have to put it in your Symbols/User folder and open that folder in the symbols bar to see it in all its transparent glory
And it's been a real pleasure and honour to have been present along the journey to reach this final stage.
Have to say that if anyone official's listening from ProFantasy, I think Sue's scroll curls tutorial (and maybe textures too?) would make a splendid item for an edition of the Annual.
Thank you - all of you
I have already started to prepare an example FCW file that you will be able to see on one of the HW templates. I just need a couple of days to sort out the instructions that go with it, since it involves several colour key effects that behave differently if you get them in the wrong order with the Edge Fade Inner effects. I have no idea how I got to the solution, or therefore how to describe the process in a logical fashion! LOL!
I think this is where I say something like... "There will now be a short interval"
Just kidding! Interesting direction you chose to take with the map. Also, sorry I missed the flirtation with a gaming/GM discussion. Been that kind of week. Congrats on finishing your map.
I was wondering where you had got to. I kept thinking that you were just about to join the debate 'any time now' because it was just up your street, but you never appeared.
Well I might have finished the map... and thanks