A "new" virtual tabletop to use your CC3 maps on

Hi, all. I hope I'm posting this in the right forum.

BGU_KS_Announcement.jpg

The goal of this Kickstarter campaign is to fund the development of the next generation of Battlegrounds virtual tabletop software, which will be called "Battlegrounds Ultimate" (aka BGU).

This "new" virtual tabletop isn't starting from scratch. It builds upon the ten years of development that went into the first generation of the software (BRPG). This project should be of interest to anyone with an interest in RPGs (it supports both remote play and face-to-face game sessions). Among other worthy goals, a successful campaign will help Battlegrounds restore full support for Macs.

If the second Stretch Goal can be reached, it will add a "free-to-play" mode, where anyone can use the BGU app without a license (albeit with a reduced feature-set), and that will mean LOADS more users, making it much easier to find a GM, or an extra player, for your game.

There's even a Pledge Level that covers an entire typical gaming group (offering bundle pricing), which offers the biggest savings.

Please check out the Kickstarter campaign page to learn more. At least watch the brief 2-minute video, which is pretty cool.

Comments

  • 6 days later
  • Hi I saw this software and thought of how it might interact with Profantasy products. Could you please explain in general terms the process you would use to take a CC3 image and use it as both a background and as a movable token in combat.

    Would it be a reasonably seemless process or would it require conversion? What sort of conversion? is it a conversion form already in existence for CC3+ (ie JPEG, PNG)? Would there be additional steps to this conversion? Would you create tools that eased this conversion if its multiple steps.
  • From CC3 (or CC2, if some people are still using that), you would save or export your map as a bitmap. JPG and PNG are the most commonly used formats, and either will work in the Battlegrounds software. Use an RGB color palette, not CMYK.

    The image should be placed in Battleground's "Maps" directory. Then launch the app, select the "Load Map" command, and select your map image using the file chooser. The software will then allow you to size the map properly if it needs to match up with the grid overlay. Maps can be up to 40x40 squares, or 40x46 hexes. Sliders allow you to set the height and width of the map in terms of squares or hexes (not limited to whole numbers), and there's a checkbox that lets you maintain proportions, so that for example if you just set the width, the height gets set automatically.
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Posted By: HerucaMaps can be up to 40x40 squares
    Not to be overly negative here, but if that is the biggest maps the program can support, I am really underwhelmed here. I fired up MapTool, which is what I am currently using, and had a look at the map I am using in my current campaign, and except for some very basic battle maps for random encounters, none of my maps fits within that restriction. I am sure it has lots of nice features that MapTool doesn't have, but that limited map size is really a huge dealbreaker.
  • I was trying to keep things simple for you. You can have larger maps, but using them in a different way (placed as Objects, rather than maps). You'd use maps as tiles, placed adjacent to one another, horizontally and vertically. There's no hard-coded limit to how many you can add (you can probably scroll forever), the real limit would be the computer's RAM.
  • I was also referring to the existing BRPG (v1.x) software. The BGU (v2.x) software to be developed if the Kickstarter succeeds would allow for larger maps.
  • JimPJimP 🖼️ 280 images Cartographer
    edited November 2016
    Hey Heruca ! I decided to use Epic Table. I'm the Crestar map guy. Your's is nice, but ET fits what I want to do better.
  • Maptool has a newer version in the works that is going to really increase what it can do. On the Realm Works forum they had good discussion about VTT and maptool lput just about all the paid stuff to shame given what it is and will be capable of.
  • Folks, if you already have a VTT you are happy with, that's great. I have links to all those other VTTs on my site, should anyone care to research the topic exhaustively. There's even a VTT feature comparison chart to make things a bit easier.

    But that is not what this thread is about. If you're not interested in this Kickstarter campaign, just move along. Or go start your own thread extolling the virtues of your particular choice of VTT. Thanks.
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