Community project suggestion - Interactive Atlas
Monsen
Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
Note: Please don't make any maps yet, this thread is for discussing the idea, and bring suggestions to the table.
I'd like to propose that we do a community project here at the forums. Many of you know of the old Forgotten Realms interactive atlas and what a resource it could be, even for non-FR players. It had lots of maps you could use in your campaign, from continent maps to country maps to local maps to city maps to dungeon maps and so on. And they were all hyperlinked together, so you could navigate through them, "zoom in" to areas by navigating from the regional to the local map. And best of all, they were in .fcw format, so you could actually edit them and make them fit your campaign. This might be minor edits like changing names, or larger changes like moving mountains. You could change the map based on player actions in the campaign.
So, I'd like to propose we as a community maps out our own world and makes a community atlas available for CC3+ users to download and use.
To make this atlas, I suggest that people pick areas they want to map, and populate it as they want. Later, other people can come in and make a local map from an area on that map, or a city map, or a dungeon/floorplan map, etc. In short, nobody (as part of the project) will touch your actual map, but they can make a new map detailing a region/place from your map. All of these maps will then be hyperlinked together, making them navigable as an atlas.
I am thinking we do this much like the FR Atlas, that is, we map interesting regions and places, but we don't make maps that fit edge to edge and map everything in minute detail.
I'll handle the actual hyperlinking of the atlas (for now, at least), so all the rest of you really need to worry about is making the actual maps.
Note that to get the full benefit of such an atlas, participants must be willing to provide their actual .fcw files. Those files is what makes this an incredible useful product as compared to a set of nice maps that doesn't fully fit in with anyone's campaigns. Furthermore, you must accept that the users of this products modify your maps (for private use withing their gaming group or similar, which may include them also posting rendered images of them on their groups website, VTT system, etc), but apart from that, all rights to the map still resides with the creator. I am aware that sharing of .fcw's isn't something everyone like to do, but for a product like this, it is the .fcw's that make the product great and gives it near infinite usability.
I don't want to force a special style on anyone. I am thinking this will be a jumble of different styles and mapping techniques. But each individual map is done by a single person, and therefore in a single style.
So, this is a list of sources and thoughts:
- Any ProFantasy product compatible with CC3+ (Including add-ons, symbol sets and annuals). These are all available for purchase and easy install
- Community symbol sets like the Vintyri, Dundjinni, CSUAC and Bogie sets. These are available for download and install for everyone who wants them.
- Custom symbols/fills. If you want to include your own custom symbols (or other symbols you are legally allowed to distribute), this is fine. Thanks to the $-operator for paths, custom symbols is easy to distribute along with such an atlas. BUT, that does mean that the actual symbol will be distributed with the atlas, so don't use custom symbols int he map unless you want to and are allowed to distribute them.
Of course, the maps needs to be proper CC3+ maps, not a imported background image with a few symbols thrown on top or similar.
So, this is my suggestion. Now I am curious as to what the community thinks about this. If this is interesting to enough people, I'll make an initial framework to start the project. And in this case, interesting means that you would consider making some maps for such a project. At this stage, we need people to make maps, not people who just want to use it.
Do note that everyone's maps will be welcome, regardless of skill and artistic level. Don't feel that your maps is not good enough for such a project. The only restriction I will set is that you are good enough to handle the very basics of mapping with CC3+, so your maps can handle things like sheets, scale and the usage of symbols reasonably well.
I think a project such as this is good for both the community at a whole, allowing people to learn from other people's maps, and learn themselves by providing maps to such a project.
Please, let me know what you think.
I'd like to propose that we do a community project here at the forums. Many of you know of the old Forgotten Realms interactive atlas and what a resource it could be, even for non-FR players. It had lots of maps you could use in your campaign, from continent maps to country maps to local maps to city maps to dungeon maps and so on. And they were all hyperlinked together, so you could navigate through them, "zoom in" to areas by navigating from the regional to the local map. And best of all, they were in .fcw format, so you could actually edit them and make them fit your campaign. This might be minor edits like changing names, or larger changes like moving mountains. You could change the map based on player actions in the campaign.
So, I'd like to propose we as a community maps out our own world and makes a community atlas available for CC3+ users to download and use.
To make this atlas, I suggest that people pick areas they want to map, and populate it as they want. Later, other people can come in and make a local map from an area on that map, or a city map, or a dungeon/floorplan map, etc. In short, nobody (as part of the project) will touch your actual map, but they can make a new map detailing a region/place from your map. All of these maps will then be hyperlinked together, making them navigable as an atlas.
So, how to do this?
Obviously, we need to start at the top, so we need some continent maps regional maps in place before it makes sense to design cities, dungeons and floorplans. So, I will start out by generating a FT3 world, and then export the coastlines so people can make continent maps. Once those are in place, we need to divide the continents into regions and map those. Once that is done, we have a basic framework of the world, and I am thinking people can decide for themselves what to map, basically by identify a feature (like a city) on one of the existing maps, and make a new map detailing that place.I am thinking we do this much like the FR Atlas, that is, we map interesting regions and places, but we don't make maps that fit edge to edge and map everything in minute detail.
I'll handle the actual hyperlinking of the atlas (for now, at least), so all the rest of you really need to worry about is making the actual maps.
Note that to get the full benefit of such an atlas, participants must be willing to provide their actual .fcw files. Those files is what makes this an incredible useful product as compared to a set of nice maps that doesn't fully fit in with anyone's campaigns. Furthermore, you must accept that the users of this products modify your maps (for private use withing their gaming group or similar, which may include them also posting rendered images of them on their groups website, VTT system, etc), but apart from that, all rights to the map still resides with the creator. I am aware that sharing of .fcw's isn't something everyone like to do, but for a product like this, it is the .fcw's that make the product great and gives it near infinite usability.
Allowed symbols/fills/products
Because users get hold of .fcw's, it is also important that they have access to the fills and symbols used, so they get a map and not a jumble of red X'es. As such, we must limit the use of symbols and fills to files the users can actually legally get their hands on, and easily install. These resources doesn't have to be free, after all, you will need to purchase at least CC3+ to open .fcw maps at all. I am also thinking that we need to require CC3+ compatibility, simply because when navigating the hyperlinked maps, they will all open up in the same program, so we shouldn't require them to open certain maps in another program.I don't want to force a special style on anyone. I am thinking this will be a jumble of different styles and mapping techniques. But each individual map is done by a single person, and therefore in a single style.
So, this is a list of sources and thoughts:
- Any ProFantasy product compatible with CC3+ (Including add-ons, symbol sets and annuals). These are all available for purchase and easy install
- Community symbol sets like the Vintyri, Dundjinni, CSUAC and Bogie sets. These are available for download and install for everyone who wants them.
- Custom symbols/fills. If you want to include your own custom symbols (or other symbols you are legally allowed to distribute), this is fine. Thanks to the $-operator for paths, custom symbols is easy to distribute along with such an atlas. BUT, that does mean that the actual symbol will be distributed with the atlas, so don't use custom symbols int he map unless you want to and are allowed to distribute them.
Of course, the maps needs to be proper CC3+ maps, not a imported background image with a few symbols thrown on top or similar.
When will it be done?
Probably never. I envision this as a continuous ongoing project. You can never really be done mapping a world. And such an ongoing project allows new members that join our ranks to contribute as well, making it a living and including resource.How many maps must I make?
As many as you want. If you make 1 map for the project, that is great. If you make more, that is even greater. And take your time. This is not a time-limited project. We may have a time limit on some of the main maps to get the project going, but once the framework is in place, people will just base their next map on what is available, without waiting for a particular map to be finished.So, this is my suggestion. Now I am curious as to what the community thinks about this. If this is interesting to enough people, I'll make an initial framework to start the project. And in this case, interesting means that you would consider making some maps for such a project. At this stage, we need people to make maps, not people who just want to use it.
Do note that everyone's maps will be welcome, regardless of skill and artistic level. Don't feel that your maps is not good enough for such a project. The only restriction I will set is that you are good enough to handle the very basics of mapping with CC3+, so your maps can handle things like sheets, scale and the usage of symbols reasonably well.
I think a project such as this is good for both the community at a whole, allowing people to learn from other people's maps, and learn themselves by providing maps to such a project.
Please, let me know what you think.
Comments
If I take part, however, the map(s) I produce will not contain anything other than the standard CC3/+ symbols and fills, because I don't have any of the additional symbol sets other than Bogie's Mapping Objects, and they aren't really all that suitable for world mapping.
I wouldn't be able to use any map that contained anything else either, so I would only be contributing - not using.
Count me in.
But the plan is to have a world map where you can click on the various regions to go to those maps, and clicking on interesting features on those maps will take you to the relevant dungeon/city maps, etc.
As for the server, that is a minor problem. Either, if ProFantasy donates some space, it can be hosted there, if not, I'll just set it up on another server, the internet is full of them. I plan on having all the maps rendered to images as well, so the atlas is browsable from the web.
The truth is, I am excited at the idea of a community project. This will offer something for everyone!
Just in case there is anyone not familiar with how an interactive atlas works, if you have the Tome of Ultimate Mapping, check it out starting on page 111.
EDIT: Seems i didn't read Monsen's post thoroughly through....I will lurk in the shadows on this project, unfortunately. I also am relinquishing my plot of land in the City Guild due to family obligations. Can't wait to see what you all come up with! Perhaps i can work on some dungeons later this year when the project gets to that point
Realm Works is out there and already has all the functionality required to make an interactive atlas. It also now have Import/Export functionality of realm data. What this means is someone can create the map in CC3+ and load that map into Realm Works and then start bringing it to life.
Here's my Interactive Map of Faerun as an example: Realm Works - Forgotten Realms Faerun Interactive Map
And that's a great looking atlas you've made by the way.
I don't have any of the annuals or extra symbol sets or anything.
I'll keep the suggestion in mind though, perhaps as a companion service or similar.
@Lorelei: It would be a new setting, not recreating FR maps (that would probably be copyright violation, even if provided for free). But I am thinking people could make the kinds of maps they feel like they have the time for. And even if one don't have the time right now, if we start this, this project will still be around many months from now (hopefully years)
@Charles: That is a good suggestion. We should probably do the main world maps in Mike Schley overland, both to make the first level look cohesive, and to ensure that users without any add-ons can at least browse the top level.
Keep in on your radar though. Realm Works could prove to be a great distribution platform for maps in the future.
If anyone wants to get creative we are running our own Community Project currently to create a Dungeon. There's currently an ask for a barbarian village map.
Community Project currently to create a Dungeon
Will be following this project closely
Absolutely
I'msure there can be better ones.