Well, as it's turned out, not quite "next time" for Level Thirteen after all!

As I was drawing the various Tower levels, and especially when setting-up the cross-level hyperlinks, it soon became obvious I was relying on my own hand-scrawled schematic showing how all the levels connected with one another to manage that. This suggested a further such properly mapped schematic might be helpful for GMs trying to run the Tower with the portals active in the sequence shown on the maps. Thus we also have the Windy Tower GM's Guide map:

Although it was relatively simple and quick to draw (especially compared with setting up multiple macro hyperlinks per level!), it proved a little more complex than anticipated, thanks to the number of crossing arrow lines. Plus the whole went through around six different hand-sketched iterations before settling on this layout, to try to keep the arrow-line patterning as relatively simple as possible.

Now it's done though, it has been quite entertaining to use it to navigate using the FCW file's hyperlinks between the levels, when checking them in comparison with the text notes ahead of the final Atlas submission.

And so REALLY next time, Level Thirteen!

Well, the whole rank and points thing in the current form has only been around since late 2020, when the Forum had a major overhaul. Higher ranks have the advantage of getting longer to edit your own posts, which is handy for those of us less adept at avoiding typos, without being a major difference. Beyond that, it's all just a bit of fun, really!

Slightly terrifying to watch Remy wearing different thatched roofs as a hat at times on the livestream replay 😉🤠 (I'm taking time-out from catching-up to check-in here briefly!) The dormer one seemed to work best, though it's not especially stylish 😁.

Good stream though so far - even if I have just got a sneak preview of what the final map will look like by dropping-by here mid-replay!

Battlemaps for physical tabletop use shouldn't be labelled at all, because that distracts from the scenic element, and if the map's reasonably clearly drawn, the key features should be obvious anyway - that's largely the point, after all! If you'll need to add hidden elements, use cut-out markers you can drop-in on the map when & where appropriate (or use suitable 3D miniatures/items, like doors, treasure chests, etc.). The process/theory stands for VTT use as well, except everything is digital, of course.

As I've never used VTT, I can't advise much on that element, although hiding and showing features using the CC3+ Layers is straightforward enough in the FCW files, and easy enough too to store as separate digital images of the relevant views. I'd assume swapping between such separate images should be relatively simple in VTT, but I may be assuming too much on the part of such systems' designers, I realise! (Given that Windows still has to catch up with where some of the alternative PC systems then were 30+ years ago...)

The only labelled maps are the ones the GM needs to see, other than any props the players may be given/shown - such as a treasure map - and on such props the labels can be as clear or obscure as the needs of the game require.

Level Ten:

Some of the included elements were simply picked from the available symbols in the Mike Schley style, to flesh-out the bare bones original floorplans, although this level was largely populated from items randomly determined from those Story Engine card decks used earlier for the Kara's Vale map locations. The randomness of a level that has stores, an altar and huge braziers, a cage, a pool and a loom just appealed in that way weirdness sometimes can!

Level Eleven:

Which randomness was allowed to spill-over here too, with those three rooms of oddities in the north. Plus, be fair, this was the eleventh level in the group!

Bringing us finally to Level Twelve:

Did I mention the random weirdness? The Wall-Hangings Hall though was done deliberately, because it's a really odd shape for an empty passageway otherwise.

Which concludes the main Tower, leaving only Level Thirteen to come - perhaps next time...