Any other map freaks out there?

One thing I sort of love/hate about the last few rpg's I've played...automapping.
It's really convenient, but at the same time I kind of miss making maps as I go along. I still have complete maps for all the Wizardry series, including some enormous (3x4 feet) maps of Crusaders of the Dark Savant.
What's your take on this?

[Strider]

I know what you mean. In the old days first thing I did after buying a new rpg was get out my graph paper and sharpen my pencils LOL. At times I miss the envolvement having to draw your own maps created. It also made the games last longer cause stopping to draw each area as you entered took time. Now a days its not hard to complete some of them in a matter of a few days once you tear of the shrink wrap.

§

Hanging on the wall within arms reach: One clipboard with half tablet of graph paper.

Next to my CD Rack on the desk: One pencil holder with 4 sharpened pencils...none of which have anything left of their erasers!

In the wooden organizer next to that: The other half of the graph paper, all maps drawn to the older Wizardry games tucked neatly into a manilla envelope with the Ultimate Wizardry Archives CD.

I have a friend in the military who is overseas at this time...when he returns, I will hand these things over to the only other true Wizardry fan that I know personally. It will make his day, I know!

(A friend bought me the CD, thinking I had not played them all, so I played through the first 4 just foir old times sake)

I loved having to make my own maps, however automapping is the best way to go so long as you can read the map!
I don't like the fact that in W&W we have to "color" areas with our cursors that, in my opinion should appear...but then I guess that would take some fun out of exploring new areas so I'll shut up!

: )
Moni

Hi Moni
Did you notice as you played through the old Wizardry games that they didn't seem as "bare-bones" as you might have expected? I replayed them about two years ago when I picked up an old Apple IIe, and I thought they might seem kind of lame. Surprise, I loved 'em as much as the first time I played...I guess my imagination filled in the spaces between the squares. Wiz 5 is still my favorite, though, probably because it's the first one my wife and I played together. (I'm such a romantic sap!) By the way, did Return of Werdna come on that compilation CD? Never did finish that one...

Hi Absynthe!
You know, I half expected them to be lame but remembering what fun it was to create the parties & build them into Super Monster Killers, I really did have fun! It was no different than when I had played them the first time!
Wiz 5 was my fav in the old days of having my son around & his Nintendos in the house. The graphics in it compared to the first 4 were completely awesome, but alas, on the CD the graphics for 1-4 were what I expected but 5 looked lamer than I remembered it being so I did not go through it a second time.
The CD contains them ALL 1-7 with Crusaders being as good here as it was on its own graphically speaking. Return of Werdna was 3 or 4? Its there!
: )
Moni

[skywalker]

Werdna was #4.

One of my favs was Bard's Tale 1. It was Mappng Masochists dream. I thought the little window that had the creature's picture was increadible. Wow 3 point animation!!!
With all the 1 way walls, spinners, teleports squares, and dark areas it was a mapping nightmare, but I loved it.

Mark

Loved Bard's Tale too

: )
Moni

[skywalker]

Moni: Did you ever play Dragon Wars? That was another good one from Interplay, I think.

Mark

[Wyvern]

Ah yes - mapping!! I have a file cabinet full of maps and walkthrus that I carefully constructed! One of my favorites is for the first Might and Magic and everywhere you went it was like standing in a box with a cardboard scenery wall on all sides. Did that map in full color leaving small spaces in the lines for the walls indicating which directions you could actually move! Another favorite map was for Sword of Kadash - wasn't designed to fit a grid and someplaces sort of overlapped in cyberspace so took a bit of creativity to map it out and have it make sense!
We've been cleaning up the office and putting a lot things into storage or throwing things out. I look at all these maps I made, all the time spent - yep storage!

Wyv

[Wyvern]

Oh!!

Forgot to mention the ascii map I did of Wiz 6 for a walkthru (still floating around the internet, I find it here and there). Now that was an interesting task to handle - especially the mines with all it's stairs!

Wyv