Overland Map Specs in BMP format

[Arrowhawk]

1. What should the dimensions of an overland map be in Pixels (both horizontal and vertical)? (i.e., 800 x 600)

2. Can be 8 bit or 24 bit color?

Perhaps Ziroc or Dan Huling may know the answer to these questions?

[Steve McDonald]

They can be any size. The screen scrolls if they are too big. I would also like to know the size of each individual square.

[manikus]

the maps can be any size, i suggest at least the size of a big pic, and they can be up to 32 bit color.
i think the size of each individual map square is 16x16.

hope this helps. [img]smile.gif[/img]
[img]graemlins/mage1.gif[/img]

[manikus]

why my suggestion of at least big pic size for the maps? (i kinda forgot to say whay [img]smile.gif[/img] ) big pic size is the default setting, but if you want this to be smaller, there is no reason why you can't change the view for this.

[img]graemlins/mage1.gif[/img]

[Arrowhawk]

Thanks for the info. The map I have been working is about a screen and 1/2 (as compared to two full screens)with 24 bit color. It depicts the eastern portion of Mistledale in the Forgotten Realms. The map itself is suppoesed to be about 100 miles wide 50 miles vertically. Therefore the twenty mile trek to the dungeon from the nearest town could be (and is as a matter of fact) filled with meaningful encounters. Something the players would not want to miss.

[manikus]

i'm intrigued! [img]smile.gif[/img]

tell us more! tell us more!

i like the ideas of the maps covering areas that are less than continental size.

i'd been thinking of doing something with one map that is representative of a large area of land, and on are places you can enter that would actually take you to another map that would be of a relatively small space of land in great detail and from this second map are the dungeons and villages that the players can enter.

[img]graemlins/mage1.gif[/img]

[Arrowhawk]

Reply to Manikus,

I have the Forgotten Realms Atlas and ProFantasy's Cartographer and Dungeon Designer 2. Profantasy programmed and designed the maps for the FR Atlas for TSR. Cartographer allows me to manipulate and redo these maps. In this last case for Mistledale, I had a map of the entire dale which I saved as a BMP and imported into Paint (comes with Windows). In Paint I cut out the eastern section of Mistledale and copied it to the clipboard. I pasted the cut portion back into Paint and made some changes (so as not to compromise my adventure). I imported the BMP into UAF.

Cartographer and Dungeon Designer are powerful tools and there are more elegant ways to do what I described here, but the learning curve is steep and I'm not yet at the high level of expertise with either product. The bottom line is that Profantasy made literally hundreds of maps for the Forgotten Realms, all of which I have access to at any level of detail you would want. I can send you the maps in BMP format only, because I don't have a paint program sophisticated enough to convert them to jpeg or gif, e-mail me or sent message here if I can help you out. (I've certainly benefited from your art and would be happy to get a chance to pay you back.)

[Warlock]

Hi guys

I wonder if anyone could remember the way the party moved around the overland map in Gateway and treasure of the savage frontier? it was by using the small pic display window but would move according to the direction the player was moving the party across the map.

I was wondering if something like this could also be implemented and be an option for the designer to allow on the overland map?

Cheers

Warlock

[manikus]

i just recently replayed both of the savage frontier games. it seemed to me that the overland movement was similar to the way the editor works for dungeon craft- if the map is bigger than the window, it autormatically scrolls the map for you as you move about. i know that it also does this as you test a design as well. as for using a small window for movement, toggling area view does this for me.

speaking of the savage frontier, the module i'm currently working on is entitled heroes of the savage frontiers, and while not a true sequel, some characters will pop up.

arrowhawk, as far as your offer for maps, i am practically drooling. when you say that the detail is as fine as one wants, does this mean there are city maps? at this point this is what i am really looking for, along with the wilderness around silverymoon and around secomber. if cities are available, please email me. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[img]graemlins/mage1.gif[/img]

[CocoaSpud]

Just to confirm the details about overland map sizes.

Each square is 16x16. The maps can be up to 100x100, so the maximum overland image size is 1600x1600. Anything larger can still work, but the party will not be able to move into anything extra on the right and bottom sides.

You can adjust the passage of time for overland maps in the global settings, the default is 12 hours per step I think.

You can restrict the view of the overland map to only the small pic window, which will scroll as the party moves around. Is that what you are asking for? It's been a while since I played Gateway and don't remember how it worked. If this is what you want, change the overland properties for 'View Restrictions' to Small View Only.