Artwork - Maps (A request)
Mon, 2010-03-08 17:58
While I love the artwork in EP and both the Quickstart and GM Packs, I have one complaint/request about the maps: please, please, please provide a version which has a scale on the map as well as either a straight hex or grid mapping (instead of the projection format that seems to be used). Having hexes doesn't tell you much if you have no idea how big a hex is supposed to be.
In addition, providing a light colored background would make it much easier to read when printing as character hand-outs
As presented, they are very difficult to work with as a GM.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Mon, 2010-03-08 22:11
#2
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
How big does the building/ship/whatever need to be to be freakin' awesome for your game/characters/size of party? It's that big!
We'll try and work on more printer-friendly maps for projects that don't go to traditional press.
Wed, 2010-03-10 01:12
#3
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
Thanks. I appreciate this as well.
Wed, 2010-03-10 12:00
#4
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
How big does the building/ship/whatever need to be to be freakin' awesome for your game/characters/size of party? It's that big!
We'll try and work on more printer-friendly maps for projects that don't go to traditional press.
It's not always that simple (see spoiler alert for detail), although often it can be 
One suggestion, if you made the map images available directly in the construction sets that were layered in the same way that the PDFS often have been, you could have one version that would work for both print and GM manipulation - i.e. if you wanted to print out the schematic without the foreground hex grid or the background color the user could just eliminate those layers.
Spoiler Alert-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spoiler: Highlight to view
For example, the Anora Arabella in the QS adventure isn't all that big and since there's a major tactical play that takes place aboard, I presented the cargo bay using a battlemat. Knowing the scale of the different modules on the ship would be helpful.
Having now elminated the unknown attackers by decompressing the cargo bay, they are attempting to subvert the ship's AI before they are eaten by the nanoswarm, and are trying to make their way through the forward section of the ship. Unfortunately, they don't know that they're going to get nuked by Firewall shortly
Wed, 2010-03-10 15:37
#5
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
As far as grids/hexes, I don't really have any preference. I just want to know is the scale 1 inch = 10 meters, or some sort of scale like that. I do like you idea Octomorph. Printouts are always nice.
Tue, 2010-03-23 17:46
#6
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
I had trouble printing the map on my aging HP printer. To make the job easier I exported one page from the PDF and saved it as a JPG. I inverted the colour scheme to save on printer ink. It works, easy on the eye and all that. Looks okay printed on A4 paper.
Not 100% sure where to host it, so I popped in on Flickr. If that is not appropriate, let me know and I can change it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/48648870@N03/4458584856/
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Tue, 2010-03-23 18:31
#7
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
Not 100% sure where to host it, so I popped in on Flickr. If that is not appropriate, let me know and I can change it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/48648870@N03/4458584856/
Totally appropriate! This is one of the things that Creative Commons is for, in our case: letting fans remix and redistribute to meet their own needs.
Wed, 2010-03-24 13:40
#8
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
Wow - that IS easy to look at. Thank you!
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Thu, 2010-04-08 19:16
#9
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
I'd like to second the light colored backgrounds request.
Instead of printing most of my PDF material, I use a large e-ink reader, which is cool but is entirely black and white. Dark backgrounds make for very difficult reading on it, and the Eclipse Phase core book is nearly impossible to get open due to either a layering issue or non-standard fonts (still not sure which).
Thu, 2010-04-08 19:35
#10
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
I'd like to second the light colored backgrounds request.
Instead of printing most of my PDF material, I use a large e-ink reader, which is cool but is entirely black and white. Dark backgrounds make for very difficult reading on it, and the Eclipse Phase core book is nearly impossible to get open due to either a layering issue or non-standard fonts (still not sure which).
It depends on the reader. Some of the ones I've seen can read the embedded font data that PDFs contain, while other's can't. Even if it couldn't though, it should be able to display with default fonts on the reader. Do you have a Kindle DX, perhaps? It has only limited PDF support, and cannot handle more complex documents.
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Thu, 2010-04-08 23:10
#11
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
I'd like to second the light colored backgrounds request.
Instead of printing most of my PDF material, I use a large e-ink reader, which is cool but is entirely black and white. Dark backgrounds make for very difficult reading on it, and the Eclipse Phase core book is nearly impossible to get open due to either a layering issue or non-standard fonts (still not sure which).
Which reader are you using? I've loaded EP up onto my Sony PRS 505 and it's rendered fine (although too slow to really use.)
Fri, 2010-04-09 00:48
#12
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
It's an iRex DR 1000s ( http://www.irextechnologies.com/irexdr1000 ). There is a new firmware update out that significantly upgrades the PDF support, but it also removes my ability to transfer what I write on the reader into typed text on my computer.
Fri, 2010-04-09 00:50
#13
Re: Artwork - Maps (A request)
Which reader are you using? I've loaded EP up onto my Sony PRS 505 and it's rendered fine (although too slow to really use.)
Cool, I've always wondered how 8.5" x 11" game books would really look on 6" screens.
I passed this one on to the art guys. I see your point: the unusual map projections look cool but can be a pain to use. The cartography in the works now is largely planetary scale, but the point about including a scale is well taken.
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