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Peabody
April 27th, 2010, 15:33
I'm an old-school GM and historical wargamer. I love to make my own adventure materials, props and terrain.
Making cool looking maps will be a fun challenge & I look forward to learning some new skills.
Before I start from scratch with something wide-open and wacky like Gimp, I wonder if anyone here has a utility they would like to recommend that suits itself well to creating the charmingly horrific world of Lovecraft's 1920's?

Urban settings, in particular, I imagine must be a challenge to create.

Thomas

cpbs
April 27th, 2010, 16:08
Ive always liked the maps that were given inside the books myself. They are just simple hand made draws that look somewhat like the area in which you are investigating. Besides, free gimp, I use a Corel Essentials program along with my digital drawing pad to sketch-up a ruff idea of the area in where I want my investigators to go to. Other then that, I use imagination and great story telling. But to each there own :D. I don't know off hand any program that gives you already pre-made maps or programs to make just maps for 1920s. You could look into dundjinni and see what you think, they offer a urban mapping tokens but no real 1920s.

https://www.dunjinni.com/info/images/urban_sample.jpg

https://www.dunjinni.com/

Peabody
April 27th, 2010, 19:28
I don't know off hand any program that gives you already pre-made maps or programs to make just maps for 1920s. You could look into dundjinni and see what you think, they offer a urban mapping tokens but no real 1920s. Thanks for the input. This is the challenge we face when playing in a niche genre; we must enthusiastically create and share our own toys. I'm used to that from my other hobby.

I think as Pulp-themed gaming gains popularity that perhaps more & more suitable material will become available for our Cthulhu fun.

cpbs
April 27th, 2010, 21:05
I agree. I've been tempted many times to create simple tiles functions, like 1920's cars, furniture, figures, building material etc. Then input those pictures into GIMP or some vector program to scale correctly. Then create a map using these tiles. I guess I've come to the conclusion, most times, that basic players just want to have fun and sometimes they are willing to give up great maps for semi-good ones + imagination to progress the game. I think it also then pertains to the group and the time that the keeper has to create it.