|
Post by jonas on Jan 12, 2017 11:11:40 GMT -8
Hi - I need some help deciding what kind of map I'm going to use. I'm about to start a 'Mutant: Year Zero'-campaign; a postapocalyptic game where the players are from an isolated settlement with almost no contact with the outside world. The game have a heavy theme of exploration and a lot of mechanics of how to use the handout map the players get at the start of the game. The map has a grid pattern where every part of the grid is supposed to be an encounter. The game comes with some gorgeous prefilled maps you can use, including one detailing the postapocalyptic ruins of my hometown Gothenburg (the Scandinavian Nerd Mecca). I really want to hand this to my players, but I have some reservations: 1. I feel a little inhibited as a gm by a prefilled map. Sometimes I need to throw down a mountain range or a river on the fly (especially when you 'yes and'), and I can't do that if the map's already done. 2. The outside world is supposed to be mysterious and unexplored. It can't really be that if the characters have access to a map. 3. I don't like the scale of the map. The squares in the grid are only about 1km across rules as written - I want to make them bigger. I thought this would be an easy choice - just give the players an empty map and let them fill it in as they explore - but I'm torn. The handout just looks SO GOOD, and the hosts on the show always talk about how fun it is to play in a version of your own hometown. So... what to do? For referenceThe prefilled map: frialigan.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/zonkartor.pdfThe empty map: frialigan.se/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tomma_zonkartor.pdf
|
|
|
Post by uncommonman on Jan 12, 2017 11:51:05 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by ericfromnj on Jan 12, 2017 12:32:37 GMT -8
Maps don't have to be exact. Perhaps they find the pretty map later on?
|
|
fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
|
Post by fredrix on Jan 12, 2017 13:39:23 GMT -8
Strikes me the pretty map isn't too detailed or limiting. I@d personally go with that and fill in some of the many blanks.
|
|
|
Post by uncommonman on Jan 12, 2017 14:39:28 GMT -8
Strikes me the pretty map isn't too detailed or limiting. I@d personally go with that and fill in some of the many blanks. Or make the players fill out the map. That can lead to fun times when you reveal the pretty map.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2017 23:03:27 GMT -8
Unless the players are blind, its hard to just 'throw down' a mountain range. You can see them from a long way off, thus they can't just 'pop up'. People would know about local mountains, even if they were out of sight somehow. Same thing with rivers in your local area. See, exploration can't be about the discover of major features if the setting is an area people are local to. You could explore a mine shaft you find in the mountains, but you'd already know 'there be mountains over yonder'.
Even in settings like LotR, everyone knows about major features (especially if they have a map). You have to leave your region to go into parts unknown (only if you lack a map and people are very isolated, otherwise you would have heard of it).
I'd use the good looking map and either do more prep or take more time during the session to do it right (instead of haphazardly throwing down new mountains and rivers). You can always go take a 10 minute bathroom break to think.
|
|
maxinstuff
Supporter
Posts: 1,939
Preferred Game Systems: DCC RPG, Shadowrun 5e, Savage Worlds, GURPS 4e, HERO 6e, Mongoose Traveller
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by maxinstuff on Jan 13, 2017 13:37:54 GMT -8
Well.... is this meant to represent an actual map that the players have in their possession?
Maps and their place in a setting is a topic all of it's own - but basically of the setting is some flavour of fantasy, you should give it some thought.
In times of war especially, accurate maps are invaluable strategic tools. Knowing exactly where that castle is, where all the roads to and from it, geographical features, topography and on and on.
A good map in the general's tent could be the difference between victory and defeat. (And stealing such a map is a cool mission)
|
|
|
Post by jonas on Jan 14, 2017 12:47:59 GMT -8
Thanks for your thoughts.
I opted for the empty map, but it's a good idea to let the players find the detail map later. :-)
|
|
tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
|
Post by tomes on Jan 14, 2017 21:50:08 GMT -8
Hmm... the prefilled map still looks pretty blank to me. It's a couple of big sites and bodies of water. Can't you just throw in hills, mountains, and undiscovered things as you go in that map too?
|
|
sbloyd
Supporter
WHAT! A human in a Precursor service vehicle?!
Posts: 2,762
Preferred Game Systems: Storyteller; Dresden; Mage
Favorite Species of Monkey: Goddamnit, Curious George is a CHIMP not a monkey! Stop teaching my daughter improper classification!
|
Post by sbloyd on Jan 19, 2017 9:38:22 GMT -8
Problem with a pretty map is that anyplace the PCs don't go, end up having been a waste of time for you to prettify.
|
|