I've got a post that may be of interest to the few readers of this blog that for some strange reason don't read my rambling genius over ay Aeons & Auguaries: Megadungeon Mapping.
The original post got a mention here: http://rolesrules.blogspot.com/2011/12/meaningful-megadungeon.html that folks will surely enjoy reading.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Working on the Grand Entrance
I'm getting a bit of work done on the grand entrance and felt it was okay to share a work in progress shot of the map of that area:
This is a really reduced scale shot of the castleworks at the grand entrance. One section (which is a floor/level) would pretty much fills an 8x11 sheet of paper. This entrance to the BigDungeon is far from a modest affair . I hope to get the maps and keys done sometime in the next 4-6 weeks for the Grand Entrance. Believe it or not, it's helping clear my brain to get other projects done.
This is a really reduced scale shot of the castleworks at the grand entrance. One section (which is a floor/level) would pretty much fills an 8x11 sheet of paper. This entrance to the BigDungeon is far from a modest affair . I hope to get the maps and keys done sometime in the next 4-6 weeks for the Grand Entrance. Believe it or not, it's helping clear my brain to get other projects done.
Friday, February 4, 2011
BigDungeon Side Plan View
Work goes on slowly but surely with the BigDungeon. Here's the current side plan view of the complex.
All the connection between levels aren't shown yet as the levels themselves are still all under planning. Even this side view is prone to change.
All the connection between levels aren't shown yet as the levels themselves are still all under planning. Even this side view is prone to change.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Dungeon Mapping Symbols
An assortment of dungeon mapping symbols. A number of these are adapted from caving symbols I figure they are good enough for people that actually crawl about underground they are likely to be good enough for me.
(click to get larger image)
(click to get larger image)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Dungeon Planning Graphics
One part of building the BigDungeon has been wrestling with the whole thing (or at least large chunks of it). Keeping track of one level at a time conceals interactions and just how big a dungeon can be. I worked up a few illustrations to experiment with different ways to work on the BigDungeon.
I worked up a set of colored levels in Adobe illustrator, here they are one over the other in 2-D:
(click to get the full size image)
Here's the same place in a 3D-ish view:
(click to get the full size image)
I'm very visual and prone to do "studies" on a subject to see if I'm taking the right approach. The overall advantage of the two maps as presented is pretty minor but it did show me sticking to the same representation for the entire development of a large and complex space like the BigDungeon is not the way to go. Having more then one way to see the place is key.
I worked up a set of colored levels in Adobe illustrator, here they are one over the other in 2-D:
(click to get the full size image)
Here's the same place in a 3D-ish view:
(click to get the full size image)
I'm very visual and prone to do "studies" on a subject to see if I'm taking the right approach. The overall advantage of the two maps as presented is pretty minor but it did show me sticking to the same representation for the entire development of a large and complex space like the BigDungeon is not the way to go. Having more then one way to see the place is key.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
December already?
Been a while since I posted here. I've been doing a fair bit of hand wringing and false starts getting things ready for this site. Presenting a megadungeon in a format that others can use is a pretty daunting task. Fiddling with this site and a commercial product I have in the works made it all to obvious how tough a task it is. Makes sense to me now why most published adventures are relatively tiny.
The BigDungeon entrances and a few levels should be seeing their way to being posted online in the next couple months. I'm going to take a more relaxed and less formal approach than I have been girding myself to and flailing about to find.
BigDungeon isn't dead it's sitting in the shadows and growing.
The BigDungeon entrances and a few levels should be seeing their way to being posted online in the next couple months. I'm going to take a more relaxed and less formal approach than I have been girding myself to and flailing about to find.
BigDungeon isn't dead it's sitting in the shadows and growing.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Style fixed
After far too much experimentation and artistic anguish I've finally got a mapping style set for the
BigDungeon. Here's a section with grid and walls only that demonstrates the basic look.
The amount of fiddling I've done is pretty major for me. I usually don't worry too much about how things look for other people but as this is public, here you go.
I'm cheating on wall thickness and angles with a custom grid that marks quick wall placement to go along with a standard grid and an over-layed grid turned 45 degrees.
Here's a section of the grid for the curious:
I can draw up levels digitally and on paper with this grid and it makes turning things easy as heck. The grid lines in both orientations don't line up except for in the center (and a few lucky spots) because I wanted the squares on the angled sections to measure accurately and not be distorted. Players will likely go nuts trying to get a tape measure accurate map of the BigDungeon and that's appropriate in my opinion.
BigDungeon. Here's a section with grid and walls only that demonstrates the basic look.
The amount of fiddling I've done is pretty major for me. I usually don't worry too much about how things look for other people but as this is public, here you go.
I'm cheating on wall thickness and angles with a custom grid that marks quick wall placement to go along with a standard grid and an over-layed grid turned 45 degrees.
Here's a section of the grid for the curious:
I can draw up levels digitally and on paper with this grid and it makes turning things easy as heck. The grid lines in both orientations don't line up except for in the center (and a few lucky spots) because I wanted the squares on the angled sections to measure accurately and not be distorted. Players will likely go nuts trying to get a tape measure accurate map of the BigDungeon and that's appropriate in my opinion.
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