#CITY MAP DESIGNER DRIVERS#

Devious DMs will want to note that maps the characters have need not tell the whole story, if they’re accurate at all. These maps are fantastic for immersion in the area and lend a more in-the-moment feel to dungeoneering. Think of it as the kind of maps you’d get at the mall, but with more tea staining.

In-character map– typically seen as a handout or something a character makes in game.

Visuals on the map itself can help fuel a mental picture of the heroic tales the dice are telling, and make keeping track of environmental hazards and hurdles easier. The battle map solves this, allowing the players to see themselves, visible enemies, and measure the distance in between themselves whilst waiting for their turn to come up.

Battle maps – (or battlemaps) theatre of the mind (TotM) games can be very fun and exciting, but it can also lead to a lot of confusion and time-wasting, as the players need to ask repeatedly for clarifications.If you play a more sandbox type of game, then this map can take on a more functional role as it will likely be divided into hexes, your greater exploration charted by which hex you wish to explore next.

Sometimes this is just used for illustrative or reference purposes so your players can better grasp the world they vicariously live in and therefore plot their travels accordingly.

Region maps – this kind covers a larger area, from whole villages to entire kingdoms or continents, showing you the terrain, roads, and main points of interest.

Wherever your Dungeons & Dragons adventures take you, maps can be incredibly useful tools for immersion, fleshing out your gameplay, and even making it easier. Interactive maps carry some extra design considerations for the flow of user experience and types of interaction, as well as user interfaces.A road that consists of nothing but packed earth and ever-encroaching weeds, a vibrant and thriving tavern stretching three stories tall, a sprawling warehouse district at a newly defunct dock. Interactive maps are usually web-based, on a computer, phone, or tablet. Interactive maps allow for user interaction, data exploration, and animation. Static maps are often printed maps, but could also be digital images on your computer or online. A static map represents data at a snapshot in time. If not, consider other ways to visualize it, or simply provide a table. Just because data can be mapped doesn’t mean it should be mapped! It’s always important to think about whether geography is important to your story. For example, if you’re mapping for an expert audience, the map can probably be more complex than if it’s meant for the general public.

#CITY MAP DESIGNER DRIVERS#

What you intend to accomplish and for whom are huge drivers of map design. (And in the digital realm, either on desktop screens or small mobile devices.) Sometimes a map needs to work for several different media, which can mean several sets of designs. Many design decisions depend on how the map will be displayed, usually meaning either on paper or on a digital device. First, a few overarching things to think about initially: We’ll give an overview of some of the important considerations in map design. Design in cartography can be thought of as the set of human decisions behind the map-not only the look of the map, but also choices about data, interaction, and more.

City map designer