tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post5614937829840882793..comments2024-03-27T22:32:17.055-05:00Comments on Jeffs Gameblog: Secrets of Myrddin, part 2Jeff Rientshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-46282350321722725562012-05-15T20:16:43.980-05:002012-05-15T20:16:43.980-05:00I love vertical maps! This looks great.I love vertical maps! This looks great.MonteCookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08154073889172996244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-10572192206968849382012-04-25T13:02:16.646-05:002012-04-25T13:02:16.646-05:00I tried integrating the vertical and horizontal ma...I tried integrating the vertical and horizontal maps, but I just couldn't make it work. Maybe with a computer, but certainly not by hand. So, instead I'd just note on the vertical map a letter that corresponded to one of my many horizontal maps... "A" was the section of dungeon that led to "Goblin World," "B" led to the Keep's basement, etc.<br /><br />--Fred the Dwarf.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-30810391283132645572012-04-25T09:47:47.706-05:002012-04-25T09:47:47.706-05:00Quick question re: vertical geomorph: do you use i...Quick question re: vertical geomorph: do you use it as its own level? I may have misread, but I thought the dm just used this to situate the levels in his head. Is this actually it's own ant-farm style dungeon level? If so, do you think of it as being 2 dimensional?<br /><br />Thanks for the post,<br /><br />Long-time LurkerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-13998019359901011892012-04-25T06:41:11.634-05:002012-04-25T06:41:11.634-05:00Right, the vertical map is separate. A kind of ne...Right, the vertical map is separate. A kind of nexus connecting most of the horizontally mapped levels. When you click the vertical map above, you'll see some of the level entrances as arched doorways facing toward you. <br /><br />I imagine that the doors labeled 1a and 1b both lead to different sections of the Level 1 horizontal map. Once there you might find a secret passage to a new section of Level 1 (1z?) which may or may not have it's own connection to the vertical map. Level 1 might also have a short stairway down to a level 2, or a long shaft down to level 5 or whatever. It was all a maze of interconnections.<br /><br />Thankfully, Jeff was pretty generous about telling us when to switch between mapping styles. It was always made clear to us. He even gave exploration xp to the first party to enter a new level, "You each gain 800xp, and you can start a new map for level 8".Quibishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13566050970164487157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-14160311639068473812012-04-25T05:49:25.315-05:002012-04-25T05:49:25.315-05:00Your map looks great. The vertical map is a great ...Your map looks great. The vertical map is a great addition to any dungeon. It provides a good overview of each level in relation to one another, and even a spatial overview of the entire dungeon that is missing from the horizontal maps. I find vertical maps are a great complement to regular dungeon mapping. In fact, I decided to use it on my own campaign around and in an as yet unnamed megadungeon.HalexBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03426923162016945320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-45246672163505781082012-04-25T03:36:17.691-05:002012-04-25T03:36:17.691-05:00"I wonder what could be in this vast white sp..."I wonder what could be in this vast white space?"<br /><br />Somehow Basil coppers The Great White Space springs to my mind, something leading to insanity and death and not coming back right.Jonashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11838302056850766272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-26199576428721553582012-04-25T01:04:07.343-05:002012-04-25T01:04:07.343-05:00I always got a strong sense of vertical-ness just ...I always got a strong sense of vertical-ness just from reading your game writeups. Now I see why that was!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-813669929360563922012-04-24T21:23:50.995-05:002012-04-24T21:23:50.995-05:00Love it, and I'm finding the varied reactions ...Love it, and I'm finding the varied reactions interesting. Thanks for sharing!Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06551480034601737297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-89947360680636685172012-04-24T18:26:33.753-05:002012-04-24T18:26:33.753-05:00What kind of cues were you given that you were map...What kind of cues were you given that you were mapping vertically? Did you have to figure that out, or was it made clear "you may want to switch to another sheet of paper to represent a vertical map"?Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855679156477779666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-310463441694984602012-04-24T18:16:25.014-05:002012-04-24T18:16:25.014-05:00So then the vertical map was run as a separate map...So then the vertical map was run as a separate map? Like it's own floor, but instead of horizontal vertical?tpmoneyhttp://idungeoncrawl.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-70630882044925312702012-04-24T15:49:47.441-05:002012-04-24T15:49:47.441-05:00Kudos Jeff. I think this vertical map really acco...Kudos Jeff. I think this vertical map really accomplished something special. <br /><br />At first I only found it confusing. Wandering around meant constantly going up and down stairs and ropes. I might be able to retrace my/Vithujin's steps and get back out, but it was always hard for me to imagine how deep we were or how far to the left or right we'd gone. It made me uncomfortable. Seriously. I remember feeling a sense of relief when we opened a door and discovered that Fred the Dwarf could start mapping in "proper" overhead fashion again. <br /><br />But that's the magic of it really. I've DMed whole campaigns trying to instill a sense of dread. You managed it on me with a single map. Well done, sir!<br /><br />Even now, after XX sessions and Fred the Dwarf's obsession with mapping the vertical section; it still feels vast. There was never any sense of having reached the edge of the page.Quibishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13566050970164487157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-7264950317757577772012-04-24T15:32:26.790-05:002012-04-24T15:32:26.790-05:00This looks very good to me. You have chosen a plea...This looks very good to me. You have chosen a pleasing size for the whole dungeon. If I might make a suggestion: take four or so vertical or profile slices through your dungeon - this is simply achieved by blacking out some of the horizontal levels in each slice from four copies of your picture above, ie not all the levels are directly above each other even if there are passages connectng them.Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-46028747223174616452012-04-24T12:06:35.695-05:002012-04-24T12:06:35.695-05:00Ditto to what Frank and Evan said, I'd really ...Ditto to what Frank and Evan said, I'd really like to get a better idea of how people translate from the vertical layout to the overhead, especially for some of the more complex ones like the one pictured. Obviously some of the early ones where each level is just a box with interconnecting stairs and passages, it's easy to translate since on the vertical map the level is just a featureless box. But on these more detailed ones? I'm lost.tpmoneyhttp://idungeoncrawl.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-15195196496403759952012-04-24T11:56:29.318-05:002012-04-24T11:56:29.318-05:00I'd love to hear more about how you connected ...I'd love to hear more about how you connected this vertical map to your horizontal levels. Does this map reflect all the interlevel connections?<br /><br />For a complex dungeon, I could see using two or three vertical maps to show all the connections, but maybe one map is sufficient (one could always have a couple small overlays if it would help).<br /><br />Does horizontal distance on this map always correspond to distance on the horizontal levels?Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855679156477779666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-52096181098764974872012-04-24T11:49:13.448-05:002012-04-24T11:49:13.448-05:00I'm kind of there with Evan. I like to look at...I'm kind of there with Evan. I like to look at the verts and i like the design inspirations they encourage, but i don't really like trying to play in them. It's probably just lack of familiarity.<br /><br />I'm also there with Welleran - these behind-the-screen peeks are great!Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13904797552624746980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-6077816733996526672012-04-24T11:10:56.408-05:002012-04-24T11:10:56.408-05:00I always tried to get off of the vertical geomorph...I always tried to get off of the vertical geomorphs and onto a dungeon level, but damn those things were confusing. I wasn't fascinated. I was just lost.Mirandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10745062840676790649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-21958654293591009722012-04-24T10:50:54.911-05:002012-04-24T10:50:54.911-05:00Keep this stuff coming! I'm particularly inte...Keep this stuff coming! I'm particularly interested in hearing how you found managing multiple groups (and in seeing more maps!).Keith Sloanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07319879076978887933noreply@blogger.com