ProFantasy Campaign Cartographer

[Skunkape]

The layers are a pain. They are also really useful. mrken you also reminded me of another point, the manual is lousy. I mean it is attrocious and the help screens are not much better.

I agree with that statement completely! I think they should hire a better technical writer, but meh, I've managed to figure out most of what I want on my own.

[mrken]

Someone over at the Yahoo forum http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/cc2-l/ suggested I get the Annual to help. Has anyone ever bought it? It is tempting but the need must rise on my want list vs. the money list. Too bad because I really wanted that program to work.

[Briarthorn]

CC3 has a serious learning curve. I found it easier than CC2 as well, but not much. It is essentially a CAD program. It produces excellent results and has many fine features. Just dedicate a few months of free time learning the ins and outs or take a computer aided drafting class at a local community college and you are all set. :-)

I use the map linking and the file linking in my maps. I also begin with Fractal Terrains, tweeking parameters until I have a base world generation I like. I even have my worlds planar alignment plotted. Then I "zoom in". I start with continental maps, then provincial, then regional, then territorial, then local, etc. Terminology is up for grabs, but you get the idea: top down. Now I do not develop everything fully. In fact, I may only develop the string pertinant to the PC's (their local continent with broad info, their local province with some basic political info, their region with local affiliations and organizations, finally their local towns and some personalities). Other areas may remain entirely undeveloped, partly detailed, or even open to completely spur of the moment definition (which I then must remember to write down for use later!).

CC serves me well for this. At least as well as paper maps I used to develop and with a few improved features like a backup to avoid the misery of loss of the original.

Hmm, sounds like it is hard, but I like a challenge so I'll still give it a go. Just not feeling as cocky about it as I was before.

The layers are a pain. They are also really useful. mrken you also reminded me of another point, the manual is lousy. I mean it is attrocious and the help screens are not much better.

For me the first step was just to do stuff, make a map, toss symbols and lines and whatever out there. My first map was horrible. Then my next map was a little better looking but took forever. That was the point where I almost quit thinking I could hand draw three dozen beautiful detailed maps before I finished one CC version. Finally, I started learning some better techniques (like using a fill to populate an entire area with foliage vs. trying to paint it all). I am no artist, but now I can make very decent looking overland maps very quickly (including elevation contours as well as mountains/hills, rivers, foliage and lakes. Populating them with towns, roads, symbols, and labels still takes time, but doing it all is faster than hand drawing and much more easily editable.

This sounds doable. Starting to get cocky again...
Can we see your first map? Don't be shy, we'll remember it was your starting out what-am-I-doing-work.

[Skunkape]

Someone over at the Yahoo forum http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/cc2-l/ suggested I get the Annual to help. Has anyone ever bought it? It is tempting but the need must rise on my want list vs. the money list. Too bad because I really wanted that program to work.

I wish I could give you information about that, but I've been putting off buying it myself as well, I have the same issue as far as want list vs money list. Course, I've got a whole lot of things I'm wanting, so that's why I need to take extra time determining what I'm going to buy!

[Engar]

Someone over at the Yahoo forum http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/cc2-l/ suggested I get the Annual to help. Has anyone ever bought it? It is tempting but the need must rise on my want list vs. the money list. Too bad because I really wanted that program to work.

Sorry, I never used the annual. My suspicion is that the annual is a compilation of maps and while it may contain many great detail to reverse engineer, it is not directly useful for teaching technique. I believe they also have a map maker tutorial or something, it basically amounts to a manual you have to buy. Perhaps that one is better.

I am not sure how to post a map here. I started messing with CC back in the Core Rules release, then moved to CC2 (I think it was v2). CC3 essentially improved the pretty factor for me. The very technical features like shadows and lighting sources in CC3 are still beyond my ease of use for the program (or worth spending time perfecting) so prettier tiles was about it for me in upgrading. The world view maps are posted under realms at my website, www.abberant.com, but they are very poor examples since they are incredibly simple and even reduced in quality. Each area of my world map (latest one anyway) links to a smaller area, that area has links to even smaller regions, etc. It is the really detailed map that would best demonstrate some of the functions (and I am still no master, a true CAD artist would laugh at me). I will try to post a detailed one sometime later on my site.

[Stormhound]

Someone over at the Yahoo forum http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/cc2-l/ suggested I get the Annual to help. Has anyone ever bought it? It is tempting but the need must rise on my want list vs. the money list. Too bad because I really wanted that program to work.

Yes, I've been using the Annual (including to make the map that I linked to upthread).

The better part of the Annual is dedicated to providing mapping tools, especially for particular styles of maps (mine was done using the "Pete Fenlon" style pack that enables you to make maps that look a lot like the old maps he did for all those Middle-Earth products that Iron Crown used to put out). You also get map packs and tutorials...the idea is to provide content that lets people use the product more easily and effectively. I suggest you poke around the info they give on the various months of output if you're trying to decide. The Mercator style pack from 2007 is another favorite of mine.