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OldWarrior
Registered: 04-2006
Location: USA, Western hemisphere, earth
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New HTML Mapping Metthod for Games -- Pros & Cons (subject changed)
Oh boy! I think I might be able to create better maps which will be easier for me to edit, but it will take some time to get it all done. Also, I intend to make all "model" images to have a tooltip (text box) to identify the warrior, monster, or object. Last but not least, I plan to make the warriors (maybe the monsters too) clickable -- meaning that more information will be available by clicking on the model's image.
Don't get your hopes up though, because this will be a major undertaking. But, once and IF, I get it done, it should help me to more quickly update the game maps.
How will I do it? (my plan so far, but if anyone has some suggestions to help, I would be glad to hear them)
Well, I would create each map in an html table. The board sections will be created square-by-square as background images within the table cells (the table cells and the square background images will be set to exactly 65 x 65 pixels -- this can be changed, but see sample map link below for what it may look like) -- similar to the way the map grid in Webquest worked. Then I just insert an image in each cell to represent the warrior, monster, or object. To make them clickable all I have to do is add a hyperlink to the image. When I need to move the warriors and monsters, I would then drag and drop them in the html table, moving them from one cell to another. To show wounds I would just need to edit each image's tooltip (text box).
Here is a simple sample map I have been working on, which shows Captain Dread and one Skaven Gutter Runner by themselves in an empty Bloody Room:
Adventure Map
You can click on Captain Dread's avatar to see his Character Info topic. I haven't made the skaven's image clickable yet. Let me know if anything doesn't look right. This is really in its infant stage at present. Let me know if the tooltips are working in your browser.
Unfortunately, to show this better map, I will likely need to provide a map link so that the full map may be viewed in the viewer's browser, unless someone can tell me how to get the html code into a forum post (?)...
Currently, I have to copy and paste the warrior and monster images and then copy and paste the background (boardsection) image to patch up the map. I have to do the same with the wounds of the monsters. Also, the map images degrade through multiple file saves. So, I am constantly "cleaning up" the maps -- what a pain!
Last edited by OldWarrior, 7/Apr/2008, 3:17 pm
--- Old Warrior
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13/Feb/2008, 10:11 am
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OldWarrior
Registered: 04-2006
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Re: Upgrading the WHQ Maps in OW Games?
In the interest of making the new map project work, I am creating a Monster Image Gallery from which I can copy and paste the monsters into the map(s) as needed.
If you look at the gallery, you will see that I only had the skaven done at the time of this post. I guess I picked them because they can be so complicated.
Anyway, if you point at a monster image, you should see a tool-tip showing many of the monster's stats as well as a list of their special rules.
By saving the monster images all in one master file like this (in talbe form with tool-tips), I am saving tons of work when I need to add monsters to each game board map.
Here is the link:
Monster Image Gallery
EDIT: I added several Orcs (still need to finish) and a complete set of Goblins.
Last edited by OldWarrior, 20/Feb/2008, 10:52 am
--- Old Warrior
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17/Feb/2008, 7:31 am
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OldWarrior
Registered: 04-2006
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Re: Upgrading the WHQ Maps in OW Games?
I haven't given up on the Mutant Chronicles games yet. In fact, I am working on making useful maps there as well.
I have currently completed two sectors for the maps. A sector is 8x8 squares.
Sector 1
Sector 2
--- Old Warrior
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20/Feb/2008, 10:49 am
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OldWarrior
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Re: Upgrading the WHQ Maps in OW Games?
I just finished the Greenskin section of the Monster Gallery. What this really means is that I can now just copy and paste these monster pictures (with tool-tips of monster info) into the new maps as needed.
Skaven and greenskins down.
Now, I still need to do the Undead, Dark Elves, Chaos Dwarves, Chaos, and Monster categories.
I find it interesting that the Giant monster gets his own category in the RPB Beastiary.
--- Old Warrior
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21/Feb/2008, 9:32 am
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OldWarrior
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Re: Upgrading the WHQ Maps in OW Games?
Now I am torn between my new method of crating html maps (only testing in the Capricious Gang game at present -- and soon to try out in the Fate of bilbo Baggins game as well) and trying to use the Battlegrounds Virtual Tabletop program.
It is obvious to me that the html method is better for this message board gaming format, because it provides what seems to me to be a greater usefulness to the game maps for the players. Whereas, if I use BG to run the games and post screenshots for the players to see, then the linked model images and the tooltips are sacrificed.
For now then, I plan to continue on with my html mapping experiments....
Last edited by OldWarrior, 5/Mar/2008, 10:33 pm
--- Old Warrior
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5/Mar/2008, 10:32 pm
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OldWarrior
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Subject Line Changed -- Pros & Cons (added)
Everyone feel free to post here about what you like and/or do NOT like about the new html maps. This should be useful to me in making them better.
At the time of this posting I only have two publicly viewable games in which I am using the new html mapping method. The Fate of Bilbo Baggins and The Capricious Gang.
Here are some observations I am making for a start:
Pros (positives)
Better Image Quality - The map images do not degenerate with repeated updates.
Image-Links on the Map - Warrior and monster images (objects too if I so desire) can be made to link to information pages (within the message board or elsewhere as needed).
Tool-tips - The Tool-tips show information as the mouse pointer is held over each model and object image.
They are generally easier for OW to update -- should be much easier once I get all the board sections created and saved for easier map creation AND once I perfect a master map html table as a template for new maps.
Cons (negatives)
Some browsers might not be able to see all the text in the tool-tips (some Firefox and Netscape users for instance). I currently have this trouble myself when I try to view the new maps in Firefox or Netscape Navigator. The full toot-tip info is still available if I right-click and choose "Properties".
Managing the html tables to properly size each row and column of cells is sometimes a real pain. Hopefully, this will get easier as I discover how to work things out more smoothly.
Wounds are no longer shown as part of the monster images. Since each model image is being reused through hot-linking) for each update and not modified, it is not easy to show the number of wounds left on the monster images like in the previous mapping method. Therefore, I am showing the Wounds as a number in the tool-tip info (example: 2/12, showing a monster has 2 wounds left out of 12 Starting Wounds). This same method is being used for the warriors. I have placed the Wounds stat immediately at the beginning of each model image's stats (tool-tip), so that everyone (hoepfully) will be able to see it right away without having to delve into the image properties.
Last edited by OldWarrior, 7/Apr/2008, 3:37 pm
--- Old Warrior
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God bless you, everyone!
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7/Apr/2008, 3:37 pm
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