MapForge - battlemap creation software for RPGs

[Heruca]

For GMs in search of quick & easy-to-use battlemap creation software who may have missed out on the record-breaking MapForge Kickstarter campaign...You can now get in on the MapForge Indiegogo campaign. Less than 2 weeks remaining.

There are two new videos to check out, even if you already backed the Kickstarter. And the MapForge Beta release will probably be re-posted later tonight.

 

[udm]

Backed it. Can't wait for the beta release

 

[Heruca]

No need to wait. The Beta is available to download now. Look in the "Try It Out" section of the IGG project page.

However, I expect to upload Beta 3 later today/tonight.

 

[udm]

Thanks for the info. Didn't realise the beta's out already. Will check it out in a while.

 

[Heruca]

Just 4 hours left in the campaign, folks!

udm: It turns out that saving isn't working in Beta 3 under Windows. Beta 4 should be out soon to address that and some other issues.

 

[Heruca]

GMs looking to quickly and easily create area or regional-scale hex maps should check out this Kickstarter campaign.



The software runs on Windows and Mac OS X (not on mobile devices). It's already developed and available; the crowdfunding campaign is only to fund the development/porting of the new hex tile mapping content.

There are no shipping costs involved, since it's all digital downloads. Quick delivery of rewards is expected (April).

 

[Snorkack]

That's damn beautiful and a good mapping tool for tabletop would come right on time for me, so I tried your license-free version... Boy, is that software cumbersome to use.
Am I dumb? Or is there really no feature that enables moving or deleting individual tiles?
Because right now, if I accidentaly stamp a tile on space I wanted to keep free - sucks to be me, only option I have seems to be to Select All -> Delete, then start from scratch.
Please fix the most basic features first before implementing stuff like brush tool, layers, textures.

 

[nikolokolus]

If you need a robust hex mapping tool, I think Inkwell Idea's Worldographer is the way to go -- chimp simple to use, built-in annotation/notes, extensible with icon packs, etc.

 

[Heruca]

Am I dumb? Or is there really no feature that enables moving or deleting individual tiles?
Because right now, if I accidentaly stamp a tile on space I wanted to keep free - sucks to be me, only option I have seems to be to Select All -> Delete, then start from scratch.
Please fix the most basic features first before implementing stuff like brush tool, layers, textures.

If you want to make a change to something you stamped down by mistake, you would:
1. Press Undo, if the mistake was the most recent action. Mistake gone.
OR
2. Choose the Select tool, click on the asset you want to delete (it will highlight in red to show it has been selected), and press the Delete/Backspace key.

So I guess the part you missed is the need to select the asset to edit. Once selected, you could have done other things with that asset, such as rotate it, flip it, drag it elsewhere, duplicate it, etc.

There's nothing to fix. Basic features are firmly in place. There's even an in-app Help screen that, had you called it up, would have steered you in the right direction. On the Windows version, it says: "BACKSPACE = Delete the selected asset/s"

 

[Heruca]

There is also a ReadMe that accompanies the software. Here's a small quote from it:

Backspace (Delete on Mac OS X)
Deletes the currently-selected asset/s (tile/s, tile overlay/s, or item/s, depending on which asset type you are working with).

 

[Snorkack]

Am I dumb? Or is there really no feature that enables moving or deleting individual tiles?
Because right now, if I accidentaly stamp a tile on space I wanted to keep free - sucks to be me, only option I have seems to be to Select All -> Delete, then start from scratch.
Please fix the most basic features first before implementing stuff like brush tool, layers, textures.

If you want to make a change to something you stamped down by mistake, you would:
1. Press Undo, if the mistake was the most recent action. Mistake gone.
OR
2. Choose the Select tool, click on the asset you want to delete (it will highlight in red to show it has been selected), and press the Delete/Backspace key.

So I guess the part you missed is the need to select the asset to edit. Once selected, you could have done other things with that asset, such as rotate it, flip it, drag it elsewhere, duplicate it, etc.

There's nothing to fix. Basic features are firmly in place. There's even an in-app Help screen that, had you called it up, would have steered you in the right direction. On the Windows version, it says: "BACKSPACE = Delete the selected asset/s"

Oh, is that so? Well, I was about to post a whole list of Nothings that apparently needn't be fixed, yet make using your software a chore anyways. Then I realized you're charging big bucks for that stuff, plus you decided to be snarky about it, so I somehow don't feel like being your free-of-charge beta tester.

One thing tho - the help screen I did find... the problem is that the selection tool doesn't work.

Good luck anyways!

 

[Heruca]

Was I snarky? I'm trying to be helpful.

The Select tool works just fine. Just keep in mind that it will only select assets of the type you are currently working with. For example, if you're working with Items and you click on a Tile, nothing will happen. You'd need to get into Tile-editing mode in order to select a Tile.

I wouldn't say I'm charging the big bucks. The app can be used for free, and if someone wants/needs a license for high-res output, it's a modest one-time fee (not a recurring subscription, like several other mapping apps charge). The various artists and content-providers make the majority of the money from sales of paid content Add-Ons.

 

[Heruca]

I want to announce the latest KS campaign.



A large majority of the 80+ content Add-Ons already available for MapForge are for the Fantasy genre, but with Fantasy being by far the most popular RPG genre, it only follows that making even more Fantasy content available would be a good thing.

So this campaign seeks to broaden MapForge's current fantasy-genre offerings by producing 15 more fantasy-themed mapping content Add-Ons, to better support tactical-scale battlemap creation for RPG systems such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, GURPS, Mage: The Ascension, Rolemaster, etc.

We've got some great new content lined up, and are raising funds to cover the porting/development costs. Two of these new Add-Ons will allow for publishing or commercial use, the rest are for Personal Use Only.

With this much great fantasy mapping content available, MapForge will offer more ready-to-use battlemap-scale mapping content to GMs of fantasy RPGs than any other map-making app, by far.

Click here or on the image above to check out the Kickstarter campaign, which launched three days ago.

Fairly quick delivery of rewards is expected (August), and there are no shipping costs involved, since it's all digital downloads.

Campaign launched on: May 22, 2019

Campaign ends on: June 17, 2019

PS: And if you'd like to see many more free Add-Ons made available for MapForge, see our Patreon campaign.

 

[Morblot]

$31 for the program, $5 to also get it on my other computer, and the tile sets which cost a fortune in your store are also available on DrivethruRPG, except they're cheaper there. Yeah... not gonna bother.

A bit clunky they may be but Illwinter's Floorplan Generator and Dungeon Painter Studio will suffice for me.