 Google Earth, Gamemaster Assistance |
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 Jul 4 2005, 07:57 PM
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#1
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Running Target  Group: Members Posts: 1,129 Joined: 11-June 03 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 4,712  |
If anyone is curious what some current day areas look like in 3D, Google has a new feature called Google Earth. I did a forum search and didn't find that anyone had posted this yet (I may be wrong :P ). In case they haven't, its a relatively small download that allows one to meld satellite imagery with a three dimensional layout of the buildings of almost any area in the USA. Pretty sweet features also.
Check it out. I imagine it would help out somewhat with getting the feel of an area in which a gamemaster is trying to describe. |
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Jul 4 2005, 08:04 PM
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#2
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Target Group: Members Posts: 98 Joined: 14-June 05 Member No.: 7,444 |
I've been messing around with it today after learning about it off User Friendly the webcomic. It's fun, but I would like a better mag on it. For example, as a resident of the UK in a city NOT under a detail square, it's impossible to make half the stuff out. And Newcastle upon Tyne is one of the biggest cities!
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Jul 4 2005, 08:14 PM
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#3
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Horror Group: Members Posts: 5,322 Joined: 15-June 05 From: BumFuck, New Jersey Member No.: 7,445 |
It says temporarily closed...
Can someone put up the free version's download file? :) |
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Jul 4 2005, 09:14 PM
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#4
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,156 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Fresno, CalFree Member No.: 4,252 |
I actually think google is wrong about my region. I looked up my house, and it has the door of it facing east, where my door actually faces west. I'm also sad because I have jack for detail.
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Jul 4 2005, 09:20 PM
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#5
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Horror Group: Members Posts: 5,322 Joined: 15-June 05 From: BumFuck, New Jersey Member No.: 7,445 |
Are you sure you don't have a disused door there, or one that's listed as a door in the original schematics?
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Jul 4 2005, 10:44 PM
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#6
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Target Group: Members Posts: 98 Joined: 14-June 05 Member No.: 7,444 |
It's satellite feed, so it shouldn't be wrong. Then again, they put Gateshead in Newcastle City Centre, so...
The detail thing really bugs me. After all, EarthSat is capable of better. |
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Jul 4 2005, 11:04 PM
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#7
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,978 Joined: 26-February 02 From: New Jersey, USA Member No.: 500 |
Doesn't one also pay for EarthSat?
You get what you pay for, methinks. In terms of quality, though: As a way of checking it, I dialed in the lat/long of Vatican City, figuring I'd see the (rather recognizable) Via del Conciliazione and St. Peter's Square. No go. I scanned along the Tiber, and couldn't even find the Vatican. That says something. |
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Jul 5 2005, 01:18 AM
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#8
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Target Group: Members Posts: 98 Joined: 14-June 05 Member No.: 7,444 |
EarthSat is what it uses to get the images on the globe.
The detail level is shocking; Metrocentre is one of Europe's biggest shopping centres (actually, it IS the biggest), and yet it's nigh-on indistinguishable from the landscape. Still, as long as you stick to the "detail patches", you get good data... I can see cars on Toronto, for example. |
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Jul 5 2005, 08:50 AM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 608 Joined: 9-July 02 From: California Member No.: 2,955 |
You just should make things bigger. You can see damn near everything in America, and that's without zooming! :D
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Jul 5 2005, 04:19 PM
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#10
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
it's still broken, it makes me sad...
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Jul 5 2005, 04:30 PM
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#11
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,453 Joined: 17-September 04 From: St. Paul Member No.: 6,675 |
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Jul 5 2005, 04:32 PM
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#12
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,453 Joined: 17-September 04 From: St. Paul Member No.: 6,675 |
Or Earth Viewer.
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Jul 5 2005, 04:32 PM
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#13
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,453 Joined: 17-September 04 From: St. Paul Member No.: 6,675 |
Or GEsource
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Jul 5 2005, 04:50 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 608 Joined: 9-July 02 From: California Member No.: 2,955 |
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Jul 5 2005, 04:54 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 675 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 2,034 |
I could see my apartment windows on google earth, pretty cool.
Probably have to wait a month or so now while they build up more server capacity & wait for people to get bored with it. |
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Jul 5 2005, 04:58 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 179 Joined: 8-June 05 From: Montréal, République du Québec Member No.: 7,433 |
This is excellent. I've always been something of an urban landscaping buff ;) And I always found the city/Sprawl hard to describe to my PCs.
Sadly, my Windows machine is MIA, so I can't access this yet. |
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Jul 5 2005, 06:30 PM
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#17
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Target Group: Members Posts: 98 Joined: 14-June 05 Member No.: 7,444 |
Hopefully, after a few iterations they'll fix the little things. Like the fact a large amount of the placemarkers are out of place. And the fact I can zoom in in great detail to look at Donington Raceway, and yet can see next to bupkiss of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Wonder if the $200/year version fixes all of that? |
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Jul 5 2005, 08:18 PM
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#18
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Horror Group: Members Posts: 5,322 Joined: 15-June 05 From: BumFuck, New Jersey Member No.: 7,445 |
A great deal of the placemarkers are out of place, yes. But not by so very much - a couple of yards, maybe.
One that that does deeply disturb me is the high comercialism. You can find an accident laywer in southern floria by his tag that's visible at 40,000 feet, but you have to manually scan for the White House, or the Chrystler Building (never did find that, though I did find the Empire State,) or Kenny Space Centre. |
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Jul 5 2005, 09:24 PM
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#19
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,453 Joined: 17-September 04 From: St. Paul Member No.: 6,675 |
Just a side note, this thing crashed my system twice in a half hour period. It's beta, so I am not upset (much), and it is more functional than the other sites I listed earlier...
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Jul 5 2005, 09:26 PM
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#20
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Horror Group: Members Posts: 5,322 Joined: 15-June 05 From: BumFuck, New Jersey Member No.: 7,445 |
Never crashed me, and I was running for about four hours straight.
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Jul 6 2005, 02:23 AM
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#21
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,156 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Fresno, CalFree Member No.: 4,252 |
Yeah, I was wrong. Turns out I have two compasses that point South, not North.
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