For those of you who don't know me my name is Method (not really) and I make maps. I've been playing around with some new techniques lately, and for reasons that I won't go into I'd like to try a little experiment.

Basically the deal is this: you give me inspiration and I give you a custom map. Obviously I don't have time to make maps for everyone on this board, so I'm going to select one lucky individual who provides a Shadowrun location that I find interesting and/or inspirational. Ideally this should be for a game you plan to run in the near (but not too near) future, so you can tell me if and how the map was helpful.


If you're interested, post a brief written description of your location below. If it seems interesting I'll have you email me a rough sketch of what you want it to look like, layout-wise. Then I'll whip something up over the course of a few days and post it here for community feedback. Simple, right?

Disclaimer: This is all dependent on me actually having the time to make said map. I reserve the right to take as long as I damn well please and/or not finish the map at all if I get too busy.


So, any takers?

Quick question:

Judging from the link you provided, map of an underwater arcology for the purpose of updating Renrarku Arcology shutdown to 4e with some changes is not likely... right?

siel: I'm actually working on such maps, but it's a little beyond the scope of this project. Those are going to take me weeks to months. I will certainly post them in the future, tho.

I should clarify, however, that I'm looking for a discrete location- nothing too sprawling or elaborate. Ideally I'd like it to fit on a single sheet of paper. And I won't be using aerial/satellite photos as a base. It will be from scratch. My goal is to produce something like the maps for Ghost Cartels.

African Rebel Army Camp

So i guess the ACHE circa april of 2060 is out of the question too?

LOL I bet alot of people would pay money for maps of the Akology. There's still so much I havn't done in that adventure.

Seriously tho. I've been thinking of writeing up the matrix systems for a LoneStar precinct and eventually the whole Seattle Lonestar Network. Wanna work together on some lonestar stuff?

I'd like a map of the the Horizon "resort" are described in Runner Havens. It is in the Renton district.

Hey Method,

We should have a "map fight", all in the friendliest way of course. We both love making them. Like two different takes on the same idea or something.

Anyway, I have two proposals for your project. The first is what I'd really like to see, but it might be too big in scope, so the second is something that will also be useful but is smaller.

Oil Refinery Lair. I have a disused oil refinery in Auburn in my setting that has become the semi-secret lair of a Western Dragon called "Night's Flame". Occasionally in the light of dusk or dawn, his shadowy wings can be seen spreading over the tall pipes and drums of his dead estate as he either prepares for or returns from whatever it is he does at night. I haven't thought much about how he might have guarded his lair or whereabouts in, on or under the refinery he actually rests, but I imagine he would have made a couple of basic refinements.

A ranch out on the Sioux nation. Home of a successful hacker called "Biscuits" who enjoys the wealth of his ill-gotten gains with his pool, racing track and massive house parties. He would need some facilities for his drone security.

Actually, I can't guarantee that the Oil Refinery will see game time in the near future. The groups last encounter with the dragon resulted in a near death so they'll be leery of going back. The ranch should come up sometime in the next two months depending on when the group follows up on a lead.

Will look forward to seeing what you produce regardless of who you pick. I expect whatever work you produce will be an inspiriation for me to try something in turn.

Peace,

K.

What about a yacht moored to a dock? Something that includes, perhaps, some info on what's UNDERNEATH as well as the boat itself.

A Haida pirate camp hidden in plain sight along the northern shores of one of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Should have access to a half dozen small watercraft. I run post-Salish occupied Tsimshian as a eco-wasteland turned Sixth World Somalia.

A FB drone factory in Auburn.

Some great ideas posted so far. I'll mull these over a bit and see which one catches my fancy. I'm surprised to see that many of the requests are for non-urban locations. Interesting.

OneTrickPony: Police stations have been done a few times already. HERE and HERE (knasser's version has extensive info about Matrix network). This is not to say I won't revisit the idea someday, but I'm looking for something outside my experience.

Knasser: The oil refinery would be a big project, but the ranch might be interesting. Map fight might also be something to consider for the future.

Eugene: By underneath do you mean under the water or below deck? I feel like I've done a lot of boat stuff lately...

HappyDaze: Interesting idea. What do you mean by "hidden in plain sight"?

Warlordtheft: FB = Federated-Boeing?

Yep.-But it could be any corp drone factory.

I meant under the water, for when the team inevitably tries to sneak their way on board using scuba gear.

For another idea, what about a dilapidated tenement - a multistory, project-style hellhole with holes in the floors, collapsed sections, and dubious elevator shafts?

The pirates operate semi-openly raiding Japanacorp shipping that still makes the Tokyo-Prince Rupert connection, and most of the 'pirates' are actually Haida tribal forces. They claim tribal sovereignity to keep the Salish from stepping onto their islands, so the Salish can only chase at them out in the water. Even better, the Salish coastal patrol is bound to defend the Haida land-based holdings from outsiders - like the angry Japanacorps. That's why a few of these Japanacorps threw in some money and hired my runners to get back some kidnapped crew and deliver a little payback.

Alright, then. I like all the ideas people have posted. Since I've had only a handful of responses and because I will have some time over the next few days to work on this, I think I'll try to do more than one map. These are the ones I'd like to start with because they have some overlap and are relatively limited in scope:

Haida Pirate Camp (HappyDaze)
African Rebel Camp (Audious)
Sioux Ranch (knasser)

If I have time I'll try to do a more (maybe a Drone Factory for Warlordtheft, but I think that concept would entail a lot more detail and planning).

So, if you guys have the means (scanner, MS paint, Google map image, etc.), please email a simple sketch or diagram of how you envision the location's layout to me at [snip]. I will do them in the order that I receive the emails. Thus, if I run out of time, the slowest emailer will miss out. If you do not have the means, you can post a more detailed description of your location here and I'll see what I can do.

And thanks for participating in my little experiment!

Well folks, HappyDaze was the only one I heard back from, so I guess that makes him the winner... or whatever. So without further ado I give you:

Haida Pirate Hideout (exterior)
Haida Pirate Hideout (interiors)

HappyDaze: The three main buildings are mapped out. I went with shipping containers for holding prisoners. The large barn in the lower right corner would house the boats (let me know if you need an interior map for that building). Let me know what you think.

Any and all feedback welcome.

I won!

OK, I'm excited because it's pretty damn rare that I win anything...

But this really is great. It would have taken me ages to make something that looked one half (round down) this good. I'll be putting this to use in next week's game.

Thanks again!

Is it more common to map with square grid or hex grid? I do all mine with hex grids. Just curious.

deek: I don't have anything against hexes per se. In fact they make it easier to estimate distance on diagonals. But square grids seem to be the convention in published SR material and I can't think of any published maps that use hexes off hand.

Oh what have I done? Such beautiful maps and they could have been mine. All due to the lack of time to sketch out what I wanted and send it along. We were working to different timescales.

Maybe I'll send you a long a sketch on the off-chance.

These are very lovely maps, anyway. Honestly? Much nicer than your previous style of map-making. Is this special map software or some standard graphics / art package? I particularly like how the squares exist only on the relevant parts of the map in the interior set. A nice touch.

K.

EDIT: How long did they take to do, may I ask?

Hey Method, VERY nice work by the way!

Khadim: Thanks for the feedback! If you have a sketch of Biscuit's ranch, send it along. I don't know if I'll have a lot of time in the next week or so, but I'll see what I can do.

To answer a few of your questions: These maps probably took me about 8 hours total, which isn't too bad all things considered. They are in deed a departure from my usual style- I am moving away from using satellite images as a base and trying to create maps more like those in the recent published adventures. These were done on Photoshop CS for Mac for the most part. I used some terrain photos (river rocks, for example) mostly for textures and color, which I then put through image filters and vector graphic objects for most of the furniture and whatnot.

I'm pretty pleased with the end result- tho the real challenge I'm finding (and in deed the reason for this experiment) is producing something that incorporates all the elements the GM/author asked for in order to tell a story.

It's bits like this that tell me I lack the computer skills to pull off something like these maps. How long did it take you to get familiar with the program's features?


You managed to get everything in there that I asked for, and even started it off from a sat pic so it's easy to match-up with a location.

Its hard to say really. I've been using the program for other stuff for a long time. I started making all-digital SR maps probably 3 years ago (maybe?). Plus many years of hand drawing maps...

Glad to hear it. The sat image was mostly just to give us a frame work for our discussion. I didn't actually use anything from the image, but it was helpful in visualizing the terrain in the area where your game is set, as well as the general layout and types of buildings they use. The only afterthought I had was that you described the region as a polluted wasteland, so I could have made it look a little more toxic, but oh well...

Why are you moving away from the sat images? A little limiting, sure, but it sure looks cool when you're done.

I probably won't abandon that format entirely, but this style is more conducive to some projects I'm hoping to take on in the near future (including the afore mentioned underwater archology).

Its amazing what you can accomplish when you're procrastinating...

African Rebel Camp

Looks quite good, sir.

I like the pirate base.

How about a home improvement/construction market?

I immensely like to run Stuffer Shack, but I think it might be even more fun with:
- a chainsaw demonstration stand
- a few gardening appliances
- large quantities of lighter fluid, gas cylinders (helium too), paint and other chemicals
- a few construction machines
- pneumatic drills and
- high storage racks and forklifts

I think this could provide a lot of opportunities for innovative use of environment - perhaps against ghouls?

zephir: I really like that idea, very fun twist on the old Stuffer Shack scenario. Unfortunately I am out of time for the next few weeks. I'll keep it in mind tho, for the future...

Thanks, Method!

I don't come to DS very regularly though, could you send me a PM then?

That's a good looking map. A dramatic shift from your old style of maps.

K.