2008 State of the BIP Project

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:29 am

Well folks, the new year is here, so how about a State of the BIP Project address?

As you all know, 2007 was the year from hell. No, scratch that. After surviving 2007 (by the skin of my teeth, and I mean that seriously!), hell would be a freaking vacation!

Being such a hellish year, it was destined to go out with an unholy bang, and it sure as hell did! Not only did I catch the single worst case of the flu in all my life, but my computer (read: museum piece) had a total hard drive crash shortly before Xmas. That all coming after a summer filled with family tragedies and deaths, and an autumn dominated by the nightmare of moving out to the suburbs. Whew! Clearly there was no way to get much done with the BIP Project.

But 2008 has been off to a relatively good start, so I'm hopeful that this year will be a great one. Lots of good things already starting this year, including getting to hang out with Hanson in person after the concert (technically, that was in December, but who's keeping track?). I've also gotten some serious inspiration for D&D again. Any inspiration I felt for it in 2007 was forced and thus not real. Which is why so little got done.

2008 should bring lots of energy to BIP. I'm going to get the Ruins of Undermountain III project out even if it means having to hire a tutor to teach me a mapping program and enrolling in a damned art course at the local college if I can't find an artist!

I hope everyone will join in discussion here and help carry the torch now that ADNDCampaigns.com is (apparently) down for good. Also, if anyone has any material they want to offer as a download at BIP, LMK.

So, let's hope 2008 sees lots of new material. If nothing else, I am determined to get the Ruins of Undermountain III finished in full by October. Even if that's all we release, it will be worth it and I'll consider it a successful year.

Any thoughts, ideas, etc...just post it!

Post by **Beowulf** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:16 am

Best of luck, HB! I'm hopeful that your lost material will be recovered, and I'm looking forward to a 'banner year' for BIP!

Post by **Varl** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:13 am

Sounds good Halaster. Question: do you take in side projects by outside sources? If so, where do you post rules and game supplement alternatives?

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:33 am

Thanks Beowulf!

Varl, not sure what you mean by "side projects by outside sources".

I'm guessing you mean material developed by individuals outside the BIP Project itself? I think it might not be a bad idea to add stuff like that. I guess it'd be safe to say that not everything at the BIP site needs to be an "official" BIP project. It's more a resource for sharing new OOP material, so I think that'd be fine.

More content will attract more people.

Post by **McDeath** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:00 am

I'm curious about what exactly do you want the undermountain maps to look like as far as appearance. Do you want them to have the same color theme as the original? I know the core rules cd set has a mapping program for dungeons that sorely needs to be redone by a programmer. While it is 'OK' I do like it. It seriously lacks in dungeon symbols. I wouldn't mind seeing someone cracking that.

For pure old school I love the "blue" type dungeons, but for megadungeons (undermountain included) I've always been in love with the colored map. I also hope the maps per level are divided enough to be printed in sections. The only flaw I ever found to evermountain was the humungous maps and being able to track adventurer progress without ripping the map. (Kinko's...... NOOOOOOOOOOoooo!)

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:30 pm

McDeath wrote:

I'm curious about what exactly do you want the undermountain maps to look like as far as appearance. Do you want them to have the same color theme as the original?

Since we're doing a faithful expansion, it needs to look exactly like the old maps (in style I mean). Here's what Level 7: Arcturia's Abode looks like so far:

I still need to add the grid, re-size the map legend, re-do the title box, and add the wandering monster tables. But that's essentially Level 7. Same color codes and style as the originals.

For pure old school I love the "blue" type dungeons, but for megadungeons (undermountain included) I've always been in love with the colored map.

I like the old blue maps, but they only feel right for 1E material. When we get to some new 1e projects, we'll definitely use that style!

I also hope the maps per level are divided enough to be printed in sections. The only flaw I ever found to evermountain was the humungous maps and being able to track adventurer progress without ripping the map. (Kinko's...... NOOOOOOOOOOoooo!)

Yeah, that was my sole issue with the original RoU box set. I tried to make the new material a tad more user-friendly when it came to sectioning out the maps, without making it look like it was sectioned out. It's pretty easy to divide it into 5 sections, with just a few caves being cut in two.

Post by **McDeath** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:49 pm

I've gotta know what you're using to make those maps. I simply must. I reinstalled CoreRules and was playing around with their mapmaker. While nice, it is severly limited and I think a private party needs to update it (I wrote a DF thread on this in the maps section). I also took a look at the Undermountain maps from the Forgotten Realms Atlas and was actually disappointed. I didn't get quite the same crisp clear clean feeling of the maps I have in the box (I'm thinking all those maps need to be redrawn anyway for ease of printing).

Another bloody thing about the Forgotten Realms Atlas Archives & CoreRules; you can't save either map into a user friendly file. I tried and tried to get to save either as bmp, jpg, or any art file. Core Rules only allowed xpt files to be saved and the FRAA used some other format (the bmp file it did make was terrible).

Hopefully, I can find some interested party in working on making a program. It would seem the people at 0one software have a version of their own.

Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:42 am

McDeath wrote:

I've gotta know what you're using to make those maps. I simply must.

It wouldn't help if I told you, because then I'd have to kill you!

Kidding.

Hmm. I believe Lorne (our long-lost cartographer) used Campaign Cartographer and Dungeon Designer for that. I simply drew the maps, then sent them to him to be converted. He did a perfect job too!

I can send an...er..."evaluation copy" of both CC and DD to anyone who would like to do some mapping work for BIP.

Another bloody thing about the Forgotten Realms Atlas Archives & CoreRules; you can't save either map into a user friendly file. I tried and tried to get to save either as bmp, jpg, or any art file. Core Rules only allowed xpt files to be saved and the FRAA used some other format (the bmp file it did make was terrible).

I thik Varl was having an issue with that as well, if I recall correctly. Varl?

Also, if anyone here is still over at Dragonsfoot, can you please look up Lorne Marshal's email address? I lost all his contact info in the crash. I think he posts as Lorne or Lorne Marshal, just his name.

Post by **McDeath** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:27 am

I'm not exactly sure what his email address is. All I can access on the DF site is this:

Lorne Marshall Profile

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:38 am

Aren't you a member there? If so, you can sign in and get the email address. That's the one we're looking for!

Post by **McDeath** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:35 am

Maybe I'm doing it wrong but it seems like there is a DF email protection on there so his address isn't listed. Sure, I can send him an email (which I did) but it doesn't list it. I have to hope that he replies to either you or me.

MCD

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:10 am

Ah, I bet the site is set to simply forward his email. Or I think users can set that. Not sure. Thanks for letting him know. Tell him to write me at halaster(at)undermountain.org (replacing the (at) with @ of course).

Post by **McDeath** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:08 am

Here's the following email I recieved:

Hey bro,

My e-mail address is a not-too-imaginative
lornemarshall@yahoo.com.

How are you guys doing? Between my job and having a
three-year-old, I have no social or RPG life to speak
of . . .

Nice hearing from you, though. Sure do miss D&D.

Lorne

Post by **Varl** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:03 am

Halaster Blackcloak wrote:I thik Varl was having an issue with that as well, if I recall correctly. Varl?

To be honest, I haven't fired up Core Rules in a while, but from what I remember, I think McDeath is right on the saving format issue. I'll check when I get home tonight.

Post by **McDeath** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:16 pm

And its a tad sad because there is no way in hell that I can print a poster sized map. God I wish they would have thought of that. I suppose since it is compatible to CC that this was just a way to force you to buy that program. Go figure.

Post by **Beowulf** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:39 am

I'm sure you could save it to a jump card and have Kinkos print it. And I know there's a place that prints fantasy maps, laminates 'em, too if you desire, at a reasonable price.

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:57 am

I'm know for sure that Kinko's can print it up full-poster size, because I've had them do it before, and relatively cheaply.

Beowulf, where is that lamination place? I've considered getting the maps from the miniature Undermountain box set laminated so I can use them at the desk while writing.

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:02 am

My problem is I am trying to get poster frames for the Undermountain maps, but the measurements are 31.5" x 20.75", which is a very non-standard size. So what to do?

Also, I need a poster frame for my Taladas world map, and that measures 41.75" x 31.75". Any suggestions?

Post by **McDeath** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:59 am

I curse myself now for never buying the miniature boxed set of UM. I only bought the greyhawk because I didn't have a full sized version.

I'm still working on my sewers & rats hills, albeit slowly. I'm trying to get MapX to work.

Post by **Mira** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:25 am

Kinko's can do lamination of maps as well, my husband had a couple of them done there.

Mira (Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead)

Post by **McDeath** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:44 pm

Mira wrote:Kinko's can do lamination of maps as well, my husband had a couple of them done there.

Mira (Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead)

Heh, I just noticed all those special Mira quotes. You need to compile a document of them.

BTW, regarding the map legend, what are all the symbols and colors? Are they pretty much the same as previous Undermountain levels? Are there more?

Post by **Mira** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:56 pm

McDeath wrote:Heh, I just noticed all those special Mira quotes. You need to compile a document of them.

Actually I have several documents containing them, I just grab one at random from one of them when I make a post

I have compiled a huge list over the years

Mira (A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Of course, so does falling down a flight of stairs.)

Post by **Beowulf** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:10 am

I'll have to look thru my Favorites, Halaster. I should be able to find it.

Post by **Halaster Blackcloak** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:07 am

McDeath wrote:

I curse myself now for never buying the miniature boxed set of UM. I only bought the greyhawk because I didn't have a full sized version.

I curse myself for not buying two of everything they did in miniature! The collector in my doesn't want to laminate the maps from the one mini Undermountain set since it's in dead mint condition.

I'm still working on my sewers & rats hills, albeit slowly. I'm trying to get MapX to work.

I can't wait to see what you're doing with the sewers and rat hills. It'll make a nice addition to the Undermountain material we're creating.

Mira wrote:

Kinko's can do lamination of maps as well, my husband had a couple of them done there.

Mira, is it expensive there? Or would it be cheaper to buy a plastic poster frame?

McDeath wrote:

BTW, regarding the map legend, what are all the symbols and colors? Are they pretty much the same as previous Undermountain levels? Are there more?

No, it's the same as the original box set. Here's a closer look:

We're using the same color codes and all that.

Beowulf wrote:

I'll have to look thru my Favorites, Halaster. I should be able to find it.

Thanks Beowulf!

Post by **Zherbus** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:06 pm

I'm also back on staff for the Illusionists Handbook. Doing a review of the current material now...