An Inspirational New Campaign

24

Comments

  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Thanks! I use a cheap photo editing software that I got free when I bought my printer: Corel PhotoImpact X3
  • arsheesh
    arsheesh
    Posts: 850
    Yup, that _does_ look very nice. I agree that this is a very good alternative. Your new site is really looking snazzy man!

    Cheers,
    -Arsheesh
  • twiggyleaf
    twiggyleaf
    Posts: 2,006
    Duskreign. It looks great. I agree with Arsheesh about the simplicity of design. Killer VP's highlighting of writing skill is well merited and I laughed out loud at the brilliant example he chose. The timeline is a great innovation. Altogether a new site well worth "FAVOURITING"! Well done, Duskreign. Welcome back and good luck as you start out on 7 October!

    twigs

    "I met a traveller from an antique land....."

    CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.

    Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign

    Inner Council Member

  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Thanks, guys. I've got a lot of work to do to get it 100% ready, but that's my ultimate goal. Eventually, I want to go back and refit the Wyrmshadow Campaign Setting page in similar fashion, but this is a laborious enough goal for now.

    - Mike
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Oooooooooh. that looks nice!

    Dusk and Arsh: Thanks guys! I miss being around here. School is good, I'm TA-ing two classes, so I've got 50 undergrads to teach and grade papers for. I'm also involved in the union, the Graduate Teaching Community, and a representative for the grad students in my dept to the GSA (Graduate Student Association). I remember when I used to have more than an hour a day to myself. It's a lot to adjust to, especially for being out of school for two years, but no one said it would be easy. My cohort is super cool and friendly so that makes a huge difference.

    I hope to make some time to do occasional updates to gaming music, not doing any actual gaming these days. There is an RPG group on campus that I want to check out, I just don't think I have time for any other scheduled activities right now.

    Take care,
    DarkMagus
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    Great to see you around, if only briefly, Dark!

    Just trying to help out.

  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Thanks killervp. I try to pop my head in and at least chime in with a hello when someone new is around or something like that. Its just hard keeping up with longer posts. lol
    Hope all is well in the gaming world for you vp.

    Happy Gaming,
    DarkMagus
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Yeah, I miss the good old days, when I could spare every waking moment (and a few sleeping ones) on the forums, joking around with you guys. I have been depressed for so long, I forgot how great it can be to step back from all the activity in my life and make some time, however much I can spare, to come back and see my old OP buds again. I miss 'not' having a life, so I could enjoy more time here with my ObsidiPals.

    - Mike
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    I am interested in getting feedback on the map I just completed for my campaign. It is the fourth revision of the Wyrmshadow world map, and it doesn't include the nation of Shidima because it isn't going to be involved in the current campaign. I plan on adding it to the map eventually anyway, but as my image size was already substantially higher than most image hosting sites allow, I decided it was okay to omit Wyrmshadow's answer to Japan.

    Oh, "here it is.":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/geography

    Any feedback, on the map, or on any other aspect of the wiki, would be greatly appreciated. I am going to put a little more work into the Races page before turning in, and I'll try to get something onto the Cultures and Religions pages tomorrow (I'm struggling with how to properly format that information and make it read well.)

    Thanks!

    - Duskreign
  • wolfhound
    wolfhound
    Posts: 354
    Absolutely gorgeous.

    Do you plan on doing your own "transparent rectangle" hot-spot navigation off those maps to sub-pages? For example assuming a Wiki Page existed for Kordoth, it might be neat if clicking the text "Kordoth" from the map took me there.

    Of course, this ruins your "click to see a larger version" current feature. Something like a Gazeteer's tier structure would be needed (top level with smaller/faster loading thumbnails -> next level, a single map like you have now with the above mentioned hot-spots and perhaps a link to "View Full Size Map" -> final graphic level, the full size image).

    ("no" is a perfectly valid answer, as this would be a tremendous amount of work :) ).
  • Pils
    Pils
    Posts: 149
    Hi Duskreign,

    Yes, your world map is awesome !

    But with all this brilliant arts, the page is very slow to open... (it's a possibility that in my country the internet connection is poorest than in your)

    -Pils

    Dark Sun ● La Décade des Héros : Face the Fire of the Dark Sun... a World ravaged by Sorcery! (CotM - Dec 2012)

    Les Royaumes Oubliés : A D&D 5e old school style Forgotten Realms campaign!

    (And I'm so soooorry for my poor english...)

  • wolfhound
    wolfhound
    Posts: 354
    Pils, I'm at my work (normally very fast connection) and the first visit took a while to load for me also.
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Wolfhound - I may forgo the click-to-see-a-larger-version thing because the current set-up is making the page load excruciatingly slow. I need to make thumbnails of the maps at lower resolutions, which would then take you a larger-scale version, where I will integrate the transparent button scheme, like I did on the "cosmology page.":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/cosmology I am still considering how best to make the page user-friendly while integrating every feature I want to offer. I wish we could zoom a bit further in on maps we place in the official OP map section. I am going to re-examine this tonight. The Cartography page may be vastly different by tomorrow as a result.

    Thanks for the heads up, Pils and Wolfhound. I wouldn't have realized how bogged down the load times were on that page if you didn't tell me.

    - Mike
  • arsheesh
    arsheesh
    Posts: 850
    Hey Dusk, looking good man. First question though, why haven't you shown off any of your maps over at the Cartography Guild yet? They're a friendly crowd as well, and well versed in map making tips and techniques. If it's constructive criticism your after, you'll find it there.

    For my own part, overall I like the map. I really dig the shape of the land mass (and the personalized compass rose is quite nice). As far as constructive feedback goes, one thing I noticed was that some of the textures you are using are more or less fairly clear, whereas others look stretched or blurred. For instance, up north (_Frozen Sea_ & north end of the _Abandoned Ocean_) the sea texture looks like stylized water ripples, but as you move further south, the texture loses its form and becomes increasingly abstract as it is stretched to fit the length of the map. Likewise, the textures you've used to represent the _Muhari Dusk Dunes_ and the _Western Bogmire_ both appear stretched and blurred as well, especially given that the surrounding terrain textures are all fairly clear. Otherwise, looking good man!

    Cheers,
    -Arsheesh
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    I could not decide how to proceed in making my map to begin with, so the whole process was kind of improvised as I went. Working with an image the size of the full map made my computer seize up horrendously. but working at a smaller size made everything look kind of washed out and dithered. I decided to break the continent up in thirds and merge them at the end, but then I ran into the problem of making all the textures blend between the sections properly.

    The long and short of it is, its messed up because I am guessing my way through the whole process.

    I am pretty happy with the map, but I may go back and fix the texture issues you mentioned specifically, if I can figure out how to do that given my jackleg cartographical skill.

    My focus is now, due largely to your feedback, to make every page as uncomplicated and open as possible, while not allowing detail or data become victims of that pursuit.

    - Mike
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Okay, I think I am onto something, but I can't get past the feeling that I am doing something wrong, "here.":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/duskreignprophecy/wiki_pages/test-page#northernkingdoms

    I am going to hold off on going much further on this until I have had some time to think about it a bit. I'm going back to work on Races, and I'll try to put something on the Cultures and Religions pages.

    - Mike
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    What are you going for there? The thing I like about this is the simplicity- you move away from it there.
    Also, on the geography page I clicked on the map and it was a distorted version of the map.

    Just trying to help out.

  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085 edited October 2011
    Edit - "Please check out the Geography page and let me know what you think. I am much happier now than I was yesterday.":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/duskreignprophecy
    Post edited by Duskreign on
  • wolfhound
    wolfhound
    Posts: 354
    I dig it. The inline links off the top map is a nice touch.

    Is load time optimization still a concern you're focusing on? The first hit still took a few seconds to process, but it wasn't as bad as before. If it is switching from inline links off the top map to actual new pages would probably help with that some.
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    I could do separate pages for the three smaller maps, but that would be compartmentalizing, which would threaten the open floorplan thing that seemed to be what drew the site early praise.

    I was hesitant to bother with the full map at the top. I could see removing that map and just having the top of the page start with The Northern Kingdoms, with a text link at the bottom of the whole page to view a full world map or something. I don't know. I'm pretty happy with it the way it is at present, unless anyone points out a glaring issue with it, I think I should refocus myself on finishing other areas of the page. I have a lot to do in the Cosmology, Races, Cultures, Religions, History, and Chronicles sections yet, plus revisions to the maps themselves to correct some texture problems Arsheesh pointed out.

    - Mike
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    This is much better!
    I have to ask, where are the beautiful paintings from?
    killervp
    "A God...Rebuilt":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/a-god-rebuilt

    Just trying to help out.

  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Thanks, KillerVP. The paintings are all things I found a long time ago via web searches to show people what those regions looked like. I don't have a strong recollection exactly where they came from. I modified some of them to suit my needs, resized them, put on a border, etc.

    I am working on the adventure log for the first session right now. I am just so happy to finally start running the actual campaign.
  • arsheesh
    arsheesh
    Posts: 850
    I like it! I like how you've made the locations on the map clickable wiki links, very nice touch. Looking forward to seeing what you've got lined up for the rest of the site.

    Cheers,
    -Arsheesh
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Thanks! I'm very pleased by that as well. The 200x300 images right-justified and set in with each section works really well in both the "Cosmology":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/cosmology and "Geography":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/geography sections, so I am going to try to carry that idea through in other sections of the site going forward. I expect that the Cultures and Religions sections are going to be laid out in a similar fashion.

    I finished the "write-up of last night's session,":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/chronicles though I may do some reformatting. I want to lay the adventure logs out in a way that allows me to write them up rather quickly, but I enjoy writing prose a lot more than bullet point lists. At one of my player's suggestion, I am taking a mixed approach. I'm writing brief segment as prose to lead in to the Session Highlights, which are a bullet point list of all the pertinent events from the session. I am open to ideas how to further refine that process.

    - Mike
  • GamingMegaverse
    GamingMegaverse
    Posts: 2,998
    There is one drawback to doing logs as wiki pages- no comments section for each log.
    Guess I will place comments here for now.
    As far as format, it depends who you are waiting for. I have gotten in the habit of emailing a session summary to the players, and the players write the logs in character in their own words. I know you do all your writing, but your prose is wonderful- bullet lists are bullet lists. If you are writing the logs for the players, then keep it. If you are writing for your adoring public, like me, then do all prose and send your players the bullets.
    The public wants your prose- at least I do!

    killervp
    "A God...Rebuilt":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/a-god-rebuilt

    Just trying to help out.

  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    KillerVP, thanks for pointing out that "glaring error on my part!":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/adventure-log/tdrp-s1 I changed it so you can leave comments on my adventure logs, now.

    As for writing it all as prose, I really, really want to, but it takes so much longer to do, and I don't want to fall behind on my logs if I can avoid it. The logs are really for whoever takes the time to read them, and I haven't really gotten enough positive reinforcement to convince me that it would be worth taking the extra time to write it all out. One of the things that pisses me off the most about my players is that it is like pulling teeth to get most of them to take 20 minutes to read something it took me 4 hours to write. It got to be so thankless, and it was one of the reasons I had to walk away from OP. It was simply adding to my stress.

    I will take it under advisement, though. I do enjoy writing. Some of the session logs from War is Hell (if you've ever read any of them) are upwards of 40 typed pages long. A lot happens in an average Wyrmshadow session, and I don't like skipping the minute details that I might later want to capitalize on.

    Thanks again! Leave a comment on the session write-up if you get around to it!

    - Mike
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    I am finally finished with the "Races":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/races page. Now, on to the Cultures and Religions. :)

    "Duskreign":http://www.obsidianportal.com/profile/Duskreign

    "Wyrmshadow:The Duskreign Prophecy":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/duskreignprophecy

    "Wyrmshadow Campaign Setting":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/wyrmshadow

    "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic

    "The System":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/system
  • vstraydogstrutv
    vstraydogstrutv
    Posts: 209 edited October 2011
    Oh you gentlepersons put me to shame. Loving the setup Dusk. I'ma favorite it so I can get to reading later. Maybe it'll get my brain-juices flowing on things to throw into my campaign. The last few sessions have been very seat-of-the-pants for various reasons, and some great writing always breaks the dam for my own creation!

    "Heurdenvaar Campaign":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/heurdenvaar
    "Shared Creations Repository":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shared-creations
    Post edited by vstraydogstrutv on
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Thanks, vstraydogstrutv!

    I just finished the "Religions":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/duskreignprophecy/wikis/religions page and I'll get started on the Cultures page, soon. After that, I am going to go back and revise some of the older History entries to fit the format of the more recent entries.

    I'm really happy with this wiki. It is nice putting all the stuff I've learned to use in one place.

    - Mike
  • wolfhound
    wolfhound
    Posts: 354
    The included Tenents is pure awesome - I love that!
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