Digital mapping

I'm decidedly luddite when it comes to maps. I've really ONLY ever drawn them by hand, on paper, with a pen (or pencil. But I've always preferred pen.) I've done a bit of really sketchy stuff on the computer, but I don't own a tablet, don't really want one, and am not very proficient in any graphics application, despite owning (and having been the past owner) of several. I really like the look of the colored maps that are often included with RPG products, since those are either full-color products, or even digital products anyway, but my background in fantasy maps comes from mass market paperback which is not even grayscale; it's pure black ink on whitish newsprint paper. That also works well with the ink on paper drawing style that I've cultivated over the years.

Digital mapping is a relatively new fad. It generally requires having 1) some really good software. Some people do OK with freeware like GIMP or whatever, but Photoshop is really the go-to for most, and it's not super cheap. 2) Good hardware, including a decent wacom tablet to draw with. Drawing with a mouse is like sniffing butts and expecting a good result, although if you're willing to put a lot of time into trying to get it to work, I suspect that it can be done. I've mostly lacked the patience for trying to draw with a mouse, and I don't think any serious digital artists do so. 3) Some skills. You can be a perfectly good artist, but knowing how to utilize the features of Photoshop (or even any of its competitors or equivalents) is a whole new skill set that takes lots of time and practice to acquire before you can get any good results out of the software.

Of course, the flipside to that is that you can get gorgeously rendered full-color maps that you won't with ink on paper. (I suppose that's not completely a fair comparison. You could always paint in color on paper, or something. In fact, in the years prior to Photoshop, that's what was done. Although also in the years prior to Photoshop, full color products were extremely rare and what you mostly got were still black and white ink on paper type maps.)

As time as gone on, a few products have moved into that sphere to "democratize" the making of professional quality maps and bringing it to the table of anyone anywhere, but, of course, there's more work to be done there. Campaign Cartographer is an old (I mean, like 1993 old) CAD-based software that's now in it's 9th update to it's third iteration. It is, however, a bit on a pricy side, and I've played around a number of years ago with the interface and found that the learning curve there is as steep as it is in Photoshop. More recently browser-based Inkarnate and a competitor app called Wonderdraft have entered the fray. Both of them have become, over the last year or two, relatively robust and easy to use alternatives. Wonderdraft is maybe easier to use, and more importantly, easier to buy, but I think if you're going to all that much trouble to make digital maps, you probably want something that looks a little better. Inkarnate seems to be that, but you have to buy a subscription to use most of its features, which is a business model that I think really stinks. 

That said, they also have a free version. The free version is pretty limited, but you can at least see how it works, even if your palette of elements to use is too restricted to be all that useful. I have a free account, and I've played around with it for a little bit, and I'm actually considering springing for a subscription (it goes month to month at $5 a pop, or $25 for a whole year. While the business model may stink, the pricing isn't really all that bad.) If I do, would I want to make a full color, digital version of the map in Inkarnate?

I actually think it would be more difficult to get the same shapes and placement, except in a vague sense, and it will probably much more time consuming to use the tool than to just draw it myself. And, of course, using a product like this means getting a lot of repeating elements, i.e, the exact same mountain peak showing up all over the place, etc. (not that my hand drawn peaks look all that unique from each other, but y'know) not to mention the assets themselves being fairly well known, so that your map looks like it was made from the same elements as other maps you'll see online and elsewhere.  But... you get a really cool-looking full color map by doing it this way; something that I otherwise couldn't get and couldn't do. And it looks like it might be a fun thing to do in its own right. And that full color map doesn't mean that I can't do my hand-drawn style map too. Although if I make the color one first, and then trace the coastline and block in placement of a few features, the two maps might even (gasp!) more or less match each other! I imagine the shape will be considerably distorted, however, from the draft I drew. I can't mimic it too closely even hand-drawing, unless I traced the coastline and blocked some of the features in through tracing. Doing it with a mouse on a computer screen? Not a chance. That's OK, though. The draft map was mostly about trialing a few few style elements, and especially roughing in rough placement for stuff.

I dunno. I feel a little like a sell-out after shaking my fist, telling modern gamers to get off my lawn, and swearing up and down that hand drawing with pen on paper was the only way to go (as well as ordering a ton of art supplies specifically to do so!) But playing around with Inkarnate looks so much fun too! If I get the monthly, and only have it for two or three months tops, I only pay $10-15 and it'll be worth it just for the hours of enjoyment I'll get messing around with it, honestly. I'll almost certainly take the plunge here soon.