Quote from: S'mon;1114257Different techniques suit different types of game. More input doesn't necessarily mean better output. Dice rolls and objective world state modelling are tools towards an end, not an end in themselves. Or at any rate, if they are an end in themselves for the hobbyist, be aware they may not help the play experience at the table. The times I've used the wrong tools for the job, it gets clear very quickly.

Noted. Still, this style of mapping seems like a helpful tool to help me have a clearer idea of proper distances and what sort of things are out there in the world so I can improvise things easier and better (might even inspire players to randomly explore areas). It could also help from a hobbyist/game design perspective if I want to share or flesh out setting ideas or publish them later. And I should be able to do it, since I have a graphic arts background, but usually don't (cuz laziness ).

Quote from: VisionStorm;1114239Seriously, some of these posts make me feel inadequate--like I'm a lazy ass that should be doing better for my game. I need to get up my hex game, since I don't properly keep track of distances and tend to just wing it with the travel times. Lots of cool stuff here.

Everybody thinks about how to run a campaign differently. The reason I go to such elaborate lengths is because I enjoy mapping, I enjoy detailed world building. I don't really need to do either to run a campaign but since I enjoy doing both I get a 2 for 1 deal.

It sounds like you have fun running campaign and had some success at doing it. So don't feel inadequate. Do however feel free to download any of my maps and adapt it for your own use.

Which is part of the reason that attracted me to D&D in the first place back in the late 70s. I enjoy reading history, and loved the appendices in Tolkien's Return of the King. But thought exercises only go so far. But with D&D, I could put that stuff to immediate use without having to write stories or novels.

QuoteWhen you run a campaign in a world, particularly in a sandbox, how much of that world state do you model at once? Do you stick to updating/changing what is in the players' field of vision (or close to it), or do you update broader sections? Do you primarily use dice rolls to see what happens to the world state, or do you move things along an intentional path?

For example, let's say you have a section of a world with 4 small villages in it. The PCs are in one village right now. As a GM, would you track/create events in just the village the PCs are in (e.g. roll dice to discover that owlbears attack); all 4 villages; or this area plus more of the larger world?

I run my ACKS campaigns quite similarly to how Tenbones and Azraele explained their own approach. Other things I do:

- I build out the realm of the main villain and model his activities. Sometimes I recruit an unaffiliated friend to play the big bad, sending him email updates of the game world and having him decide what the big bad does. This tends to create some interesting gameplay as the friend won't know what the GM knows. It means I'm running both a simple strategic wargame for him and an RPG for the rest of the group.

- When major world events will affect the players, I resolve them mechanically (rather than with fiat) even if the players aren't present. For instance, in my LOTR-ACKS campaign, the local king decided to attack a fleet of Corsairs that was harassing the Greyflood ports. The PCs declined to participate. I don't like to just "make it all up" so I ran the battle using ACKS Domains at War in their absence. As it turned out, the outcome was bizarre, with the king and the Corsair chief each critically hitting each other, the king being thrown back into the sea where he drowned and the Corsair chief having lost his arm. The death of the king through the realm into a panic. The player characters then "bravely" confronted the [crippled 1 hp] Corsair chief and revenged the king and were on their way towards claiming the throne.

Quote from: VisionStorm;1114264Noted. Still, this style of mapping seems like a helpful tool to help me have a clearer idea of proper distances and what sort of things are out there in the world so I can improvise things easier and better (might even inspire players to randomly explore areas). It could also help from a hobbyist/game design perspective if I want to share or flesh out setting ideas or publish them later. And I should be able to do it, since I have a graphic arts background, but usually don't (cuz laziness ).

I definitely like the Wilderlands numbered & keyed hexes approach for sandbox exploration play. Without numbers on the hexes (a la Mystara maps) it is much less useful, basically the hexes then only help with distance calculation. With numbers & a key you break down the world into manageable & scalable chunks.

Quote from: estar;1114269Everybody thinks about how to run a campaign differently. The reason I go to such elaborate lengths is because I enjoy mapping, I enjoy detailed world building. I don't really need to do either to run a campaign but since I enjoy doing both I get a 2 for 1 deal.

It sounds like you have fun running campaign and had some success at doing it. So don't feel inadequate. Do however feel free to download any of my maps and adapt it for your own use.

Which is part of the reason that attracted me to D&D in the first place back in the late 70s. I enjoy reading history, and loved the appendices in Tolkien's Return of the King. But thought exercises only go so far. But with D&D, I could put that stuff to immediate use without having to write stories or novels.

Quote from: S'mon;1114393I definitely like the Wilderlands numbered & keyed hexes approach for sandbox exploration play. Without numbers on the hexes (a la Mystara maps) it is much less useful, basically the hexes then only help with distance calculation. With numbers & a key you break down the world into manageable & scalable chunks.

Yeah, I'm on my phone right now without internet at home, but I'll definitely check them out for research once I can view them in my computer. I've been focusing on setting ideas and working on my own system lately, but this should be useful once I get around to mapping.