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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Mini Review - Other World Mapper (So Easy Tenkar Can Figure it Out)



I guess it's pretty obvious I've been looking at fantasy mapping software recently. Why? Because I suck at it free hand, which is the simple truth. I do like mapping and maps. So, I need something relatively idiot proof.

+Zach Glazar , The Lesser Gnome and some might now say, Lesser God (I jest - Demi-God at best), pointed me at the Other World Mapping program. It was Kickstarted back in 2014 (I missed it) and is now offering it's "beta" for sale at $60. Those 60 bucks are basically the same tier and price as in the original Kickstarter (35 bucks would have gotten you the same, but only when the product was finished). So yes, you're paying a premium to kick the tires of a product still in development.

So, how is it?

I deleted 2 maps and created 2 maps - one dungeon, one outdoor, in about an hour or so. That included actually referring to some of the documentation (but like many males, I just bullheaded my way through most of it). I must say, it is a very flexible and complete program. It can certainly use more art sets, and that's in the future so I'm not fretting much.

I didn't go into either map with a theme in mind, just looking to put the software through it's paces. I'm quite pleased with the results. Imagine if I actually spent time and had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish ;)


edit - forgot to mention that the maps produced with Other World Mapper are licensed for commercial use:
DRM Free and Royalty Free 
Other World Mapper will be DRM-Free, without any online activation, always online requirements, or severe activation restrictions. 
Other World Mapper will be royalty free, for both personal and commercial use. You can do anything you want with the maps you create with Other World Mapper: print them, use them for a book, a video game or board game. The maps you create are yours!

9 comments:

  1. This looks promising. I'm still waiting on world spinner.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks promising. I'm still waiting on world spinner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now we are talking! This went from off-hand comment to mini-review in less time than a single 'shift' from your life. Your retirement kicks ass.

    That said I would like to add two things to what you said.

    1. It is great without having the weird CAD elements of CC3. I own CC3+ and, besides adobe creative cloud software, it is the only software which confused me to the point of hour long tutorial videos. Until one of our OSR types produced newer ones last year specific to blue maps and old-school dungeons was I able to sit in front of it for passable maps. I admittedly do have not the 100s (1000s?) of dollars in design elements or expansions but they were ugly. They were also to scale and that is what I needed at the time.

    2) On the other hand other worldmappers outdoor map interface was a breeze in comparison. In 30 mins I was able to make something I wouldn't be embarrassed to send to a cartographer as the start point for a paid map commission. It was actually fun enough to be distracting (which is why I haven't used it since :) ).

    As I understand it is all vectors that get there own layer which is easily selected. This makes rivers, coastlines and cavern walls easy and quickly editable without worrying about layers or refreshing the map for updates.

    I was in on the KS and had not paid much attention to the updates so this was a pleasant surprise.

    Zach

    PS- I think the official Frog call sign I use is Lesser Frog ;).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Now we are talking! This went from off-hand comment to mini-review in less time than a single 'shift' from your life. Your retirement kicks ass.

    That said I would like to add two things to what you said.

    1. It is great without having the weird CAD elements of CC3. I own CC3+ and, besides adobe creative cloud software, it is the only software which confused me to the point of hour long tutorial videos. Until one of our OSR types produced newer ones last year specific to blue maps and old-school dungeons was I able to sit in front of it for passable maps. I admittedly do have not the 100s (1000s?) of dollars in design elements or expansions but they were ugly. They were also to scale and that is what I needed at the time.

    2) On the other hand other worldmappers outdoor map interface was a breeze in comparison. In 30 mins I was able to make something I wouldn't be embarrassed to send to a cartographer as the start point for a paid map commission. It was actually fun enough to be distracting (which is why I haven't used it since :) ).

    As I understand it is all vectors that get there own layer which is easily selected. This makes rivers, coastlines and cavern walls easy and quickly editable without worrying about layers or refreshing the map for updates.

    I was in on the KS and had not paid much attention to the updates so this was a pleasant surprise.

    Zach

    PS- I think the official Frog call sign I use is Lesser Frog ;).

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree on CC (have CC2 and CC3) and am in on the KS for both Worldspinner and Other World Mapper. FYI to those comparing the two... not the same niche. Yes both can technically make a world map, but Worldspinner is as much about writing world history as making a map. If you really want to do maps, OWM is the choice to look at. Just remember its still a beta. Pretty good shape for a beta but still beta.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am very happy with AutoREALM. Sure it's not perfect, and it is not as well supported as it used to be - but after a little bit of setting up I can make both world and dungeon maps very quickly that look pretty good. It is also easy to give such a map your own distinct style - so unlike some programs not all maps made with it look the same.

    ReplyDelete
  7. If any of you have suggestions to improve OWM let me know. I am part of their art-team.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think you got a map there of a woman's reproductive organs.

    ReplyDelete

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