Planetary Updates!

Two of my favourite mapping software has just been updated!  Fractal Terrains 3 and AstroSynthesis v3.0!

The most amazing update for Fractal Terrains 3 is the option to export to Google Earth!  As well as faster refresh and draw time!

So what is new in Fractal Terrains 3?

• CC3, Google Earth, Cosmographer 3 and 16-bit PNG export.
• Screen rendering on mulitcore processors is twice as fast or more.
• The complex mathematical operations used in Fractal Terrains are up to 20% faster.
• Performance scales better with the number of processors available on the system.
• The interface has been improved with a variety of themes.
• Added texture-based climate shader which works on sea areas.
• Added normalize tool to manually fix problems with painting in earlier versions that could cause black areas to appear on the world.
• Many niggles and bugs fixed and export libraries updated.

Price: 32.95 (27.95 for download only)

Fractal Terrains 3 is perfect as stand alone or if you own Campaign Cartographer 3 and any of the add-on software you can export your maps to scale!  This is a HUGE time saver if you are making several different overland maps to scale!

AstroSynthesis allows you to create an entire galaxy all in 3D!  Star Coordinates, System Generator, Planet Maps, Animations, Search Functions and so much more! You can even choose to use the built in Planet Generator or Profantasy’s Fractal Terrains!

So what is new in version 3?

• New Integrated Orbital Display
• Multiple Star System Display
• Flexible System Generator
• Terraforming
• Fixed-Number Star System Generation
• On the Fly Surface Map Generation
• 3D Models
• Background Images
• Anti-Aliased Graphics
• Natural Language Search
• Sector Date and Time Tracking
• Travel Calculator
• Video Recording / Movie Making
• New Storage Engine
• Automatic Updater
• Better Windows 7/ Vista support

Price:  $34.95 US (download only) or $20.00 to upgrade

I have been using both programs since they first came out and I have been pleased to purchase every upgrade that has come out since.  If you play any space faring game such as GURPS, Serenity, Traveller, RIFTS, or any other type of game then these programs are for you!  I even use AstroSynthesis for my Fantasy campaign as I use it to figure out the position of the planets and stars!

Are you a wargamer instead?  I also use AstroSynthesis for campaigns in my Warhammer 40,000 games.  AstroSynthesis is perfect for generating the systems that we play over, distances and travel time then export to CC3 for local maps with Cosmographer 3.  The possibilities of these two products is almost endless!

I would also like to add that both companies have amazing customer service.  I’ve never had a problem with them answering questions that I have had in the past.

Get over to their respected web pages and read more about these amazing products!

NBOS Software The Keep v1.0

From NBOS website

Finally there’s a personal information manager designed specifically for gamers… The Keep v1.0 from NBOS Software. Use The Keep to organize and track all your gaming information. Use it for your campaign notes, campaign logs, maps, handouts,… all the information you need to track for a successful campaign!

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Map Tool

“MapTool virtualizes the battle map, miniatures, and wet-erase markers. In combination with Voice over IP software this allows GMs and Players to get together virtually and interact much like they would at a session around the table.

The virtual tabletop in MapTool can do things that the classic battle map couldn’t easily do. Prepared maps from other software can just be dropped into the background and tokens moved over the top. You can also save the entire campaign at any point to resume later.”

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Campaign Cartographer 3

Over ten years ago I drooled over a flyer I got at GenCon.  It was for some software called Campaign Cartographer 2.  Well being the kind of guy I am I bought it. I bought all of it, the Dungeon Designer, the City Designer.  Then they came out with CC2 Pro.  WOW it had gotten better!  So I upgraded all the software to the new CC2 Pro versions.  I used that for years, in fact I was still using CC2 Pro last week.  That is until I purchased CC3 from Dungeon Crawlers.

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GURPS High-Tech

GURPS High-Tech

All the Gear Is Here!

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Warhammer Buildings – Mini Review

Why a mini review? Simple… I bought the Warhammer Building Set (The Big One) and if I tried to do a how-to, I’d never (EVER) finish it.

I ordered it by mail even though I live near 3 GW Stores. At the price of $180CDN, it qualified for free shipping anyway. Why would I, a terrain God (*Cough*), buy such a massively expensive set? So I can do an article of course. I also throught it was a good deal. The set contains the Fortified Manor, The Church, The Tower and three sets of walls and fences (not 3 fences… 3 SETS of fences).

Read More on our sister site: Terrain Monster  

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Doctor Who Miniature Game

I had the chance to play the free Doctor Who Miniature Game this weekend.  It has been a while since a game has had me this excited!

The rules found here are free to download.  You can play mass pitched battles but this game is more focused on the story line and the ability to recreate your favorite episodes!

The rules are quick and simple and I have a brief write up with pictures here.  You can get Doctor Who miniatures from Black Tree Miniatures.  You can also get some paper miniatures from here

If you have some free time I highly recommend this game!

GURPS Vehicle Builder

GURPS Vehicle Builder is the official vehicle-creation program for GURPS.

From GURPS website GURPS Vehicle Builder is the official vehicle-creation program for GURPS.

Like the GURPS Character Builder before it, GURPS Vehicle Builder lets you design, optimize, store, modify, and print out vehicles of all types, from an oxcart to a space station!

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Wargames Journal: now a downloadable pdf

The well known internet wargames e-magazine "Wargames Journal" looks to be taking a new direction. Instead of being a website where you go to different web pages to see different articles, they now seem set to produce the e-magazine as a downloadable e-mag in the same vein as "Fictional Reality".

The first issue, weighing in at almost 10Mb is absolutely superb, 109 pages of great scenarios, articles and reports. Well worth downloading since it covers all facets of the gaming hobby.
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Ebbles Miniatures the new future of wargames

With growing prices and inflated egos of large gaming industries wouldnt it be nice to get some quality merchandise for a good price? I mean come on, not many of us can really afford to lay down $150.00+ o­n support vehicles these days. With the multitude of new gamers sticking with card games or cheaply made figures that o­nly come in random boxes, forcing you to purchase hundreds of figures just to get o­ne type of army set up, you would think that the prices of miniatures and the model vehicles would fall right?
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