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Map Tool
Posted on July 15th, 2008 No comments
“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.”
RPTool has continued to update and improve thier Map Tool software for online Role Playing. Map Tool offers the GM and Players plenty of options to paly your favorite RPG with friends online. It is customizable so it will not restrict you to one genre or system, you can infact use it with all of your favorite RPG’s.
With the 100 custom Macros each person can create and custom macros for each token, RPTools has allowed the players and GM to quickly execute complex combat situations with a click of a button. The Macros can be programed for the advanced chat system as well making text conversation and private messages simpler.
The advanced mapping program features Line of Site that can either be shared or made seperate between players.
RPTools has also kindly offered video tutorials to get you and your players on your way to an enjoyable gaming session that much faster.
I have been using MapTool for three months now and I would be hard pressed to find a commercial program this good, making MapTool that much better as it is FREE.
Just look at this list of features!
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Free!
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The source code is licensed under the MIT license
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The tools can be used free of charge
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Client/server
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Host your own server or connect to someone else’s
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GM or Player Role (passwords optional)
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Internet or LAN play
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Server auto discovery
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Drawing tools
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Separate drawing layer
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Undo/Redo
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Draw erasing lines (you can erase partial drawings)
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Point, line, rectangle, circle, and polygon tools
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Rectangles, circles, polygons, and freehand shapes can be filled
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Any colors
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Fog of war
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toggled per map
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use rectangle, circle, polygon, or freehand area draw reveals
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hides tokens on the tokenlist as well as on the map
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Tokens
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Auto naming and numbering based on image name
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Resizing supported
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Renaming supported
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Visible/invisible to players toggle
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Can be group selected for changing attributes or moving
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Snaps to grid (can be turned off)
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Movement trail highlighting with distance measurement
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Set waypoints by hitting SPACE while moving
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Indicate state (either from a pre-defined list or you can define others)
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Can be copied-pasted (with autonumbering) to quickly create huge armies
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Moveable by either drag-drop or keyboard movement
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Light/visibility radiuses
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Maps
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Multiple maps can be played at a time
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Bounded maps can be created out of any map art images
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Create unbounded maps with a texture for infinite playing space
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Any image can be used for either bounded or unbounded maps
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Several Quick Maps are available right out of the box
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Pan with a right-click-drag on the background.
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Zoom using the mouse wheel (or the view menu).
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Each map can have Fog of War separately.
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Maps can be hidden from players and created hidden.
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“Enforce View” GM Option to pull all clients to his pan and zoom.
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Linked view makes all client windows follow what the GM does
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Grid
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Can be resized to fit pre-drawn maps
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Clients can toggle on/off viewing the grid
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Image Explorer
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Images for map backgrounds and tokens available inside MapTool
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Images from the local filesystem shown with directory hierarchy – organize your images
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MapTool automatically scales images
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Can be resized within the d20 rules (Small, Medium, Large, Huge, etc.)
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Chat Panel/Macros
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supports rich text (html)
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integrated, but optionally viewable (with an indicator when new messages arrive)
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/goto x,y – pan to center given coords on screen
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/goto thrasher – pan to center a token by name
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/say (or /s) blah – send text to everyone’s client chat window
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/roll <n>d<s> for simple dice rolling expressions
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/rollme <n>d<s> for simple dice rolling only viewable by the player
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/rollgm <n>d<s> for simple dice rolling only viewable by GMs
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/whisper (or /w) to send a message to a specific player
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/me for writing emote lines
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/alias ability to create aliases for commands, run them directly or injected into other commands
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Pointer tool
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Pressing SPACE shows an arrow pointing on the map for everyone to see with your name next to it
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Templates
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Spell/aoe templates
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d20 style area, cone, line
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Can be erased or partially erased with the drawing tools
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Java 1.5 (WebStart supported)
I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised with all of the different RPG Tools that they have available.
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