Large maps - what size is most useful for you?

[Dave]

I've tried two map sizes so far: 42"x60" and 48"x80".

There are lots of other possibilities, so let me know what you'd prefer. 36x36, 48x48, 24x36 -- just let me know which sizes are most convenient for you.

I assume you want everything set up at the standard 1"=5 feet scale used by many wargames and RPGs. (It's very simple to reduce to 20mm or 15mm scale from there.)

If you prefer other scales to start with, let me know.

[oldschooldm]

Due to limited "dining room" tabletop size: 20"x30" Ideally, any larger map can be split into similar sizes and I can swap them out...

[gilius]

From what I read in wargame discussion groups, some common board sizes are 3'x3', 3'x4', 4'x4' and 4'x6'. Particularly I tend to use 2'x2' and 3'x3' boards with 15mm miniatures.

[vwilliams32407]

Dave, I just got my 42x60 full sheet print job back from Office Depot and I love it! The price was around $60 on cardstock paper. It would have cost me just as much if not more in ink if I had printed it myself. The bonus is that it is on one giant sheet. As much as I like the full sheet I will have to cut it into 4 pieces so that I can mount it onto foam core board. I play at my local comic book/gaming store so it has to be portable.

Now to answer your question. During adventures I try to keep my encounter maps to 20 x 30 or 40 x 30. I do like to wow my players with big maps for big bosses or final encounters and they have been as big as 40 x 60.

When I got my printed map from Office Depot it came rolled up in a tube so I wanted to lay it out to flatten it. I started with putting books on it to hold it flat but every time I walked past it I was dying to put some buildings on it. I have been designing a home brew urban campaign and wanted to get a feel for how the map would look with buildings on it so I decided to put some previously built models on it just to see how it looks. Here are some pictures of my first attempt to populate the map. If the map looks a little lumpy it is because it is laid out on a rug.


























By the way I have printed about 100 different imperfect people to populate the town with however, I really don’t want to have to make that many paper bases for them. Does anyone know where I can purchase plastic paper mini holders? I remember when I was a kid that some games had the T shaped black plastic holders for game pieces that were identical to the T shaped ones we make for our paper mini’s. Thanks if you can help me on this.

[Reivaj]

WOOOOWWW It remebers me when i lived in my fathers house and i had a lot of place to build some dioramas and take photos. Now i live in a 23 m2 flat and only can build paper minis and 1/72 papercraft planes

Great photos. It remembers me too my first post with photos

cardboard-warriors.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gallery&action=display&thread=2172

[Rhannon]

Jun 5, 2012 15:35:53 GMT -9 Reivaj said:

WOOOOWWW It remebers me when i lived in my fathers house and i had a lot of place ...

And that is why I still live there. So I now have my apartment and mansard ( about 200 mtq. Not much but free ;D )

Ahhh!!! Fathers! If they there were no, God should invent them.

[Deleted]

Superb - everything is nicely builded and carefully assembled into one big diorama - very impressive!

[gilius]

Awesome ;D ;D ;D

[Vermin King]

Absolutely beautiful

[afet]

Beautiful! ;D

[afet]

I would vote for a 24x36" maps, btw.

[Reivaj]

Hi afet!! long time i don´t see you here. I was thinking in you when i put the link to my thread with old photos with my minis and building becuase i didn´t know how to put photos in a post and you teach me. Thanks

[algoesnext]

It looks like a really pleasant place to live and work and raise children, what could possibly happen here that would be of interest to us?

[kiladecus]

Very nice pics. I am sure Dave and Dryw are proud to see their work being used in such a nice way.

BTW, Rhannon posted a thread about the plastic bases you were looking for. Your question costs me $15.00! (Ha ha!)

NOW, to answer the question, if it isn't too late...

I use foamcore sheets that are 30 x 20, and use two of them (so, 30x 40). This is great, because you can place a few toothpicks in them to join them, and they don't slide around too much. I guess if I had the 42x60, I could use 4 pieces of foamcore, turning them long-ways, and trim 1" off of each side to make it fit nicely.

I could also cut it into 4 pieces to mount on the foamcore and it would be easy (easier) to store.

For what it's worth...

[nikloveland]

I really like the idea of 4' square maps. I think having sections that can be mixed and matched is also great.

EDIT: But after further investigation it's nigh impossible to find anyone that can print that wide (if you want to outsource the printing). 24"x36" is a much more standard size. Non-square sizes take more planning to make them interchangeable though.

[afet]

Jun 7, 2012 14:49:40 GMT -9 Reivaj said:

Hi afet!! long time i don´t see you here. I was thinking in you when i put the link to my thread with old photos with my minis and building becuase i didn´t know how to put photos in a post and you teach me. Thanks

It's true, I haven't been around here as often as I'd like. I've been gaming less than I'd like lately, and too busy to participate regularly in this forum. I hope all is well with you, señor Vallejo.

[drewt333]

I'm going to sign in with the 20" x 30" so I can mount it on foamcore clan.
My gaming is usually limited to 30" square.