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Other Games, Development, & Campaigns => Other Games => Topic started by: Bullitt on March 26, 2006, 09:52:03 PM

Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Bullitt on March 26, 2006, 09:52:03 PM
I pretty much stopped using CC3 when Dundjinni came out, but there are some things about Dundjinni that annoy me to the point of wanting to gnaw my own left arm off. For instance, your graph overlay isn't scalable. Your maps are either minis scale (each square = 1 inch) or map scale (4 squares per inch, I believe). That means you can't make the ginormous ubermap that you can with CC2, or just zoom out a little bit.

CC2, on the other hand, just doesn't look professional. That's why I gave it up when Dundjinni came out. You couldn't do transparencies, fades, and a whole host of other effects. Hell, my map of Galovinius (http://www.darrindrader.com) required me to start with CC2 and then do a shitload of work in Photoshop. Even when I was done with that, I still wouldn't call it perfect, but it's getting there.

The examples I've seen of CC3 look excellent by comparison. It supports a number of effects and textured, has symbols, and allows you to zoom in or out. What's more is that it will load it's symbol library into Dundjinni if you happen to have it installed.

What's more is that like CC2, it appears that all the art is free for publishers to use. Unlike CC2, it looks like the art output is of high enough quality that the maps are usable in a professional product.

I think I'm going to buy this tomorrow when they release it.

More info can be found on their website at http://www.profantasy.com/cc3/
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Knightcrawler on March 26, 2006, 09:56:41 PM
Uh....your links not working.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Knightcrawler on March 26, 2006, 09:59:41 PM
I would get it if I had the money.  I still need to reinstall CC@ and get to know it better.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Bullitt on March 26, 2006, 10:14:01 PM
Quote from: Knightcrawler
Uh....your links not working.


That's because I'm a .com, not a .org. Is fixed now. :cool:
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Aelfinn on March 27, 2006, 02:55:17 AM
I've been very seriously considering purchasing CC3. I'm fairly decent when it comes to CC2, so the addded functionality of CC3 would probably be a big help.

I'll definetly be considering itvery seriously when it comes to my local game store.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Bullitt on March 27, 2006, 03:16:32 AM
Quote from: Aelfinn

I'll definetly be considering itvery seriously when it comes to my local game store.


If you are currently using CC2 Pro, you should be able to get it at a discount by ordering it online. I plan to if I can get them to straighten out my CC2 Pro serial number. I bought the upgrade version, so I didn't actually get a unique serial number for that program. Hopefully customer service gets back to me before they've sold through the initial 200 copies they're releasing.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Zachary The First on March 27, 2006, 05:35:02 AM
You know, CC3 looks great, but I never really got the hang of CC2.  I think I might just stick with trying to hand-draw my maps.  When it's all said and done, it takes me less time, and I might just be too much of a numbskull to pick up software that isn't really intuitive.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Zalmoxis on March 27, 2006, 08:37:53 AM
I hated CC2. It was way too frickin complicated. If I wanted to learn autocad I would be making alot more money than I am now doing video. :p

Unless CC3 is significantly easier, I will avoid it like an ebola sandwich.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Sobek on March 27, 2006, 11:21:28 AM
I liked the maps I saw from CC2. I just suck at using it. I have a feeling there are just a few little tricks I need to know and I'd be decent, but I don't have the time to learn. If CC3 comes with a good tutorial or is easier to use, I all over it. If not, I'll upgrade after I find the time to get "functional" with CC2.
 
Dunjinni isn't an option for me, though. I think the maps it puts out look like ass. I want something that looks like the old Greyhawk poster map, not the glossy crap like the Dungeon pull-outs (standard Dungeon maps are okay, but the pull-outs, suck).
 
Edit:  I might be willing to "suck it up" and get Dunjinni, if it's considerably quicker for dungeon maps, than doing things by hand (I actually prefer the old-school, hand-drawn look for dungeon maps).  Any feedback on the ease-of-use, in that regard.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Zalmoxis on March 27, 2006, 12:32:39 PM
I just want an easy to use map maker. Is that too much to ask for?
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Knightcrawler on March 27, 2006, 12:49:23 PM
Quote from: Zalmoxis
I just want an easy to use map maker. Is that too much to ask for?

I totally agree.  I loved CC2 but you needed a friggin' degree to use it.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Bullitt on March 27, 2006, 12:56:25 PM
Quote from: Sobek
I liked the maps I saw from CC2. I just suck at using it. I have a feeling there are just a few little tricks I need to know and I'd be decent, but I don't have the time to learn. If CC3 comes with a good tutorial or is easier to use, I all over it. If not, I'll upgrade after I find the time to get "functional" with CC2.


It really isn't that difficult to get. It's all vector based. I think the main thing you need to understand with CC2 is how layers work and why they're your best friend. Once I sat down and really studied it, it might have taken all of four or five hours to learn the ins and outs. Really, the interface makes it look a lot more difficult than it really is, and once you get the hang of it, it's a lot faster than drawing maps by hand.
 
Quote
Dunjinni isn't an option for me, though. I think the maps it puts out look like ass. I want something that looks like the old Greyhawk poster map, not the glossy crap like the Dungeon pull-outs (standard Dungeon maps are okay, but the pull-outs, suck).
 
Edit:  I might be willing to "suck it up" and get Dunjinni, if it's considerably quicker for dungeon maps, than doing things by hand (I actually prefer the old-school, hand-drawn look for dungeon maps).  Any feedback on the ease-of-use, in that regard.


I was one of the first to jump on the Dundjinni bandwagon. It's easier to learn than CC2, but it has limitations, the textures that are it's hallmark are one of them. The textures are very small and always repeat, so large maps look OK, but they still don't quite have the look of a professionally produced map - though it's relatively close.

Quote from: Zlamoxis
I just want an easy to use map maker. Is that too much to ask for?


Dundjinni is probably the easiest to learn of the two, but I suspect that you'd be happiest with CC3 in the long run.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Zachary The First on March 27, 2006, 01:05:09 PM
Quote from: Zalmoxis
I just want an easy to use map maker. Is that too much to ask for?

It'd be nice, wouldn't it?
 
I mean, I know what I want in my head.  It'd be nice to have simple controls that let me do just that.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Sobek on March 27, 2006, 01:53:07 PM
Quote from: Bullitt
It really isn't that difficult to get. It's all vector based. I think the main thing you need to understand with CC2 is how layers work and why they're your best friend. Once I sat down and really studied it, it might have taken all of four or five hours to learn the ins and outs. Really, the interface makes it look a lot more difficult than it really is, and once you get the hang of it, it's a lot faster than drawing maps by hand.

I get layers, for the
 
Seeking advice, then:  I've got a hand-drawn version of my campaign area.  It's a couple of partial continents (like the Mediterranean).  I can get the image into CC2 to trace.  I can also get the trace to work (though, I'd like to do it a bit better).  The big showstopper was the fact that the coasts run off the edge of the map, which makes the fill not so great.  After a couple hours of that, I gave up.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Sigmund on April 01, 2006, 01:29:04 PM
I've found it easier to use the old campaign mapper from the old AD&D Core Rules CD. I know it's based on Campaign Cartographer, but it has always seemed much easier to get my head around. The problem is I have to keep the whole text library loaded on my hard-drive to use it. So to make space I deleted it and now have to resort to hand-drawing. And just to put it out there, I have an AST degree in Architectural Design (using Autocad) and I still have trouble with CC2.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Zalmoxis on April 01, 2006, 01:34:13 PM
I use the CIV Editor to make maps, and then composite the overlays in Photoshop. It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier than CC2.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Guest (Deleted) on April 01, 2006, 01:38:15 PM
I'm not getting CC3.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Freke on April 01, 2006, 07:07:57 PM
Well, Bullit, did you get CC3 and try it out yet?
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Emryys on April 01, 2006, 07:25:42 PM
It does look pretty nice :)

For Dunjinni style maps I've been using Dungeon Forge (http://www.dungeonforge.com/)

It's Free and I get alot of art from...
The GM's Parlor (http://www.gmsparlor.com/index.php)
Steel Rat's Image Gallery (http://www.infinite-realities.com/4images/index.php)

This gentleman's CCPro maps look pretty professional...
http://www.jhendor.de/cc2/index.html (http://www.jhendor.de/cc2/index.html)
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Roudi on April 01, 2006, 07:51:50 PM
I probably won't be getting CC3; I have no talent for maps.  I managed to figure out CC2's vector-based system pretty easily, though; it's different from what some would expect a mapping program to be, but it's very versatile when one knows what one is doing.

That said, I'd probably hire someone to use CC3 to create maps, when the time comes that I will need them (depending on how fast I can crank out Tesla's Legacy, that could be soon).
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Thjalfi on April 02, 2006, 01:35:01 AM
Quote from: Sobek
I get layers, for the
 
Seeking advice, then:  I've got a hand-drawn version of my campaign area.  It's a couple of partial continents (like the Mediterranean).  I can get the image into CC2 to trace.  I can also get the trace to work (though, I'd like to do it a bit better).  The big showstopper was the fact that the coasts run off the edge of the map, which makes the fill not so great.  After a couple hours of that, I gave up.


Thjalfi overhears what might be construed as a request for help!


I suggest that you import the original file, then use the line (or freehand, whichever you are more comfortable with) tool to trace ONLY the coasts, up to a point that's near where you want the edge of your map to be. then, draw in only the parts of the map border that are relavent to that particular landmass.

Then take the multipoly tool and combine the line segments into one polygon. if you do it right, putting a nice fill on it should be no problem.

draw in the map border last.
Title: Anyone Else Getting CC3?
Post by: Sobek on April 03, 2006, 11:10:04 AM
Quote from: Thjalfi
Thjalfi overhears what might be construed as a request for help!

It was, and I thank you!
 
I will try out that method and see how it works.