Heya everyone!Over the course of time quite a few of you asked how I actually approach these big maps conceptually - and I said I would share some insights about how I go about it eventually, so ... here we are XD

This isn't really a Tutorial, but more of a glimpse into how I approach things personally. But I do hope it will bring you some ideas or inspiration to create your own big maps!

For this one I am going to go take you along through my process on how I came up with the Casino Layout, but will try to keep it open enough so it can be used as a general approach, focusing mainly on the way from the general idea to a (somewhat) finished sketch. If you are curious about the mapping it out part inside Dungeondraft you might also find the Video and write up about how I did the Space Station map interesting. Well, that said, what I am about to tell you isn't one universally truth and isnt THE way to do things - it's just my way. But I hope this insight will be useful for some of you nonetheless!

Well, if you have Questions or don't understand what I actually mean at some points, don't hesitate to ask XD

Greetings from Ana

Conceptualising Big(ger) Maps

Designing for others vs. your own table

Before we dive right in, just a little sidenote, that the way I build maps has to be a bit different from how people might create them for their personal campaigns: If you are mapping for your home game, you usually have an idea what’s going to happen, where the encounter is and what details matter.Since I want as many of you to be able to use the maps, I try to build maps that can support different scenarios: So I try to establish multiple points of interest, different encounter spots and different ways the space could be used, while keeping it vague enough so there isn't too much distraction from the story that YOU want to tell.

That also means finding a delicate balance between enough details to make the map feel alive but not too many so it doesn't become overly specific so you can't use it anymore. That's also why I keep my maps fairly neutral from a lighting set up so it can get more easily adapted into different scenarios.

That said, these are things you don't really have to keep in mind for your personal games, I just wanted to share so you get a bit of a feeling of some "restrictions" that take place from a creators viewpoint and sometimes do have an effect on how I approach things...

Scale & Complexity

Big maps are a kind of a trap XD They don’t just take longer - they get exponentially more complex.

With smaller maps you can often just ignore a lot of things. With bigger maps the infrastructure of a building get's a lot more important.You suddenly have to start thinking about stuff like: how does the delivery work here? Where are stairs and elevators and do they make sense across multiple floors? Where are the restrooms? How is everything connected? - All the little things that make a place feel believable and useable.

But well, that's the reason I am writing all that down here, in the hope it will feel a bit less intimidating doing a bigger map on your own.

But let's really start with the beginning:

The idea & initial research

Well, it will be hard to create something without a clue what it should be about XDFor me those mostly get decided through the Polls here on Patreon, but for you it will probably be a rough idea about a location where your next encounter is going to take place.

With the main idea of a building or location in mind I don't start sketching right away. I think about what is it that makes this location unique, what do I want to establish and what are key locations that distinguishes this scene from others.

So for the Casino I knew I want to establish kind of a VIP area, a helipad and of course a vault that players can really sink their teeth into. (Well, originally I also wanted to do a stage and a hotel on top, but sometimes you have to limit yourself even with big maps XD)

So with these general ideas in mind I am starting my research. Here that involved looking at tours of real life Casinos on YouTube, looking at floorplans (I can recommend ArchDaily for that), just browsing through images on the internet for the vibes I am aiming for or looking at real buildings on Street View. (That's really one of the good sides of creating modern maps XD) The start of my "research" folder for the casino looked likes this then:

However, especially the floorplans, are not meant to use as a reference to copy from, but to get some inspiration about what kind of rooms and infrastructure are important for that kind of a building. Especially for buildings where you have many "hidden" rooms that you as a visitor never really encounter, it helps to get a gist about what infrastructure is there behind the scenes that I otherwise might forget.

Realism vs. Gameplay

Part of that initial research also includes the idea that: You don't want to plan a real life building - You want to create an exciting encounter map.

Real buildings are not designed for gameplay, they are designed to get used everyday in different manners than what you plan to do with it. And while it helps to have a rough idea of the real world counterpart there are different things to keep in mind when creating a battlemap version of it. So things like

cover

open vs. tight spaces

movement

possible ambush points

are things I always try to include in my thoughts when conceptualizing a map. And that kind of thinking influences my maps more than strict realism.

And for these standpoints I actually really like to take a look at Computer Games. They are a great reference to include things like the ones mentioned above since they use these gamification aspects as well. For the Casino for example I was looking a bit into the Black Ops Casino level and the GTA Casino heist.

And yes, looking at other creators' works are part of that research too. Not to copy anything - but to understand what is already there. And sometimes you realize: “This map idea kind of already exists, and it’s been done really well”. So then it might not make sense to create the same thing again. But other times it also helps me to figure out: "What could make the version I am creating stand out / making it unique?" or "What would I do differently?"

The first sketch

Well, with these ideas and input on my mind I am starting with the very first sketch. For that I aim to think about things like

the main building shape

rough infrastructure

& a general idea of what to include

For that I use a simple white paper to be able to focus on the shapes and rough ideas without getting constrained by a grid and it helps me stay flexible and not get stuck in technical details too early. Also it's just nice to hold a real pencil in your hand and to not stare at a screen for a bit XD

Most of the times I am going through kind of a mental checklist when I start this step:

Who is using the building?

How many visitor are there? Does it need a big entrance or lobby? What kind of infrastructure does this involve and for example how many toilets, elevator or other feautures are needed to fit that?

How much staff is working here? Do they need / have their own areas like extra bathrooms or break rooms?

Does the staff has a different entry point into the building than the visitors?

Does the employees wear kind of a uniform or special clothes? If yes, they probably need a space to change like a locker room

Are there different kind of employees? Do I need a dedicated workspace for some? (Like a workshop, janitorial rooms, offices, ...)

Is there a need of security for the building? If so, how much and how much space should I dedicate for that purpose?

Is there a need to keep stuff like deliveries apart from the main infrastructure? Where does it make sense to locate delivery zones so they are somewhat hidden then? Is there a way to include stuff like trash there?

How do things and people move through the space?

How are people accessing the building? Are they mainly coming with cars? If so, where do they park? Do the employees have seperate parking spaces?

What POI's do I want to include and where does it make sense to locate them? For example in the Casino:

How is money exchanged, transported, counted and stored? And what security measures do I need in place for that?

Where do I want to establish the delivery zone so there are short ways for the Restaurant Kitchen to storage areas without having to cross the main building

How can I establish a VIP area that feels intimate and exclusive while also feeling like part of the building?

How can I create an open space while still include interesting options for cover?

How can I make it feel fancy and exclusive for the visitor?

Well, and with those in mind, here's how my initial sketch looked like:

Sketching it out in detail

From here I move on to Affinity to sketch out things in more detail. I like to use Affinity since for me it is much faster to change things up with a sketch here, but some also do this step inside the Map making program of their choice, using just walls to determine where goes what...

At this point it really comes in handy to know:

How many floors the building is going to have

The main shape of the building and approximate grid size

What Point's of interestes I want to establish into it

A rough concept of the buildings infrastructure

I am still staying kind of rough with my sketches at this point, just trying to figure out the system behing the building in a bit more detailled manner. Or to just try and make sense of the sketch I did before XD

Here's what my first sketch after the initial one looked like:

You can see here I still tried to include a ballroom but had to let go of that in the later stages XD

From here on out for me it's starting to feel more like a puzzle than actually planning.

Also I wasn't too happy about the general flow of things and while I kept that in the background for the general location of things I pretty much did a complete overhaul on this one. Those of you that are familiar with the actual end result can see that I changed quite a bit XD

So looking at it again I tried to look at the following points in more detail:

The delivery zone will get frequented with trucks that need space to maneuver (as well as the cars for parking)

Where can I establish corners that feel natural but also provide cover?

Where does it make sense to locate the elevator and stairs?

So I wanted to have storage space spanning over 2 floors but a dedicated elevator for that purpose, but also elevator that are used mainly by the staff to stay in the background located near the dedicated staff entry as well as the ones for the visitors

How can I include niches that feel somewhat intimate but also feels like they are part of the main room?

For the Casino I wanted to have one big room for example that does feel open but also is divided into the different use cases

Where can I put together bathrooms (so it feels more realistic in terms of plumbing XD) and where does it make sense to locate them?

For example I wanted to have the main bathrooms close to the restaurant and not too prominently located but easy to access nonetheless

What rooms do need to have outside facing walls and which don't?

How can I establish a terrace that shares it's space with delivery zone?

I didn't wanted to feel the visitors to get a feeling of what is happening in the background while also having the kitchen close by but also not too far away from the delivery and storage areas but also wanted to create options for sneaky entrances if you are using the trash delivery as cover to infiltrate the area for example. So I build a wall around it with some greenery for a bit of a luxury feeling

What are official & unoffical ways into the building?

Where can I establish choke points? But also where does it make sense to have multiple options to leave that part of the building or room?

How can I transport a feeling of elegance and high society into the building?

And yes, most of the time I actually am just sketching out the Ground floor / Main floor at these points. Having a base that you are actually happy with and that works makes it easier for me to build the other floors around that...

Well, after a lot of try and error the next sketch I was actually happy with looked like this:

You can see that this is pretty much the layout of the final map.

From here on I am starting to sketch out the other floors of the building, taking the stairs and elevator as anchor points throughout the different level.

Everything connects

So basically the puzzle pieces determine each other:

I want to have a restaurant? > I need a kitchen > I need storage > I need a place for delivery > I want it aside the main entrance > I need a dedicated space for it

On the upper floor I wanted to integrate an office for the big boss (since putting them in the basement just felt wrong XD) and I wanted it to feel fancy, meaning they need an assistance and a proper sized room with lot's of wall / window space. And while I have a dedicated space for an office I wanted to include more smaller offices for stuff like HR and PR. So I created a little office corner. To kind of connect it to the rest I wanted to create a information and visitor center. It became a bit big for the general size of the casino, but then again I wanted to create multiple ways to access that room for gameplay options...

Well here's what the upper floor then looked like in my sketch:

For the upper floor I also tried to:

Put the bathrooms on top of the ones on the ground floor

Wanted it to be a bit smaller than the ground floor, so I looked where it makes sense to add roofs instead of building parts

I wanted to have a roof above the VIP area, not only so it is quiter since nobody above them is walking around there, but also because I wanted to add skylights for sneaky operations and ventilations above the Poker rooms for all kind of mischief options XD

I also wanted to make the entrance areas feel more elevated so I included a glass roof on the side entrance and a hole above the fountain of the main entrance.

Generally looked for ways to include holes in the floor to create options for more vertical gameplay

I wanted to have a roof above the main entrance so it is protected from weather, but also wanted to include a glass roof so people might see who arrives from a somewhat hidden point

From there I was going up to the roof:

Main thing here was that I wanted an elevator and staircase connect to it and establish that helipad I wanted on the map from the beginning. Other than that it was more about seeing that everything from the floor below is covered (sound pretty straightforward, but believe me, I did forget to cover stuff in the past XD) And for the high society feeling and more gameplay options I also wanted to have these big glass roofs and skylights. Other than that I kep the sketch pretty minimalistic. In the final map I also included some more maintenance so it feels more realistic and so the whole things is not just one flat area and that there are options for cover there as well:

And finally the Basement with one of they key parts of the whole map: The vault!

Here my main concerns have been:

How can I separate the parking garage from the high security areas?

How is the money coming from the area above to the vault and from the Vault into the money truck?

What kind of security systems make sense to have in place?

What can I establish so there might be a reason for outsider to get into the secured area? (That's why I placed a maintenance room in the middle of it all XD)

For the Vault itself I looked a bit into the Oceans 11 vault as inspiration but also wanted to come up with some ways to make it a bit more unique.

Well and that was mainly it. With the mainly finished sketches I than share those on the Discord Server and often get very useful ideas what I might have forgotten or how things could be made a bit more interesting in some regards and am then happy to tweak the sketch a bit. Especially with these bigger maps it really helps to get some fresh eyes on it, since in the end you are tweaking and shuffling so much around it is very easy to get a bit lost in it.

Room & grid sizes

This is something that came up about conceptualizing maps in general as well and is of course important when sketching the whole thing out!

When we talked about it on the a day at Discord Server, Elquis shared some insights about their approach: "I always start with a normal door size and the largest piece of furniture in the room. Even if it’s not using a normal door I use that as a reference piece well designing the room. Once I have the largest piece of furniture down I can Normally size the rest of the room based on those 2 reference points."

I find it very interesting to hear what different approaches people use for different situations. I personally am doing many things more intuitively and trying to think more in terms of function: A boss office will be bigger than a normal office and will probably be located at the corner of a building, public areas will be more open than staff areas. But also what kind of furniture and how much of it makes sense for the setting and room it is in? What exactly am I storing here? From there I try and see how many cabinets / what furniture I want to fit in there / make sense and the room is kind of growing naturally around that.

As for grid sizes, ha, that is really a theme for itself and everyone is appraoching it a tad differently I guess. I try to find a good middle ground between readability and useability and try to make it visually where there are spaces you can freely move, what grids are behind cover and so on.

Again if you do maps for your personal games you can easily create them with the system you are using in mind, I am trying to keep it somewhat system agnostic in that regard, especially since many systems use different approaches.

For example if I would map out my own flat for cyberpunk:red, where one grid is 2x2m, our bathroom would just barely have the width of about 1/3 of the grid XD So that's not something you can easily translate imho.

Actually mapping it out

Well, with a finished sketch I finally go into Dungeondraft and start mapping the whole thing out in detail. And yes, sometimes there will be things that change, but having a fairly detailled sketch personally helps me A LOT when I am inside Dungeondraft.

Well, I won't go into further detail about that here, but just wanted to share some of the final results, so you get an idea how things processed from the sketch to the actual map:

Making abandoned variants

Also when I asked what you might find interesting in this write up the questions came up on how I go about creating abandoned variants of the maps. Abandoned versions are bit tricky in that regard. Not because they are hard to make, but to decide how far to go. This again is mostly a creator thing to keep things approachable for many different use cases and scenarios. So I am always a bit struggling when I start to make the abandoned versions - how much is too much? What is too little and it won't feel abandoned anymore?So I usually aim for kind of a middle ground: broken windows, scattered objects and making a bit of a mess without indicating too much what happened here. Like I try not to do barricaded rooms or parts, because it would be easier for you as a GM to say it is barricaded than having a part barricaded that just isn't fitting the story you want to tell...

So if you want to create your maps for a PA setting from the beginning, depending on how destroyed you want to make it, most of the things above still have an impact on your map, but you might be able to go a bit more into detail on how overgrown, destroyed or neglected the space actually is.

But I was thinking that this might actually be a better fit to go into detail for a standalone tutorial in the future. If you are interested in something like this let me know and say what exactly it is that would help you mapping out abandoned versions :)

But - Are big maps even for me?

Well, before you start your own map right away you might want to consider that, depending on your setup, big maps can get heavy pretty quickly.

I personally work in Dungeondraft on a fairly strong PC - and even then, large maps (especially with lots of lighting) can push things to it's limit quite a bit.

So depending on what you’re working with and what your goal is: your PC, your VTT, your players’ setups… you might want to keep size in mind early on or test out some limits of your setups before you totally commit to a huge map and then get problems using it along the way.

That is one of the reasons I try to stay below a grid size of 99x99, but depending on your setup you might be able to go way bigger or might want to stay on a bit smaller size of things.

Okay, ehm, I thinks that's it. I feel like I talked a looot and hope that it was informative to a certain degree and not totally all over the place so you actually got some input from the whole thing!

If you have (follow up) questions or anything don't hesitate to ask!Or maybe you missed important things that you would like me to go a bit more into detail or maybe you have tips about how YOU approach big maps.

Also maybe you have other themes regarding map or asset creations that you would find interesting?

In any case let me know with a comment below!

And if you found this helpful, I’m always happy about a little like so I know these posts are actually useful XD

I wish you all a lot of fun creating big maps!Greetings from Ana