Travellers Needed! Quick Question...

[MongooseMatt]

Hey everyone,

I just want to get a sense of what everyone thinks about something...

Many of you have asked us to release the sector maps separately. We have looked into this, and the only realistic way (they cost an unholy amount to print!) is to do 8 sector maps in a box set - but it would have to retail at $49.99.

Would you say yay or nay to such a box set?

 

[OrdosMalleus]

These maps would be poster size, like in Drinax? Would it include any system info beyond the UWP on the map? If so, $50 for 8 of them is not a bad deal.

 

[MongooseMatt]

These maps would be poster size, like in Drinax? Would it include any system info beyond the UWP on the map? If so, $50 for 8 of them is not a bad deal.

Yes, they would be duplicates of those in the existing books.

 

[steelbrok]

For me it would be a no. The maps are great but for usability, I find it much easier to use Travellermap.com. That way I can zoon in or out or print from a particular centre point.

 

[Baldo]

For usability, I find it much easier to use Travellermap.com. That way I can zoom in or out or print from a particular centre point.

Same here.
I could consider 'heroic miniatures' and 'deluxe gameboards' instead. Vanguard was a failure (and tabletop miniatures games aren't my thing), but I do use accessories/miniatures/props/thingies.

 

[IanBruntlett]

HI just want to get a sense of what everyone thinks about something...

Many of you have asked us to release the sector maps separately. We have looked into this, and the only realistic way (they cost an unholy amount to print!) is to do 8 sector maps in a box set - but it would have to retail at $49.99.

Would you say yay or nay to such a box set?

TL;DR No.

Full answer

Your policy of free PDFs when a physical book is bought is really, really useful. Especially when the background of the map is white (saves on toner!).

The PDF of a sector map is a huge beast, so, for Spinward Marches sector (from the Behind the Claw book), I used a utility to split that map into A3 page-sized sections, all in a PDF file. The application I used was called something like posterazor (on Ubuntu Linux) and, for player access to the maps, I just use the A3 pages that I had printed. I volunteer at a place with a (sometimes working) A4/A3 printer/photocopier. I treat the Mongoose printed maps with great care.

 

[shammond42]

I love the maps, and I've been collecting the books and box sets that have them. If I didn't have any of the maps I would probably buy them in this form. But, if people already have a couple of them, then the remaining maps get even more expensive. I don't know what the odds are of somebody wanting maps in the box and not having any of them already.

 

[Andrewmoreton]

No, I find the electronic maps much easier to use and more importantly more durable , my experience is that a poster map even of excellent quality will not survive a lot of opening up and folding up again

 

[Arkathan]

I love the idea, but no. We're using the Spinward Marches right now, and I already printed the map from Behind the Claw onto 9 pages of card stock, trimmed and taped on the back at the seams.

 

[agentwigggles]

I think it would be worthwhile to have a printer friendly version of the sector maps.
As example Spindward Extents shows us Sub Sector then blurbs of each of the systems.
A PDF of just the Sub sectors may be better, and tweaks done to the map legends if they need to make them easier to print across ink jets and laser prints.
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For VTT support, something that would be amazing, is if the art in the boos can be given as a .png collection. This from an end user PoV, would greatly increase the number of assets to use for supporting Traveller games.

This may also have utility as a stand-alone product to be sold in general for other VTT use.

 

[AndrewW]

Just do something different and do some domain maps instead.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Could they be offered as a kickstarter add on?

 

[Geir]

My hoarding addiction makes me buy everything, but in any case, the maps are more valuable with the books they correspond to. So the only reason I would be interested in separate maps would be to deal with the double-sided Great Rift maps or to get more blank maps if those where available. The latter would be of greater interest. And ever since work from home I've lost easy access to plotters and even 11X17 format printers... (um, don't tell my boss...)

 

[IanBruntlett]

Republishing the existing maps isn't particularly interesting.

However, traditional Traveller maps don't seem to have symbols for Trade Codes. This is a Barrier To Trade.

So... maybe some maps with symbols on for Trade Codes would be of interest to people?

 

[paltrysum]

So... maybe some maps with symbols on for Trade Codes would be of interest to people?

I don't know about that. Could get awfully cluttered. Some worlds have 4-6 trade codes.

 

[IanBruntlett]

So... maybe some maps with symbols on for Trade Codes would be of interest to people?

I don't know about that. Could get awfully cluttered. Some worlds have 4-6 trade codes.

I understand that. I tried to create my own maps with trade codes in and failed.

One way to do this would be to have 2 sets of maps. One, the conventional map, would be like how maps are now. The second would have in each hex the system name, law level, and trade codes.

Another way would be to increase the size of the hexes so a subsector map would now take an A3 piece of paper (or 2 sheets of A4 paper).