As I sit here in this cozy little room talking quietly with my wife’s family, as her mother lies sleeping in her medical bed, I began to think about the broader meaning of family and community. I’ve always realized in a cursory way, that the Campaign Cartographer community was in many ways a family. But, until recently I had not fully grasped the true meaning of that fact.

Let us back up about a year. I had recently approached Mark and Simon about producing a city generator for them. We had determined that an April/May timeframe for completion would be just about right and I happily went about the task of creation.

Then my wife’s mother’s cancer returned in March. At first we didn’t realize it was the cancer but all of a sudden, my wife was busy taking care of her mother. Off to the doctors, taking over her bills and doing all of the household chores her mother used to do for herself but could no longer do them. I, of course, being the good husband, started doing all the little things that she no longer had time to do.

That seriously cut into my evening coding, especially in the middle of spring lambing season!

Well as you can guess, the month of May flew by and I felt embarrassed that I had missed my deadline. “I had given my word!” I never forgot my obligation, it was just that every day I would tell myself after getting all the chores done, maybe after driving back from the city where I picked up my wife from her mother’s house and took her out to dinner, that I could rest today and tomorrow would not be so hectic and I could get back to programming. And, since I was going to get it done, there was no need to tell Mark or Simon about my difficulties.

Here is my point about family and community. Unlike the rest of the world, you pull family and community closer to you in times of trouble. To the wide world your troubles are your own and since everyone has troubles, you just keep them to yourself. But, for family and community – to keep them in the dark on your troubles is not fair to them. They need to know so they can help.

So I screwed up my courage and finally contacted Simon explaining why I had not only missed the deadline but feared that I would not be finishing the program anytime soon. Now, you have to understand that ProFantasy is a business. It lives and dies by the products it makes and the reputation it has with its user base. They had announced that I would be creating such a tool for them and since then I had failed to finish it. In my mind, I had done them some amount of harm.

I should not have been worried. Simon not only told me not to worry about it, but asked if there was anything they could do.

Family, I should have known.

So that is why I am writing this to you now. After a second failed round of Chemotherapy/Radiation and now hospice, I wanted to tell the greater Campaign Cartographer community that I’ve not forgotten my promise to you. I may not get back to it soon, my wife will need a lot of help cleaning up and organizing the estate, but I promise I’ll finish when I can.

And I know that you will understand. Like I said, Family.

You can now subscribe to the Cartographer’s Annual 2012 from the Profantasy web store. Check out previews for the first three issue on the Annual 2012 page.

Preview of the March Issue: Jon Roberts’ Cities

The final Annual issue for 2011 is here: A combined texture pack for Fractal Terrains 3 and Campaign Cartographer 3. Give your FT world a new look with the textured climate shader or draw climate maps of your regions in CC3.

Stay tuned for the Cartographer’s Annual 2012!

Usually we only manage one product a year other than our Cartographer’s Annual, but 2012 is shaping up to be quite prolific. Nearly all the Symbol Set 3 art is in, Perspectives 3 and now Character Artist 3.

Character Artist 3

Character Artist Pro’s utilitarian art work is looking long in the tooth, so we want to supplement it with a complete new set for Character Artist 3.

After a long search, we’ve commisioned artist Rich Longmore to create symbols for Character Artist 3. When creating characters, you’ll be able to hide or show layers to vary the detail, so a figure can be used as a detailed character portrait or a on a standee. There will be three versions of each gender, giving a range of body type and we’ll include a greater range of facial features, too.

Perspectives 3

The development work for Perspectives 3 is complete, as is the artwork, so it’s a matter of adding textures, putting it all together and testing it. Again, we are taking advantage of CC3’s effects and raster artwork to give an attractive alternative to the vector art we already provide. The new version shades walls and other surfaces so that they look properly lit.

Symbol Set 3

Jon Roberts is half way through the symbols for his set – all the others are done.

This Saturday (November 26th) is Dragonmeet time again. Profantasy and sister-company Pelgrane Press (both long-time sponsors) will be there, at London’s friendliest role-palying convention.

You’ll find us as you enter the dealer’s hall immediately to the right. I’ll be there, and if the Royal Mail delivers, so will the Fractal Terrains 3 boxes – and I’ll of course be happy to demo it. Stop by if you want a peek, buy or upgrade to FT3, or just want to pick up your pre-ordered FT3 box (bring your order number!).

Recently we added some new entries to our Profantasy user library. Check out these beautiful new additions:

1. Richard Brunke’s Last Hold map created with the Jon Roberts Overland style from this year’s Annual.

Continue reading »

The November Annual issue was released on Tuesday, providing a detailed floorplan and street map of Moe’s Dive, a generic seedy bar to use in your adventures. It also contains a combined City Designer 3/Dungeon Designer 3 template for those close-up street battle maps.

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News

• If you are a Fractal Terrains 3 user, an update is already available. Log in to get it.
• The Fractal Terrains 3 upgrade price of $9.95 / £7.50 will be increased on 1st November – log in and get it while you can!
• We’ve announced a new recipient of the Master Mapper award.
• We’ve launched Fractal Terrains 3
• Here is an update on Symbol Set 3 Modern Symbols for version CC3

Articles

• Tips for the busy GM – using Source Maps in your campaign
• Creating a Fractal Terrains world with Terraformer – Part 1
• Creating a Fractal Terrains world with Terraformer – Part 2
• Read this excellent tutorial on creating a map with Fractal Terrains, Wilbur and Photoshop.

Symbol Set 3: Modern includes 50 templates and 1100 symbols for overland floorplans. For the CC3 version, we wanted to make sure an upgrade is worthwhile, so we are adding three new floorplan styles and another overland style.

CC3 allows us to use raster (paint style art), so two of those new styles will be raster-based; the third will be traditional modern-looking vector CAD symbols, to create blueprint style artwork.

Jonathan Roberts is putting the finishing touches on his style which is detailed and grimy but not photorealistic. Michael Tumey’s is clean, bright and more suburban.