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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Feb 19, 2021 12:16:28 GMT -5
I make maps with stamps and stencils. I've been focusing on fantasy hex-crawls for the most part, but lately I've been working on stamps inspired by Traveller and other games set in space. Here is a map of the Jewell sub-sector, made with my latest prototype.  I'd love to get some feedback, and hear about how you use maps in games like Traveller, Cepheus, etc. Do you draw maps by hand when you create sub-sectors, or do you use software? Do your players know what's in every system from the start, or do you chart each world as they visit it, mapping their journey as it unfolds? |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Feb 19, 2021 12:54:15 GMT -5
I think those look really good Paper Labyrinth. BTW you should put the link to your website in your Signature so people can easily find you. |
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Post by Fantasy King on Feb 19, 2021 13:30:27 GMT -5
Those make nice sharp images.
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Post by True Black Raven on Feb 19, 2021 13:52:53 GMT -5
I see several images that do not match the stamps or the plastic strip you are showing by the map. Did you use other stamps not shown or how did you make those images?
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Post by True Black Raven on Feb 19, 2021 13:56:59 GMT -5
That's a good website, did you do it all yourself? Or do you know a guy? Very professional look.
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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Feb 19, 2021 14:15:40 GMT -5
I see several images that do not match the stamps or the plastic strip you are showing by the map. Did you use other stamps not shown or how did you make those images? The Star Chart stamps are still at the prototype stage. It will be awhile before I start selling them, but I will be sending out some playtest kits in the near future. The playtest kits will probably cost $20 to $30, depending on the number of stamps. The stencils will be an optional add-on -- I envision them as being part of a "deluxe set", because they require special inks and tools, which will probably add $10 to $20 to the cost. If anyone wants to try the stamps before they're released, send me a message and I'll add you to my list of potential playtesters. |
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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Feb 19, 2021 14:25:08 GMT -5
That's a good website, did you do it all yourself? Or do you know a guy? Very professional look. Thanks! It's a Wordpress site, so a lot of core features are handled by themes and plug-ins, but I did the layout and tinkered with a lot of the details. |
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Post by Traveroark on Feb 19, 2021 17:10:01 GMT -5
I've never played Traveller and at this point in my life, it has been a while since I got to game at all. That said your stamps are really awesome and I recommend them highly.
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Feb 19, 2021 18:18:15 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth, I just noted on your site that you have added stencils for two river shapes. I figured you would do stamps, I was not expecting stencils.  So I see that you can buy the hex stencil alone or the hex and river stencils together. Is is possible to buy just the river stencils by themselves? Also I note that your sun stamps could be used in D&D. One could be used for capital cities and one could be used for the main temple of religions. They would IMO work perfectly for that use (and others).
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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Feb 19, 2021 19:12:03 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth , I just noted on your site that you have added stencils for two river shapes. I figured you would do stamps, I was not expecting stencils. So I see that you can buy the hex stencil alone or the hex and river stencils together. Is is possible to buy just the river stencils by themselves? Also I note that your sun stamps could be used in D&D. One could be used for capital cities and one could be used for the main temple of religions. They would IMO work perfectly for that use (and others). I hadn't considered selling the river stencils by themselves, but I could set that up if someone wanted them. I like the idea of using these stamps in D&D. The little discs and squares would work well for cities, villages, and castles. I'm considering adding a few more designs for commerce and industry, and they would probably work in multiple genres also -- a pickaxe in space represents a planet with minerals, whereas a pickaxe next to a mountain represents a traditional mine. Sheaves of grain could be farms in the countryside or agricultural worlds orbiting a star. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Feb 19, 2021 20:41:23 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth , I just noted on your site that you have added stencils for two river shapes. I figured you would do stamps, I was not expecting stencils. So I see that you can buy the hex stencil alone or the hex and river stencils together. Is is possible to buy just the river stencils by themselves? Also I note that your sun stamps could be used in D&D. One could be used for capital cities and one could be used for the main temple of religions. They would IMO work perfectly for that use (and others). I hadn't considered selling the river stencils by themselves, but I could set that up if someone wanted them. I like the idea of using these stamps in D&D. The little discs and squares would work well for cities, villages, and castles. I'm considering adding a few more designs for commerce and industry, and they would probably work in multiple genres also -- a pickaxe in space represents a planet with minerals, whereas a pickaxe next to a mountain represents a traditional mine. Sheaves of grain could be farms in the countryside or agricultural worlds orbiting a star. Yeah, that would be great, I have the hex stencils and would like to get the river stencils. Yeah, I think you are onto something here, designs that can be used in multiple genres is a great idea. |
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Post by youngbuck on Feb 21, 2021 19:09:10 GMT -5
Wow, those look great!
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Post by Mighty Darci on Feb 23, 2021 23:06:06 GMT -5
How many of the original set have you sold, if you don't mind sharing that information. A no comment is acceptable.  |
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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Feb 24, 2021 14:25:06 GMT -5
How many of the original set have you sold, if you don't mind sharing that information. A no comment is acceptable. Thanks for the question. I don't discuss the business side of stamps very often, but I'm happy to do so. I sold roughly 275 sets for the Kickstarter back in 2019. I set a limit on the number of pledges, because I wanted to make certain that I could meet my shipping deadline. I was thrilled by the response to the Kickstarter, and my plan for 2020 was to take the stamps to conventions and then start promoting them more widely. The pandemic put all that on hold, but I did start taking orders online about a year ago, and so far I've sold roughly 125 sets that way. Half of those sales are for the expansion set for the original edition. I don't yet know what to expect in 2021 and 2022. The stamps are a niche product, and even more so at a time like this, when nearly all gaming occurs online -- but they're also a labor of love, and I haven't lost any of my original enthusiasm for them. I miss being able to share them with others in person, so it means a lot to get feedback on the maps I share online, like this one. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Feb 24, 2021 17:38:14 GMT -5
How many of the original set have you sold, if you don't mind sharing that information. A no comment is acceptable. Thanks for the question. I don't discuss the business side of stamps very often, but I'm happy to do so. I sold roughly 275 sets for the Kickstarter back in 2019. I set a limit on the number of pledges, because I wanted to make certain that I could meet my shipping deadline. I was thrilled by the response to the Kickstarter, and my plan for 2020 was to take the stamps to conventions and then start promoting them more widely. The pandemic put all that on hold, but I did start taking orders online about a year ago, and so far I've sold roughly 125 sets that way. Half of those sales are for the expansion set for the original edition. I don't yet know what to expect in 2021 and 2022. The stamps are a niche product, and even more so at a time like this, when nearly all gaming occurs online -- but they're also a labor of love, and I haven't lost any of my original enthusiasm for them. I miss being able to share them with others in person, so it means a lot to get feedback on the maps I share online, like this one. I remember that you limited the number of pledges and the reason for it. I felt bad at the time that you had to limit pledges, but it is really important to try to meet deadlines. Too many people have treated Kickstarters as a piggy bank and no product every went out the door. So it is important to establish that you are not one of those. Which you did brilliantly! It would have been awesome if you could have made the rounds of conventions, you might even have had to skip some just to keep up with the orders. (although you may have the production end figured out so no bottleneck now) But not being able to do the cons has certainly been a setback. Hopefully maybe you can get to something later this year. If not at least you should be able to go full steam in 2022. This whole mess has to end sometime, right. In the meantime, I plan to continue to promote these and if I can get some personal things taken care of and some hardware issues worked out computer wise I will do a lot more. I don't even play Traveller, (lack of opportunity) and your OP above makes me want to. |
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Post by raikenclw on Feb 24, 2021 21:43:40 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth PD's post elsewhere on this site led me here and I'm glad it did!  I love making maps for my games and these stamps and stencils certainly look awesome. I normally use basic Paint to draw my maps, then either post the results to a pbp or otherwise use them online. But I also physically draw images then scan these into Paint to fiddle with them some more. So your products would still be useful to me. UPDATE: I went to your linked site and signed up.
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Post by Mighty Darci on Mar 8, 2021 12:17:49 GMT -5
How many of the original set have you sold, if you don't mind sharing that information. A no comment is acceptable. Thanks for the question. I don't discuss the business side of stamps very often, but I'm happy to do so. I sold roughly 275 sets for the Kickstarter back in 2019. I set a limit on the number of pledges, because I wanted to make certain that I could meet my shipping deadline. I was thrilled by the response to the Kickstarter, and my plan for 2020 was to take the stamps to conventions and then start promoting them more widely. The pandemic put all that on hold, but I did start taking orders online about a year ago, and so far I've sold roughly 125 sets that way. Half of those sales are for the expansion set for the original edition. I don't yet know what to expect in 2021 and 2022. The stamps are a niche product, and even more so at a time like this, when nearly all gaming occurs online -- but they're also a labor of love, and I haven't lost any of my original enthusiasm for them. I miss being able to share them with others in person, so it means a lot to get feedback on the maps I share online, like this one. IMO if you can get to some conventions in person, this will really take off and you will be swamped. |
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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Mar 21, 2021 9:24:10 GMT -5
This ornamental map depicts the major worlds of the Filigrane sector. It dates from the 2nd or 3rd century of the interstellar renaissance, when it was common for merchant captains to commission maps of their trade routes. It is doubtful that these "gold maps" were used for navigation, because they don't project the warp lines in sufficient detail. Scavengers destroyed most of the maps from that era, breaking them down for the gold leaf. This one probably survived because it was made with gold paint, which was stamped rather than being applied by hand.  |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Mar 21, 2021 21:03:07 GMT -5
This ornamental map depicts the major worlds of the Filigrane sector. It dates from the 2nd or 3rd century of the interstellar renaissance, when it was common for merchant captains to commission maps of their trade routes. It is doubtful that these "gold maps" were used for navigation, because they don't project the warp lines in sufficient detail. Scavengers destroyed most of the maps from that era, breaking them down for the gold leaf. This one probably survived because it was made with gold paint, which was stamped rather than being applied by hand. that is a gorgeous map! I love that, it looks awesome! Have an Exalt! |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Mar 21, 2021 21:08:01 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth I just had an idea, let's work on boosting your profile a bit, maybe I could do an interview of you and post it on the blog. You could run a contest and have people submit one sheet maps (a one page setting) and a one page description and key that would be the backside of the map. The winner gets your gold treatment of their one page map by you. All to call attention to what can be done with Game Stamps. You could do just one or you could do an RPG winner and a Star Chart winner. Here's a thought, maybe we could put the contest in the fanzine.
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Post by Paper Labyrinth on Mar 21, 2021 23:12:38 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth I just had an idea, let's work on boosting your profile a bit, maybe I could do an interview of you and post it on the blog. You could run a contest and have people submit one sheet maps (a one page setting) and a one page description and key that would be the backside of the map. The winner gets your gold treatment of their one page map by you. All to call attention to what can be done with Game Stamps. You could do just one or you could do an RPG winner and a Star Chart winner. Here's a thought, maybe we could put the contest in the fanzine. Those are all good ideas! A collaborative map could also be fun, where people send in short descriptions of hexes -- I could compile them all into a one page map with keyed entries. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Mar 21, 2021 23:25:56 GMT -5
Paper Labyrinth I just had an idea, let's work on boosting your profile a bit, maybe I could do an interview of you and post it on the blog. You could run a contest and have people submit one sheet maps (a one page setting) and a one page description and key that would be the backside of the map. The winner gets your gold treatment of their one page map by you. All to call attention to what can be done with Game Stamps. You could do just one or you could do an RPG winner and a Star Chart winner. Here's a thought, maybe we could put the contest in the fanzine. Those are all good ideas! A collaborative map could also be fun, where people send in short descriptions of hexes -- I could compile them all into a one page map with keyed entries. Yeah, something that would be fun, not a huge amount of work on your part or mine and something that would be highly interesting to people AND show off the Game Stamps. |
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So I see that you can buy the hex stencil alone or the hex and river stencils together. Is is possible to buy just the river stencils by themselves? Also I note that your sun stamps could be used in D&D. One could be used for capital cities and one could be used for the main temple of religions. They would IMO work perfectly for that use (and others).
