robertsconley wrote:Thanks and I appreciate talking with you about this stuff. I think we are cut from the same cloth as far as mapping goes.Rob Conley
robertsconley wrote:When I stumbled across a xerox place that had a blueprint photocopier. I had them xerox six copies of the player's and gm map of CSIO. Then I took the Player's map and drew the new alleyways and building. This wasn't radically different than the original I focused more on the changes that six campaigns of players made to my CSIO (1981 to 1985).
FormCritic wrote:How did you first meet Bob?
Bill Owen wrote:.......I just found out something interesting at our local blueprint place, they can scan at the same time they are making giant 'xerox' copies (3'x100' or whatever you need long!) and the price is right, the 1st copy is $.50 a square foot and 2nd is $.14 per square foot!And if you scanning, then that's same cost as either pass (not in addition but in the place of if you need 0-1 copies).You can send them a pdf (or whatever) and they'll output it at the same cost so I'm going to try them for a giant reference poster for Command Decision. The quality looks sharp (unlike blueprints which also literally stink).The only glitch is that it does B&W scanning... do you know of anyone that will do giant COLOR scans of, say 17x22" or 22x34" for mouse-sized budgets? I ask re something I think JG fanatics would really like... a pretty definite purpose which is not at present disclosableBill
Bill Owen wrote:I realize I may have insulted you when I said I couldn't figure why your map didn't have hexes. I tried to make it clear that that may not have been your choice but rather the guys who hired you.But I'm such a gamer, I'd have hexagons on my toilet paper if my wife would let me. And probably should have a gag on my mouth!I'm sorry.
Bill Owen wrote:I did say the map was beautiful!
Bill Owen wrote:The only glitch is that it does B&W scanning... do you know of anyone that will do giant COLOR scans of, say 17x22" or 22x34" for mouse-sized budgets? I ask re something I think JG fanatics would really like... a pretty definite purpose which is not at present disclosable
Aneoth wrote:I am PMing you at this time.Best Regards, Aneoth
robertsconley wrote:If you could send some info my way as well that would help me as well.
islestrike wrote:Hi Bill,I really got a nice laugh when I read some of your auction descriptions on eBay, particularly the ones noting the quality coffee and tea stains laid down by Bob across some book covers and pages. I guess I find it amusing that today we bag and board these suckers but back in the day these gaming materials were freely used and put in harms way. Were these spills a frequent occurrence around the JG office? Were they a frequent occurrence at the gaming table? Also we know Bob was fond of the toasted style for his maps and scrolls ...were there ever any notable incidents at the table as a result of putting paper to flame that you recall? Please share if you can as I'm sure everyone here is fascinated hearing about the early goings on around Bob's gaming table when he was DM'ing his Middle-Earth and CSIO campaigns.Thanks!
Bill Owen wrote:So here's another idea, am I absolutely nuts to think we could take a photo of the old map? It's already mounted in a frame anyway but I think we could remove the glass and thus glare.My wife has a 12-MB digital camera that's pretty darned good. I use a rather dumpy 5-MB because my needs are either eBay or travel photos for brochures I make regularly.*
Plaag wrote:Since we know Bob was the writer, did you ever get a name (NPC, place, etc) that Bob liked and included? How much if any of the situations that happened in the games you played before starting the company made their way into the early stuff?ShaneG.
killjoy32 wrote:hey billback in the day, who got to DM the most?and what kind of Dm-ing style was used? this kind of thing always interests me...thanksAl
Bill Owen wrote:We and a lot of customers liked the classic, olden look of the maps. And I think it's important to remember how our level of quality may have impacted customer usage. What I mean is that if we'd provided extremely high quality (printing wise) materials especially if on slick, glossy paper, how many people would have felt comfortable or even able to mark them up with their own personalization.
Melan wrote:I guess this is also a valid observation for game materials in general. A lot of the time, you look at them like museum pieces because they are so slick, well produced and professional that they are perfect without you. A bit of roughness keeps it more personal, more accessible, and since it needs your input, it also encourages and facilitates it.A question: how many of the old dungeon levels survive? Lonely Mountain and Moria were mentioned as huge, many-level complexes; are these levels comparable to, say, an immense thing like Tegel, or more along the lines of Badabaskor's smaller areas?
Bill Owen wrote:*Of course, the outward appearance must at least not repel you. Ideally intrigue the prospective buyer. Games that suffered by their graphic treatment include War at Sea and Victory in the Pacific. We thought they were ugly and didn't play them until much later... then realizing that they were gems in the rough and a lot of fun.