Best practices for selling fantasy RPG maps?
I have been selling maps for fantasy RPGs on DTRPG since August, and now that I’ve found this group, I would be curious to hear from other map designers and map customers about what they do.
For background: I design my maps using ProFantasy’s Campaign Cartographer 3+, which allows for commercial use under their End User Licensing Agreement. My maps are all available for both VTTs and as printable tiles. My VTT versions are PNGs that come in two resolutions: 70 pixels per inch for faster loading and 140 pixels per inch for more vibrant details. So far, I’ve just been providing the PNGs for VTTs without configuration files for Roll20, Foundry, etc. that show where the walls are. My print tiles are 8 inches x 8 inches, in PDF with two formats: U.S. Letter and A4. Every map comes in both gridded and ungridded versions, and there may be other variants as well. If there are secret areas, I will have gridded and ungridded versions that show the secret areas, and other gridded and ungridded versions that hide them. Wilderness maps may have a version that show the treetops, and another version that just shows tree shadows to facilitate combat under the tree branches.
I guess I’m trying to find out if some of these variations are unnecessary, or if this is standard practice.
For customers:
How do you use your maps? On a VTT, or printed tiles, or just handouts used as reference? Do you use pre-gridded maps or ungridded versions? If you use a VTT, which one? What resolution do you prefer? Do you only buy maps pre-configured for that VTT, or do you buy generic maps where you have to specify where the walls are? Is PNG best, or do you use JPGs?
For other mappers:
What are your practices in terms of all the above – formats, gridded and ungridded, resolutions, etc.?
Any insight into how folks are using or selling RPG maps is appreciated.