I have been playing around with different configurations for a custom table and wanted to note some things I’ve landed on that I really like. A main one thing is having the map mounted so that it can slide around as needed on top of a bigger playing area. My table is 65” x 95” in total with a 5.5” arm rest around the outside and the middle is a recessed neoprene surface. I have the OOB Global map mounted on 1/2” rigid foam with a 1/2” aluminum frame around it. This allows the map to slide up close to whoever’s turn it is, but then be in the middle so both players can roll dice In front of them without disturbing the map and in easy view of the other player. (Plus we like lots of room to roll the bones). This ability to adjust the surface along with a standing height, makes it comfortable for long uses because you can move around more and don’t feel as tied down.
Things I’ve learned and changed from original design - I originally used too big of a frame for the map and mounted it on too high of a foam block (you can see these pictures at the bottom) - it made it hard to see the other player’s dice and the big frame took up too much real estate. My global map is mounted on much thinner foam (the framing is bad, you can see if you look closely) but I also used much thinner aluminum angle for the frame. This gives just enough grip when needing to move the map around (I use furniture slides on the bottom, which glide very nicely on the neoprene) but doesn’t make the whole thing too bulky. Having it an inch or so off the surface keeps the dice off, but isn’t so heigh that you can’t see the other player’s dice rolls. When playing other versions (such as Zombies) the board is much smaller, but it can easily swap in and out on the same table since it can move around where ever it is needed or be pushed aside.
I originally made it normal table height, but found long reaches while sitting were harder and it just felt cramped. Standing height with a bar stool is a great way to have the best of both worlds.
The 5.5” rim around the table itself gives you a nice arm rest that doesn’t interfere with the gaming surface. I’m playing with how to best add some cushion to this part - open to suggestions. Sometimes I just lay a piece of leftover neoprene on it.
Dice bounce nice on the neoprene and stay off the floor. It also feels nice and has enough give to allow things to slide but be picked up easily. Wouldn’t definitely go with neoprene again as a surface covering.
I made the drawers open to the inside of the table so you can stay hunched over the action while accessing and stowing stuff away. 50/50 on whether I would keep this if I were to do it again. If I were doing it again, I might try to build customer drawers form scratch using actual drawer glides, but that was beyond my ability when I first did this, so I just used clear plexiglass boxes with aluminum pulls mounted on them. It’s nice having them clear, and I was happy with how the pulls came out, but without glides they can be a little fussy sliding in and out of their slots.
I originally designed the table so that I could put a cover surface back on top when not in use, but find I don’t really ever do that, so if I were to do it again, I might not mess with that part (I never even finished staining those as you can see in the pictures).
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Sired's Map project - Updated- 4/16 - files available see first post
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That’s for sure not what I use, not saying that’s not it, im using ……B---- something T, ill look. If gothic works, then cool, its free.
Barbedor is the font.
Im going in tomorrow for my second print test.
Correct its not Heavy (or at least I don’t use that), its T, in addition you have to add the FX of stroke +3 and alter the layout from 100 to 105 H and 100 to 110 W…. did I win?
That’s what I do anyway :P
I never corrected it wasn’t Heavy as I never tried it, maybe it worked better, I already had T set up.
Sorry I.L. I didn’t get to pics as I mentioned, I had some family issues over the weekend :(
Oh, and naturally youll have to adjust as necessary depending on the size of your project, if you blow up the file, naturally those specs will not work.
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Coastlines are done, all islands are accurate now, was crazy how much the OOB art was wrong… islands not even in the right shape… the one they did do right, was pointing the wrong way lol. Im pretty excited about this map, I hope to be done in a couple weeks, hard part is over.
in addition to the Europe/Africa resize, the islands were slightly enlarged… Â larger sea zones here and there… lots of stuff :)
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Map is looking good! Can’t wait to see the terrain painted.
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Wow, thats really looking impressive!
Also cant wait to see the finished version and I hope you will manage to keep the style and colours of the original board, tp preserve the “feeling” of it ^^But the Coastlines and european enlargement looks fantastic!
Also I especialy love Okinawa, compared to the strange dot it was before ^^ -
Nice! I love it.
Western US/Canada is still shifted up. Unless we are chalking it up to curvature of the earth. Aside from the visual break, I think Western US/Canada/Alaska/Baja actually look quite good on this map.
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I like the changes to coastline in general, but why didn’t you alter Norway to look more natural?
Im just being picky, love the work actually. First it to make it OOB and release in PDF, i can add stuff latter for my own version of your file for us house rules people
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Thanks for the comments and feedback!
@Imperious - I always wonder what youll say :P … the misshape of Norway was a necessary evil, when I blew up Europe, it had to absorb some of the growth. I should be able to illusion a more correct shape when I paint the borders… im pretty picky as well.
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Also I especialy love Okinawa, compared to the strange dot it was before ^^
I was surprised how generic the OOB map is with its detail to the Pacific.
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Coastlines are done, all islands are accurate now, was crazy how much the OOB art was wrong… islands not even in the right shape… the one they did do right, was pointing the wrong way lol. Im pretty excited about this map, I hope to be done in a couple weeks, hard part is over.
in addition to the Europe/Africa resize, the islands were slightly enlarged… � larger sea zones here and there… lots of stuff :)
Well, you can add cartography to your already considerable skills. :) Superb work and can’t wait to see the finished version!
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Is this project dead?
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Is this project dead?
nope :) I just don’t frequent the forums as much, ill get a progress pic up.
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Ive been designing several things about the map, this is WAY different, I cant wait to show a progress pic, in addition, if you missed my update on a vid I did, there are 3 different versions (paint schemes)
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Can’t wait to see the pictures. :-D
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looking forward to your finished map. Tried to find YG map file on pdf but I think he only put it out thru mediafire. Please use a pdf when you release it. Not to good with a pc. Down loaded your card file and will get those and printed when I do your map. love your utube stuff. Drink with Sired the best. Thank you so much for sharing your hard work. Hope you kick butt at YG invitational. Maybe you can get a pic of all those from this forum and show on a drink with Sired.
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Love the work you’re doing.
My major gripe with the OOB maps (as well as the HBG36 map) has always been the names for the territories.
For example, “Volgograd” should be Don Basin or Don Valley or Don-Volga in my opinion. Perhaps they think it sounds too much like a mafia boss? :?
Compared to that Samara/Kuybyshev and Thailand/Siam are minor issues.I know, for gameplay the names could conceivably be considered irrelevant, but that “Volgograd” thing I just cannot let the issue go :x
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 looking forward to your finished map. Tried to find YG map file on pdf but I think he only put it out thru mediafire.  Please use a pdf when you release it. Not to good with a pc. Down loaded your card file and will get those and printed when I do your map. love your utube stuff. Drink with Sired the best. Thank you so much for sharing your hard work. Hope you kick butt at YG invitational. Maybe you can get a pic of all those from this forum and show on a drink with Sired.Â
Thanks and for sure, a pic would be epic! That’s a brilliant idea!
@ 8th - ive heard from others as well about some of the names, as of now, they are default as I just put them in, and have yet to go through them and make changes, if I do or not is unknown at this time…. its all in the research.
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What size are you working with for this map? I’m thinking of building a gaming table with A&A being printed on, being as it’d be the largest map.
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Just wondering how your map is coming along. Last thing I heard was you talking about it on your utube channel. Something about the look of a old movie war map. Got me drooling thinking about what that would look like.
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Yeah ditto to FOWHEAD
Really keen to see how the vintage look will turn out, it may just knock the YG/Ambilzi Map off my table!
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Hey sired! How’s this project coming along, buddy? It has such great potential, would hate for it to kinf of peter out, you know. Would love to play on one of those maps one day!
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