non gridded city maps, blueprints etc

[axegrinder]

Hi! I'm new here so I apologize if this has already been discussed.

I'm starting up an RPG series with some friends, and am looking for city maps (non gridded) so they can reference where they want to go and get an idea of the area they are in. Also would love to get my hands on some blueprints for military installations etc.

Anyone have tips on where to get this stuff? Doesn't have to be accurate in the Battletech world, and preferably free.

Thanks in advance!

[Daryk]

Have you tried Google Maps? (I'm only half joking...  ^-^)

[axegrinder]

haha, I have actually considered it. It's still on my possibility list

[RunandFindOut]

I'm not joking when I say that I've actually played entire RPG campaigns on modified real world maps.  They work and work well.  Same as pulling up an instance of google maps and using it as the "gameboard" of an online GM program.  The key is manipulating the zoom until you have the scale right and running it full screen on a big flatscreen.  You can get the equivalent of a GM controlled infinitely rolling map with real terrain.  Real World maps can be a godsend for RPG campaigns even just city maps or old topo maps.  I once ran a D&D campaign out of a big almanac style map book of Kentucky just by blanket reducing the population a thousand fold and crossing out all the towns and villages that eliminated, which left only small towns where once major cities were and nobody ever realized what I had done and kept complementing me on how real the terrain and places and descriptions were and how organic all the places felt.  Till I revealed my secret at the end of the campaign.

[Daryk]

Brilliant!  :thumbsup:

[Paul]

Yep, solid approach. For campaigns, Ive literally run players through the hone town in google maps, and I also grab random desert or tundra spots or whatever on the map when I sketch out MW campaigns.
You can use known areas well just by rotating the map 90 degrees. Really throws off a lot of assumptions. And Google maps kets you remove a lot of labels.

[DarkSpade]

Found this:
https://watabou.itch.io/medieval-fantasy-city-generator

It's fantasy based, but kept simple enough you could easily use if for BT.

Also found this, which I found pretty neat.
http://wizardawn.and-mag.com/tool_smap.php

[axegrinder]

Those map generators are awesome!

Thanks for the tips everyone, these were incredibly helpful!

[Ursus Maior]

Yep, solid approach. For campaigns, Ive literally run players through the hone town in google maps, and I also grab random desert or tundra spots or whatever on the map when I sketch out MW campaigns.
You can use known areas well just by rotating the map 90 degrees. Really throws off a lot of assumptions. And Google maps kets you remove a lot of labels.

Absolutely! I once did this for a Shadowrun. There is / was a Google Earth map overlay for SR, which I used during the session. Also, I took screenshots from Google of areas, where scenes were going to happen (e. g. the main target building) and order photo prints of them. This way, I could give my players handouts. They loved it.

[NeonKnight]

*ahem*

If I may.

Try out https://www.cartographersguild.com/

There is many...many....MANY maps there.

Now granted, I would say 90%+ are more of the Fantasy/D&D-esque type, but there are a lot of Sci-Fi inspired maps there as well.

Might get you what you need.

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

This is from my recent reply on captured data:

  I recall reading a biography about General Patton who, while on training maneuvers, knew his opponents used official Army maps, dating from the Civil War. Patton gained a significant edge by using up-to-date maps, published by National Geographic.

  After serving 12 years in elected office in Honolulu, I am aware that the most recent maps of a city are usually stored in two government offices: Dept of Planning & Permits, and the Dept of Taxation. They have detailed maps and data, from property altitude and dimensions, to the number of urinals in each men's lavatory at every shopping mall. All the data is public-access information.

Honolulu Tax key map of the Diamond Head Crater area: (The circled numbers refer to detailed maps)


If you are looking for VERY detailed maps of your local area, local government is a great place to start.