Another solid entry in the heroic maps line. You get a generic map that will serve well for any forest encounter. The ground is clear with clusters of trees and other vegetation. The art is visually appealing and there is some nice variation (a fallen tree trunk, some small boulders, areas of rocky ground and light groundcover) to add interest and variety while still being a generic map useful for any occasion.
I imagine that different people will use this map for different purposes. Some will use it for a generic battle map, where the depicted trees and vegetation do not block movement and line of sight (after all, most of the treetops shown on the map should be well above the characters' heads). If that is what you are interested in using the map for, it will serve you well. It is essentially a pretty, forest-themed battle grid.
However, I can't help but think that when the author created the map, he (or she, I really shouldn't make assumptions) intended the leaves and vegetation to be similar to dungeon walls, blocking movement and vision. Why do I say this? (1) There is no grid over the forested area, suggesting that you are not supposed to be walking through it, (2) the trees are laid out in a way that the open spaces between them form little trails and clearings, much like corridors and rooms in a dungeon, (3) the other products in the Heroic Maps line use this format, and (4) the name of the product is "Forest Paths", for goodness sake, indicating that you are supposed to be paying attention to the little winding trails between the trees. I was intrigued by this idea and tried to use the map this way in our game last night, but was sorely disappointed. It is very difficult to see where the paths are. They seem easy enough to see from the pdf, but once the map was down on the table and we were seeing it from 3-4 feet away, they were very difficult to make out. This could be fixed by making the grid more prominent (making it darker and/or continuing it over the trees to really show where the grid is), or making the vegetation areas conform more to the grid (right now they spill over the grid lines and it is sometimes difficult to tell if there is supposed to be a path between them or not), or increasing the contrast between the vegetation areas and the open areas (right now, some of the open areas are a green color that blends into the vegetation, making it difficult to tell at a distance whether the area is clear or covered). I understand that every one of these suggestions comes at the price of making the map less aesthetically pleasing, but if the intent is to have the vegetation form winding paths through the wilderness (as I believe it is) the map is currently not useful for that purpose. Within minutes in our game, I gave up on trying to make the players move only through the open areas and just used the map as a generic forest battle map with no particular restrictions on movement or vision. For an example of a wilderness map that does the open/forested distinction well, see the TSR DragonStrike wilderness board, which I imagine is on the radar of anyone interested in these kinds of maps, though I could be wrong. Again, it is not as aesthetically pleasing, but much more functional. Plus the DragonStrike art is a very different style and I like the Heroic Maps style better, but the contrast needs to be there. A distinction between the open/wooded areas has a lot of potential -- the forested areas could represent brambles that are impassible like walls, or slow down movement/block line of sight, or could be areas for enemy ambushes to hide, etc.
Even with this reservation, I like the map and it will see more use at my table. I am just frustrated that there is a lot of potential here that wasn't realized. Again, if all you want is a generic forest battlemap, this should do the trick. YMMV.
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