BD_DESIGN'S PROFILE

Looks like that guy in front of the dais chose most unwisely.

Max, you might think about reducing or eliminating most of the shadows on outside maps, due the overcast light causing a diffuse reflection, especially with the white ground cover.

First off, I'm not exactly sure who the base belongs too, the protagonist, or the antagonist? So I'm going to assume it's for the bad guys.

A military base is pretty much like a typical office building; what you have is a long and twisted corridor. From a mapping standpoint, you might want to strike a balance between the two. Incorporate some offices and and storage spaces. There are also a lot unsecured areas for a base. Add some doors with card key locks or video cameras. Places to hide from sentries. Where are the heating ducts? It must get cold in there.

As for the town, start out with the basics, with a modern twist. Motel, gun store, clothing store, grocery/pharmacy, hospital/clinic, bar/strip club, you get the picture. If you need a layout, use your hometown or neighborhood as inspiration.

Now use your story to fill in some of the blanks. How does equipment and supplies get into the base? Maybe a freight elevator in a nearby factory or warehouse. What about characters? Security guards work for security companies. Are there any scientific elements in the story? Add a laboratory. Are the cops in on it? You'll want a police station. Is anyone else? What do they do?

What about the other side, is there anyone that could threaten the base operations? How about an senior center with cranky old folks complaining about strange things going on. Or a lonely old lady, living with 20 cats. Homeless people under a bridge. A hippie, living in a van down by the river. A radio DJ that rants about conspiracy theories on the air. Pot dealing high school teacher. Rude fast food workers. Alcoholic private investigator. Insurance agent cheating on his wife. All of these characters need places to be during the day.

Then plug in the decorative elements. Houses and offices. If there are vehicles, there should be a gas station. You mention that the city is prosperous. Add some businesses with character. Apartments, restaurants, dry cleaning, post office, barber shop, arcade, school, fortune teller, internet cafe, electronics/appliance store, comic/trading card shop, museum, pawn shop, strip mall, art gallery, sports center, bowling alley, movie theater, skate park, indian casino, adult bookstore, ten or twenty corporate coffee chains. Most of these you wouldn't even have to map out interiors, they'd just be facades.

Big cities are kind of rough for RPGs, unless they are the dungeon. I'm only using one in Xenocop, and to keep the number of maps low, I'm limiting exploration to travel between smaller areas of the city, thereby eliminating a lot of unnecessary walking.

Hope this long-winded post helps.

This reminds me of Eva Peron's mummy. A guard was having his way with her.

Wasn't the picture limit increased?