Game Board Design and Computer Programs???

[Charles_Rane]

Does anyone here use any sort of computer program to help map out their game board instead of designing with pen and paper?

I figured it might be easier with all of the different scales and what not.

[Operator5]

As I run an art department, I often use Adobe Illustrator to map boards out.

[Silent Invader]

I use either MS Paint or MS Excel as I have them to hand.

In Excel I just adjust the cell size to make a square that is representative of whatever area I want it to be, and then use the drawing tools to add terrain info.

[Burgundavia]

I do most of my designing in Inkscape, which happens to be Open Source and free. Runs on all major OSes as well, which is a nice bonus. Some stuff I do in Scribus and others in OpenOffice.org Writer.

[Cory]

I use Google sketchup as it allows for 3d considerations (plus the program is free).

[rob_the_robgoblin]

I use a sketchpad and a pen.

Sometimes even a pencil.

None of this newfangled tech you crazy lot use. 

[Crudeboy]

Yeah, I usually start with a sketchbook and pencil.

It has sometimes in the recent past progressed from there to a mock-up in SketchUp and various doo-dads and whatsits cobbled together in Gimp.

[panzagl]

Battle Chronicler is pretty good:

http://battlechronicler.com/

Rich