Facing The Facts

Hi everyone,

I want to share an important update and let you in on some realizations I’ve had recently. 

As you might have read from my previous updates, my family recently went through a challenging time while my daughter was hospitalized. Thanks to modern medicine, she’s feeling better now, but this was a wake-up call for me. I took a close look at my well-being and the pace I’d been keeping as a solo entrepreneur and creator. 

I’ve realized just how important it is to be fully present, not only for my family but also for my creative work.

This has led me to a decision: I’m adjusting my workload to focus on quality and reliability in a way that’s more sustainable.

Turning Point

Miska’s Maps has been around for almost nine years. Over these years, my map-making has evolved from single-page black and white hand-drawn maps to full-color poster-sized VTT maps with multiple variants. This also means that instead of a map taking a day to finish, it usually takes several days now. Just preparing a release could take half a day.

During the last three years, the map-making and post-production have grown even more complex, and changes in Miska's Maps team in February left me working alone and juggling more tasks than ever, impacting my schedule and energy.

Now, I have admitted the fact that the current workload is unsustainable. To fix this, I must rethink my approach to allow for consistent, high-quality output and growth as an artist and content creator. 

What This Means for You

First of all, the tiers and their rewards will remain as they are, but I need to change some wording to clarify the expected content.

Here’s a summary of the new focus:

• Sci-fi and Space Fantasy Maps – These will remain my primary focus. Sci-fi covers spaceships, alien worlds, towns, and space opera-themed battle maps that take inspiration from settings like Alien RPG, Traveller, and Star Trek. Space Fantasy covers maps with more retro-looking tech and archaic or magical features, perfect for universes like Star Wars, Starfinder, or even Spelljammer.

• Increased Quality and Depth – My goal is to offer more than just image files of the maps. At higher tiers, you can expect maps with system-agnostic story hooks, labeled regions, tactical tips, and other details to help you save prep time and play immersive sessions.

• Hybrid Approach – Map-making tools and assets have their use, but I will increase the hand-drawn portions of the maps. This allows me to use perspective effectively and make each map unique and custom-built.

• Reliable Release Schedule – I’m committing to a steady flow of new maps, assets, and other resources like backgrounds and labeled maps. I expect the number of monthly map releases to decrease, but total monthly releases, including assets, Foundry Modules, extra maps, etc, should increase.

• High-Quality Foundry VTT Modules – I’m a big fan of Foundry VTT, and I have already started designing my maps with Foundry VTT scene implementation in mind to benefit from its more advanced features.

• Mini-Releases – These are minor one-off or experimental releases made as training material or to vent an idea out of my head.

Maintenance Month

However, before I can fully start with the new routine, I need “a maintenance month.” This means that for the next month or so, I will focus on the delayed content, like Foundry VTT modules and some unreleased assets and bonus map packs. New maps will be released, but these are likely new versions of old maps, like wrecked spaceships or something similar.

If you have considered upgrading your membership, here’s a "maintenance discount" code that gives you a 25% discount for the first month on your chosen tier when you upgrade your membership. The code is valid until November 30th.

• Code: 819C7

• Link: https://www.patreon.com/c/miskasmaps/membership

Your Support Matters

I thank you for your support and patience. Your trust and encouragement are what make Miska’s Maps possible, and I feel inspired to take this new direction.

I’ll keep you updated about any further changes, and I’ll open a discussion on Patreon and/or Discord so you can share any comments and questions you might have.

// Miska