https://www.worldanvil.com/https://www.patreon.com/worldanvilThis is a tool that does various jobs, but right now the most interesting to me is the interactive overworld. Up to now, I've been using a vary basic interactive image creator that Hanged Man found for us back in the spring (
https://interactive-img.com/), and that's what you've been seeing on the Battlegrounds site so far. It looks great, and the pop-up attachments are sleek, but the functionality is limited. For example, I can't place different kinds of markers on the map, for the groups' locations, adventures, location-based source books, the different empires you will create etc. I only get one type of marker, and once the map has 200 points of interest, it will get confusing, as you'll have to click on everything to find what you want. It works but it just isn't immersive enough. And this is where World Anvil comes in. Check this video. It's insane.
Interactive Maps | A World Anvil Quick Guide Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJbcT22pq9gBtw the creator of the software is Greek, and the woman in the tutorial is the best presenter ever.
This tool is so awesome, that it can seamlessly MODIFY the map. Like erasing entire empires and replacing them with new ones, all with assets IDENTICAL to those already used on the map. This turns every D&D map into a fully interactive videogamey overworld that can evolve forever, which will be brilliant for our Empire phase. Moreover, it can zoom in from planetary level all the way down to a room. So as we play, and the various groups uncover more locations, the world maps on the site will be getting populated with them until we have the entire D&D universe mapped down to the last room and corridor!
This tool also includes a bloodline tree designer, which will be perfect for our bloodline mechanics: