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Making friends is fun! We teamed up with another great studio to bring you even more dungeon dwelling pleasure. The first mutual release with Heroic Maps will be two map sets and one map tiles set. Cemetery map set will feature a day and night options, Edgmoor Manor will be available as normal and ruined building environment and Havenwater tile set will feature 10 different pieces to create a large city on the water where the only limit to its greatness is your imagination. They will hit our shelves on 14th of April, until then all preorders receive -10%. Check them out at our gallery at www.deepcutstudio.com or visit www.heroicmaps.com.

Hmmm. I am another potential customer who loves the look of your mats, but would be unwilling to buy them while they still have your logo in the corner.

I mean... they're designed to be visually, aesthetically appealing, right? They are pretty, not functional (you still need a flat table to put them on, after all). So why ruin the look? I wouldn't buy kitchen tiles with a logo in the corner either...

I am also uninterested in the idea of paying extra for a custom one without a logo.

All that said, if you ever do decide to do logo-free versions, I'll be buying at least one.

Would love to see some SF map tiles too -- like the caves but more kind of... interior spaceship corridors.

 Ian Sturrock wrote:
Hmmm. I am another potential customer who loves the look of your mats, but would be unwilling to buy them while they still have your logo in the corner.

I mean... they're designed to be visually, aesthetically appealing, right? They are pretty, not functional (you still need a flat table to put them on, after all). So why ruin the look? I wouldn't buy kitchen tiles with a logo in the corner either...

I am also uninterested in the idea of paying extra for a custom one without a logo.

All that said, if you ever do decide to do logo-free versions, I'll be buying at least one.

Would love to see some SF map tiles too -- like the caves but more kind of... interior spaceship corridors.

Amen, I bought a star map from another company (tiny logo in the corner), but my eyes keep
Getting drawn to it. I understand "branding" your goods, but maybe do it to the shipping/storage tube or the back of the mat. As is right now I will not buy another mat from anyone who puts a logo on the front or charges extra for not having it on there.

The logo is tiny and just in one corner. If this detail is what breaks your gaming atmosphere (and not the black bases, odd proportions and unfinished paint jobs of the miniatures plus coke cans, rulebooks, dice etc on the table), it is more a fetish than a good reason, deserving paying a bit extra IMHO.

Also try to buy a car without a logo

A car's function (to me, at least) is to get me from one place to another... anyone who buys it for aesthetics has probably bought in to the brand sufficiently that the logo is a selling point.

The detail doesn't break my gaming atmosphere. It's easy enough to cover it up. But it irritates me. I shouldn't have to cover it up, because I bought a 6x4 gaming mat, not a 6x4-'a tiny logo just in one corner' gaming mat.

It's pointless anyway. If I buy it, it's for home use. If any of my friends play against me, see it, and love it, I will very very happily email them the Deep-Cut URL, and be effusive with praise for their customer service, cheap and fast delivery, quality of product, etc.

If I buy one... which is highly unlikely as long as it's marred with a logo.

so is anyone who has purchased their mats willing to upload a few pics in this thread?

I'm thinking about getting this one:

I love the space one for BFG,


But why no 4 x 4 mats? I thought that was the most common?

 Kroothawk wrote:
Also try to buy a car without a logo

It's not the same. For the most part a car is utilitarian, appearance still matters to a lot of people but a logo isn't going to ruin the overall look of the car (unless it's large and obnoxious and takes up a lot of visible space on the vehicle...kinda like the logos on a lot of gaming mats do!), nor is it going to interfere with the car's primary function which is to get you from one place to another. Not only that but some people actually take pride in those logos, they've bought into the brand and want everyone to know what brand they're driving (some people even voluntarily put giant logo stickers on their windows and stuff to further drive the point home that they're a Chevy or Ford fanboy/girl), and lots of fights have been started over that branding to the point where there's practically a constant war going on between fans of the different manufacturers...which is all really stupid, but still. And even if you pay a premium to get a car because looks and style matter more than just getting around, that branding becomes something of a status symbol: you want everyone to see that logo, you want them to know just how much your car is worth and basically just rub it in their faces. And then there's the issue of professional racing with sponsorships and all that...which is personally the only instance in which I would accept a gaming mat with a giant logo on it, if I was given one for free for the purposes of helping them advertise.

Appearance is a gaming mat's only real purpose, you buy one because you want a better-looking playing surface to help with immersion and don't have the time or inclination to make a textured table...and yes, unpainted models, Coke cans etc. do break immersion, which is why you see so much bitching about them. Lots of people also paint their bases in neutral colors or to match the terrain specifically so they don't distract as much, in fact I rarely ever see people leave the base rims black anymore. And finally, when it comes to proportions, clearly you haven't been reading a lot of the whine threads about GW for the past few years, either. As for logos, no one really cares where the hell you got it, it's not a point of pride or anything silly like that, and I don't think anyone is going to get so heavily invested into the branding of gaming mats to really make it one, either. The only reason anyone would ever inquire about the brand is so they know what website to go to in order to get one of their own, which they could very easily find out just by asking. Going back to cars again, when my stepmom bought her last car she specifically requested that the dealer leave their dealer sticker off, because she hated how it looked on the car and told them she would personally tell people where she bought the car if they wanted to know. It's something I'll be requesting myself when I get another car (and if they can't do that then I'll go somewhere else), especially since I was harassed for it one time at a red light, by a guy who was ticked off with said dealer and decided to take his frustrations out on me. "Yeah, I'd never buy from ____ ever again, that's why your car looks like gak!"...not a good way to start your work day, really, and something I could have avoided had it not been for said dealership's obsession with seeing its own name on almost literally every car in town.

Anyway, since appearance is the only reason you're buying a gaming mat, and being a good-looking playing surface is its only function, it stands to reason that a giant, distracting logo is going to be a deal-breaker for a lot of people, who don't feel like they should have to cover it up every time or "just deal with it" since these mats are generally expensive. And since there's no real reason for a logo to even be there, other than an inflated ego, since the customer that already bought the product isn't going to need the advertisement (unless you're assuming they're just stupid and forget) and can advertise for your company by word of mouth if people inquire about the mats they're playing on, I don't think it's an unreasonable stance to take in the slightest. Find a better way to advertise, because putting a big stamp on the product and effectively ruining it for its intended purpose is clearly going to cost you customers.

 Sir Arun wrote:
so is anyone who has purchased their mats willing to upload a few pics in this thread?

I'm thinking about getting this one:

It's really nice - Reposted from page 3.

Hm, an interesting discussion. Most of our logos are 2x2 cm in size (it's 1x1 cm on Heroic Maps products). We had a little bit bigger ones, but decided to reduce them after receiving some feedback.

For those wondering how do these mats look like in action, you might find this review interesting:
http://shinypennymusings.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/deep-cut-badlands-mat-review/



Also we make 4x4 mats as custom prints at the moment, but will include them as standard products in the near future.

If one little logo in the corner upsets you to the point of three paragraphs, might I suggest you have problems you should consult your GP about.

I like the look of these, but I'm currently tapped out of funds and needs after the Tablewar game mats, which had a similar minority of people complaining nonsensically about a logo in the corner. I'll keep these in mind when I go looking for something different.

To the people complaining about having a small note in one corner.
Have you seen the product? Is there a full shot of the finished product where you can see the offending tag from a standing position?
I have not seen it in the posted pics so just wondering.

NTRabbit wrote:If one little logo in the corner upsets you to the point of three paragraphs, might I suggest you have problems you should consult your GP about.

I like the look of these, but I'm currently tapped out of funds and needs after the Tablewar game mats, which had a similar minority of people complaining nonsensically about a logo in the corner. I'll keep these in mind when I go looking for something different.

The mats are nice looking, but as mentioned the mats are to enhance the feel of the game, and the logo destroys it for me as well as others. Saying we need to see a GP( I guess that's Australian for doctor) is being ignorant.

sonofruss wrote:To the people complaining about having a small note in one corner.
Have you seen the product? Is there a full shot of the finished product where you can see the offending tag from a standing position?
I have not seen it in the posted pics so just wondering.

I have seen other mats with "small logos, and have one that has the logo and it draws attention to it when you try and immerse yourself in the game.

My biggest issue is the manufacturer is trying to get you to pay more money not to promote his stuff when all his pictures on his web pages have the mats at an angle to cut off the logo so you don't see them before ordering. The pictures of close ups showing off the products also don't show the logo in them so there's no way of telling how distracting his will be in comparison.

I've given my feedback on what I would like to see on the product, or not on the product, and so have others. To this point I don't think Deepcut studios is going to listen to the feedback from myself or other posters who have asked for the same thing, which is sad as I am interested in a few of their designs, but I am unwilling to spend the extra money to not promote them.

@kroothawk, I have purchased cars from dealerships before and requested that they remove their dealership logos before. It's amazing what they will do if you tell them it comes off or you'll go buy the same car for the same price at the next dealership. My wife's new car is proof of that.

I have been a salesperson for years, you try and give your customers what they want, and if you make them happy they will do a better job promoting you an your business than any tiny logo you ever could. For the most part my mat will be at my house, and anyone who sees it and likes it I will be more than happy to tell them where I got I from without having to resort to a logo. If someone sees. Mat in a game store, hen most likely the employee will be able to tell them its from XYZ and I sell them right here. The logo serves no purpose. Even tournaments which use mats will be able to tell you where the mats are from so what's the point.

One of my mats turned up today, fingers crossed the second turns up tomorrow.

Here is a quick shot of it for you guys. These are taken from standing

The logo is in the top right of the mat in the first pic.

is that your camera or is the mat really that blue?

So this would be similar to Gale Force 9s mats in terms of material thickness/durability?

When I first saw it I thought it was an ocean mat!

sorry its my camera. was taken in the conservatory so its got a blue tint lol plus rubbish phone camera.

Will get a better shot in a bit


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here are some better shots

A tip for you - roll the mat in the opposite direction when storing it in a tube (picture facing outside). This will give you a perfectly flat surface on the table when you take it out.

Also we would like to share what’s coming out next week from Lord Zsezse Works range. Meanwhile have a look at other already released great maps at our website www.deepcutstudio.com

This week we would like to announce two new maps from Lord Zsezse Works for RPG and miniature games. Ekzis’ Demonic Chessboard and Prison in the Deep maps are available for preorder. The Chessboard is available in fiery or water (or both in one map) themes and will look great not only for dungeon crawl, but for any chess game as well. And Prison in the Deep is the largest single RPG map we released so far. Be sure to put this feature in the good use! We will ship the mats on 21st of April, until then all preorders receive a -10% discount.

 Sidstyler wrote:
Appearance is a gaming mat's only real purpose, you buy one because you want a better-looking playing surface to help with immersion and don't have the time or inclination to make a textured table...

But that's just it... It's really hard to reconcile the idea that someone could be so fussy about having a visually immersive gaming surface that a small but visible logo would completely ruin it for them... but be using a 2D mat in the first place instead of 'proper' 3D terrain.

It smacks of the weirdest sort of double standard. It's like arguing that using anything less than the finest grade sugar in your coffee completely ruins your beverage experience... while buying the cheapest coffee you can find.


For a printed mat, these are outstanding. And as a player who has spent quite a lot of time looking at Star Wars miniatures maps (which are covered in grid squares, coloured terrain lines, location names, logos and copyright information) without finding it particularly disruptive to my immersion in the game, I would have absolutely no issue with the logo in the corner. Given the placement of it, once the mat is on the table you're not even going to notice it.

I already have 3d stuff sorted from SW boards, still want 2d mats for portability. First company that makes them with no logo gets my money. To me a logo on something like this just says that the company considers marketing to be more important than the quality of the product, which is never an encouraging sign when you're looking to spend a significant amount of money on something.

Conversely, I'm looking for a mat that is just a logo. I'm sick of needless texture interfering with quality typesetting.

I can understand why some folks would think it's not a big deal... what I can't understand is why some who don't mind it think it has to not be a big deal for everyone.

It only matters to me a little bit, but it Did help determine which Frontline gaming mat I went for- the Alpine, where their white/black logo blends in quite nicely.

Similarly, on some mats Deep-Cut's blends in well. But in one of the mats in the post above, there's a black border with the white logo standing out stark against it. That's quite noticeable and slightly detracts from the product (whereas you'd want a logo to add to it, if possible).

It's not a huge deal to me in the end, I just can't understand why anyone's preference has to be universal- obviously, it bothers some folks, and not others... and that's OK.

The best analogy I can come up with is mold lines on models. I don't really mind mold lines on models, but they drive some people crazy and it's all they can see if it's there. I have to think it's a similar effect here- some people's eyes are drawn to the logo and it detracts greatly, others are able to overlook it without difficulty. Neither is necessarily right... just different preferences on what is important to you.

Luckily, Deep-Cut (unlike Frontline, although I love my mat from them) offer their mats without a logo if you contact them . I imagine they charge a slightly higher price, and the hassle may put off folks from ordering, but if I were to get a mat that would probably be my preferred route to take. Particularly if it were a dark space-themed mat where the logo would stand out more (as again on my Frontline alpine mat it kind of blends in, but that's partly why I chose that scheme).


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 plastictrees wrote:
Conversely, I'm looking for a mat that is just a logo. I'm sick of needless texture interfering with quality typesetting.

I've seen a few folks say this, and heck, I'd like to see you order one . Would a logo smack dab in the center, but otherwise textured, suffice? I bet Deep-Cut could do a custom one where they put the logo in the middle of the graphic for folks who just want it that badly

I have yet to see anyone back up this claim, though. Order one with a logo in the center and use it on your gaming surface and I'll give you mad props

 insaniak wrote:

 Sidstyler wrote:
Appearance is a gaming mat's only real purpose, you buy one because you want a better-looking playing surface to help with immersion and don't have the time or inclination to make a textured table...

But that's just it... It's really hard to reconcile the idea that someone could be so fussy about having a visually immersive gaming surface that a small but visible logo would completely ruin it for them... but be using a 2D mat in the first place instead of 'proper' 3D terrain.

It smacks of the weirdest sort of double standard. It's like arguing that using anything less than the finest grade sugar in your coffee completely ruins your beverage experience... while buying the cheapest coffee you can find.

I could try to explain myself a little better, but last time I was told I need to see a doctor because I typed up three paragraphs, so I guess I'll just stay quiet and nod this time.



But yeah...I can see if you went all the way and did a really crazy 3D board with built-in elevations, modeled on details like sidewalks and manholes, or rivers and ravines, and tons of other cool stuff (though it's easy to go too far and make a board that's too impractical to actually game on), but the vast majority of people just cover a piece of plywood in sand and paint it brown/grey/whatever, which is also probably the cheapest possible option (though it takes a little more time), and then put all the "real" effort into doing the modular bits like ruins, hills, craters, etc. The way I see it, the actual playing surface is going to look kinda 2D anyway even if it really isn't, just because sand alone isn't that noticeable, and a lot of these gaming mats seem to have enough depth to them that I could probably have just as much fun playing on either one.

If you don't want to put in the effort to extensively model a 3D playing surface, or take out a small loan and buy Forge World's RoB tiles, a gaming mat isn't really a terrible option if you want a nice-looking surface to play on, and probably more practical in some cases. Like in my current situation I would probably need something portable, I can't have a table set up and permanently dedicated to 40k anymore.

But yeah, sometimes it's just not going to work. If you've based your entire army on a desert wasteland and painted camo to match, it's going to look silly on a snowy table with stark white background, isn't it? And with the various gaming elements like dice, templates, cards and books all over the table, you'll never be fully "immersed" when playing a tabletop game, but I don't think it's necessarily wrong to try. And if you still think "It breaks immersion!" is a terrible argument then how about this: I don't want a fething logo on my mat because I don't want a fething logo on my mat. Don't really care what anyone else thinks, that's what I want and that's what I'm going to get.

 Sidstyler wrote:

 insaniak wrote:

 Sidstyler wrote:
Appearance is a gaming mat's only real purpose, you buy one because you want a better-looking playing surface to help with immersion and don't have the time or inclination to make a textured table...

But that's just it... It's really hard to reconcile the idea that someone could be so fussy about having a visually immersive gaming surface that a small but visible logo would completely ruin it for them... but be using a 2D mat in the first place instead of 'proper' 3D terrain.

It smacks of the weirdest sort of double standard. It's like arguing that using anything less than the finest grade sugar in your coffee completely ruins your beverage experience... while buying the cheapest coffee you can find.

I could try to explain myself a little better, but last time I was told I need to see a doctor because I typed up three paragraphs, so I guess I'll just stay quiet and nod this time.

Having played on textured tables, I think I'd prefer mats combined with 3-D terrain. On all the textured tables they have these slopes, inclines, and divets, which all look super cool, but lose all their charm when you try to play on them. My guardsmen flip over backwards or just slide down the hill side. Those tables are nice to look at but kind of a pain to play on. I always prefer just a plain green felt with terrain, but even then the felt catches the dice and the models, I'd think a 2-D mat would be nice.

That's exactly right- there are reasons to choose a 2D mat for practical purposes, but that doesn't mean you don't want it to look as good as possible.

I also ordered a Zuzzy mat, which is sort of a compromise- a mat with 3D texture. I'm going to do a big comparison post once all my various gaming surfaces come in

Although we might have gotten a bit far afield here! Deep Cut's mats are right at the top of my list if I need another gaming surface, the only thing keeping me from them is that I don't currently play a space combat game (my favorite of their mats) and BFG seems finally dead in GW's eyes, and Firestorm Armada doesn't have a faction that grabs me yet.

Oh, and here's my review of the Mats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjOyKD2tXhk&list=UUCVOghE-_sPhKefe-y7iIcw&feature=share&index=2

 RiTides wrote:
That's exactly right- there are reasons to choose a 2D mat for practical purposes, but that doesn't mean you don't want it to look as good as possible.

I also ordered a Zuzzy mat, which is sort of a compromise- a mat with 3D texture. I'm going to do a big comparison post once all my various gaming surfaces come in

Although we might have gotten a bit far afield here! Deep Cut's mats are right at the top of my list if I need another gaming surface, the only thing keeping me from them is that I don't currently play a space combat game (my favorite of their mats) and BFG seems finally dead in GW's eyes, and Firestorm Armada doesn't have a faction that grabs me yet.

X-wing , inexpensive compared to GW, the models are premade/painted, so your good to go from the start. You don't have to be a fan of the series or know anything about the history to play. Quick with solid rules, and you can buy your space mat .

I was contacted by deep-cut by pm, they were willing to meet me half way, but once again I'd have to spend more to do it. If I only wanted one mat with no logo on it then you pay extra. If you buy three or more mats then they told me they'd do it for free. I can see from a business perspective that they don't want to "eat" the cost, but they have officially lost me as a potential customer. I'm not asking for freebies, not how I roll, just would have thought they would have read the post and taken to heart people don't want to pay more to advertise for a company.

As for the 2d/3d arguement . When I win the lottery I might buy a jumbo jet and get a group together to play x-wing during freefall so I can have 3d, but it better be quick turns or it'll be a pain to re set up the "board" before gravity kicks back in

 scarletsquig wrote:
I already have 3d stuff sorted from SW boards, still want 2d mats for portability. First company that makes them with no logo gets my money.

Counter question:
Are all your and your opponent's armies painted and appropriately based? Are there no dice, rulers, books and beverage cans on the mat?
If no, it is not the look or the "disturbed atmosphere" that keeps you from buying, but just an arbitrary not-game related fun-condition only applied to gaming mats and not applied to cars, food, jeans, TV-sets, mobile phones, watches, computers, gaming consoles, sport clothes, ...