This one is perfect for use in my scifi VTT. I like how it is left as a basic scifi club and not overly filled with images you do not need there. You can always throw in your own dressings in images which is something I think some people overlook when they are getting maps. When people want hexes they will add hexes, when they need more chairs or computers they can always add more wherever they want. This one rocks!

As with all of the DramaScape products I have, this is great to have if you need a VTT (virtual table top) map quickly. However, I find the DramaScape products generally underwhelming. They are either very small in scope or have the feel of something that was poorly thought out or drawn without revising. The 360 view of the location is a really great addition, but doesn't make up for the hasty feel to the map. The bars just don't look like operating bars. For example: there is no DJ stand, there are too few booths and the ones that are there aren't arranged like booths actually are in nightclubs. More tables would also be nice.

Still, I would like to reiterate that these maps are great time savers and I have used them in my VTT based games. I don't have to spend the 4 hours it would take to make my own map. Well worth the money. Not great, but good enough.

The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=32451.

Grab your blaster, plasma sword, and deflection harness! It’s time to hit the cantina or, better yet, that nice place at the other end of town where they serve Xentaxian Ale! SciFi Bars is an excellent battlemap for those nights on the town at the local starport. You can easily use this battlemap for classic sci-fi adventures, or for mystery scenarios where the characters encounter futuristic landscapes. The main focus of this battlemap is the high-tech entertainment environment, combined with features that support all sorts of tactical options. What players get is a set of two 48 x 30 inch full-color floor plans of futuristic bars.

OVERALL

SciFi Bars is an excellent map, allowing the players to have a complete sci-fi bar experience in two completely different classes of establishment. It is complete, even down to the toilets and toxic waste drums! I’ll definitely be using this in my next sci-fi run.

RATINGS

Publication Quality: 10 out of 10 DramaScape has done an excellent job of sizing the battlemap segments across multiple pages. This product includes a square-grid, hex-grid, and gridless version of each location. The pieces go together seamlessly. If you want to have this battlemat last forever, I suggest that you decide which white edges to keep so that the pieces can be held together properly, laminate the pieces, then use non-permanent double-sided tape on the white edges so that, once assembled at the table, everything is properly placed. Alternately, you can cut off all the white edges and just butt the pieces together using transparent tape so that nothing shifts or stains when players knock their drinks over in their haste to blast away at the bad guys.

Visual Appeal: 10 out of 10 This map has perfectly captured the grungy feeling of a lower-class starport cantina for the first location as well as the clean, high-tech feel of a classy establishment for the second location. The coloration is vibrant, with a variety of well-crafted terrain features.

Desire to Use: 10 out of 10 I’m using this in my next science fiction game! SciFi Bars is the perfect place for a some high-tech hijinks. I’ve already laminated and assembled the nastier cantina, and will soon have the classy circular bar ready for adventure as well.

Overall: 10 out of 10 SciFi Bars is an excellent addition to your science fiction gaming and another quality piece from DramaScape. The designs of both establishments are excellent, and the creators have a perfect grasp of how to put together an excellent product for futuristic adventures.