Map building good practice question

Hello, I've been trying to figure out the best ways for me to quickly make quality battle maps as well as dungeon exploration maps, while also being careful about their impact on performance to prevent overloading players's computer. There are some things I'm not quite sure about however so I'll ask here: 1) What is the real impact of PNG files and are their size more important than their numbers? For example, are 10 5kb monochrome PNG files on a board more resource intensive than 1 50kb ultra detailed and colored PNG? 2) Are 1mb JPG files used as layout a lot for most people? I have a pretty decent computer and it's a bit hard to really see the impact on lower end machines. 3) Are all pages loaded all the time for players or each page loaded and unloaded as players are mover around? For example, if you have a multi-level dungeon, would it be better to split each level on a different page, or to just keep everything on one page? Also, if I have a page, only for me, with hundreds of monster tokens, does that affect players too even if they'll never have access to that page? 4) Is there any difference between copying a resource already present on the board and dragging the same resource already present from the library again? I mean, are copied resources completely separate or are they simple pointers to the original? I'd say the later since you can delete the first without any impact but I'm wondering. 5) In the same vein as above, anyone know the impact of having say, 200 of the same exact resource on the board? For example, I have one orc token of 10kb, what happens if I copy/paste it 200 times? Does that just make 200 tokens of 10kb each? 6) Are hidden resources loaded in memory for players as they join a board, or as the piece is revealed? I searched around a bit and found good advice but I'm looking for a couple more details from experienced GMs if possible. edited to add numbers to question :) Thanks in advance :)

In the future, please number your questions and separate them. It makes it hard to answer this many questions without numbering them. :) Here are some general guidelines, if you have additional questions or if I have not answered one or more of them feel free to ask. :) Memory is indicative, but not definitive, on the impact it will have on a person's system. Very large images that also take up a lot of memory will be more likely to cause problems. A lot of small images will slow things down a bit. If possible, use larger tiles over smaller tiles. A very large image will also slow things down since the entire thing is rendered (not just the visible section). Divide up very large images into sections if you notice a performance hit. Note: I suggest sectioning a very large image into 3x3 or or more sections. 2x2 will act the same as the original image where the four sections meet. PNGs are, in general, harder on systems and take more processing power. Avoid them unless you absolutely need some kind of transparency. JPGs are less system intensive. All maps that are not currently archived are loaded when you enter the game. This can slow down load times but has no *apparent* impact on performance once you have loaded everything. Archive inactive maps to speed up load times. Note: relating to your question I suggest placing different levels on different Roll20 pages. Pages with a lot of resources on them can slow things down. Related: All map resources not archived are loaded when a player enters the game. However, they will not see those resources on the map unless you do not have the map covered up (assuming you don't just stick them in a "start" map. No, there is no difference between copying or dragging it from your Art Library. 200 Orcs *could* be fine. I have a map with hundreds of tokens on it (Axis and Allies). However, it will slow down the load time. Note: if all 200 orcs had dynamic lighting active that could slow things down a lot. If it does, turn them off (assuming you upgrade your account and get access to dynamic lighting). - Gauss

Thanks Gauss, much appreciated. I'm quite new so don't have the experience of how much is...too much :) One thing I really wonder though, related to question 1 (I added numbers). Is a 50kb PNG colored token more resource intensive than 10 5kb PNGs monochrome tokens of the same size (say 140x140px)?

To answer your question: You wont notice a difference. However, if you tried to extend that logic (1 = 5 MB vs 1000 = 0.005 MB images the logic starts to break down. Then it becomes a question on which direction causes problems first. One large image or too many images. At both ends there are problems. To be honest, without a specific map to look at I cannot give you any hard and fast rules. Ultimately, if you build a map with large images or a lot of images you may push the limits of someone's system. Where those limits are will vary from system to system. If you want me to take a look at your maps I can tell you if they are likely to cause issues. - Gauss