Drawing a Map

[Jester of the FoS]

Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. We all appreciate what you do.

Thanks, but I also want it to be useful. If everyone's first thought is "why are those mountains floating" it means it's not as useful as it should be/ could be.

Anyhoo, attempted some bevelling and texturing and this is what I have so far:

[Jester of the FoS]

I use Photoshop CS3, but it does have bevelling, which looks a little better. More "photoshopped" but less like floating mountains.

I was just offering a tip or suggestion, not trying to tell you you're doing it wrong - I've run into these same kinds of geographic issues myself, and this was just how I handled it.

I appreciate the advice as Photoshop and similar programs have hundreds of features and options and it's almost impossible to know them all. I've pretty much self-taught myself the program through trial and error and there's always something I've missed.

It's more a personal caution. I'm just wary of everything looking simple and crisp then adding a texturing or the like that really looks artificial and photoshopped (especially since it might not match earlier maps). I'm always a little leary when it's obvious to anyone who uses said program. "Oh, he used filter X or option Y." It's always a tad distracting whenever I see a familiar texture or filter on a professional map.
But it works and it is the best way of presenting plateaus, and better than my first attempts.

[MichaelTumey]

It's more a personal caution. I'm just wary of everything looking simple and crisp then adding a texturing or the like that really looks artificial and photoshopped (especially since it might not match earlier maps). I'm always a little leary when it's obvious to anyone who uses said program. "Oh, he used filter X or option Y." It's always a tad distracting whenever I see a familiar texture or filter on a professional map.
But it works and it is the best way of presenting plateaus, and better than my first attempts.

That's why I 'dirty things up' with my hand-drawn scanned work on top. It accomplishes several things: it hides the artificiality of digital bevels, it looks more 'artistic', and I can emphasize verticle elevations with my drawn hatch marks. In a computer generated only map, I hide the artificiality with randomized and multiple layered textures.

Edit: I get that reaction too, sometimes, (oh he used filter x...) of course, since I'm not using Photoshop, it's not really the case. In fact, I'm the only person I am aware that uses Xara Xtreme to create maps at all. Although I do have a 2 year old Map thread on the Xara software forum, and I imagine somebody with the software playing RPGs might be doing so also, but I'm pretty sure I'm the first to do it.

[alhoon]

Yeap, seems better so far. Although it seems to scaling a bit too "ziguratty" if that makes any sense.

[Jester of the FoS]

Yeap, seems better so far. Although it seems to scaling a bit too "ziguratty" if that makes any sense.

Well, that is how it was presented in the 2e Shadow Rift book. There weren't a lot of smooth slopes. I work with what I'm given.

The scaling in that book was also a little iffy, with these giant chasms presented and seemingly miles deep, while the scale says they're 3000 feet at most. And it looked like there was this big black void on the southern end, which is labeled "black marsh" but could have just as easily been a bottomless chasm.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

could have just as easily been a bottomless chasm.

There's something perversely satisfying to me about a "bottomless chasm" at the bottom of the Shadow Rift, which most people topside in the Core think of as a "bottomless chasm." Pity it's just a marsh.

[Zilfer]

A hole inside a hole inside a hole? o.O' What's in this hole I wonder!

[MichaelTumey]

I just picked up a multiple map commission for Alluria Press, for the Cerulean Seas campaign setting. I will be updating their current undersea World Map and giving it lots of detail (I have control on what to include) since their existing map is rather sparse. Also Alluria Press is considering have maps done of all the cities in their known world for a large map folio product.

Being still rather busy with Kaidan product development, I've been avoiding contacting publishers for commissions. But these days, I don't even look for the work, it seems to find me. Well, I do like undersea maps, so it should be fun anyway!

I mentioned this, since it is kind of 'on topic'.

-M

[alhoon]

Goody. We lack undersea maps. I would avoid the cliche of the sunken ship... who am I kidding, add the sunken ship!

[Jester of the FoS]

I just picked up a multiple map commission for Alluria Press, for the Cerulean Seas campaign setting. I will be updating their current undersea World Map and giving it lots of detail (I have control on what to include) since their existing map is rather sparse. Also Alluria Press is considering have maps done of all the cities in their known world for a large map folio product.

Being still rather busy with Kaidan product development, I've been avoiding contacting publishers for commissions. But these days, I don't even look for the work, it seems to find me. Well, I do like undersea maps, so it should be fun anyway!

I mentioned this, since it is kind of 'on topic'.

-M

Congrats. Sounds like a fun challenge, especially the cities. I don't envy that. A good underwater city should be designed to be 3D (no railings, ramps instead of stairs, openings at floors other than the ground) which would be hard to reflect in a map.

[Manofevil]

]Here's an idea. Can somebody draw up a map of this :http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/foru ... 3&start=30

[MichaelTumey]

Thanks, guys!

]Here's an idea. Can somebody draw up a map of this : http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/for ... 3&start=30

Honestly, I'm interested in doing the City of Ravenloft map. I was just hoping that more could be defined so I could be comprehensive in creating what such a map should include, but as Jester of the Fos, mentioned, city maps are a B****. I will need to find the time to fit such a side project (and one I don't expect any payment - I would do it as participating member of the forum...)

Here is an example of an underwater city I've created for Kaidan, Ryukyo (Sea Dragon City) which I created 2 years ago, that Alluria Press is aware of, and probably what got their attention for me doing this for them...



Here's a link to the full scale version: Ryukyo (which literally means Sea Dragon City)

[Zilfer]

wow impressive.

[Blackest Sheep]

I drew a map of a modified Core for my Ravenloft campaign using CC3. Sadly, my mapping skills are somewhat lacking, especially when compared to some examples in this thread. Nonetheless, here is the latest version (click for a larger image):

[ewancummins]

I drew a map of a modified Core for my Ravenloft campaign using CC3. Sadly, my mapping skills are somewhat lacking, especially when compared to some examples in this thread. Nonetheless, here is the latest version (click for a larger image):

It looks pretty cool. I like the choice and placement of domains.

Ustalav-- that's a good adaptation, methinks.