ProFantasy Community Forum

Question: How has the Community Atlas affected your map making?

HadrianVIHadrianVI Surveyor
in Mapping with ProFantasy's Software
Hello everybody,

I was wondering about something:

A lot of great first maps have been posted on the forum in recent time.
I'm thinking about the first maps made by pixelkitteh and Jensen and the first major project posted by rrcalbick.

I might be biased but I think this is disproportionate compared to the average.
Now, I wonder whether this has something to do with the community atlas?

Therefore: Has the Community Atlas affected your map making? If yes, how?

Cheers
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Comments

  • CharlesWayneRobinsonCharlesWayneRobinson Traveler
    It helped me by working in styles that I was not familiar with, trying to do unusual maps such as my underworld map, making my own icons for the first time, and inserting a Character Artist piece into a map. Basically, it was all the experimenting.
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] 🖼️ 145 images
    I tried 3 different styles apart from Mike Schley - Herwin Wielink, Ancient Realms and Dark Realms; It taught me how to use certain effects better, such as lighted bevel, and edge Fade Inner; it gave me insight as to how to do forests better, and the help on my village was just tremendous. It is not just the trying out of styles and techniques, it is the great feedback and helpful advice that comes from this growing band of mappers.
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  • JensenJensen
    edited June 2017
    This forum here is the reason, why it is possible to make acceptable maps in a relativly short time after buying CC. After installing CC3+ i had a lot of questions (believe me: a lot of!). So I used google for my questions and in about 90 % it moved me to a thread of this forum, which answered my basic questions. Getting a first idea about effects was the biggest deal, as english is not my mother tongue I started with the dictionary e.g. what is a bevel. After that I used google as explained and in the case of bevel it was a city map from Quenten where I learned it (thx Quenten).
    But for inspiration, the second source after beer :-) was the community atlas, indeed. For beginners it is a showcase and a benchmark. It is a great thing! This forum and the community atlas showed me, that the good old days whith active communities instead of paying for every little piece of content and paying for every little question, are not over yet. Happy to be here :-)
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] 🖼️ 145 images
    And now, Jensen,,,(drum roll),,... we need your contribution to the community atlas - an island, a region, a city or village, a dungeon - the possibilties are all there. If you do such good maps as the one you have recently shared, you are fair game to target for the atlas. :D
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  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    Personally? I haven't completed even just my first city yet, but I can already tell that its pushing my abilities to the limit. I've learned how to make Varicolour symbols, and also that it is unwise to go into too much detail when mapping such a large area.

    I'll be continuing my city map as soon as I've finished both my current challenge maps ;)
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  • JimPJimP 🖼️ 280 images Cartographer
    Well, effects learning and a headache. I'm still churning out articles on my Traveller site during this to.
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  • JensenJensen
    Hi Quenten, inviting me for contributing to the community atlas is a very friendly move, but this is to early for me. I am still learning and I need to get more safety on what I am doing (some of the things on my first maps that I like I can not reproduce - thats what I mean with get more saftey). Give me some time and let me do some more maps and I will definitely apply.
    Best, Jensen
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  • HadrianVIHadrianVI Surveyor
    Jensen, there is no need to worry about this. The Atlas is a great opportunity to test and improve your skills, and you are at this point clearly capable of contributing beautiful maps.
    The atlas is not about creating perfect maps, it is about mapping Nibirum. Of course, we do try to make nice maps, but we do not strictly follow certain aesthetic requirements, because this would be boring. Instead we enjoy artistic freedom and try out new things and see how they work out.

    When I started contributing to the Atlas in the end of February this year I had just gotten back to mapping after a break of more than 4 years. I came back because I wanted to finally map my own world (which is still WIP:P) after being once again inspired by some of the great maps on this forum. But I soon figured out that I need more practice to get the results I wanted, so I started contributing to the Atlas, using it as an opportunity to improve my skills. And I have learned a lot in these four months: Just compare the Continents Berenur and Doriant, which I made roughtly two months apart. These improvements are owed to the fact that I used some of the maps especially to focus on and train a certain aspect of mapping, for example Maelstrom Bay, where I focused on Water or Demosthenes Swamp, where I tried to figure out how to protray swamps.

    So, don't hesitate. If you would like to contribute something to the Atlas. Join!
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  • JensenJensen
    OK, ok, you got me :-). At the wekend I will take some time and look for an area. But in the next few weeks I am a bit short an time, so I can not deliver very soon.
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  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 39 images Cartographer
    That's ok - there's no time limit. You can always point to me. I've taken months to get going, and I'm still not really in a position to do anything - not today anyway ;)
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