I am ashamed to admit I expanded the map even further :-) Will post a new version soon.
And for Joachim: I experimented a lot with another contour for the mountains/hills and I just can't find anything I like. So I am sticking with the white background, even if it doesn't make any sense :-) (just to let you know I value suggestions and I try to incorporate them).
That's the only thing I really dislike about CC3. The interface doesn't feel intuitive to me. Expanding the map proved to be so easy, but I never thought to just remove the border. Otherwise I love CC3 :-)
I think it was just the shape of the forest in the earlier maps that looked a little off to me when I suggested gradually increasing the size of the tree symbols. Now that you've expanded the map though, it all comes together and works.
Next update. This map depicts roughly half of my world. I think I am going to stop expanding it for a while and finish it. I will probably add the southern part later this year. It's consuming too much of my time and I never can put a project on-hold... need to cut if in half then :-)
If you don't mind me asking, which sheet-effects do you use on your rivers and lakes? I've tried to recreate a similar look, but it doesn't come out as nice. (I used glow (outer and inner), a slight bevel on the rivers and some edge fade (inner))
I'd also be interested in how you did the fields. Thanks.
I will look into it tonight as I am at work right now. I certainly don't mind you asking and will let you know which effects I used and which textures for the field.
Beautiful map. I especially love the way you did the cities on the map. Fields still look a bit dominating though, but as you said you are still experimenting, I assume they will look different in the final version.
I created four custom tools. Nothing fancy, just standard contour tools with which I can draw shapes that are filled with specific textures. The fill styles I used: 1. "desert dark bitmap" (standard CC3) 2. "dead grass bitmap" (standard CC3) 3. \Bitmaps\Tiles\City\CD3\Bitmap B\CD3B_Grass Bright 1_HI.PNG (CD3 addon) 4. \Bitmaps\Tiles\City\CD3\CD3_Mideast_Roof_HI.PNG (CD3 addon)
All the fields are drawn on a custom "Farmland" sheet. As I said, each patch has been drawn by hand. So that's hundreds of entities in above map. I am currently experimenting with some sheet effects.
Scale: yes I have an idea about scale. But mostly in travelling days, so I won't be adding a scale bar.
Rusthaven isn't actually a town. It's Dutch for "reststop". They are groups of cabins that can be used to shelter in when travelling through that particular pass. They are about a day's travel apart. I might have to change their symbol, so they don't look like towns.
Ahh. I see. Probably easier to understand this for someone who actually speaks the language Looking back on your previous versions of the map, I see it was actually named "Rest Stop" there, which explains why I didn't notice any strangeness before.
Which of those watercourses is supposed to be the effluence for Het Meer? None of them look big enough. Since it's supposed to be a fresh water lake, it has to have an effluence of some sort (though it could be magical, I suppose). If evaporation is the only way for water to escape the lake, then the salinity will rise over time since evaporation leaves dissolved solids behind.
All lakes are temporary as they fill up with sediments or they will grow and spill out of the basin in which they are held. This process can take many millions of years though. This lake is certainly doomed to die as well. It's slowly getting larger and in the summer large parts of the lower lands to the south are flooded. Eventually the whole Valley will be filled with water. This process for this lake is very slow though, as the intake is almost balanced with the water going out through evaporation and seepage. Salinity is certainly rising as well.
Not all lakes have visible outlets. Water can drain through the soil to the ocean or there could be underground caves draining the water.
Anyway, although I have made sure a lake like this could be realistically possible, this is a fantasy map. The joy of fantasy being I can afford to twist reality a bit :-)
Gandwarf, I am always stunned by the beauty of your maps. For this map, I especially like the way you grouped the different settlement symbols to create larger settlements. It gives the cities a real old-world map feel. Also, a nice choice of subtle color variations in the grasslands.
Comments
Will post a new version soon.
And for Joachim: I experimented a lot with another contour for the mountains/hills and I just can't find anything I like. So I am sticking with the white background, even if it doesn't make any sense :-)
(just to let you know I value suggestions and I try to incorporate them).
http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=1141
That's the only thing I really dislike about CC3. The interface doesn't feel intuitive to me. Expanding the map proved to be so easy, but I never thought to just remove the border. Otherwise I love CC3 :-)
Bigger version: http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4587/verenaregionlarge11.jpg
Bigger version: http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/1258/verenaregionlarge14.jpg
I wanted to ask. How did you do the fields?
I can give the specifics for the drawing tools if you want.
Currently I am experimenting with desaturating and changing opacity on the fields, but I haven't found what I am looking for yet.
If you don't mind me asking, which sheet-effects do you use on your rivers and lakes?
I've tried to recreate a similar look, but it doesn't come out as nice. (I used glow (outer and inner), a slight bevel on the rivers and some edge fade (inner))
I'd also be interested in how you did the fields.
Thanks.
I certainly don't mind you asking and will let you know which effects I used and which textures for the field.
Oh, and as for the cities: most of the bigger cities I already mapped with CD3. I tried to convert their shape and layout to this regional map.
See this thread for the city maps:
http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=512
Water effect:
1. Glow
Mode: inside
R: 145
G: 238
B: 255
Strength: 1
Blur: 40
2. Glow
Mode: outside
R: 136
G: 136
B: 55
Strength: 1
Blur: 10
3. Blur
Blur radius: 1
I created four custom tools. Nothing fancy, just standard contour tools with which I can draw shapes that are filled with specific textures. The fill styles I used:
1. "desert dark bitmap" (standard CC3)
2. "dead grass bitmap" (standard CC3)
3. \Bitmaps\Tiles\City\CD3\Bitmap B\CD3B_Grass Bright 1_HI.PNG (CD3 addon)
4. \Bitmaps\Tiles\City\CD3\CD3_Mideast_Roof_HI.PNG (CD3 addon)
All the fields are drawn on a custom "Farmland" sheet. As I said, each patch has been drawn by hand. So that's hundreds of entities in above map. I am currently experimenting with some sheet effects.
(I had much lower blur values on the glow effects which made it a bit ugly.)
I'll try out making some fields too later today.^^
Bigger version: http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/3881/verenaregionlarge18.jpg
And the field look better, sure:)
Any idea of scale ?
So, what's the Story about Rusthaven, given that it has been placed on the map 4 times?
Rusthaven isn't actually a town. It's Dutch for "reststop". They are groups of cabins that can be used to shelter in when travelling through that particular pass. They are about a day's travel apart. I might have to change their symbol, so they don't look like towns.
Looking back on your previous versions of the map, I see it was actually named "Rest Stop" there, which explains why I didn't notice any strangeness before.
Not all lakes have visible outlets. Water can drain through the soil to the ocean or there could be underground caves draining the water.
Anyway, although I have made sure a lake like this could be realistically possible, this is a fantasy map. The joy of fantasy being I can afford to twist reality a bit :-)
Just beautiful.
Bigger version: http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3418/thevalleylarge2.jpg
(saved in reduced quality)