Commission Map - Realm of Arduin
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Here is a commission map of the realm of Arduin, to be used for a RPG world. Helpful comments welcome, as usual. A larger version is in the gallery.
Obviously, this map is strict copyright. I have permission from the client to put this on the forum for discussion.
Comments
Wow. This is huge.
How long did you work on this map?
Yeah, this is really big! Presumably going for a wall-hanging poster-sized version if it's to be printed-out, I'd imagine, or all that intricate detail is going to be lost!
Congratulations on getting the borders to work with the dash and double-dot arrangement with no issues. These things are ever a nightmare in CC3, I know. (And on the more detailed view, all the other dashed lines as well!)
On the easy-to-view Forum version, I'm losing the knotwork corner details in the mountains especially - the colour's too similar. Maybe try a glow of some kind, or maybe a different shadow to pull-up the decorative elements?
The "Khorsar" label right beside the "Arduin" cartouche is very distracting; one or other would benefit from moving further away.
The surrounding nation/area labels aren't as clear as they might be in places, ironically including the Khorsar one, particularly where they overlie the mountains. Again, maybe a glow or shadow would help.
Is there a particular reason why only the Ozharen border has been colour-highlighted? That name-label might be tweaked slightly too, as the "O" is currently a little too near the map border overall.
The scalebar and compass rose are partly buried below the lower-left corner decoration currently, and the North point of the compass rose is obscuring part of the "Talafar" label.
On the more detailed Gallery view (and also on the Forum view version), the watercourses maybe aren't as clear as they could be, notably again in the mountains, plus in the woods at times. In places, they also seem to be impossibly narrow, to the point of almost vanishing, between far broader stretches, which looks odd, if perhaps required as a quirk by the commissioner (given how common these features seem to be). Several lakes appear rather too angular as well, though again this could be simply a required quirk, as they too are pretty frequently-seen.
The City Cliffs symbols in The Great Rift area could perhaps use some tweaking, as they look rather too angular in places, compared with how nicely curving they are in others. This could be worth considering too in that Devil's Footprint crater.
In the lower right corner, there's a tiny label that I think reads "Gast Water" which is too close to the corner decoration. The "Maragore" label could be moved lower, to fit within the border lines better, and the "Barbarian Hobbit Tribes" label it's currently partly obscuring should probably be moved as well, and perhaps set-up on two text lines, not just the one, to shorten it to fit with the moved Maragore label.
That's what I spotted easily in a quick check, at least, though obviously many of the smaller details can't be viewed properly even using the Gallery version.
Good luck!
wich print size mr Quenten?
In all my maps, even comissions, I always like to put "secret Wheres wally" like: caves, ruins, houses, animals, tomb entrance, caves etc.
Arduin. Now there's a name I've not heard for many years. I think I still have the original three books out in a box in the garage.
I am not sure about the compass location. Part is covered by the border, and the north prong is getting between the text. It looks odd. The scale is also barely covered, but it just looks odd in that corner due to everything that is over there.
The drop shadow on the bottom left border also does not look as good as the other corners. The other three look lifted up, but that one does not.
I am not sure what is going on with the green glowing border. Is that supposed to be something, or just a political border? If it is political, then why not the other borders?
The green glowing border is what the client wants.
The map will be printed out as 30" - and all the text is easily visible at that size.
@JulianDracos Thanks for pointing out the issue with the compass - I will have to move them to the right a bit more. I will check on the lower left border.
@Ricko Hasche Yes, there are Where's Wally sites, with a few to be added - but again, it is the client that is determining this.
@Wyvern As usual, very helpful comments. i will be looking at all these when i do a final detailed check. At this stage, I just want to get all the details the client wants right first.
@jslayton Yes, I believe this is based on the Arduin map of old, and its co-creator is using this redone map as part of the rewrite of the Arduin world.
As Quentin said above.
fyi, the green glow is a magical border that can’t be crossed typically.
Quenten is doing a truly amazing job!
If the green glow is a magical border that neither side can cross, then it needs to fade on both sides not just one. It would look a lot better that way. A fade on one side doesn't look right to me if that is what it is supposed to be.
Mmmmm. I will ask the client. I think the Arduin side of the border would NOT have the green barrier flowing into it at all, so my instinct is to keep it as it is. I will perhaps add some symbols to more clearly indicate its magic nature, but that will be up to the client to decide.
Probably resolved by now, but perhaps changing the dashed border line also to green might help, and maybe also the "Ozharen" label, since this is obviously an area of particular significance.
Having it just be a solid green line would also work.
What I am thinking is that if I see a gradient, it would mean that I can enter the area. Maybe it is hard to travel or some other effect. Then, I get to the solid green part. That means no more travel. So, perceived like that, it mean on one side there is hindrance until you cannot move. On the other side, everything is fine until you just can't move move.
So my issue just isn't aesthetic. It has to do with perception of the map and its impact on travel.
I totally disagree with both comments above - sorry. Please move on to something else.
Gorgeous map Quenten, well bloody done!
For what it's worth on the green border; I think it's fine as is, my take is that it was 'erected' on the Arduin side to keep what/who ever on the other side out. The faded area is a a very clear warning, keep away or suffer the consequences.
I think in the client's mind, it is erected to keep the Arduinese out, but I may be wrong. regardless, it appears that that is what the client wants. And if this is the case, the barrier would be totally on the Ozrhaen side, not the Arduin side, or it would be regarded as a declaration of war if you erected a barrier that extended into your neighbour's land. And Ozrhaen ain't Russia
That would work very well in a google maps style interface, with tiled levels.
Here is the final map, submitted, and the client loves it, so that is a relief. Bigger version in Gallery. Sorry the text is not that legible at that resolution though