Your are doing very well. But please dont forget to save diferent versions of your map! I cant understand what are the two symbols on the midle of the map. Your hills on the left corner looks good and have a natural fell and I liked where you put your cities. As I said above I would rezide the trees and now the settlements symbols (or change them for dots). The desert island on the up corner dont convince me. If you bother with reality I dont believe that a desert island would form where you put it (I personaly dont even know if a desert island is possible in reality). I think that a forest would be very nice (aesteticaly speaking) on the rigth of the big mountain chain, where the various rivers flow.
There's a ruined tower, and a 'mesa' symbol (part of the world's history has a magically raised spire of stone there, and that's the closest thing I could find...)
Also, yeah I'm not sure I'm going to keep the 'desert' island - I need a desert somewhere for plot purposes, but I need to put a bit of research into where it should be. (Possibly, I may replace the forest in the upper right of the main continent with one, but I'm still thinking on it.)
I actually plan to put a forest there, but I wanted to draw my roads and other travel indicators first, as one of them will be passing through that area and the trees should really be drawn around it.
I will likely make adjustments to the trees and symbols for the cities, etc. as this is a whole world map, but for now I'm just trying to get some placeholders in there.
I also plan to add some mountain 'background' and probably something for the forests, as well as 'farmland' areas eventually, but one step at a time.
I can be wrong but the only "logical" spot where a desert could be formed in your map is where I marked. Maybe some folks that undestand more about biomes than can correct me or apoint others options for you. One factor that I know about deserts is that they may form where mountains dont let umid from the oceans to reach.
I messed with a few things this time, and I think I'm done for the evening. I'm planning to adjust the remaining tree sizes, add a desert and maybe look at other options for the city locations (I don't think the dots look good, and those cities I'm marking here are meant to be regional capitals, so they should be huge anyway).
I'm curious if the backgrounds I've chosen for mountains and the mountain range looks better on the island, mostly.
I prefer with the background of the small landmass. I think you can put it on the others mountains range. And aparently you messed with the "ex desert island" because it does not have the same effects than the others landmasses. Take a lok if you did not changed the sheet of the island.
I played with it just a little this morning, and added a different background to the large mountain range, as well as adding the 'grassland' background and some trees to the foothills in the south.
I like that background for the island mountains, but it doesn't really look right (in my opinion) on the larger range on the main continent.
I understand that the map you linked looks pretty good. Also, the author states he used a lot of the tips from people experienced with CC3. I have actually. Seen the same tips he used in that map. However, when using that brown color for the mountain background on this map, it doesn't turn out right (the scale is just too large - it ends up being too solid or too faded to look good, sadly.)
Also, I have noticed that you seem to say things like 'for this style' when reviewing maps using the basic CC3 style. Is there one you would reccomend for more professional (or just better looking) maps in particular?
I understand that the map you linked looks pretty good. Also, the author states he used a lot of the tips from people experienced with CC3. I have actually. Seen the same tips he used in that map. However, when using that brown color for the mountain background on this map, it doesn't turn out right (the scale is just too large - it ends up being too solid or too faded to look good, sadly.)
Also, I have noticed that you seem to say things like 'for this style' when reviewing maps using the basic CC3 style. Is there one you would reccomend for more professional (or just better looking) maps in particular?
Corin, english is not my first language as you may have seen. So I apologise if something that I wrote sounded rude for you. That was not my intention, but a lot of subtleties of the language are out of my capacity that's why I write short and direct ansewrs. I am only trying to help and I dont want to sound rude or to imply that your work is not good or the style that you choose is not good. I only posted the example because, as he used the same style as you, you could have some ideas seeing how he choose to do things. You dont have to copy or follow the sugestion. Mapping is a long process of learning and of trying and error until you came up with something that YOU are happy with (I am begining to achiev it only now).
I use the term "style" because that is what it is. That was why I asked what you have bought some posts above, to know what you have avaiable. There is nothing wrong if the basic style from CC3 but is MY PERSONAL view that it is better for smaller maps, like regional ones. I dont use it for hole continets because I dont like how the symbols scale. For continet/world maps I use styles provided in the annuals and for mountains range I normaly prefers to not use symbols.
About the backgorund what you are probably needing are just good effects. Probably Edge Fade, maybe Texturize. For the rivers a inner glow using some yellow or green and a outside glow using a brown (probably the same colors used in the glow for the landmasses but using smaller numbers).
Mateus, I didn't think you were being rude. I really just wanted to know if there was a style that you prefer (or anyone, really) because I am probably going to bey one of the annual packs, and just wondered where I should start. Most likely this will be the 'rough' map I will use as the basis for one made using a more professional looking CC3 style from the annuals, and as the template for regional maps.
Is ther an annual style you prefer (this is really directed at anyone) for larger scale maps like this one?
Thats depende a lot of what personal taste. This Annual have 2 large scale styles that are easy to use (I love the mountains form the Fantasy Worlds style): http://sub.profantasy.com/2009/april09.html
Big improvements! The up-scale to the islands is a good change and the contour addition under the mountains on crescent island looks great. I agree with you about the mountains on the main island, you could use the same brown color and then transition into a desert to the east towards the spire (like Mateus suggested). The black dots that represent cities are a little jarring, I'd go back to the bitmaps.
You are improving . One thing that you DO need are effects. With the right effects your map can improve a lot. I have one suggestion why dont you use the Terrain tools for the forests and use the individual symbols only to give a sense of disperse? You can even resize then to your needs as I show in the screenshoot. You also need others shades of blue in your ocean to show diferent deeps.
As with everything else, I'm curious if you think the ocean contours I've added look okay. I did my best to achieve a layered effect moving away from the land masses.
Unfortunately, I think it may need to be redone on the shallowest layer, as it looks a little forced in some places, but maybe that's just me being too hard on myself there.
I wanted to achieve something more like an exact distance, but couldn't find a sheet effect that would give me a line to trace (or just follow) from outside the land mass (for instance, a line that exactly follows the existing land masses' outlines, at a set distance out - is there any way to accomplish that?)
Mateus, I tried actually doing what you suggested with the forest terrain, but adjusting the 'scale' doesn't actually seem to affect the size of the trees, or really anything. Is there something I missed?
To use scale trick you must use the bitmaps fils of forest and not the individual symbols. Remeber that you have to save the modifications so change the name so you dont overwrite the original bitmaps. For the sea countous, one thnig that you can do is do a copy of your landmass, press ctrl to enlarg it and then change the sheet and colour of it. I will post a screen to help.
Well, I haven't changed the ocean depth contours, but I did apply some extra effects, and made a few other minor alterations.
What do you think?
At this point, I'm looking for any further advice to make the map just look better in general. I'm likely going to actually use this as a trial map, and actually create a second one (possibly using a different style, eventually) for the actual usable map, as there's a lot of little things that this map has taught me, but which also make it less than ideal. Still, I'm looking for anything that might make it better, so that further maps start out better.
Great work! My only comment is maybe apply an EDGE FADE, INNER to the desert so the transition isn't so,... well defined I really like your water contours it has a very cool "pond ripple" thing going on. Did you do that with mutiple sheets? And, it's inspired me to try a wind / wave effect on a future map, thanks Corin!
Comments
Keep the good work
Also, yeah I'm not sure I'm going to keep the 'desert' island - I need a desert somewhere for plot purposes, but I need to put a bit of research into where it should be. (Possibly, I may replace the forest in the upper right of the main continent with one, but I'm still thinking on it.)
I actually plan to put a forest there, but I wanted to draw my roads and other travel indicators first, as one of them will be passing through that area and the trees should really be drawn around it.
I will likely make adjustments to the trees and symbols for the cities, etc. as this is a whole world map, but for now I'm just trying to get some placeholders in there.
I also plan to add some mountain 'background' and probably something for the forests, as well as 'farmland' areas eventually, but one step at a time.
I'm curious if the backgrounds I've chosen for mountains and the mountain range looks better on the island, mostly.
I like that background for the island mountains, but it doesn't really look right (in my opinion) on the larger range on the main continent.
What do you think?
It may give you some ideas. But pay attention that the scale o his map if a lot smaller than yours.
I understand that the map you linked looks pretty good. Also, the author states he used a lot of the tips from people experienced with CC3. I have actually. Seen the same tips he used in that map. However, when using that brown color for the mountain background on this map, it doesn't turn out right (the scale is just too large - it ends up being too solid or too faded to look good, sadly.)
Also, I have noticed that you seem to say things like 'for this style' when reviewing maps using the basic CC3 style. Is there one you would reccomend for more professional (or just better looking) maps in particular?
I use the term "style" because that is what it is. That was why I asked what you have bought some posts above, to know what you have avaiable. There is nothing wrong if the basic style from CC3 but is MY PERSONAL view that it is better for smaller maps, like regional ones. I dont use it for hole continets because I dont like how the symbols scale. For continet/world maps I use styles provided in the annuals and for mountains range I normaly prefers to not use symbols.
About the backgorund what you are probably needing are just good effects. Probably Edge Fade, maybe Texturize. For the rivers a inner glow using some yellow or green and a outside glow using a brown (probably the same colors used in the glow for the landmasses but using smaller numbers).
Is ther an annual style you prefer (this is really directed at anyone) for larger scale maps like this one?
What do you think?
Unfortunately, I think it may need to be redone on the shallowest layer, as it looks a little forced in some places, but maybe that's just me being too hard on myself there.
I wanted to achieve something more like an exact distance, but couldn't find a sheet effect that would give me a line to trace (or just follow) from outside the land mass (for instance, a line that exactly follows the existing land masses' outlines, at a set distance out - is there any way to accomplish that?)
Mateus, I tried actually doing what you suggested with the forest terrain, but adjusting the 'scale' doesn't actually seem to affect the size of the trees, or really anything. Is there something I missed?
What do you think?
At this point, I'm looking for any further advice to make the map just look better in general. I'm likely going to actually use this as a trial map, and actually create a second one (possibly using a different style, eventually) for the actual usable map, as there's a lot of little things that this map has taught me, but which also make it less than ideal. Still, I'm looking for anything that might make it better, so that further maps start out better.
Thanks for the compliments. I'll definitely look at the desert thing.
Also, yes, each water contour color is a separate sheet, and each one has a fade effect applied to it so that it blends a little into the one below.