Cistern caves

KenG

New project has been started, this is the lowest level of a fortress/ prison/temple. Deep Cisterns have been built into the floors and interesting machinery is used to move the water around the different tanks and to the surface. A huge fissure is open across the center of the level. Two stairs lead down from the surface, and yet another stairway leads further down into the mountain but it has been blocked.
This is been done mostly with the annual #7 caves and I basically like it. I'd like to be able to get more depth in the walls and exchange the symbol stairs for some more organic stairs that slope down along the walls if I can figure out a way to do it.
I'm hoping for some feedback and ideas on how I can improve the map and the effects.

Thanks,

Ken

anomiecoalition

This is super cool...are those symbols part of a CC3 set?

I agree that the stairs kinda stick out...here's a link to some overlays that I often use (http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=9370&KW=overlay)

I really love the two textures you've chosen here...but it kinda looks like the grey stone is above the brown. Not sure how your sheets are set up or what shapes on which sheet - but if the brown is a series of multipolys rather than a solid rectangle, I would move that sheet above (below on the list) the grey stone sheet and add some glow/shadow. And/or you could try this method i've used for cave type stuff. (http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=3249&page=1#Item_27).

really looking forward to seeing where this goes (particularly since real life has limited my time for map making lately and I am vicarious doing it through others on the forum).

KenG

I've done a lot of changes to this, but it is not finished yet. Please tell me if I'm headed in the right direction or if things need to be corrected.

Thanks,

Ken

anomiecoalition

I think its a big improvement...one question - is the earth wall supposed to be taller than the machinery? If so, then maybe it should cast a shadow over it (i.e. the earth sheet should be below your machinery sheet on the list).

Joachim de Ravenbel

This is not only a very good map but also a game situation full of fun!
Destroy the bridge and block the sides so the party has to crawl on the pipe! If it's intented as a game or story situation...
I agree with anomiecoalition about the walls. I'd also smooth the floor edges (turn it into a smooth polygon).
The white line inside the map edges is also nice. It looks simple but it gives a pro cachet to the whole thing. You could easily turn that in a signature.
(You could also add some transparency to it).

KenG

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions

KenG

So it has been a while since I've been able to work on this complex, but the babies slept in this morning and I was inspired to work on it. There is still a lot to do and loads of clean up but I think I got enough to show where I'm going with this and illicit some feedback. (please)
So here is the Crypt Level of the complex, 1 story up from the Cistern level. The background is this is the next to lowest level in the complex where the priests intern the dead priests and sometimes others. The more important the better position in the afterlife. The crane is to lower workers into the central crevice where there are also burial alcoves dug into the walls. There is a small shrine for ceremonies and prayer.
I'm working on replacing the stairs, and I want to use this to play with the lighting but I'm not there yet.

JimP

wowsers !

Dogtag

Kinda creepy.

Joachim de Ravenbel

A very dark and oppresive atmosphere... Love it!

Just a thought: doesn't the crane stand in the way from the shrine room to the mummies area?

KenG

OK first try at a modified stairway how does this look?
I also moved the crane to a platform over the pit and filled up a bit more of the space in the crypt.

Thanks JimP

Posted By: DogtagKinda creepy.

Posted By: Joachim de RavenbelA very dark and oppresive atmosphere

Cool and thanks that is what I was going for!!

Joachim de Ravenbel

The stairs are very realistic now! How did you managed to get that effect?

nlp138

Wow! Love the new stairs. That is really fantastic. I wanna know how ya did it!

KenG

Thanks JdR and nlp138

The stairs are very easy it is a multipoly of the background with a black glow.
Then on a different sheet I outlined the stairs with a black line with a glow and blur on it.
Then I copied the stair outlines onto a third sheet and gave the same glow and blur effect
Then I added a sheet with a 90 % bit map for the lowest stairs and a 50 % bitmap for the medium stairs and put a 50% transparence on that sheet.

I've made some drastic changes to the layout of the crypt so I'm looking for some feed back and ideas on what it could use to make it "pop" a bit more

Thanks,

Joachim de Ravenbel

Cool, now it looks like catacombs!

I just don't really undestrand how the crane is supposed to work...It won't reach the tunnel facing the altar area unless the arm can be extended...