Quo Vadis Monthly Symbols?

RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
edited December 2022 in Cartographic Resources

Hi folks!

We are looking for feedback and suggestions on the future of the Monthly Symbols. If you have ideas or just want to let us know what you'd like to see, comment on the blog post (link below) or here in the forum thread with your suggestions.

Thank you!

Loopysue[Deleted User]GlitchWyvernRicko HascheLautiEdELizzy_Maracujapablo gonzalezMathieu Gans

Comments

  • More overland classical Greece and Japanese buildings, as well as Polynesian stuff.

    For his cities, also the same, and more specialty buildings.

  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer

    I would love to see dungeon/floorplan symbols expanded for SS4. I always seem to be missing some symbols for my maps. I would love to see small sets based on rooms/professions, such as:

    • The Smithy
    • The Stable
    • The Library
    • The Kitchen
    • The Chapel
    • Alchemist's Laboratory
    • Rogue's Room
    • Fighter's Room
    • Wizard's Room
    • Priest's Room
    • Ranger's Room
    • Paladin's Room
    • Halfling Den
    • Elven Abode
    • Gnomish Hut
    • Armorer's Shop
    • Forester's Hut (including tree stumps)
    • Torture Chamber
    • Prison Cell
    • The Garden
    • City Streets
    • Animal Pack
    • People Pack
    • Siege Weaponry
    • The Castle
    • Shipboard Equipment
    • Dragon's Lair
    • Mystic Portals
    • The Inn
    • Stained and Ruined Furniture
    • Murder Victims


    For overland, I wouldn't mind some more decorative elements, like more ships, airships (both those that look like a fantasy variant of a modern zeppelin, and the more high fantasy ones that look like an actual huge ship carried by a ballon). Different city styles from various cultures and time periods are also very appreciated, I wouldn't mind seeing some modern-looking cities to plop down on that map, and perhaps some steampunk-flavored ones too.

    [Deleted User]WyvernKenMJimProflo1LautiLizzy_MaracujaRalfdagorhirFersusand 5 others.
  • edited April 2022

    Steps for Mike Schley that are straight at both ends and don't go over a 5ft area.

    Marsh terrain for dungeon maps

    When new symbols are added can we have them the same size as existing symbols please. The recent snowy trees are great, they're just a little too big, bigger than a conifer symbol that already exists.

    Autumnal trees and Spring trees.

    More basic symbols for cities and towns etc, eg as opposed to having art of buildings on overland maps, have various circles or squares or icons to represent towns and capitals and ruins etc, more like an Ordnance Survey map.

    A new tundra terrain, I really don't like the current one.

    In the same vein as the dwarven/elven/orc symbols for towns and cities, hellish/angelic towns/cities.

    More Oriental building styles (Arabian/Japanese) and African style city symbols.

    For dungeons, more pillars and statues.

    Carpeted floor terrain.

    Marbled floor terrain.

    Round stone steps.

    Round Houses.

    A darker natural stone terrain.

    Sandstone terrain

    Roof tiles/slates terrain

    Ricko HascheJimPLautiLizzy_MaracujaRalfpablo gonzalezEukalyptusNowarsenico13adelia hernandezMapjunkie
  • I think the monthly symbols have been great! I'm using the Mike Schley Overland style for my big world map because it has a lot of variety, so the monthly freebies being for that style has been perfect.

    I'll echo a couple other comments and say some city and fortress symbols for other cultures would be good. Specifically, I needed a Japanese-style castle and had to borrow one from a different style, which only kind of fit.

    JimProflo1LautiLizzy_MaracujaRalf
  • LautiLauti Traveler
    edited April 2022

    Post apocalyptic is the excellent option. Looking at other similar programs, none have a platform for this type of style. A futuristic post apocalyptic style will also be very useful to use alongside the cosmographer in space campaigns.

    I can suggest in case you want to build an apocalyptic scene, we can also suggest important and essential images.

    I also miss Mesopotamian, Japanese/Chinese constructions and could also consider generic Central American constructions (Incas, Mayans and Aztecs).

    Autumn trees.

    roflo1JimPRicko HascheLizzy_MaracujaRalfpablo gonzalez
  • Mike Schley (SS4) is a favorite for dungeons and battle maps, but I agree with Monsen that there are many opportunities to expand SS4 but maybe expanding the symbol selection for SS2 Dungeon A can also be considered. I always try to create a map in SS2 D-A first but frequently end up defaulting to SS4 because of the much larger symbol selection. More choices are usually better even if is more options for existing symbols.

    Mine symbols with a theme: Orc, goblin, kobold, dwarf, etc.

    More crypts, sarcophagi, coffins

    General merchant shops: more shelves with various merchandise, weapons racks, etc. with a top-down perspective

    Wagons, food carts, market stalls

    Small shrines

    Horse troughs

    Docks: Cranes, hanging nets, net makers shop, drydocks, bollards, mooring points, more boat/ship symbols

    For cities, I'd suggest row houses mixing house sizes, materials of (roof) construction and shape. As one speaker commented during a mapping seminar recently, many fantasy city maps show single houses ("Americanized"), but the reality of many medieval cities contained no space between buildings in most poorer neighborhoods.

    Most worldbuilding "how to" literature points out that many cities will be co-located with rivers, lakes & coastlines but I feel that the dock ward symbols are underrepresented in many styles.

    JimProflo1Ralfarsenico13
  • brendanvbrendanv Newcomer

    I agree with Quentin. I would love to see more Japanese/Asian inspired architecture, both in cities and as single buildings. I have seen maps where people design cities with the overland assets and more culturally varied architecture could allow for cultural areas within a city.

    I think more variety in mountain and hill assets would also be welcome. in particular, assets that work well with different colors.

    RalfLautiRicko Hasche
  • I agree. My favorite game style with my friends is futuristic - Gamma Knights, Warhammer, Gurps Future.

    I use Cosmographer and Fractal terrain and I really miss an annual with images that can be used more in this theme - I looked in them all and didn't see anything like it.


    JimPRicko HascheLautiLizzy_Maracujaadelia hernandez
  • Hello dear fellow mappers.

    I would love some bonus content for dungeon maps / floorplans, especially SS4.

    It's a beautiful style, but the rather unique look sometimes makes it difficult to substitute other assets if I really, really need a symbol that's not in the catalogue.

    Monsen's suggestions are already pretty good.

    I would add:

    • The Necromancer's room
    • 1001 nights
    • The Far East
    • The Jungle
    • Various creature packs


    I would also welcome Japanese / Chinese / Indonesian add-ons for the Mike Schley Overland style or additional Content for Cities of Schley.

    MonsenJimProflo1adelia hernandez
  • Lots of additional content for cities of Schley, please

  • I vote for Dungeon assets as well. I totally agree with EukalyptusNow: SS4 is beautiful but hard to expand on. Things I miss on a regular basis are especially:

    Treestumps! These allow for battlemaps with trees, but without the leaves blocking the view.

    more things that could be used to block off paths on the battlefield, like these "caltrop palisades" (I don't know how they're called:

    Oh: and more things that nicely fit into a wall on a hex grid. I totally love this fireplace, as it's totally natural and it takes a whole hex tile, so there are no discussions about if someone can stand in this tile or not:


  • edited April 2022

    I joined my 3 posts (one of them with successive additions) into one to make it easier.

    I separated by subfolder of the program.

    I hope it's easier.

    All are OVERLAND related:

    Default Terrain:

    sky effects (sunset, sun, moon, cloudy etc)

    stone streets/roads (similar to citys/dungeons using schley style) .

    Scrub grass are squared, this is dificult to make "round" effects like following mountains/rivers

    Lava Ground and Ashes Ground

     Default Road:

    Default River/water: more water colors like dungeon style

    Borders/Political:

    Some Birds flying in different positions, alone or togheter, like swalow group - good for aerial visual among clouds.

    Rainbow

    Wind roses option - growing in vector style to make more easy apply on map.

    Icon Cartouches to insert words and/or text inside.

    Dragons, Reptiles, beholder, airship zepelim , Tarrasque, Spider, Boar, elephant, lion, harpy

    Multicolor Heraldics

    Minerals/Mountain:

    Mountains:

    One more cavern, that with 2 peaks around entrance are very dificult to paste close (do multiple entrances) one and another.

    1 or 2 more clouds image.

    high waterfall (like mountain waterfall icon without mountain)

    Natural Features:

    bowl-shaped cliffs - mostly them are convex. except the straight one.

    Also Cliffs like Spectrum Overland have with infinite visual poiting north. Very usefull to maps north orientated.

    Craters like Spectrum Overland Style

    Structures:

    mine entrance

    Roman/Greek Style & Chinese/Japanese

    Orthodox structures

    Adobe structures (example yemen buildings)

    bee/wasp/bug earth nest

    Diferent Head/statues like Moai, sphinx etc

    Wood palisade rounded and squared and Wood watch Tower

    Rounded Stone Wall, Tower and Gate + wall.

    Menhir and more types pinnacle (such rounded one)

    Floating Island/Mountain

    gnome structures

    HOBBIT STRUCTURES!!! 😍

    Single Hut Structure

    Graves

    Pillars Ruins

    Temple Ruins

    Tower Ruins (maybe when release a set images - like Japanese for ex. same images in good condition and ruined ones).

    Docks

    Horizontal curved Bridge

    Horizontal Straight bridge

    watermill

    market icon

    Vegetation:

    Icon Scrub grass are squared, this is dificult to make "round" effects like following mountains/rivers

    Flowers and brushes (can use the small one Jungle fill 1, but dont have Brush aspect).

    perharps use same icon from scrublands to make a default terrain with this view. will be very useful on big maps.

    Stones (as par lindstrom style)

     

    More Creepy stuffs such cimiterys, tomb, gravestones, old church, ruined temple, profane sites are always welcome.

    And create Post apocalypse/steam punk style Cartographer month content to merge with his style and take advantage of hundreds of symbols already existent (mountains, ruins, vegetacion etc) from the Medieval Overland Style.

    Demon/Underworld and/or (togheter) Other Planes structures (perharps consider this and monthly content on annual cartographer)

    JimP[Deleted User]MonsenBidmaronLautiAleDadelia hernandezMapjunkie
  • 18 days later
  • I hope it's not too late :)

    So here we go:

    • More animal symbols for Borders/Political on Overland such as boars, wolves, etc.
    • An identical tool used for cliffs and city walls but to place fences.

    Thank you!

  • 1 month later
  • First off, thank you so much for releasing regular updates!!! What you have been doing so far is great!


    “Should we stick with overland symbols for a while? Is the idea of Dungeon symbosl fine? Or would you like to see something else entirely?”


    The symbols have been great, but I feel there are some things I would like to see that might help cartographers make even more interesting maps. 


    I would like to see both a drawing tool that helps show elevation of land on Isometric overland maps. Pine Snow, Tree Decid Snow forest fills to accompany the snowy trees already in place thanks to the update. Mixed tree line symbol. A Cliff N, as the Cliff NS symbol would allow you to see over the ledge. Finally, variants of currently existing bitmap fills and more bitmap fills would be awesome. 

  • 26 days later
  • Any idea when the next free symbols are coming? And can we also get some from other mappers, eg Spectrum Overland, or Erdan Worlds, or even Herman Wielink?

  • I thought some came out this month, July ?

  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker

    July symbols are coming up next week.

    JimProflo1EdE
  • 7 days later
  • Since pro fantasy chose to release new monthly content focused on the Dungeon/battlemap style, I suggest considering elements where action takes place.

    I would think of it as something very useful for future releases, villain stuff like cemeteries, necromancers, ancient libraries, temples, ruins, statues of unholy gods, more sarcophagi, dead bodies, items (magical or otherwise) like axes, gloves, bows, crossbows etc... Elements very useful in the elaboration of more characterized battlemaps.

    Added to this in the concept of cities, I would not fail to evaluate the launch of Asian (Japanese - Chinese) constructions, which was the most requested topic in Overland's suggestions.

    JimProflo1EukalyptusNowEdERobPappinadelia hernandez
  • 26 days later
  • edited August 2022

    With all due respect, I honestly can't understand the meaning of this post so far, none of the items that were released were the most ask on the forum.

  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker

    Hi Pablo!

    There are always various considerations what can be produced and makes sense in the range. I was looking for ideas and inspirations with the original post (not a fixed "Most wanted" list), and there have other suggestions as well on the FB group and per email.

    And, as even Mike needs some time to create the artwork, the first three sets of the Dungeon series where fixed before we even started this thread.

    Loopysue[Deleted User]JimPJeff BWyvernGlitcharsenico13
  • 16 days later
  • How about 1917/1940 to modern bunkers, trenches, fortifications, MG nests, sandbag emplacements...😃

    Octorilla
  • Hello.


    Staying in the theme of castles, I have the idea of siege machines. Ballistas, trebuchet, catapults, ram... These elements could eventually come to decorate the walls of strongholds or battlefields. 

    Otherwise, elements of quarries, stores with a particular design specific to their trade ...

    Here are the few ideas that come to my mind for now.

    matt

    Ricko Hasche
  • CSUAC has some crew weapons. I don't remember a battering ram though.

  • 2 months later
  • Hello,

    New variations for Character Artist 3 allowing to have more dynamic poses.

    Thanks a lot and good luck,

    [Deleted User]
  • I agree, Character Artist 3 could use some expansion

    Mathieu GansJimP
  • Well, since a lot of us now play 5th Edition D&D, how about some Tiefling stuff? For Character Artist, but also overland symbols and Isometric stuff for those of us that like making Isometric city scapes.

    I'm still looking for Isometric MODERN symbols for overland maps (including ruins),

    Expand modern dungeon map symbols too! Would be great for mapping games like Mechwarrior, Cyberpunk and the like.

    Modern symbols in general would be fantastic! Also modern textures, for those of us that game in the modern/futuristic age :)

    Ricko HascheMathieu Gans
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