Qin-era map (ancient China)
Mogul76
Traveler
This is my first digital battle map. Please let me know what you think.
1,500 x 1,500 pixel files can be downloaded here:
Part A
Part B
RPG: Qin - The Warring States.
Scale: 1 square is 1m2.
Mapping software: Campaign Cartographer 3 and Dungeon Designer 3.
Symbols: Devin Night's "Map Objects: Qin Dynasty" (fouruglymonsters.com), CC3/DD3/SS2 symbols, Dundjinni forums, rpgmapshare.com, greytale.com as well as the Gamemaster Syndicate Ruins Pack for CC3.
Thanks,
Mogul76
1,500 x 1,500 pixel files can be downloaded here:
Part A
Part B
RPG: Qin - The Warring States.
Scale: 1 square is 1m2.
Mapping software: Campaign Cartographer 3 and Dungeon Designer 3.
Symbols: Devin Night's "Map Objects: Qin Dynasty" (fouruglymonsters.com), CC3/DD3/SS2 symbols, Dundjinni forums, rpgmapshare.com, greytale.com as well as the Gamemaster Syndicate Ruins Pack for CC3.
Thanks,
Mogul76
Comments
Add lots of trees (... I'm planning to "build in" a bamboo forest), some shrubs, rocks, etc. and you'll get the picture ;-)
By the way, does anyone else have feedback regarding the first map I've posted?
My only gripe (and I honestly feel like a jerk for even mentioning such a tiny little detail), is that the stables seem a little small - imagine getting horses in and out of there with any room to breathe. The chances of this mattering are honestly slim to none, but I thought I'd mention it at the very least. Regardless, this map is some amazing work. I'd have to say this is a 10/10 as far as my expectations for this type of thing go.
I'm planning to create a whole series of maps for my campaign set in ancient China and the positive response motivates me to continue with my project (... mapping can be a time-consuming hobby) :-)
@ Ralph: The walls actually do have a small bevel (length 0.25, strength 20 and fade 1). The jpeg which I have posted is probably so small that the bevel effect can't be seen. Here's another extract:
@ Dally: That's really cool. I love the history of Eastern Asia (especially China during the Warring States and Three Kingdoms period... but other eras such as the Song and Ming dynasty are also very interesting). If you are interested in RPG's set in China you may want to check out Qin: The Warring States which is available as a PDF at drivethrurpg.com or as a hardcopy book at amazon.com. By the way, you're absolutely right: The stables are too small and those poor horses must be suffering... I find scaling one of the hardest parts of creating a map.
@ Tome: Thank you!
I'm curious though, about how long would you say it took you to craft that first map? I've been a long time lurker of fantasy cartography, but I'm only now getting into actually mapping for myself and learning the various programs. I'm curious to know how long it took you to put together that masterpiece!
CC3/DD3 is not that hard to use if you understand the basics. Many functions are explained in the help menu. Joseph Sweeney's movie tutorials will help you familiarise with the most important functions. But the annuals are a very valuable resource as well, especially if you need additional information on sheet effects. The first step involves developing an own generic fill style. Just start an empty map and save it in \ProFantasy\CC3\System\Fill Styles. Then import your tiles (i.e. textures) in that empty map and create a set of fill styles and drawing tools (make sure that the textures are first saved \ProFantasy\CC3\Bitmaps\Tiles\YourName... use the "import pngs" function to create various resolutions...). When you open a new map, use the insert file command which can be found in the draw menu to import your fill styles and drawing tools. The good thing is that can use them over and over again. Hence, I will need much less time to create other Qin-style maps in the future.
Then, search Google for images. I just typed in "Chinese courtyard house" and found a lot of floorplans and top-down photographs. That helped. Once you have done all that, it's a quite simple process. A lot of ideas will pop up once you get started. The most important thing is to always keep in mind what atmosphere you'd like to convey through your maps. If you are creating a map for a campaign set in Hyboria (Conan the Barbarian) don't use the symbols which come with CC3 but rather those of the SS2 addon. When drawing a map for BESM (a Manga RPG) don't use photo-realistic symbols and tiles. Etc.
Here's the final map:
Larger versions (3,000 x 3,000 pixels) can be downloaded here:
QIN_A_FINAL_3000x3000.png
QIN_B_FINAL_3000x3000.png
QIN_C_FINAL_3000x3000.png
I have also been asked to create a VTT (virtual table top) version of the map (... no furniture, doors, etc.). It can be downloaded in the user-art section of rptools.net. Just click HERE .
If you need character tokens, visit kongming.net/11/portraits/.
Here are some screenshots of the VTT map in MapTool (... the symbols of furniture and items were directly imported into the VTT software... therefore, there aren't any sheet effects such as drop shadows here):
I'm building a very large campaign world (2 massive continents, about 25% larger than earth I'd guess at this point), with many different cultures. Some of the cultures are loosely based on an Earth culture, while others I'm creating a new. Among the similar cultures will be a few Song/Ming-Dynasty hybrid kingdoms, and even a Sengoku-era (Japanese 15th - 17th cent.) kingdom. I'm creating a world map as well as individual regions and cities. It's a massive endeavour, but your Qin-era map is definitely an inspiration!
I imagine I'll be amassing a large library of textures and symbols, as I also have Celtic, ancient Greek/Roman and medieval middle-eastern cultures among others to touch on. And this is just the Human kingdoms/empires. The fantasy world contains Elves and Dwarves and a few other fantasy creatures of my own creation, each with their own culture!
I'm looking forward to it and I'm glad I stumbled on your map, because it definitely motivates me to create my own!
Cheers,
Mogul76