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Castle Symbols CC4

PapabearPapabear
in Mapping with ProFantasy's Software
I just installed CC3 and somewhat disappointed with the Structures category. I am publishing a fantasy novel and just drew an island country with three kingdoms. Just started. I wanted to place some castles, manors, villages, etc. and what is in the Structures category looks, well, I hate to say it, but too simple. I want this to look like an old medieval map and the symbols almost look like cartoons :0( Any suggestions where I can get some decent looking structures?
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Comments

  • BlindMapmakerBlindMapmaker Newcomer
    I think the Symbol Set 1: Fantasy Overland symbols will probably be too cartoonish for you, although I found them alright for serious maps (no worse than mountains and trees at least). One thing to keep in mind is that most of the map styles in the basic CC3 are intended for full-colour use for your RPG needs. Obviously most of those don't work that well for the small black-and-white maps you find in fantasy novels. I'd invite you to browse through the Cartographer's Annual section on the ProFantasy main site (Products>Annuals). There are quite a few styles with an old-timey feel. I'm especially fond of the Mercator style (Annual 1). The Jon Roberts style in Annual 5 has some great structures, but I'm not sure how well it would translate into printing in the back of a novel - probably not too well. In the Annual 6 Herman Wielink's Fantasy Lands has some great structures as does Pär Lindström's Regional Maps. The latter are probably relatively easy to adapt to get good greyscale results. The July issue of the current Annual has a very Tolkienesque style with some simple structures, but it's probably a bit to close to Tolkien's work for a fantasy novel.

    Personally, I often steal some buildings from the John Speed City style in Annual 1 to combine with one of the b&w overland styles which are a bit lacking in that regard. I hope I was able to help a bit and didn't come across as a paid ProFantasy promoter (which I am not), but I mainly use their styles, because I lack the time for anything else.
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  • ClerconClercon Betatester Traveler
    As BlindMapmaker says, have a look at the annuals. In my opinion that is where the true gems are if you want to use CC3. The included styles in the program are ok I think but many of the styles you get in the annuals are really great.
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