Cathoulla City

LadieStorm · July 2016

So much for taking a couple of days to regroup! I got bored sitting at home yesterday, so I went ahead and started my next big project.

I've never mapped a large city before, so this is going to be interesting. And, of course, I have to further push the envelope by mapping a city by the sea.

This is the beginning of Cathoulla City, on the continent of Ehmeral. This city was built atop the ruins of another.. a city of secrets, some known, some not so much.

In order to map this city by the sea, I'm having to really stretch the boundaries of Shessar's stream and cliff tutorial. I'm also utilizing a lot of Bogie's wonderful bitmaps! Although some of them are dundjinni bitmaps as well, but it's also giving me ideas on how to display ocean depths for when I FINALLY get around to making my Larysia World Map. But for now... there isn't much, but I hope you will enjoy what I've done so far!

Vintyri · July 2016

Just the churl again. You gotta do something about that fill style! The redundancy is terrible!

Lorelei · July 2016

Yes, i was just about to comment on that Mark. I do, however, like the rocks in the water, particularly the group onthe right. You might want to add some white and blur the sheet real good to get a "mist" like effect as the water is spraying on the rocks....check out Sue's waterfall....something like that would just add to the nice job you've done at the bases!

LadieStorm · July 2016

ooh, is there a tutorial on how to do that? If so, that's just what I need!

And Mark, don't worry, I'm going to be layering and layering, so the redundancy will hopefully disappear. I'm also going to raise the tile level, see what that does.

Wait, you are talking about the cliffs, right? or are you talking about something else? If you mean the background... by the time I'm done, you won't see much, if any, of that. A little clarification, please?

Lorelei · July 2016

Yes, look at Sue's Errispa map....basically you just make little white circles on a sheet and then blur the sheet. Just keep changing the amount of "blur" until you get the right effect...
And i think he means the background? Change the scale of the bitmap so that the pattern is not repeating itself in your background.

Vintyri · July 2016

I meant the background.

LadieStorm · July 2016

Ahh, okay. Don't worry about the background. If you see any of it by the time I'm done, it will be just a little bleed through. And yes, as soon as I remember which one I used, that's the FIRST thing I'm changing!

Right now, I'm most concerned with the sea, the cliff beginning, and the cave entrance. Actually, I'm wondering about the sea.... I like the look of the water coming up against the rocks (I do need to alter it a bit, I will try Sue's idea, definitely), but I'm wondering if I used the right bitmap for the part that comes up to the beach. I'm thinking of changing it to the one I used against the rocks...maybe that white mask will work with it as well...

JimP · July 2016

Uncheck the 'Scaled' check mark under bitmap fills hen you have that bitmap fill selected. See how it looks then. You could also adjust the numbers on the line. Unchecking it what I do for my overland ansd city maps.

Lorelei · July 2016

No I like that fill! It gives it the look of turbulence, which should be happening at the base of those rocks! Keep it...i just think you need to tweak it a bit with some effects to get to look more realistic. Keep at it!

LadieStorm · July 2016

You misunderstand me Lorelei, I intend to keep that water fill for the rocks. What I meant is I am thinking of changing the rushing water fill that I'm using for the water rushing to the sand for that water fill, instead of the one I have now.

Lorelei · July 2016

Ahhh....gotcha. Hmmmm, yes i think that would look waves rolling on the beach!

Loopysue · July 2016

My ears are burning!

I'm not really following this. You all have me confused again! LOL

I like everything from the edge of the cliff downwards. Its beautiful.

Where did you get all those lovely textures from Storm?

LadieStorm · July 2016

Bogie and Dundjinni bitmap fills.

Dogtag · July 2016

It looks like a nice start but I'm curious to see how it looks with your city. City scales are much larger than battle maps and the rock texture you've got there is usually scaled more for battle maps. It looks pretty good so far.

One of the major cities in my campaign is also a multi-tiered seaside city on a cliff, complete with huge river and waterfall, ha ha! So I'm further curious to see the layout for your city.

Good luck!
~Dogtag

LadieStorm · July 2016

Well, I've started the slow build of the city. I actually restarted this map, because I didn't like the way my cliffs were looking. I'm still tinkering with them, they aren't quite right yet, but I'm taking a bit of a break from them to start on the city it'self. Right now, I'll admit it I'm using a lot of Vintyri symbols, simply because Mark has all of the really cool castle, farm and artisan buildings. I chose the dark brown beaver tail, hoping that it will contrast, yet blend nicely with Bogie's wonderful homes. Basically what I'm doing is using Vintyri symbols for things like shops, governmental buildings and warehouses, then I will be using Bogie's symbols for the common folk homes.

Lorelei · July 2016

Nice job on the water and the rocks!!! I see you tried Sue's technique

Loopysue · July 2016

Way to go with the steam balls, Ladiestorm!

Sorry - I meant the foam on the waves, of course. The water is way better than before, as is the grass. But you haven't really built that much of the city just yet for me to say anything other than it looks like its going to be good :-)

Are you going to have parts of the city coming down the cliff towards the sea, or not?

LadieStorm · July 2016

The beach is going to be undisturbed... plot point

. The road into the city actually runs between the city and the cliffs, although there may be a few farms out there too (if I can fit them in). Most of the farms that feed this city are to the west and east.... and probably off the map. I'm actually still working on it... and I may even post another image before I leave today... it all depends on how much time I have...

Loopysue · July 2016

I... don't think you're going to have very much room for farms unless you significantly reduce the size of the buildings in your city, or it will only be about the size of a town.

Still. Early days yet. Can't wait to see the continued development :-)

LadieStorm · July 2016

So this is plodding along. It's still in the early stages, but I'm starting to define a few more areas. I will say this... this place is probably going to be fairly jam packed.

Oh, and Sue, I don't know if you have checked out any of my earliest maps, where you would get some of the back story into Larysia, but this is a world that was brought to the brink of extinction. And after 1000 years, the world's population is once again beginning to flourish. So towns and cities in this world, are going to be smaller than you would expect.

But here is another rendering

Vintyri · July 2016

Looks like everything's off to a good start.

LadieStorm · July 2016

Thanks, Mark

. I'm pretty pleased with it so far. And wonders never cease, I'm not going so big this time! I'm trying to remember this is a fairly big city, and I'm keeping the scale relatively small, to fit everything in.

Loopysue · July 2016

The ocean really is very beautiful, Storm. Sigh

LadieStorm · July 2016

I'm continuing my work on Cathoulla City, and wow... I didn't realize just how in depth you need to go to make a city map! I was hoping to have it done in a week... that's just not going to happen. I have a much larger respect for mappers that can pound out city maps... I didn't consider just how much work goes into them!

Anyway, this is what I have so far... and I could use a little advise. This city doesn't have much as far as industrial, but I'm trying to figure out a good balance between commercial and residential. I know where my main market is, and I'm not finished with it by any means, but my market can't be the only commercial area I have. I also have the the commercial row that leads from the south entrance straight toward the palace... and I've already set up my warehouse district... and there will be one more, but I'm still not sure that's enough. Any insights would be most helpful

JimP · July 2016

I'm still working on some of my cities years later... but then I probably work on them no more than 2 days a year.

Loopysue · July 2016

Well, there are certainly a lot of threads about how big a city map should be, but I don't recall seeing one about proportions of industrial/commercial/residential. There's probably a lot of information somewhere like the Great Tome, but I wouldn't know.

I'm starting a map of Merelan myself, and the way I see it is that it depends largely on how the city came to be there in the first place - whether it started as a mining town, a market town, or just a town that sort of grew up because it was at a narrow point between two much more important destinations - like cities on the Silk Road. You can even have cities based on law avoidance, but I think there's only one Vegas - a city built out in the desert where the only purpose the city serves is to make lots of money!

Once you have decided the origin of your city, it seems to sort itself out. Mine started as a fishing port in times of plenty, and is now a vast market city where the people have come in droves in the hope of escaping a global drought - by making enough money to pay for everything they need, rather than having to work the dead land any more. Its the only reliable source of food, and the seat of government, so I shall have plenty of big buildings, but also quite a lot of slums and a very big and dangerous market area!

What's your city like?

Lorelei · July 2016

I have referred to this site OFTEN when mapping out a city (of which I have completed ONE - you all have seen it, I think...."My first City" thread from April). I have THREE cities i have been working on for months and like JimP I sporadically pick them up and add something here and there, change something here and there and have flat out erased and started over on one 4 times. lol. It's not easy. But check this out...it may help with the demographics

http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/demog.htm

LadieStorm · July 2016

Sue, this city has more grown out of necessity than anything else. The outside world has become dangerous, and people are having to band together for protection. This city has developed as peasants have flocked to the protection of the local lord, and in turn for his protection, they have provided goods and services to him and his 'army'. Then merchants started emerging, traveling to where the customers are... and some settled. It's pretty much developed from there. Which is why only the main roads are paved. It used to be that the main west/east road through this city was the main road, and the city developed around it.

But the chasms farther off have cut off what was the main road, and other roads formed to skirt the chasms. This moved the main road from the west/east road to the one south of the city.

Lorelei, thanks for that website, I will definitely check it out!

Loopysue · July 2016

That website is really good. I already have - and added it to my favourites for future reference. Where do you find all these really useful things, Lorelei?

I only have one question now, Storm. With all this trouble in the land, wouldn't they have built a wall, or a castle somewhere in the middle of it all to protect the important folk? Or maybe there is a simple ditch and barricade around the least defendable parts - something for the fighting men to get dug in if trouble threatens. Road check points? Look out towers?

Actually that was several questions wasn't it. Sorry!

Lorelei · July 2016

Ahhhh ladies, i sometimes spend way too much time doing research for my D&D campaign, you'd think I was writing a book! LOL. And, i bookmark EVERYTHING i come across

LadieStorm · July 2016

Well, Sue, there is a wall around the palace, and there will be one around the city too. All those buildings around the palace are the noble counselors, which is why they are so close. I plan on adding some barracks for the city guard, the barracks on the palace grounds is for the palace guards only. There's a lot to this city I still have to do... but then, you can tell that by the fact that there's not much there yet!

This single map may take me longer to make than any map I've made so far....

ProFantasy Community Forum

Cathoulla City

Comments