Thanks for the input! Since this is just an adjustment to the hue/saturation effect it will be easy to decide once the map is finished. I like Sue's idea of using climate as a determining factor but since I'm trying to use the developed continents as my guide, I don't feel like I have free reign to change things.
I finished Kentoria. I probably won't post again until I get a few more continents done. I'm a slow mapper, so it will take me a few days each to finish the bigger continents.
I've had a lot of trouble with this map because of the number of nodes. I've simplified the continents and the rivers so that I can work on the map now, but I'll confess that I'm just not happy with how it is turning out. World maps have never been a strong point for me and I'm wondering if there is someone better suited to do this map. Here is what I have so far. Thoughts?
You have a really difficult project to deal with by having to stick to what the continent maps already show, but now that the mountains and rivers and quite a lot of the forests are already there, there's not much else to do but the major cities (which can be spots at this scale), and that's it. The map is mostly done already.
The ocean is a bit dark. Maybe if you lighten/darken it a little... or somehow alter the contrast between the land and the sea, it might appeal to you a little more if you are still unhappy with it?
You're probably right, Remy. Like you say - the level of detail required on a world map is always debatable. Since most people would be printing this on a piece of A4, cities would probably make it look cluttered.
Thanks. I think I've looked at this too long and have begun to doubt myself. If you two think that it looks okay, then I'll trust that it does.
I wasn't planning on adding cities and was going to remove some of the smaller rivers especially on the large central continent. I also agree that the ocean is currently too dark but it is just a placeholder and will need its own contours.
After taking a break, then having computer problems, then taking another break, I think that I'm ready to move forward with this map. Onward!!!
Stick an HSL on it for now so it doesn't detract from the way you feel about the map. Maybe a change of background in any direction might make it feel fresher if you've been staring at that particular blue all this time.
That's not a bad idea Sue. I really do need to do something to give me a new perspective on it. Thanks for your insight. I'm really open to any and all suggestion for this map.
It is a very intense blue - more powerful colour than any of the land. You might find that simply reducing the saturation might help quite a lot (that's a positive number in the saturation box: 10, 20, 30... maybe even 40 points).
Reducing the number of minor rivers seems right to me, as well as using a paler blue for the oceans. The mountains on Alarius (top left continent) seem much more substantial than those elsewhere, which I think may be down to the number of smaller rivers cutting through the other mountains at present. Maybe the rivers should be paler too, as the contrast doesn't seem that great to me currently (that may be just me though).
It's still looking hugely impressive as a map overall though!
Keep with this map, Shessar - it looks fabulous. I also think you should not show the cities, since we have no idea really where they all are, nor their size. I did a map of Nibirum in mercator style, which also hinted at some sea contours and names. It is in the atlas, if that helps.
Hello Shessar, is it possible to get the rivers from you so that I can try to combine them with the topographical height map of Nibirum that I posted some days ago? My rivers follow the topography that I got when following Sue's instructions from the latest Annual. But those rivers do of course not coincidence with the rivers that the community already uses. It would therefore be great if I could use your rivers...so that even my map can be consistent to all the other maps. It will surely be tricky to combine the topography with your rivers but I could give it a try... /André
I can't thank everyone enough for your input. As I said, doing a world sized map is not my thing, and the size, as well as the need for it to match what is already created, has vexed me. Quenten, I'm glad that you have some names thought up. I will be checking your map as well as as others for any names of major features that are prominent on this one. Thank you.
Andre, I'll post the map I have done so far for you tomorrow so that you can grab the rivers from it. I'd do it now except that I realized today that I missed a couple of major rivers on Alarius so have to draw them in still. Translating the rivers from our individual continent maps back to the world map has been my greatest challenge because of the polar distortion. I just went with my best guess at times. I hope they work well enough for your needs.
That sounds great Shessar. Thank you. I hope that I can get some input from Joe Slayton or someone else here how to get the topography to follow existing rivers and not vice versa...
Andre - I fear that since the process you carried out on the FT3 world was never done to Nibirum in the first place, and that since the existing rivers were drawn in by mappers rather than FT3, they might never match the relief resulting from the FT3 process. But maybe I will be wrong
Yes Sue, I think that's the problem. We have to find a way to "force" the topography to match the "existing" rivers. I already have an idea of using Shessars rivers as a mask where Wilbur or FT3 has to lower the heights - but I do not really know if that is possible.... We have to wait for an answer from the master of FT3 and Wilbur - Joe Slayton...
I'm almost finished with the Alarius continent and am starting to see slowdowns from the number of nodes again so I'll have to go through and simplify continents and rivers again. I'm hoping that eliminating some of the feeder rivers will help when I get to that point as well.
I've changed and desaturated the background for now as well as using a lighter color on the rivers to match. I want to use only the original CC3 fills in this map so the sea will be a bit of a challenge. Blurring it looks better but slows down everything horribly at the moment. The oceans will be my last obstacle so it will stand as is for now.
Weatherman, I've attached the fcw for this with everything hidden except the rivers and lakes, which are on 4 sheets. I hope this helps you out. Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help.
You could switch the effects off and change the properties of the background to a plain colour until your done?
Maybe make a duplicate of every layer and add the word FINISHED to each one name, then transfer all that is finished across to the respective finished layer), and hide them? Then, when all is done, you could make sure everything is on the finished layers and nothing is left on the original ones, then delete the original ones and rename the finished ones to get rid of the FINISHED. So when its done it will be as if you had never done it that way.
There's a real crispness about this latest iteration of the map that looks great to my eye, Shessar.
The rivers still don't stand out enough though. Not sure if a colour change (to something paler) would help, or perhaps something like a different (brighter and/or stronger?) glow effect to get them to "zing" more. Possibly they'd be fine on a larger version of the map though (i.e. one less restricted by the Forum image limits), so I could be way off in such comments.
Yes, the ocean and rivers need work. I think I want to get the land features finished for all of the continents first so that we are looking at the overall impression of the water parts of the map. I suspect that the river color will have to be figured once I've done the ocean.
Quenten, I was planning to work on Peredur next once I had Alarius finished so thanks for clarifying where the ice cover is. I was going to do Dorient next but after Alarius I've decided to do a few of the smaller continents just so that I feel like I'm making progress. Adding the details isn't difficult; it's all of the flipping back and forth between maps to make sure that I'm close to accurate that takes time.
Comments
I finished Kentoria. I probably won't post again until I get a few more continents done. I'm a slow mapper, so it will take me a few days each to finish the bigger continents.
Wow
Looking forward to your work on this one
You have a really difficult project to deal with by having to stick to what the continent maps already show, but now that the mountains and rivers and quite a lot of the forests are already there, there's not much else to do but the major cities (which can be spots at this scale), and that's it. The map is mostly done already.
The ocean is a bit dark. Maybe if you lighten/darken it a little... or somehow alter the contrast between the land and the sea, it might appeal to you a little more if you are still unhappy with it?
World maps are always tricky, because there is always the issue related to how much details you should really add.
I wasn't planning on adding cities and was going to remove some of the smaller rivers especially on the large central continent. I also agree that the ocean is currently too dark but it is just a placeholder and will need its own contours.
After taking a break, then having computer problems, then taking another break, I think that I'm ready to move forward with this map. Onward!!!
It's still looking hugely impressive as a map overall though!
I did a map of Nibirum in mercator style, which also hinted at some sea contours and names. It is in the atlas, if that helps.
is it possible to get the rivers from you so that I can try to combine them with the topographical height map of Nibirum that I posted some days ago?
My rivers follow the topography that I got when following Sue's instructions from the latest Annual.
But those rivers do of course not coincidence with the rivers that the community already uses.
It would therefore be great if I could use your rivers...so that even my map can be consistent to all the other maps.
It will surely be tricky to combine the topography with your rivers but I could give it a try...
/André
Andre, I'll post the map I have done so far for you tomorrow so that you can grab the rivers from it. I'd do it now except that I realized today that I missed a couple of major rivers on Alarius so have to draw them in still. Translating the rivers from our individual continent maps back to the world map has been my greatest challenge because of the polar distortion. I just went with my best guess at times. I hope they work well enough for your needs.
I hope that I can get some input from Joe Slayton or someone else here how to get the topography to follow existing rivers and not vice versa...
We have to find a way to "force" the topography to match the "existing" rivers.
I already have an idea of using Shessars rivers as a mask where Wilbur or FT3 has to lower the heights - but I do not really know if that is possible....
We have to wait for an answer from the master of FT3 and Wilbur - Joe Slayton...
I begin to see the nature of the master plan
I've changed and desaturated the background for now as well as using a lighter color on the rivers to match. I want to use only the original CC3 fills in this map so the sea will be a bit of a challenge. Blurring it looks better but slows down everything horribly at the moment. The oceans will be my last obstacle so it will stand as is for now.
Weatherman, I've attached the fcw for this with everything hidden except the rivers and lakes, which are on 4 sheets. I hope this helps you out. Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help.
Maybe make a duplicate of every layer and add the word FINISHED to each one name, then transfer all that is finished across to the respective finished layer), and hide them? Then, when all is done, you could make sure everything is on the finished layers and nothing is left on the original ones, then delete the original ones and rename the finished ones to get rid of the FINISHED. So when its done it will be as if you had never done it that way.
In the meantime I got some interesting input from Joe - so we'll see were I end up with all the rivers and my topo-map...
The rivers still don't stand out enough though. Not sure if a colour change (to something paler) would help, or perhaps something like a different (brighter and/or stronger?) glow effect to get them to "zing" more. Possibly they'd be fine on a larger version of the map though (i.e. one less restricted by the Forum image limits), so I could be way off in such comments.
Yes, the ocean and rivers need work. I think I want to get the land features finished for all of the continents first so that we are looking at the overall impression of the water parts of the map. I suspect that the river color will have to be figured once I've done the ocean.
Quenten, I was planning to work on Peredur next once I had Alarius finished so thanks for clarifying where the ice cover is. I was going to do Dorient next but after Alarius I've decided to do a few of the smaller continents just so that I feel like I'm making progress. Adding the details isn't difficult; it's all of the flipping back and forth between maps to make sure that I'm close to accurate that takes time.