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.

I followed the Live Mapping tutorial for Sailing ships from Annual 3 and things worked out better than expected for a first pass. This was a great tutorial for learning a few tools I had not used previously. The map is still WIP, but it has me searching the internet for more assets that I can use to fill out [Clutter up :-) ] the deck. Thought y'all (all y'all?) might enjoy the progress. This is intended to be a bulk carrier of cargos such as rock salt or similar cargos. Feed back is always appreciated. Need to find a better solution for the hatch covers, but I stuck to the assets in the style for the moment.

Cheers, Ede

I took some time off from this map to consider the feedback and start over. Version 2 WIP gets closer to the image in my brain. Still need to figure out what to do about tree rings but making some headway at least.

Feedback is always welcome...

Thank you, Wyvern. I appreciate the insights into improving the design of the building. I will take a run at a 2.0 version of this at a later date but for now I have a D&D game to GM this week and I need the map done. I gave in and added windows to the ground floor and nixed the upper story. I'll take these learnings and use them for my next "frontier" Inn. For the moment, I give you the Shaggy Shep Inn and Tap Room. Center of life in the hamlet of Kilmeade.

Cheers.

Wyvern, thank you for the feedback, I took a closer look at the symbols and positioned them more appropriately...whilst making a few changes. I was focusing on Sue's feedback and aging the tables & chairs. Your suggestion of soot on the fireplace was something I overlooked. Windows are currently missing on purpose. This building was initially a frontier outpost built to withstand raids by warbands of orcs & ogres, so either no windows or arrow slits. Haven't decided yet. still playing with the common room furnishings too