Greetings from Shadowheart

Hi everyone.

I just joined here earlier today.
Right now I'm just browsing the gallery for inspiration, but hope to put up the maps I need to create for my new RPG campaign as well.

I'm somewhat of a newbie, when it comes to maps of worlds, places and cities, but have otherwise been drawing - on paper AND computer - for many years.
Professionally I'm a webdesigner/desktopper, so it's not all that far from drawing, no?

Looking forward to looking through some tutorials and trying my hand at mapmaking - and to meeting all of you guys (and who knows, maybe be getting some constructive criticism when I do start putting up maps)

- Shadowheart

Welcome aboard Shadowheart :) There's lots of talent on these boards, both veterans and budding cartographers such as yourself, so you are among good company. I've been mapping for my own d20 campaign for nearly 4 years and I still learn new stuff from this community. I'm looking forward to seeing stuff from your own RPG campaign (region maps or/and battlemaps ala tabletop?).

- YoSpeck

Thanks for the welcome =)

Well, I'll be making a World map of Ragnar(The planet the campaign takes place on), continent/region maps, city maps and also plenty of battle maps. The campaign is called Ragnar Freedom Fighters, where the players will join the Ragnar Militia. They need to try and eject the enemy army from their continent, so I'll be running the PCs through a series of missions to take back bases, or blow up supply trains or rescue prisoners and such. I think probably every mission will require a map of the area, or building... So yea. Lots of maps.

I started on the starting city yesterday with pencil on paper and plan on finishing it today (which is good, since we're starting tonight). Plan is to get it scanned to my computer (hopefully tomorrow) and then finish it up there. I'm a bit behind on my maps... real life intervened :P

I'm always behind on my maps because I always try to put so much time into them. Starting a new campaign myself soon (Forgotten Realms 4e) and have decided to keep my maps simpler until I know they work after playing them, and then designing them for print afterwards, instead of spending lots of time and effort on a map that doesn't actually play well (planning on making a few adventure books). Sometimes I think I'd be happy just making maps all day and not making the actual Campaign they're being used in :P

I much prefer to be a PC myself, instead of the GM.
I'm still calling myself a new GM, even though i've been running a Warhammer Fantasy (2nd ed) campaign for almost 2 years. I'm just not real comfortable with it... But sometimes, if you want to play something specific, you'll have to step up and be the GM.
I like drawing maps and NPCs and such, but I'd much rather be making them for someone elses campaign than my own :P
There's no choice in either campaign for me though. I'm the only one of the people I play with, that wants to be GM in those systems - and I already have the books, soeh.. =)

Welcome to the Guild Shadowheart. As Yospeck said, you have definitely come to the right place to hone your skills. Many GMs come here to learn how (or improve their skill at) map creation, to add a little pizazz to their campaigns. That's how I found the Guild. But it's such a great community, and map creation is so addictive, many of us remain a part of the community for the sheer love of the craft.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh