Thread: Abred (Cad Goleor WIP)

Bogs on a photorealistic map are my bane. If you find a good way, I'd love to see it!

Looking good so far, the only thing I'd suggest is to add some texture to the grasslands. A bump map using a noise/clouds/etc. bump source would do wonders, I think.

The grasslands actually DO have that, but the scale of the bump map texture relative to the map isn't displaying well. So I may have to either re-do it or make it more intense so it shows.

Yeah, sometimes all it takes is to duplicate the bumps layer.

The grass bumps still aren't very visible, so I will most likely have to try something else to give the plains texture. I fiddled with a few things, and added in some bogs, though, so there's some progress. And I have pretty much decided to scrap and redo the forests. I want to add more, and the ones that are there aren't looking quite how I'd like them to. I think I have gained some more proficiency in the technique involved, so they will look better the second time around.

Ok, so check this out: The water is wavier, the forests are tree-ier, and I am trying to work my labels for towns, castles, and whatnot. While I like the icons I am using in this update, I don't think they fit with the style of the map. They are isometric, when everything else is top down, and lighting is on the wrong side.

I could go the more abstract route, and just use shapes to represent my towns and castles. A top down representational icon would be pretty cool, but I don't know if those even exist, and creating them myself would be pretty daunting.

Anyway, here is the map, latest iteration.

Here it is with some labels and new icons for cities and whatnot. Tell me what you think. The glow in different colors is meant to show political groupings, but I am unsure if it looks good. I'd like some feedback.

I started by making one symbol for forts and otherwise "fortified" settlements, but I thought the icon was a bit to tall, so you can see a smaller one at Dun Gorm. I also edited the base icon to make a tower at Torcnoc. What do you think of this? Should there be just one icon? A short one and a tall one? Or should I keep all three?

The coloured glow for political identifications is a great idea... I like it.

The tower/fort icon though does not really work. First, it is a different perspective from all the other icons, second, it is to massive compared to the rest of the icons. My idea would be: change the regular settlement icons to a round shape, and use the rectangular shapes for fortified positions.

Originally Posted by Freodin

The coloured glow for political identifications is a great idea... I like it.

The tower/fort icon though does not really work. First, it is a different perspective from all the other icons, second, it is to massive compared to the rest of the icons. My idea would be: change the regular settlement icons to a round shape, and use the rectangular shapes for fortified positions.

So ditch the idea of a representational "castle" icon completely?

I changed it from the isometric symbol to the flat icon, because the perspective and shading on the isometric was all wrong. I guess the "four diamond" symbol would work for a fortified settlement. Ok. I might do that.

Hello Seraphine_Harmonium

I like this map. It have for me very good achievement. In special the mountain range and the first forest layer´.
Maybe, the forest colour is too strong and the river finish too suddenly. Maybe I said.

Regards