Messing with the GIMP and Battlemaps

[Steel General]

It looks like the perspective of the texture you used for the water isn't top down which makes it look 'off' to me.

Other than that, it's a nice little map. Masks can be your very bestest of friends in certain situations.

[jfrazierjr]

Masks can be your very bestest of friends in certain situations.

Masks are my best friend in all circumstances....

[Hai-Etlik]

This got me thinking. Rather than a simple texture, it seems to me that water, might be better handled as more of an effect.

Take the heightmap, and threshold it at the level where you want the water. Then take the heightmap again and adjust the levels so only the portion of the scale below "waterlevel" is retained. Use the first as a mask for a surface layer, and the latter for layers representing depth.

I managed a fairly good "swamp water" effect this way.