First Map

[Slylok]

Hello All,

This is the beginning of my first map of one continent in my small world. I'm creating it for use in a video game. It was created using Photo Shop. Before I go to the next step I was hoping to get everyone's input on it. I understand that rivers are difficult for beginners to make look convincing so I'm mainly worried about those. I used Old Guy's tutorial on breaking up the coastline and I'm pretty happy with the overall shape. I know this is just the first step, but since I'm new at this, I'd like to take it slow and gain as much input as I can on the road to the final product.

Critique away!

[Slylok]

I was so excited about hearing everyone's input that i forgot to attach my map... Now im trying to figure out how to do it, lol. Do I first have to upload it to a website?

Thank you for the help

[LonewandererD]

Hmmm, I have one problem with the map, I think you forgot to post it

EDIT: No sooner had I written this when you responded first. To attach a map go to edit post on your first post and then scroll down until you see "Go Advanced", click on that, then you should see a button further down the pgae that says "manage attachments", this allows you to upload maps.

-D-

[tilt]

well, you're off to a good start, and here are some pointers
attachments are easier recieved in jpg - cause they show directly in the browser. And look in tutorials for a river guide - but basicly
1. rivers flow by the easiest route from high to low towards the ocean
2. the only merge, they don't split
3. they don't go from ocean to ocean (as this would require perfectly flat land - canals excepted)

[Slylok]

That was some great advice Tilt. Those three tips really made sense and I was able to put the rivers where they should go instead of just randomly branching off.

In the first one I was painting the rivers going from the ocean into the land and painting the branching rivers going from the river into the land. Once i read your 2nd tip, i erased most of my rivers and repainted them. I made the main part of the river go from the land into the ocean and then painted the branches coming from the high ground into the main river. It worked so much better and i know it will pay off later on. I have a good idea where i want my mountain ranges so that is where most of the rivers are draining from.

Here is the finished alpha map. Ill be moving on to the next step now and Ill post it soon.

[tilt]

looking much better... looking forward to seing more

and have some rep for your first upload

[Diamond]

Nice continent shape. Have some rep from me as well, and welcome to the Guild.

[Slylok]

Thank you for the compliments and the rep!

Here is what I have now that I've added some color and some texture. I'm going for the old weathered paper look. After messing with it for a few hours, I realized that I could well spend an entire day or two just trying different techniques and playing with all the properties. I'd love to hear some of your techniques for getting the weathered old map look. I pretty much just rendered clouds, embossed, and used a levels layer to darken the edge of the map. I may just be picky, but I'm having trouble getting the ripped edge to look right. Any suggestions?

Next, I was thinking of adding some coastline, mountains, and forests. Is there any particular order, that is good to follow, when adding the different elements to a map?

[tilt]

personally I like to "dirty up" the edges using darker colors, but also be aware that as soon as you tear the paper, you get 3D effects - that means shadows and highlights...

concerning the mapping elements, I like to work my way down sizewise.. so continent, mountains, rivers, forests and marches, cities, towns, hamlet, points of interests, pebbles, atoms, subatoms.. opps.. a little to far there

[Diamond]

I do my layout pretty much the same way as tilt, top down from mountains, rivers, forests, cities. Unless I already have a specific layout in mind for a particular region, then stuff gets added in no particular order.

Reason I almost always do the mountains before any other terrain features or human artifacts is that the mountains are the spine of your continent; everything else, from river placement to forests and deserts, is going to be dependent on where the mountains are. I think by adding the mountains in last, or near the end, it gives a map too much of an artificial feel.