Alright, I'm new, so go easy. Things to know about me: I'm artistically challenged (at least for the visual arts), I like to do way too much research before I dive in and I drink a lot of coke. So, I'll need a lot of advice to start. If you don't like long posts, skip to the bullet list of questions at the end

I have a campaign world which has been in various states of completion for the last 6-7 years or so and it needs a better map. I'm posting the existing maps to give a sense of where I'm starting but very little is set in stone (I didn't have river police when I made the first map - come to think of it I don't think there are many rivers at all so that could be a problem!) Without further ado, here are my requirements for this project:

  • I wish to have a single map with multiple layers for various purposes (political boundaries layer, close-up cities layer etc.)
  • I would like my map to be large enough that I can use it as a world map but I can also zoom in to print a small section of the map as a local map
  • There is no way I will have the entire world figured out before my map is needed - so I need to be able to easily update the map with new cities, etc.
  • I need simple instructions or step by step instructions as I have no training of any significance on artistic software


So, I think one of the first things I need to do is figure out how big this image should be and what software I should be using. About that: I built the first maps in Fractal Mapper 7 - I think that will limit my ability to create a truely good looking maps so I'd like to move to something like Gimp or Inkscape. That said, remember that I have no idea what I am talking about.

In trying to keep this manageable I'll finish this initial post by identifying the style I am looking for and some original maps of my world which will provide some context for the project. First off, there are an awful lot of incredible maps on this site, but since I have to pick one style (or risk a very strange looking map) I'd like to aim for something which is similar to Ramah's Vaniya (http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...aniya-by-Ramah) but using the antique type colours of Gidde's Velaedin Empire (http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...elaedin-Empire). Locution's Kingdom of Deuteron (http://www.cartographersguild.com/al...chmentid=24409) has the right kind of "antique map" feel to it.

I don't know if it's helpful to list the specific things I like about a map or not, but suffice to say that if I can get anything even vaguely resembling Ramah's map I'll be ecstatic.

Here are the promised original maps of Eagonia (please don't throw stones):

Click image for larger version.  Name: Eagonia Final.png  Views: 125  Size: 213.2 KB  ID: 30146 Click image for larger version.  Name: polyarden.jpg  Views: 108  Size: 129.2 KB  ID: 30148 Click image for larger version.  Name: Tallenshaftclose2.jpg  Views: 109  Size: 156.7 KB  ID: 30147

Questions:
  1. Should I use Inkscape due to my original maps being vector or should I be using something like Gimp?
  2. Should I be starting from scratch rather than trying to use the base of the original map?
  3. What size image should I be starting with to allow for a suitable local map zoom?
  4. Where do I start ...


Thanks in advance for anyone who is willing to help me with this project. My players will be truly greatful!

SLB