Sheesh this is addictive. Ive made quite a few mods based on advice and my own thoughts on the aesthetics of the map. Ive added a really really simplistic border. I wanted the map to be really clean to look at with no excessive clutter on the page.
Before I post this into finished maps id really appreciate the usual excellent feed back - thanks in advance.
The other thing about red text is that red/green color blindness makes them all the same color. There is also blue/orange blindness as well. I think these are the 2 most common, could be wrong. Map, itself, looks pretty good. The reddish/brown labels might do with some more gray in the mix and less red or maybe just a hair darker.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
Colour blindness had never occured to me whilst ive been making maps yet it is a very good point ! I will try out the idea with the slightly darker/touch of grey on the larger labels and see how it looks. Thanks again for the advice.
"Kingdoms of Actalur" has an apostrophe in it. It should not.
I like the borders visually, but they seem a bit random, and not in an "historical accidents" kind of way. For example, the northern edge of the Havens as it nears the sea is so close to the ridgeline on those mountains that it would be a natural place for the border. One can, of course, construct an historical justification for any placement, but these borders are suspiciously regular without being regular enough to be "draw a line from here to here" arbitrary treaty borders.
One oddity that has a good explanation because it builds useful background is the valley shared by Roanland, Rakath, and the Havens. Both Grimkeep and Brelzuth are rather high in the mountains for cities, but reasons can be constructed for why they exist. Given that they do, however, either ought, without a rival, to dominate that valley, yet between them, they control perhaps half the land, while Roanland holds the rest. This suggests a balance of power between Rakath and the Havens, with sufficient distrust between them that they cannot agree to drive Roanland out and share the valley. Perhaps Roanland pursues a policy of working to keep the Havens at odds with Rakath to forestall any such unfortunate alliance.
Thanks for the advice rdanhenry it is very much appreciated. Although I had felt the map was pretty much done I do think there is room for improvement and the borders is one of those areas. I shall take on board your thoughts and play around with them somewhat. I also really like your thoughts on the potential "politics" and will definately make use of them.
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