Mini-dungeon: Small Cave System

[surfarcher]

My players are 90% through this now and none of them seem to frequent these parts so I thought I'd share this... Just in case it was of use to anyone else.

Props to RobA for his wonderfully simplifying Dungeon Map Maker plugin. Additional props to many others on here for all the info posted in the tutes and how-to forum.


I'll do my best to answer any questions anyone might have.

[Wannabehero]

Very nice, and lots of fun to trace my way through like a maze. Thanks for sharing!

[jtougas]

Very Cool

[mearrin69]

Quite nice. Have rep! My only "complaint" would be the fuzzy river but it still does the trick.
M

[surfarcher]

Apologies for the delayed reply... Things have been crazy for me!

And many thanks for the kind words folks

@mearrin69
Any thoughts on how I could improve the river? I ran out of time on this one so refining it wasn't an option. But there will be more cave rivers in future maps!

[mearrin69]

It's a tough thing to get right and I'm no master of it...still experimenting to improve my water. My best results have come from using an invisible "template layer" the shape of my body of water. Then I'll create many layers with varying degrees of transparency over that. I've also tried several different blending modes (say for ripple shine on top or to get "caustics" underneath) and transparency masks to make the water more transparent toward the shallows.

I'm uploading some of my better examples...all use this basic technique (plus maybe some hand-painting for whitecaps and flow).
M

[edit]Click the one with docs for a larger view...most of the others don't zoom much.

[surfarcher]

It's a tough thing to get right and I'm no master of it...still experimenting to improve my water. My best results have come from using an invisible "template layer" the shape of my body of water. Then I'll create many layers with varying degrees of transparency over that. I've also tried several different blending modes (say for ripple shine on top or to get "caustics" underneath) and transparency masks to make the water more transparent toward the shallows.

I'm uploading some of my better examples...all use this basic technique (plus maybe some hand-painting for whitecaps and flow).
M

[edit]Click the one with docs for a larger view...most of the others don't zoom much.

The first three have "drop banks" and I specifically was a fter a slippery gradual slope at the edges. Muddy and slippery and we did have some fun with that

The last two are closer to what I was after, but like I said I plain ran out of time. The one with the ship at the docs in particular is close to what I was after. What technique did you use for that? Are the white caps done with color level/curve and overlay/soft light? I think I can do somethign with that next time.

All suggestions welcome... Think I'll do some practice runs on them.


Jaxilon, Port Paladine, et al...

Thanks for the rep... But I seriously don't feel I deserve it.


Cheers!

[Kolyana]

I loooooooveeee these maps - particularly Tarnia; the water is outstanding! Thanks for posting your technique and tool list ... the results are very clean and the colors/hues perfect.

[Ascension]

I'd say the last 2 look great from what I can tell.

[Jaxilon]

Great map and lots of fun to look at. I like the way you showed the "underpasses". Rep to thee!