Mapping a mega-city hand-drawn

[Gamerprinter]

Just got back from one day at Gencon - I have my Kaidan adventures - printed versions in my hands!

Oh, and when I finally talked with Wes Schneider, the managing editor at Paizo who gave me this city map assignment. I learned that Saturday morning, before I finally met him, he gave two seminars on writing adventure material for Paizo, my name came up in both of them. What you don't know, is before I sent him any of hand-work completed. I sent the vector outline shape with rivers and canals cut. Because canals consisted of long straight lines and 90 degree angles, Wes was given some pause, as he definitely did not want a modern square grid for streetplan. I promised him I wouldn't do that, except for straight streets on either side of the canals - and posted photos of old Osaka that showed the same kind of straight canals. However, once he seen the hand-drawn work he flipped out (in a good way). So he brought the avoidance of straight lines in proposed adventure material, but made a point that if done well, he'd have no problem with it. So that's how how my name came up in the seminar discussion. Interesting, didn't imagine my name would come up in a Paizo seminar - I guess they like the map!

Also might be creating some Deadlands old west town maps for Savage Mojo games, also talked with Castles and Crusades publishers, several small 3pps and it looks like I'll be doing one or two annuals for ProFantasy - so made lots of contacts for one days showing. I had a good time.

GP

[Moe]

I had a good time...

Sounds like you had a lot of honor and things to be proud of for one day ;-)
It's awesome that you have those commissions coming up, I hope you'll be able
to show some extracts here.

Because canals consisted of long straight lines and 90 degree angles...

Here in Thailand it was common to build such canals, too. In Chiang Mai (2nd biggest city 'The Rose of the North') you will
find those arranged in several squares. Small bridges are leading over those canals and in cases of invasion it was easy to
destroy these bridges to encapsulate certain parts of the city. (A few other cities here use the same system)


Regards,
>Moe

[Gamerprinter]

Thanks, Moe!

Also forgot to mention, the city map I did for Paizo was supposed to be a preliminary map so that another cartographer could finish, but now its been decided that I should finish this map and get full credit for the map. It will be a full page in the adventure, as part of the gazetteer I was hired to create it for - as well as included in a map pack with a version of this map at 17" x 22" size - so I've got the full credits as the cartographer (and more pay). Wes also introduced me to their art director whose got ideas for other projects than just Paizo's Adventure Paths - so I really hit it big for Paizo, and being one of the largest RPG companies in the world, this kind of puts me at the top of my game, as a freelancer.

I am very honored with the events of today!

GP

[Ramah]

Wow, that's great news, GP. Well done and I look forward to seeing your stuff for them.