Perhaps not a map, but a Request/Opportunity Nonetheless!

[The Cartographist]

Redrobes - I'll repeat my comment from above - You are a Machine! YES. This is almost EXACTLY what I am looking for. I'll post a few more comments later on this evening. Thanks a lot.

[mathuwm]

I like the changing background idea but i think you need something a bit more logo like in front

something i just threw together

[Redrobes]

...This is almost EXACTLY what I am looking for.

Ahh good, I was running around in circles a bit there. What I was thinking was that I use the points of light in the words "points of light" probably easier if I just show you. Now I know where were heading, ill render these again with some better quality and put something proper together. Its always easy to tweak it about a little.

Edit -- here you go with the alpha mask also.

[Sigurd]

Very Pretty Redrobes!

Math, that looks slick.

[jfrazierjr]

Ahh good, I was running around in circles a bit there. What I was thinking was that I use the points of light in the words "points of light" probably easier if I just show you. Now I know where were heading, ill render these again with some better quality and put something proper together. Its always easy to tweak it about a little.

Edit -- here you go with the alpha mask also.

I can't say that I like the black on the parchment that much, but then again, I'm not the customer.

However, the incorporation of the points of light into part of the font's lettering is truly a great piece of artistry! It's no wonder that you are able to do this for a living. Great job.

On a side note, I also like Sigurd's idea about having a product name(symbol?) incorporated into each design.

[Redrobes]

I like Matthew's 'thrown together' work too - very slick indeed. Looks like a 3D app used there with the nice light flare.

I can't say that I like the black on the parchment that much, but then again, I'm not the customer.

However, the incorporation of the points of light into part of the font's lettering is truly a great piece of artistry! It's no wonder that you are able to do this for a living. Great job.

On a side note, I also like Sigurd's idea about having a product name(symbol?) incorporated into each design.

I cant say it really rocks my boat this black parchment thing either. I can see where he is coming from with the idea tho.

I think the text and the light needs to be incorporated as either the text would have to be placed off of the scroll area or it has to go over the light points either of which is not very good. You could do what Seer has done and have the view much more acute and have the text hovering in 3D over the top which works but makes the parchment visually smaller.

I am a programmer for a living and I program my app in my sig as a side thing, which is where I have been entrusted with the title, but I would never be able to live off of it. I believe wholeheartedly that there are very few people indeed making a full time living exclusively off of RPG gaming material.

[The Cartographist]

The "black parchment thing" is not quite where I want it but I may settle, RR, because I really like the general look of what you've done. The "black" on your latest (and the last few) looks to me like black tree bark or burned char. Really, I'd prefer neither of those, but more of just a black grime or ink covering the parchment.

Another minor issue is that, in the latest, you've chosen a piece of the map that has buildings on it (I'm assuming that is what the red rectangles are) for the three visible portions of the map. Buildings aren't appropriate because it is supposed to be a regional scaled map. [The "point of light" should be a whole city or village on the map.]

I know that you've just picked a font to show me the general idea that you have, but your font is too "olde english-y" for my taste while mathuwm's font is too modern. I don't know if anyone knows what it is, but the font that is used in the Guild's logo is kinda nice. That font, in bold lettering, larger, would look pretty spiffy in my opinion.

Last thought: The areas of land that are visible are all perfectly round circles--is there any way to vary that just a bit so that they aren't perfectly round?

[jfrazierjr]

The "black parchment thing" is not quite where I want it but I may settle, RR, because I really like the general look of what you've done. The "black" on your latest (and the last few) looks to me like black tree bark or burned char. Really, I'd prefer neither of those, but more of just a black grime or ink covering the parchment.

When you started talking about this, my mind went toward something in style like the edged of a recent post by TheRedEpic: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...42&postcount=5

With the whole thing having the charredor stained look like the above's edges except the points of light. Is that the type of effect you are really going for?

Last thought: The areas of land that are visible are all perfectly round circles--is there any way to vary that just a bit so that they aren't perfectly round?

One a side note, what would you think about slightly blurred four pointed star instead of circles? Just an idea noodling in my brain as it goes with the title. Points of light tend to translate naturally into stars to me.

In any event, I look forward to seeing out this translates out. If I had some 3D skills, I would probably give it a go myself...

Joe

[The Cartographist]

I haven't really gone into much detail about what the project is or why I am looking for what I am looking for. Maybe this will help clarify a bit.

In case anybody didn't know, "Points of Light" is the shorthand phrase for what Wizards of the Coast is saying is their implied setting with 4E DnD. They have said, "But one of the new key conceits about the D&D world is simply this: Civilized folk live in small, isolated points of light scattered across a big, dark, dangerous world. Most of the world is monster-haunted wilderness. The centers of civilization are few and far between, and the world isn’t carved up between nation-states that jealously enforce their borders. A few difficult and dangerous roads tenuously link neighboring cities together, but if you stray from them you quickly find yourself immersed in goblin-infested forests, haunted barrowfields, desolate hills and marshes, and monster-hunted badlands."

Additionally, the following comes straight from my project, further explaining the "darkness": "In any event, that Empire fell and darkness spread across the world. [Generally and throughout this supplement, this darkness is taken in the figurative sense, i.e. the replacement of law with chaos, of security with danger, of civilization with anarchy, however, the enterprising DM might choose to also take it literally, where the darkness is some magical or malevolent force that literally prevents daylight.] The exact nature of the darkness will not be touched upon in these pages, nor will its cause; this is to be determined by each individual DM for the sake of his campaign world."

My idea for the logo is that it include a map of the "world" [or a small region of it] and depict those points of light surrounded by the darkness. As above, the darkness can represent evil, chaos, or perhaps actual darkness. Perhaps clouds or inky blackness would best depict the idea.

Anyways, this may or may not help, but it gives a little of what I am hoping that the logo will achieve.

[The Cartographist]

jfrazierjr - Yes, I think that it is. The Red Epic's edges are pretty sweet.