Let's see who hates me first.

[megabyter5]

Cool. So where should I start?

[Redrobes]

Cool. So where should I start?

Well I would start by telling Neon that he sucks at gaming with miniatures then tell Arcana that his site sucks and then...

Oh maps...right... well the tutorials are a good place

BTW - welcome. Oh and your welcome to hate me as I write a competing product to MapTool Well hardly competing because its obviously so much better etc etc LOL

[jfrazierjr]

Cool. So where should I start?

Start at the beginning... Check out tutorials here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48

Specifically, start with RobA's GIMP tutorials here:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1142 (10000+ views!!!)

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=594

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=875

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=533

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1048

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=874

ummm and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1397

Torstan's hand drawn GIMP maps here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=2035

Hapimeses Mountain tutorial (external link to video tut) here (not GIMP specific, but general enough to use almost any software with): http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1669

These posted by pyrandon (Photoshop, but should be generic enough to do easily in GIMP): http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=547

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1482

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1150

Then after all that, you can look at any others that kind of strike your fancy. It all depends on the style of map you are looking for. Also, be sure to check out the featured maps here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43

And finally, start mapping and post your works in progress using the manage attachments button as as you go. I would suggest an order like this for outdoor maps (regional and world):

• Land and Water (Seas and perhaps lakes)
• Mountains
• Trees
• Rivers
• Towns
• Roads

and post between each session for feedback.

Joe

[Torq]

Man, JFJ. I dont think anyone who asked the question "where do I start?" ever receieved such a comprehensive answer. Over the next 12 years megabyter 5 might hate you now, as he plows through all that material, but I doubt he will hate you when he's been through it. Great choice of starting materials.

Oh, and big welcome Megabyter.

Torq

[ravells]

Likewise! Welcome to the guild, Megabyter - and jfrazier, that's a great list. Might be worth a sticky for people who don't know where to start.

[industrygothica]

Start at the beginning... Check out tutorials here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?f=48

Specifically, start with RobA's GIMP tutorials here:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1142 (10000+ views!!!)

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=594

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=875

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=533

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1048

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=874

ummm and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1397

Torstan's hand drawn GIMP maps here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=2035

Hapimeses Mountain tutorial (external link to video tut) here (not GIMP specific, but general enough to use almost any software with): http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1669

These posted by pyrandon (Photoshop, but should be generic enough to do easily in GIMP): http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=547

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1482

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1150

Then after all that, you can look at any others that kind of strike your fancy. It all depends on the style of map you are looking for. Also, be sure to check out the featured maps here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43

And finally, start mapping and post your works in progress using the manage attachments button as as you go. I would suggest an order like this for outdoor maps (regional and world):

• Land and Water (Seas and perhaps lakes)
• Mountains
• Trees
• Rivers
• Towns
• Roads

and post between each session for feedback.

Joe

Good Lord...

I'm repping you for the effort. That's a fantastic list.

-IG

[torstan]

/runs off to finish writing the tutorial before that list gets stickied.

Welcome megabyter5. You'll find that quite a few people here make maps for VTTs - so much so that there's even a forum for it. Last months competition was a VTT one so I'd have a look at the entries then go through the Work In Progress posts for the ones you like the style of. Best way to start is to find a map you want to draw and start a thread about it. Even if the first step is only a rough idea or sketch, we'll all chip in with advice to help you get where you are going.

[jfrazierjr]

Specifically, start with RobA's GIMP tutorials here:

http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1142 (10000+ views!!!)

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=594

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=875

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=533

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1048

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=874

ummm and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1397


These posted by pyrandon (Photoshop, but should be generic enough to do easily in GIMP): http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=547

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1482

and here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1150

It's a good thing RobA, ravells, and Pyrandon don't get a book icon for each tutorial they do, there would be no room for anything else on their sidebar for their avatars. heh.....

Ravells has: 6
Pyrandon has: 3
RobA has: 8

These are JUST the ones marked with the tutorial icon! Of course, no one is even close to beating RobA's number of views with his Regional Map tutorial at a whopping 10,100+ views in just over 8 months! pyrandon should feel pretty great about his Eneini: a medieval city tutorial: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=530 with just over 3000 views also.

Joe

[Karro]

It's a good thing RobA, ravells, and Pyrandon don't get a book icon for each tutorial they do, there would be no room for anything else on their sidebar for their avatars. heh.....

Ravells has: 6
Pyrandon has: 3
RobA has: 8

These are JUST the ones marked with the tutorial icon! Of course, no one is even close to beating RobA's number of views with his Regional Map tutorial at a whopping 10,100+ views in just over 8 months! pyrandon should feel pretty great about his Eneini: a medieval city tutorial: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=530 with just over 3000 views also.

Joe

And you are to be commended for digging these all up! I didn't even know some of those tutorials existed!

[ravells]

Hey jfrazierjr as you've got the bit between your teeth - if you want to make an ultimate list of tutorials for beginners with a short explanation as to what each tutorial is about, I'll make it a sticky for all our new users - and (if you need encouragement) you can have a tutorial badge for your work. Deal?