Taking a Crack at an 1E map for my first Temple

[NathanC]

I happened on an AD&D adventure called Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure and decided to give the first level of Maure Castle a try. I think I'm having issues. My walls don't feel right, I'm thinking about shrinking them a bit and I'm having a real hard time with the shadows so I used the out of the box CS3 drop-shadows, which i'm not sure if I like.

Thought, pointers and suggestions are very welcome and I'm sure I need them.

[Jacktannery]

Good start. Your walls don't feel right because they are too similar to the ground paving texture. My advice would be to use a plain white or plain black texture on your walls for the moment, and get the rest of the map right first. Then, if you want, you can add a wall texture at the end. Personally I love minimalist black/white walls because it focuses attention on the 'playing area' of a combat map.

Your shadows aren't realistic obviously, though they rarely are on combat maps so that's not a big issue. A bigger issue is that your map is very dark: what you need is light, not shadows.

[Jacktannery]

For example:



& I add the light file (set to overlay x3) & walls file. Yes I know its a bit rough, but you see what I mean I hope. For both of those files the colour black should be transparent.

[NathanC]

Thanks for the info Jacktannery I've always loved your work on here from my days of lurking.

I took your advice coupled with the info from Madcowchef's Photoshop tutorial and I think I like the result.

I think part of my issue was that I hadn't defined light sources, so I went and added a few. Then I made a layer of black with a 50% multiply and a white at 50% overlay. I stuck a mask on both of them (hide on white show on black) and then started to use a soft brush to remove the shadows. I think it's working out and now at least know where my light is.

I think i should place all my fluff before going any further that way I'll know where the shadows are.

[Jacktannery]

Walls look better. Not sure map needed to get darker lol.

[NathanC]

Here's the update.

The large area at the bottom is supposed to be lit by Fairy Fire, so I though purple would do the trick.

The First Version is with the Light layer used only is small places and they second one is with the light layer on. I kinda like the darker one but that's just personal preference I guess (hides mistakes better)

I think that I might start adding more room fluff and then play with the walls to get them to be a something other than black.

Darker Version


Lighter Version

[Falconius]

To me the purple looks like a mist or like painted floor. I think it requires more definition to look like light (stronger shadows from wherever the source is, more tapering/fade as it gets farther away) and also it needs to alter the colour of the things it is lighting, so that they take on a purple tinge to them. I don't know how this is done really, but I'd try a layer with the purple having different transparencies and for shadows not being there at all.

The limestone around the fire pit is very startling in its difference from the regular stone or tiles, so it kind of looks out of place. Perhaps bringing in the regular stone colour to it in places like the 'keystones' would help tie it in.