November/December 2015 Challenge: Nippur

[snodsy]

Chick this has come a long way, looking really good, like the texture of the pavers, nicely scaled. The fields are awesome. The blur on the dirt paths maybe a little too much, but like the idea. Could the Wall have an inner line detail with a shadow to show the wall is thick and can be walk along on top. Do you need the parenthesis around the "To xxxx"? Not sure about the light pinkish/red type on the side maps. Coming along nicely.

[Chick]

Chick this has come a long way, looking really good, like the texture of the pavers, nicely scaled. The fields are awesome. The blur on the dirt paths maybe a little too much, but like the idea. Could the Wall have an inner line detail with a shadow to show the wall is thick and can be walk along on top. Do you need the parenthesis around the "To xxxx"? Not sure about the light pinkish/red type on the side maps. Coming along nicely.

Thank you, Ric. It's your map, so your wishes are my commands. The red type is the same brown background hue lightened up to be a good contrast while keeping the harmony of matching colors. If you would like to suggest what color you would prefer, I'd be happy to change it.

The pop out maps look great Chick.
On the gates pop out - I wouldn't rotate the text. Go straight horizontal [as it will match your other pop out maps] and if you need to differentiate which gate the text goes to [as down near uruk and nanna gates] just use a small dash line pointing at the gate. Actually, just use a dash line for all gates for uniformity.
On the highlights pop out - all your text is horizontal except 'library' which I would rotate to horizontal to be inline with the rest.

And I thought I should say that this map of yours has definitely inspired me to try some things once I'm done with the challenge map.
The pop out maps are really crisp, clean and fresh. Really good choices Chick.

Thank you so much, John. The suggestions are excellent, I'll find a way to make the text fit horizontally, and I really appreciate the compliment!

[Chick]

### Latest WIP ###



Do you like this coloring of the sidebar text any better?



I was really trying to make this look like a window into the past. The left sidebar is the modern one, with the archeological maps and the region map as we now think it was. The right sidebar is the ancient one, showing the actual city as it was in the past, complete with a little cuneiform text and names that have been recovered from cuneiform tablets.

I asked for a town "commission" because I kinda wanted to be forced into finishing one. I find the zillions of little buildings and fields to be very tedious and every time I started a city map, I just abandoned it out of boredom. And yes, this has been tedious and I have to keep pushing myself to go back and work on it. What really amazes me, though, is that a few people actually seem to like it. Thank you guys for that!

[arsheesh]

### Latest WIP ###



Do you like this coloring of the sidebar text any better?



I was really trying to make this look like a window into the past. The left sidebar is the modern one, with the archeological maps and the region map as we now think it was. The right sidebar is the ancient one, showing the actual city as it was in the past, complete with a little cuneiform text and names that have been recovered from cuneiform tablets.

I asked for a town "commission" because I kinda wanted to be forced into finishing one. I find the zillions of little buildings and fields to be very tedious and every time I started a city map, I just abandoned it out of boredom. And yes, this has been tedious and I have to keep pushing myself to go back and work on it. What really amazes me, though, is that a few people actually seem to like it. Thank you guys for that!

Hmm, I didn't actually mind the old color scheme for the fonts, but the new color scheme does help the labels on the map itself to stand out better.

I can empathize with about the houses...because I'm right there with you. Oh those tedious little houses

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[snodsy]

Yes the color is much better, the ancient maps stand out now as well. As far as I'm concerned the map is finished, now take it as far as you want.

I know what you mean about city maps, Florence and Rome wore me out. However the more detail in the houses typically the better it looks. Just like the added line on the WALL make this element better, adding detail to the houses would also help. It would break up the massing of the texture on the house tops. Center roof lines, inset roof lines on large buildings, dormers, etc would improve the detailing. As I said take it as far as you want, but I think you have a great city map which with a little extra detail could be the city map for your continuing collection of kickass maps! Great job.

[Ilanthar]

It's looking good so far. Cities are always tricky I think. I really like all the additional things around the map itself, very well designed. I think your dropped shadows for the buildings are a bit too strong, unless you're planning to add a texture underneath.

[Chick]

It's looking good so far. Cities are always tricky I think. I really like all the additional things around the map itself, very well designed. I think your dropped shadows for the buildings are a bit too strong, unless you're planning to add a texture underneath.

Thanks, Ilanthar. The problem is that the drop shadow on the small buildings is the same as on the large ones since all those buildings are on the same layer. That means if you zoom in really close, the shadow on the small buildings is too big and on the large buildings is too small. I tried to pick a happy medium that looked best when I viewed the map as a whole. That said, I have softened the drop shadows just a touch based on your suggestion

[Diamond]

Y'know Chick, I think this may be one of your best maps yet. The color palette is great and the whole thing is clear and legible and 'flows' well, if you know what I mean. But thing that really sells it is the sidebar stuff.

Like Ilanthar, I wasn't a huge fan of the building shadows, but that's a pretty small nitpick.

[Chick]

It was always my plan to add the ziggaurat to the ekur, but everything I've been able to find out about mudbrick construction shows the roofs as flat mudbrick, supported by wooden beams. There is no need for rain-shedding thatch or tiles in this desert area, so that is how I drew them.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-khmrvxlkH-M/UXnbX0-kxwI/AAAAAAAABpw/VKgDVBFCabs/s640/har_wam02.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GlTHHBglko0/UsSuDu5NspI/AAAAAAAADN0/9SqBeGxIrdw/s1600/mesopotamia.jpg

https://livebooklet.com/userFiles/a/2/6/2/9/1/8/OcNzWQz7miakLiVhKIUSIJ/aJsXySW2.png

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FDAr5TeHHn0/VKcXCmhdVVI/AAAAAAAAENE/OLK13n2AZaQ/s1600/tttttttttttt1.jpg


The bridges were more of a question, and I didn't find any direct information about them. Because the area is and was very much sand dune desert, stone would have had to be transported from quite a long distance down the river. Wood was not plentiful but it was available from the trees that grew along the river, so I decided to make the bridges and gates out of wood.

With the addition of the imposing ziggauart structure on the ekur, I think this is done.

### Latest WIP ###



I can't say this lessened my boredom factor on city maps, but it was worthwhile because I managed to develop some photoshop techniques that will serve well in other places.

Thanks for such a great commission, Ric! This is something I would never have done to completion without your prodding

Once this has passed the nitpicking stage, I'll send you a full-size high-resolution image via email.

[snodsy]

This looks great , I agree one of your best and I get to keep it😄. I have some more work on yours still and then can send you the photoshop file via WeTransfer, great job and glad I pushed