Roadside Camp Site

[Wired]

I'm trying to get some maps ready to sell via DrivethruRPG, and this is the first I've tried my hand at. A simple, standard roadside camp site, ideal for encounters, adventure hooks, or just for your party to take a nap with some shelter. Day and night version, the originals are A3 print-ready at 300 dpi with optional 1 square inch grids.





I desaturated these slightly as I usually tend to err on the side of really strong colors. For comparison, here's the original.



Let me know what you think, and if you have suggestions for improvements, I'm all ears!

[Wired]

Nothing? That bad?

[sword peddler]

The trees look far more like umbrellas or very tall disks, rather than trees. Other than that it looks pretty good, although I wish I could zoom in to see more!

[Wired]

The trees look far more like umbrellas or very tall disks, rather than trees.

Any suggestions on how to change that/on what I could do differently?

[Mouse]

I've a different suggestion, though the value of what I say has to be considered against the fact that I've never even played an RPG, and have only ever drawn one battle map intending to draw it (However I have had another three building maps mistaken for battle maps, and the one battle map I did draw deliberately won second prize in a Profantasy Forum battle map competition - the Henge Portal map I recently put up in finished maps)

The colours are good, but there isn't a lot of ground for the players to 'be', if you see what I mean. I've not seen a battle map so covered in tree stuff.

Assuming that you shrink the trees a bit to leave space for players to move around, you might be able to improve their umbrella appearance by adding more texture within the shape of each tree, and reducing the 'burnt edges' appearance. Most trees I've seen on the more striking battle maps there are around the place are far more irregular in shape, and frequently have holes in them that go right down to the ground.

I use trees rendered from Vue, which are very realistic. Sadly I can't lend you any since that would be a breach of the Cornucopia EULA!

[Wired]

I've a different suggestion, though the value of what I say has to be considered against the fact that I've never even played an RPG, and have only ever drawn one battle map intending to draw it (However I have had another three building maps mistaken for battle maps, and the one battle map I did draw deliberately won second prize in a Profantasy Forum battle map competition - the Henge Portal map I recently put up in finished maps)

The colours are good, but there isn't a lot of ground for the players to 'be', if you see what I mean. I've not seen a battle map so covered in tree stuff.

Assuming that you shrink the trees a bit to leave space for players to move around, you might be able to improve their umbrella appearance by adding more texture within the shape of each tree, and reducing the 'burnt edges' appearance. Most trees I've seen on the more striking battle maps there are around the place are far more irregular in shape, and frequently have holes in them that go right down to the ground.

Its really difficult trying to explain what I mean in just words, so you will have to forgive me for sticking a picture in here to show you what I mean.

This is a 1/4 size tree from a set of spring trees I'm working on for my Merelan City map. The resolution is very poor, but that's because I'm nearly out of broadband allowance for the next 5 days (thanks to yet another mammoth Win 10 update!), and this is only an example. What this means is that you can't see the individual leaves, and the transparency around the edges is definitely a bit rubbishy!

Attachment 88566

EDIT: Please also appreciate that this is a spring tree, and only has about half the foliage on it that the summer version will have (when I make it), so the appearance couldn't be more towards the other end of the scale from your own leafy trees if I tried, unless I showed you one of the winter trees!

Hey Mouse, those are valid points and good suggestions all around. I've access to a wider range of Dundjinni-based trees, also in the more irregluar shape that you've suggested. However, I don't want to risk any copyright shenanigans, and I believe hand-painted trees work better with my overall style. Like you I've got basically no experience doing battle/encounter maps, so whatever I've got to say on the issue is based purely on me trying to make an educated guess. So take this response as my way to explain why I've done what I've done.

You're correct in that there's rather little space for the players to move around, but then it is a sheltered camp site in the forest; I'm not sure how to remedy that, or whether it should be changed at all. After all, in part that's the whole point of the map. The "burnt edges" thing is, sadly, necessary in the style I've chosen: each tree is based on four to five layers of leafs drawn by a variable brush. If I don't use the one 1px stroke around the outermost layer, each tree will blurr together with ist neighbor. That's admittedly a nice effect, but I don't get nearly enough contours, if any, to create visibly distinct trees that way. A positive side effect is that I can use the same trees rather effectively for larger maps as well, like village and town maps. At least that's the plan. That being said, you've got a good point regarding the texture; I should be able to work in different shapes by playing with the values and shading/lighting of the different layers of each tree!

Unfortunately, I also cannot make them smaller by any useful degree. It doesn't come across all that well in the examples posted above, so I'll try and upload one with a grid on it later today. The "large" trees are already at best medium sized. For reference, the road is about 11-13 ft wide, and the grid is 1 square inch per 5x5 ft. Not sure how I can make this any smaller without making it even harder for Players to move around.

HOWEVER (and THANK YOU for making me aware of the issue through your post): I could just as well add another image here showing same location inside the forest under the tree tops; like a building map with different levels?

SECONDLY, if you know it, what's the resolution for battle maps for VTT? I've got the feeling that's a not-so-minor point I'd need to know if I were to offer this for VTT.

[Mouse]

An 'under the tree' level?

Interesting concept, but I've really no idea how it would be received

The size of the map?

Ah... well you have me there! I'm sorry, but I really don't know. The battle map I drew for Shessar's competition was set with a 5 foot grid, in compliance with the rules, but the resolution was left very much up to us, with the proviso that the image fit within the normal confines of the forum window (That's probably a lot smaller than you would normally expect a battle map to be!)

Maybe one of the GMs would be able to help you with that

EDIT: If you want to know how I make the trees...

I downloaded the freebie version of VUE (VUE Pioneer), purchased the Botanica add-on (which allows you to manipulate the tree models that come free with the software, and any that you purchase off Cornucopia), then set to work creating my own set of trees - trees for all seasons.

I'm saving up to purchase an apple tree model, and a better pine tree model than the one I initially purchased (which isn't really up to the job I need it to do).

This is what the process looks like:



I believe it may indeed be similar to the process used by some of the Dundjinni artists to create their own trees, but this is merely coincidental and caused by the technique being so similar.

If I had more time I might do as you did and draw my own trees by hand to achieve the same kind of individual style that you are aiming at for yourself, but unfortunately for me I need to get these maps finished before I publish the novels they go with