So this has been something that's been on my mind for a time, creating a "survivors map" of a zombie, post-apoc, natural disaster, war-time, alien-invasion, insert-end-time here.

The idea behind this would be to A} use a map say a satellite map they might find and tear down from an office or similar wall trapping. or B} use a real raod map section and mark upon it.

I've whipped up a quick idea for beginning to explore this route a whole work of 10 minutes way-too-late at night. I believe sharpies and other "permanent and all surface" markers would be the only viable option for the survivors.

http://www.inmyth.com/soccer/images/badlands.png

Alex stooped and picked up the beaten map. It sat relatively undisturbed in the corner of the hideout safe from the carnage that lay a room apart. He looked at the large satellite map taken from a better time and longed to return to a day when the skies were full of planes and more. Banishing the thought he instead focused on the here and now.

The ink was smudged, the kid's handwriting made the map hard to read. They hadn't been surviving here long likely, but long enough that he could trace a sad story that lead up until the finale that lay not eight feet away through a wall of peeling plaster.
I haven't "styled" the map or the like. Really this post is geared more towards seeking people interested in exploring this styling, in looking at where the potential for such maps can extend. I think this field is wildly different than the high imagery of overland fantasty/sci-fi maps. Instead this style of mapping would be geared towards telling a store or conveying meaningful information to survivors or outsiders just entering an area.

Think of ad-hoc maps painted on walls in spray-paint warning newcomers to an area of existing dangers.



As a first area of thought here is a good suggestion for working with GoogleMaps Imagery.

  • Navigate to Google Maps and begin searching for a location that you think an interesting story could be attach to and zoom in.
  • Zoomed, aim your target area into the frame. Press F11 to go into "FullScreen mode". Then click the " << " Minimize arrows on the left side navigation bar for Google Maps.
  • Screen Capture and move the image into Adobe or GIMP. You have then increased your visible capture area and will be able to work at a larger scale through this.