New here with a Map Ive been working on!

[Aerlinon]

Hello All,

Ive been a long time lurker here, finally decided to make an account and post something I've been working on. It's a work in progress, but it goes along with a large fantasy world I've been developing over the past several years called "Eoberath". This map is the happiest I've been with one so far, will eventually get around to placing major cities and landmarks. It's fairly mediocre for these hallowed forums, haha, but I would love to hear any feedback!

Happy to be with you all,

A

[Non Serviam]

Welcome! Nice map. Interesting variation in that you've got the light coming from the bottom left.

When the key says that a square is 2,500 square miles, does that mean it's 2,500 square miles, or squares 2,500 miles on a side?

[LordCartoart]

This is looking very nice so far! The colors work very well with this. I even like that name: Eoberath. I've always been picky about naming things, so if you've impressed me, you know you did a good job.

I look forward to seeing the next version!

[bandersnatch]

Looks good, i like the style! Congrats

[Hai-Etlik]

A square alphanumeric graticule aligned to the printed map extent like this is typical of modern road maps with dense information and an index to find things on them. Most other maps, if they have a graticule, have one that relates to a physical coordinate system like latitude/longitude or UTM. You also have labels for the graticule inside the neatline which is counter to the entire point of a neatline.

The indication that each square has a fixed area suggests that this is an equal area map. Given the small value, if we assume that the projection is appropriate to the extent, then it's reasonable to treat the squares on the amp as being pretty close to squares on the globe, which gives us squares 80 km on a side. That makes the map about the same size as Kyrgyzstan. Calling something only 100-300 km across an "ocean" is a bit of an exaggeration.

The compass rose indicates that the map is bearing preserving. At the extent you have being both bearing preserving and equal area is pushing things a bit. It's less of a problem the closer you are to the equator.

The neatline is also a problem, chequed neatlines are like an extension of the graticule to give additional resolution. An arbitrary alphanumeric locator doesn't make sense with sub-square resolution, and even if it did, your neatline doesn't align with the graticule.

You also have a problem with contrast. Everything is muddled together in the middle intensity in the colour space with the greatest contrast being in the neatline and the weird picture frame thing around the edge of that. The title is also a problem in that it has a lot of internal contrast, but overall not much with the rest of the map. It's really quite hard to read.

You might also want to consider normalizing the style. Think about how the map was made. You seem to have some metallic text that is both floating above the map AND inset into it simultaneously. The neatline and border around it seem to be carved out of some rough stone but then coloured very precisely some how. The map itself has a mix of different appearances with very sharp edges and pure flat colours that look very, very computer generated, while otherwise seeming to look maybe vaguely printed on some sort of paper although with a hard to pin down mix of very consistent pigment level, and some sort of roughness. Then the graticule is extraordinarily rough and coarse, which is very unusual for a graticule, but also seems superimposed with a very consistent level of opacity, almost like a shadow being cast over the map.

[Aerlinon]

Welcome! Nice map. Interesting variation in that you've got the light coming from the bottom left.

When the key says that a square is 2,500 square miles, does that mean it's 2,500 square miles, or squares 2,500 miles on a side?

Haha, well, again, I'm no expert, so it was likely less of an interesting variation, and more just not knowing any better You are correct in your questioning of the scale, I messed it up haha, supposed to be 2500miles along the side of the square, meaning about 6,250,042 square miles to a square. Oops! Thanks!!

[Aerlinon]

This is looking very nice so far! The colors work very well with this. I even like that name: Eoberath. I've always been picky about naming things, so if you've impressed me, you know you did a good job.

I look forward to seeing the next version!

Hey!

Thanks so much, I had a very early version of the map that I created all sorts of legend around, and what was originally just a map to support a story taking place in one of the countries became a map of a whole land, to support an entire world lore. Glad you like the name though!!

[Aerlinon]

Looks good, i like the style! Congrats

Thanks a lot!!

[Aerlinon]

A square alphanumeric graticule aligned to the printed map extent like this is typical of modern road maps with dense information and an index to find things on them. Most other maps, if they have a graticule, have one that relates to a physical coordinate system like latitude/longitude or UTM. You also have labels for the graticule inside the neatline which is counter to the entire point of a neatline.

The indication that each square has a fixed area suggests that this is an equal area map. Given the small value, if we assume that the projection is appropriate to the extent, then it's reasonable to treat the squares on the amp as being pretty close to squares on the globe, which gives us squares 80 km on a side. That makes the map about the same size as Kyrgyzstan. Calling something only 100-300 km across an "ocean" is a bit of an exaggeration.

The compass rose indicates that the map is bearing preserving. At the extent you have being both bearing preserving and equal area is pushing things a bit. It's less of a problem the closer you are to the equator.

The neatline is also a problem, chequed neatlines are like an extension of the graticule to give additional resolution. An arbitrary alphanumeric locator doesn't make sense with sub-square resolution, and even if it did, your neatline doesn't align with the graticule.

You also have a problem with contrast. Everything is muddled together in the middle intensity in the colour space with the greatest contrast being in the neatline and the weird picture frame thing around the edge of that. The title is also a problem in that it has a lot of internal contrast, but overall not much with the rest of the map. It's really quite hard to read.

You might also want to consider normalizing the style. Think about how the map was made. You seem to have some metallic text that is both floating above the map AND inset into it simultaneously. The neatline and border around it seem to be carved out of some rough stone but then coloured very precisely some how. The map itself has a mix of different appearances with very sharp edges and pure flat colours that look very, very computer generated, while otherwise seeming to look maybe vaguely printed on some sort of paper although with a hard to pin down mix of very consistent pigment level, and some sort of roughness. Then the graticule is extraordinarily rough and coarse, which is very unusual for a graticule, but also seems superimposed with a very consistent level of opacity, almost like a shadow being cast over the map.

Thanks so much for the criticisms, I'll certainly take them into account moving forward, I'm still learning and its replies like this that will really help me improve on further designs!

Thanks again!

[Aerlinon]

Hello!!

I've played around with this a little more, tried to hone in on a style, re-did some stuff, took out the functionality problems,

Would love some more critiques and comments!!

A