New Dawn of the West Satellite View

[Coyotemax]

Ok, I couldn't help it, I've been working with this map so much I'm really getting comfortable with it. So when I started on this mountain tutorial by pasis, I was casting around for a theme to work towards while going through the tutorial. Considering I'd finished NDOTW less than an hour before, i suppose it was logical to go back to it Plus the hardest part (getting all the names in there, and placing them where they belong) has been done, I can get back to the fun part - creating

So, after a quick discussion with AslanC, he's graciously given me permission to use his world for yet another map style project

Here's the "thumbnail" sketch, to test out the tutorial and feasibility of doing an entire region. I chose to skip the cities and roads for this one, at this scale you wouldn't be able to make them out clearly. I've already started on the 3000x3000 version, but I'm taking my time with it this go.

Anyway, here goes nothing!

[AslanC]

Gracious? HA! Greedily would be a better term

Awesome start man! Loving it

[töff]

Hmm. Lake Of Fire. Interesting.

Does magic keep it molten? Or do you have some complex geological phenomenon for it. I figure if it's on the map, it's a long-term terrain feature.

edit: I didn't mean the magic part to sound sarcastic. I meant, is this map for a fantasy world wherein magic is a factor.

[Redrobes]

Veeery nice - welcome to +2 repping power

[CartoGeo]

Hmm. Lake Of Fire. Interesting.

Does magic keep it molten? Or do you have some complex geological phenomenon for it. I figure if it's on the map, it's a long-term terrain feature.

edit: I didn't mean the magic part to sound sarcastic. I meant, is this map for a fantasy world wherein magic is a factor.

It has the City of Brass located on that volcanic landscape which from my knowledge is JUST a D&D place, although other game systems might have it... unless this is a world for a novel or something... I imagine the D&D correct term would be that it is somewhere in the Elemental Chaos and its molten landscape crisscrossed with rivers of molten material and such, due to the specific local it is in, in the Elemental Chaos - home of the Effrets and fire elementals - but since I see a large body of water, I am under a falase impression about which City of Brass this is.

[Coyotemax]

Well, to summarize what I can remember from the summary at AslanC sent me, basically the ruler of the city in that area got so uppity and powerful he was able to demand god-hood-powere from the gods themselves and they had to give it to him, but they didn't like having to do it. they couldn't take out their frustrations on him directly so they rained fire on his lands for 40 days (hence the scorching) and the only thing left was his city and immediate acolytes under his direct protection. It didn't say specifically what kept the lake molten, but I suspect it has to do with one of the lines about centuries of seething rage and hatred building up and waiting to be let loose

[CartoGeo]

Well, to summarize what I can remember from the summary at AslanC sent me, basically the ruler of the city in that area got so uppity and powerful he was able to demand god-hood-powere from the gods themselves and they had to give it to him, but they didn't like having to do it. they couldn't take out their frustrations on him directly so they rained fire on his lands for 40 days (hence the scorching) and the only thing left was his city and immediate acolytes under his direct protection. It didn't say specifically what kept the lake molten, but I suspect it has to do with one of the lines about centuries of seething rage and hatred building up and waiting to be let loose

Thanks Coyotemax for answering me... after looking at other postings related to the World Map you did I understood it better and knew I was way off base... thanks for posting anyway in-spite of my confusion.

[Coyotemax]

No worries. I know AslanC is off at his gaming session right now, or he would have likely answered you (and will no doubt correct me, heh - but i'm sure i'm about 80% correct).

The second pic was just to showcase/test the volcano effects, I didn't feel like uploading a whole new 2meg map just for one corner


But I did get valuable feedback, and look forward to seeig it on the big map.

RIght now, I jsut got back from floating int he pool, and now the wife is making me go for dinner, so I shall resume my duties in a few hours

[AslanC]

Not bad Coyotemax, very very close in fact.

Rather than post my answer here, instead I will provide a link to a document called A Brief History of the West.

It is in word format, please download it and read it if you like. It should explain most things

And yeah that map is teh sexay!

[Coyotemax]

Not bad Coyotemax, very very close in fact.

(See, I really do pay attention! heh)

Ok, I think I'm done the terrain. I placed the major mountains and hills based off the last map we did (overlayed at 25% opacity so it was easy to follow, heh). I thin went and tweaked the mountains and forests, adding random bits here and there for looks, tiny forests placed all over (not big enough to name, but tress will grow pretty much anywhere). And then had fun with randomizing the ground layers while still keeping a general feel to each region. And of course the rivers, UGH. I ended up coming with a partial solution by using selections from the river layer to cut some of the river valleys, the rest of it was editing by hand at small scale

I would say 80 to 90% of the land has been touched up at small scale. Next, the text layers!!