Sea Dragon Palace, Kaidan

[Gamerprinter]

@MSA - when I do underwater map design, especially in this more realistic style, between layers of higher and lower elevation ground, I place full page sheets of transparent blue with 50 - 80% transparency. As they stack the "color" objects located towards the bottom begin to gain bluish monochrome effect, expecially under several layers of transparent blue layers. They start to become more difficult to see, but that adds to the feeling of depth. Thus the objects located at higher elevations maintain their color more distinctly.

Its part of the plan, so I try to emulate the vibrancy of the colors as would be seen above water, then work the map to emulate depth, and so the bright colors work in my favor, and can be more easily seen way at the bottom.

Currently I am 3D modeling rocky structures with ledges and caves pitted all over, to simulate "homes" for various undersea denizens of the Sea Dragon City in various districts. I'm thinking four distinct styles of habitations.

1. Cave and ledges cut from verticle formations - shark people maybe.

2. Organic tube like structures at the base of the verticle formations sticking out at 45% angles from verticle. The open holes are entrances to undersilt lairs for wormlike beings, or other not-yet-determined monster race.

3. Unmortared stone dome houses, like bronze age homes in parts of the world on Earth, for the merfolk (Ningyo) more like ape mermaids.

4. Either a submerged fortress/temple/city of human make, or an undersea creature made version that emulates Kaidan architecture for official buildings.

I'll use coral thickets, sea grass lawns, kelp groves, and implied road like areas cleared of bottom debris.

Anyway, lots to do, and I have to go back to work now...

GP

[msa]

@MSA - when I do underwater map design, especially in this more realistic style, between layers of higher and lower elevation ground, I place full page sheets of transparent blue with 50 - 80% transparency. As they stack the "color" objects located towards the bottom begin to gain bluish monochrome effect, expecially under several layers of transparent blue layers. They start to become more difficult to see, but that adds to the feeling of depth. Thus the objects located at higher elevations maintain their color more distinctly.

OMG! I love it!

Also, I <3 Sahuagin.

The only other seapeople I ever consider are Kuo-toa because they remind me of lovecraftian deep ones.

[Gamerprinter]

In this update, I've created 3D merfolk hovels in bronze age dome structure style, I also used a sand texture with bump, that I might use a texture elsewhere to fill between the merfolk homes. The larger one with the blue light inside, is the merfolk leader, temple or other major merfolk structure.

Same model I just rotated it for multiple versions for layout in a precinct of merfolk.

Enjoy!

GP

[Coyotemax]

Those are nice! Can't wait to see everything laid out, this is gonna be good

[Gamerprinter]

So I'm finally getting somewhere in the under sea city map and more ideas are being generated. Ryukyo literally means "sea dragon city".

I wanted to show MSA what I meant by with the transparent blue layers and depth effect, so the Merling hovels seem to prefer to be in the surroundings of flora, more so than corals. Notice the three depth levels (actually more if you count those on the ledges above the main area, and higher up on the canyon wall.

The Merling district exists from say 100 feet deep at the top portion, with the canyon 50 to 80 feet deeper than that. If you look in the murky depths beyond another scattering of merling huts and another large "blue lit" hut exists as well.

This really gives a sense of depth.

Next, I plan to bulid a rise of rock and great coral thicket in the upper left hand corner of the map. In the bottom left corner, I plan to place an ornate stone work cavern entrance to represent the actual Sea Dragon Palace. Working on it as we speak...

I may change the deep water, but this is it for now - more ideas perculating!

More coming soon!

GP

[MysticMagellan]

This is pretty darn cool. I have a couple questions and one minor suggestion.

1. It appears like you put paths on the main layer weaving between the coral hovels. Would underwater creatures need or use them?
2. Are you scaling the three sections at different sizes to help give the perception of depth? Because the top sand layer on the left looks to be at a larger scale because of the plants and rocks.
3. Just a suggestion on the blue transparent layers lower down. I really like them, but I think the lowest one could be a little more transparent, and the one above a little less. And maybe a tiny touch of blue on the layer above that to separate it from the top.

[Gamerprinter]

Thanks, MM, noticed that too did you, I've been thinking about lightening that lower layer just a tad, haven't done it yet, next update, maybe.

Would merlings need paths? Of course not, but lets say Ningyo, Kaidanese merfolk, whose males resemble monkeys on fish lower bodies, while the rare females look human and fish, like a European mermaid. What if at one time these merlings were surface dwelling humans, but cursed into their current state from the same incident the founded the cursed empire of Kaidan in the first place.

Since they were once humans, their living hovels, village layout and the paths are rememberances of times lost, but helps them psychologically deal with their curse.

Regarding the sand to the left, as you notice in this update, that was temporary, the present terrain and an entire city is going here.

I'll tweak the various blue transparent layers tomorrow.

Lots of assumptions, I know, but it makes a nice storyline.

For this update: I created the coral thicket hill, with the very top actually peaking above the water's surface, with a surface wave level haloing around the top rocks - all this in the top left of the map.

I wanted to do the Sea Dragon's Palace as an entrance to an underground lair so I modeled the gate in Nendo, rendered in Raydream, along with a rolling sands foreground. Then I imported to Xara, cut the image to fit the corner and placed it there, then proceeded to cut the hillside and place coral and flora to decorate it.

Next I plan to place a city with at least four more districts - different life forms. And a market area, a few prominent secondary structures. I'd like to create a towering structure rising out of the depths near the cliffside, we'll see. Moving right along.

GP

[Jykke]

Nice work GP. But I coudn't help noticing that the lighting (shadows) is a bit inconsistent on some parts of the map. Not a major issue though..

[Coyotemax]

That is bloody gogeous so far. I might have one comment, but I suspect you'll be addressing it soon enough so I'll hold my tongue

Impressive!

[msa]

I wanted to show MSA what I meant by with the transparent blue layers and depth effect, so the Merling hovels seem to prefer to be in the surroundings of flora, more so than corals. Notice the three depth levels (actually more if you count those on the ledges above the main area, and higher up on the canyon wall.

I imagined it would look pretty damned awesome. As usual, you delivered!