Valcian Steel

[Karro]

D'oh! I completely skimmed over the New Baby thing. Congrats! As a soon-to-be-new-father myself, I'm anticipating with a certain amount of trepidation myself the incredible time-drain that will be my coming bundle-of-joy... but it brings with it it's own joys and wonders, and will be more real than anything I've ever created by writing or drawing. Good luck with the wee one!

[Auth]

Great looking map, Auth.

I have to say, I prefer the original but you certainly can't knock this for its stylistic achievement.
I personally would prefer it without the blue glows around the labelling and maybe having the text extruded from the metal plate - it just seems a little strange that you've gone to all the trouble of making it appear to be chiselled from a piece of steel and then have glowing labels floating over the top of it. Kind of pulls me out of the effect.

Still, wonderful map.

Excellent points.

Originally, I had planned to do as you said and have all the labels be taken out of the map as opposed to floating above it. However, I soon came to realize that several of the labels wouldn't work that way, such as Weret Bay, Bay of Narliss, Eleryn Sea, Lisaris Ocean, the Dregnol, etc, because they would've had to be floating off of the steel. Since I am a fan of consistency and was going to end up making some floating labels anyways, I chose to make the concession to design all but the rivers as floating labels.

And to everyone else, thanks. It was never my intention to 'out-do' the first version of the map. In many ways I like the first version better as well, so I take no offense whatsoever to having the first version better liked, haha. This version simply fits better with my office decor. I'm taking it right after this to get printed. Once it's framed and hanging in my office, I'll take a pic to post up on here.

And fatherhood is amazing. I can't say enough about how wonderful it is.

[Noon]

Waouh, I am very impressed with this map.
I also preferred the original version, but I recognize that it is very original and very well done.
And why not a new version of carved stone?

[Ascension]

Just wait until he unleashes Magnum

[Auth]

Carved stone would be interesting, and probably easier since the terrain wouldn't have to be so uniform.

Who knows? But I think, at least for a little while, I'm done working on Valcia. Perhaps I should start working on a whole new map?

And lol @ Ascension!

[Auth]

Finished printing, and currently being framed (they printed two so I could pick which one I liked best). The framer has to custom order the plexi-glass because they didn't have any large enough, so it'll be about 2 weeks until it's done.

[AslanC]

Outstanding!

Bravo!

[Coyotemax]

holycrap that looks nice so far.

Even knowing what it is, my first thought was that it still looks like the real thing (laser etched steel, hah)

[Gandwarf]

Looks good Auth! I prefer the original version of your map, but this one certainly has its own charm.

Now I just need to convince my wife to allow me to hang my map on the wall
Last time I suggested it, she said we need a bigger house. Bless her

[Steel General]

Very cool Auth!