Pelagos: One World, Many Maps

[Eru]

Hi All,

Just looking for feedback on a series of maps I've made for a single world called Pelagos, each at a progressively smaller scale and thus more detailed. The goal with these maps is not so much artistry, but usability (for RPG GMs and in some cases players) at a level that is close to being publishable. That said, if you've got any tips for making them easier on the eyes, I'd love to hear them.

Below are links to pages containing the maps, so they can be seen in their proper context. Clicking the links takes you to a player's view of the locale (with a player's version of the map), registering with the site and signing up as a GM for Pelagos reveals the GM version of the page (with GM versions of the maps). All maps are made with CC2 and clicking on them gives you the CC2 file for "proper" viewing (CC has a free viewer, if you want/need it).

Hydanham - the "Hidden Home", an island in the midst of an endless magical storm, posted here several weeks ago.

Norland - same map, zoomed in so you can see cities, towns, and villages

Barony of Middleton - new map, different border style, smaller scale - now you can see individual hamlets, towers, and other individual buildings of note

Middleton - new map, town of Middleton, also posted here some time ago

Hovelton - new map, the poor district of Middleton, touched up and refined from the Middleton map (looks like another border snuck onto that one =))

The Beggar King's Hovel - new map, building within Hovelton, done with a parchment background, could possibly be used as a player handout

More maps are on the site and in the works, mainly building maps, using a similar style (not sure if I can properly use the term "style" with a drop-the-image tool like Campaign Cartographer, heh). I'll post one of an eight-story tower (and the dungeon beneath it) when the locale and accompanying adventure is fully published, probably in a week or two.

Thanks in advance for any feedback, especially global errors or opportunities for improvement that you see - anything I can apply to future maps would be doubly appreciated!

Cheers,

Eru

[ravells]

What a lot of work you've put into the site, Eru. Although I'm a great fan of Profantasy and used CC2 for loads of work (I especially like City Designer), over time, I grew to find the default colour pallete too garish - which was the one I always used of course! Just a suggestion (if you have the time), it may just be worth a crack at importing your CC2 maps into a paint program (like GIMP) and playing with the saturations levels. It might just take the maps away a little bit from that 'typical CC2' style and colour and personalise them.

Cheers

Ravs.

[landorl]

If you have CC3, you may want to try to add some effects to them like blur and drop shadows(for the town and buildings). Also, you may want to do some bitmap backgrounds because the basic green is a little overwhelming.

If you don't have CC3, you could try to download the Harn Mapping extension for CC2, they have altered the color pallettes a little which gives a slightly more subdued color scheme.

Their website is http://www.thechmp.com/

It's a free add on to CC2.

Oh, also, I like the basic layouts of the maps, and the way that you did increasing zooms for more detail. The website looks pretty good also, and is looking like it will have an even better future.

[Eru]

Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback on the maps. I think given I keep hearing about all the cool things I could do if only I had CC3, I think I'm going to have to splurge and get it.

That said, I've been trying to avoid any "extra steps" in making the maps, simply because the site is designed for collaborative world-building. That means that if a given setting has 10 people working together to build it, for a consistent look they should use similar styles on their maps. The fancier I get, the fewer people will be able to contribute maps in a similar style. The world of Pelagos is designed such that dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people will be able to contribute (though clearly not all would be making maps), so its maps will be kept fairly functional.

However, the green is definitely overwhelming, and the minor tweaks that you've both described can be easily documented and duplicated by others. So, they will definitely find their way into the maps in the not-too-distant future.

BTW, ravells, I appreciate the comment on the site - it's been a ton of work, but thankfully I've got a dedicated team helping out. Of course, there is a ton more to be done in terms of functionality, content (including lots of maps!), and the site's look and feel. It just launched in beta four days ago and has had a few dozen registrations as well as a couple new people volunteering to help code the project (yes!).

So far, so good.... =)