Maps of My Current Campaign

[NeonKnight]

Hopefully by tomorrow AM I should have a nicely done PDF/Word Document posted that will take us through a step-by-step process of converting the following two maps into a CC3 format map. I will post the Turtorial in the tutorial section.

Here is (for funsies) a write up of Smiley's Pawn Shop:

Smiley’s Pawn Shop


Smiley's Pawn shop is located at the corner of Junk Street and Metal Road. The shop is a large two story stone and wood building, with the lower floor being the shop, with a basement for storage of pawned goods, and Smiley's apartment above the store.

Smiley, is a congenial, and friendly man of middle years. He is well liked by the community, and has no known enemies. He does not like to see people down on their luck, and forced to sell personal belongings to live. To these people, he may provide special deals, or if they are well known to him, he may just give them a few coins to see them through the month if they are truly needy. No matter who the person is though, he will always provide a fair deal on any goods (giving 75-90% of the real value of the goods).

Smiley, is also a fence for local thieves (specialty in paintings), though he will only purchase goods which are obtained from persons who have obtained their wealth at the expense of others. He will never purchase goods taken from innocent people.

[NeonKnight]

Map tutorial now up. I hope it helps.

[RPMiller]

Thank you NK!! I just saw the tutorial as well. Very nice of you, and after I spread some rep around I'll hit you with some for this.

[Schley]

Nice maps Neon Knight!

I haven't worked with CC3 or Dunjinni, but is there any way you could integrate a larger and more resolved texture into the flat areas?

My only complaints with what I've seen from commercial mapping software is the overuse of repetitive texture patterns and a generally oversaturated color pallet. Maybe you could replace the textures and adjust the colors in post to give the finished piece a bit more character. If not Photoshop, I'm sure there are other apps. that could do it.

Mike

[NeonKnight]

Nice maps Neon Knight!

I haven't worked with CC3 or Dunjinni, but is there any way you could integrate a larger and more resolved texture into the flat areas?

My only complaints with what I've seen from commercial mapping software is the overuse of repetitive texture patterns and a generally oversaturated color pallet. Maybe you could replace the textures and adjust the colors in post to give the finished piece a bit more character. If not Photoshop, I'm sure there are other apps. that could do it.

Mike

Well, i'll be honest, I really did not understand what you are saying here. I know I can change (within CC3 my software of choice) the bitmap fill styles, and apply some effects to them, but within programs like Photoshop and others, I am skilled to the point of:

Crop, and save as another format (bmp to jpg).

What I try to accomplish here is a case of: Great Maps can be made with CC3 and nothing else

[jaerdaph]

If the system would let me give you more rep yet, you'd be getting it for your prolific map making and mad CC3 skillz!

[pyrandon]

Neon: I think I see what Schley is saying, and I must admit I agree. The maps you posted, while very skilled and pleasing to the eye, are sometimes "cartoony" in the sense that their colors are very consistent and "plain" (much like the color palette from say MS Paint). The tavern is a good example: the browns are so stark that the result is oddly "overpowering". Additionally, the pattern issue appears mainly in the "dirt" fill for the dungeon maps; they are too consistently patterned, and thus (much like the colors) "overpowering." Does that make sense?

This is not to say these are not wonderful maps or that I do not like them. Just that they appear to have been created by a computer, not by a loving, living, artistic hand. I only dabbled in CC, so I cannot say whether these can be fixed in the program or not; I can say this is a typical flaw (IMHO) of CC fantasy maps. They feel inauthentic and a bit cold. (Please note, though, that this criticism is coming from a guy who likes "hand-painted" feeling maps the most; to other viewers this judgment may range from moot to outright wrong.

Anyway, just some thoughts to munch on. I really like your work (especially that side view of the dungeon levels, which is great). Take care!

[NeonKnight]

Neon: I think I see what Schley is saying, and I must admit I agree. The maps you posted, while very skilled and pleasing to the eye, are sometimes "cartoony" in the sense that their colors are very consistent and "plain" (much like the color palette from say MS Paint). The tavern is a good example: the browns are so stark that the result is oddly "overpowering". Additionally, the pattern issue appears mainly in the "dirt" fill for the dungeon maps; they are too consistently patterned, and thus (much like the colors) "overpowering." Does that make sense?

This is not to say these are not wonderful maps or that I do not like them. Just that they appear to have been created by a computer, not by a loving, living, artistic hand. I only dabbled in CC, so I cannot say whether these can be fixed in the program or not; I can say this is a typical flaw (IMHO) of CC fantasy maps. They feel inauthentic and a bit cold. (Please note, though, that this criticism is coming from a guy who likes "hand-painted" feeling maps the most; to other viewers this judgment may range from moot to outright wrong.

Anyway, just some thoughts to munch on. I really like your work (especially that side view of the dungeon levels, which is great). Take care!

No worries, I unnerstand I'm not sure if I can fully fix some of the aspects of the color saturation within CC3, I might, with things like Saturation, blurs, transparencies, and RGB Matrix Processes (stuff I don't fully understand at this moment but can be used to 'soften things'). But they are things that strike me even as "I wish I could stop this repetative pattern" as well, and I usually look for fills that don't look too repetive.

[RobA]

usually look for fills that don't look too repetive.

A really trivial point here is the larger the original seamless tiling image, the less repetitive it looks,so try to source large fill patterns

Also the less "contrasty" a pattern, the less noticeable repeating patterns are. I had posted a quick high pass filter somewhere here a while back (but search eludes me at the moment) that can be used to remove obvious blotchiness from a tile image.

-Rob A>

[Talamar]

I like these maps, especially the embossed looking catacombs.
Thanks for the tutorials