Virasana Empire - Map of Disari

[Brackhaus]

Hello everyone,

I have been frequently making maps for our personal TTRPG groups, most of them running in the Virasana Empire of my wife's novels.
Recently, I have (mostly) finished a regional map for two of our current campaigns, showing a regional capital and the small towns surrounding it.

Disari 2023-02-16.jpg

While I am very happy with the actual landscape and details, overall the map doesn't feel as 'pretty' to me as I think it could be.
So - does anyone have suggestions / ideas on how to make the map look better without significantly changing the style?
Every bit of help would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much in advance!
Osiris

[Tiana]

You could try increasing the detail of the topography with more vectors or doing more levels to it or adding topographic rings to the mountains for height. You could add echo waves to the sea, or do ocean depth topography. You could put some of the text on curves, like the ocean text and mountain range text. You could add some more cartography markers, such as a scale or a compass. You could add docks. You could give it a slight texture overlay or creases, to make it look more like an in world in use map instead of a digital map. Just little things like that.

[Brackhaus]

First of all, thank you so much for your input.
I will definitely try these to see if it moves the map in the right direction.
One question - I have never come across 'echo waves'. What are those? These fractured outward 'repetitions' of the coastal line?

[epson]

I think it looks good and the style does not necessarily need more details.
Experimenting with what Tiana said is obviously worth a try though.

If you ever open the map again you could make "and coastal" align with the top of "Disari".
I would also try to make the grey outline a lot thinner, but that is just me not liking big outlines for frames.

[Brackhaus]

Thank you so much for your input, didn't notice the header was misaligned! But really happy you already like it as is.

Yup, I can see how the gray outline can be divisive. But we usually have these maps printed out and laminated on our gaming table amidst a sea of other papers, so the stark outline helps it to stick out. So I find it useful, but as I said,