WIP: Strategy Game Map

[Uthoroc]

Here are two shots from my current freelance project. It's a map for a online round-based strategy game:

[Robbie]

Dang, thats a lovely use of the hex grid...I like this a lot...Looking forward to seeing what becomes of this. Keep us posted.

[Kepli]

I agree, very nice

[RPMiller]

I think what is really nice about this map is that even though it is hex based, meaning only one type of terrain in each hex, it is still very organic and "flows" beautifully without the jarring effect that I've seen in so many of these types of maps in the past.

Ralf, can you give us some insight into how you created this? Did you lay the hex first and "build around it", or did you do the map lay the grid and the delete what didn't fit, or something else entirely?

[Uthoroc]

I'm working from an Excel sheet here, that has precise number of hexes for the provinces (red borders) and terrain type within each province.

I started by creating an appropriately sized hex grid and filling it with the right amount of land hexes. Those I divided into the provinces (I had a rough outline for their position from my customer). This is the result:



I then drew the region borders and put in hex symbols for the different terrain types according to the excel sheet. The trick here is to build clusters of terrain that you can turn into 'organic' landforms later, e.g. build the mountain and hill hexes in such a way that they give a realistic-looking mountain range.



I then used this map as a reference for drawing the actual map. I created a custom style and all the landforms as drawing tools, which made the work a lot quicker and easier. I just LOVE the new forest drawing tools in CC3.

[Uthoroc]

I'm trying out a few different colour schemes. I'd be interested in which ne people like best!

My original, green land, reddish brown hills:


Alternative land background, needs a little getting used to, but better contrast:


Same land, with straight brown hills:


Green land, brown hills:

[RPMiller]

My preference would be for Green land, brown hills.

[RPMiller]

BTW, thank you very much for the walk through of how you created that. I really need to learn how to use the new tools better I think.

[Robbie]

I like the original more I believe. So we're one for one...

Above all though I like the edge blur on the terrain markings...subtle and effective way to blend between hex-terrain changes.

[Kepli]

I also like green lands, brown hills the best ...