The Tellerian City of Tethyll

[Sinnyo]

Tethyll is one of the cities marked on my map of the Tellerian homeworld, Tel'lar. It is the first place Tellerian characters will see in this, my MMO game design project.

I've drawn maps of my hometown, and sketched out street maps for small 3D level scenes, but have never drawn a fantasy city before. Not sure where to start, I was rather grateful for tutorials like OldBoy's, as featured on the homepage, and for more of Ascension's tutorials on closer-scale terrain. The latter didn't work out too well; I suspect it's because of the way I'd started this map - hand-drawn rather than procedurally. But I'm quite grateful indeed for being able to make buildings as a result of brush-work. Though I have quite a few gaps to close where the brush spacing didn't work out, that fast effect is perfect for a city which players will only have limited access to.

20100517 Tethyll (1000px).png
Original illustration

One problem I'm fining with this quite illustrative style of mapping is in the labelling. It works for simply adding quest objectives and such for my own gaming documents, but I have to add desaturation filters to add half-decent labelling. I intend to have a poke about this forum - hope you don't mind! - for inspiration on that front. I also should learn about marking forestry; enough to add alien flora in the wilds surrounding Tethyll. Ooer.

20100517 Tethyll (annotated, 1000px).png
Annotated map

I should point out that very few points are marked on the actual map - this is partly my not knowing how to label well, and partly down to the ongoing process of mapping this game, mission by mission.

[Steel General]

Looks nice so far...many of use use glows, drop shadowing, etc. on our text to help make it more readable.

[tilt]

I've just finished labeling my region map - and have made good use of effects to make the labels stand out. But one thing to concider is the size of the map - cause the smaller the map, the smaller the font - and screens don't do well with small fonts, they can't show the details properly.

[alizarine]

That map is looking really nice. the streets feel a bit big compared to the shapes I assume are representing buildings, but the overall feel is good. The mountains on the top left feel a bit lumpy, but that's probably just a personal thing. I really love the way this map is going, especially the info box in the top right - an absolutely fantastic touch, and very interesting.

- Alizarine

[Aval Penworth]

I like the layout.

Just happened to notice that the population breakdown only adds up to 90% (81+9). Was that deliberate?

[Sinnyo]

I like the layout.

Just happened to notice that the population breakdown only adds up to 90% (81+9). Was that deliberate?

Oh, yes - I had to stop and have a think about that one. The remaining 10% is formed of miscellaneous races. I suppose I should have written "10% other" after all. >.<

[alizarine]

Heh. At least you thought out the population breakdown. I've spent so much time ordering myself to remember that countries & cities aren't (usually) comprised of a single race that I haven't thought of race distribution by country yet, let alone a single city. Still liking where this map is headed; I'll have to look out for your work.

- Alizarine